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Wednesday, December 19, 2007
The Pitching Market
Last weekend Dan Haren was traded from the A's to the Diamondbacks in exchange for some excellent prospects. The Diamondbacks really improved their team, by trading some of their top prospects in exchange for an ace. Now that one of the available pitchers were traded this season it is possible that Johan Santana, Erik Bedard, and Joe Blanton could be traded soon. I believe that Santana and Blanton will be traded before the season. Santana will carry a hefty price, but it's definatley worth trading some prospects (some who might even pan out), to get the best pitcher in the league. I expect him to end up on either the Red Sox, Yankees, or Mets in that order. The wild card could be the Dodgers. They have a very good farm system, and if they wanted Santana they should have no problem getting him. Similarly, I expect Blanton to be traded any time now. The A's said once Haren goes Blanton goes. Look for them to trade him to an NL team. While Bedard might be available, he probably carries a bigger price than Sanatana. Johan is only signed through this year, but Bedard has multiple years left on his contract. While Bedard is a great pitcher, I wouldn't go after him because he's only had two "ace" years and he has never pitched over 200 innings in a season. It should be a very interesting couple of weeks, as we see who ends up where.
Friday, December 14, 2007
The Steroids Saga: What About Football??
The Baseball landscape changed forever after the Mitchell Report was released which exposed the names of several high profile stars. It was certainly a dark day in the sport, but it was something that probably had to be done to turn the corner and move forward. We can talk about false accusations or a lack of evidence, or throwing people under the bus, but it was for the greater good of the game. As many people like to say, the first step in solving your problem is admitting that you have one. The amazing, infallible National Football League has not done so, even though there is a much greater incentive to take steroids and HGH in football than in baseball. It's a slam dunk that taking steroids will improve your play in football, but it may not have the same affect in Baseball. But to think that the NFL is squeaky clean is laughable. Marwan Maalouf is an NFL analyst that I normally respect, but he seemed offended when I asked him about steroids in football:
"They test steroids and everything else more regularly in the NFL man."
They may test steroids regularly, but I don't know where he gets the 'everything else' from. The league does not test well enough for HGH, which means that players can freely take the stuff to strengthen themselves to get stronger or heal from injuries. Don't tell me that linemen looking for an edge won't take HGH, especially when contracts aren't guaranteed. And in a 16 game season, you'd be foolish not to think that players take HGH to heal faster, especially later in the season. Popular New England Patriots Safety Rodney Harrison tested positive for HGH, and it's probably safe to say that it's a much bigger problem in football than in baseball. If baseball players did HGH to heal faster, I'm sure that NFL'ers do the same thing.
"The HGH crap, save it for a doctor." Maalouf said.
George Mitchell's report blamed the owners, team executives, and the media for overlooking how big of a problem steroids was. If football's media members are like Maalouf, it seems like the NFL is going down the same road that baseball went on, casting a blind eye to the problem.
Everyone notices the media scrutiny that players like Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Miguel Tejada are getting for being in this report, but not many people cared when star Chargers player Shawne Merriman tested positive for steroids.
"I remember a lot of outcries when Merriman got busted, especially from his peers and the pro bowl stuff last year."
Merriman played in the Pro Bowl last year even though he tested positive for 'roids. But an article last year by San Diego Union-Tribune columnist Tim Sullivan said that many of the Chargers' players and staff members openly joked about the suspension, not really taking it seriously at all:
"In the culture of the locker room, cruelty and comedy are sometimes synonymous. Yet the issue of steroids barely raises an eyebrow anymore, much less a laugh, and seems almost as passé as Hester Prynne's scarlet letter. It is more often the subject of lame jokes than value judgments in the NFL. It is treated almost as an inconvenience instead of an infraction...Depending on your level of cynicism, it says either that the NFL drug policy is an effective deterrent for young players who might be susceptible to temptation or that NFL cheating is too easy and too prevalent to be effectively policed. "
Too easy? Too prevelant? That sounded like baseball before they got dragged in front of Congress and were basically forces to get serious about the steroid problem. And the ironic thing is that the NFL was cited as the model for steroids testing at the time, and now the league has fallen behind baseball in my mind in terms of testing. But the NFL is really good at sweeping things under the rug, as Sullivan stated a year ago:
"The NFL is America's Teflon league, an enterprise of such surpassing popularity and skillful packaging that its dirty laundry seems more like lint. For all of their scandals this season...There is no backlash. There are no consequences."
So does this mean that the steroids situation is just as problematic in the NFL as it is in Major League Baseball? Maybe the NFL is just better at downplaying a problem better than baseball. Highly respected ESPN baseball analyst Jerry Crasnick was nice enough to shed some light on this situation, and it seems that his opinion is quite strong:
"Sprung, Don't get me started. I think it's ridiculous that the NFL gets such a pass. In fact, the presence of so many 350-pound behemoths dying young is way more of a health threat than steroids in baseball. It's not a health issue -- It's a matter of managing PR, and the NFL is much better than baseball at that."
So all these things that have been said here in this piece has led me to believe that the performance enhancing in football is just as bad as it is in baseball if not worse, it's just that the giant power that the NFL is just does a better job of sweeping it under the rug. So why is football getting such a free pass, like Crasnick said. It will come a time where steroids becomes a major issue in football, but it's rediculous that the steroids saga does not involve football as well. Hopefully this changes soon.
"They test steroids and everything else more regularly in the NFL man."
They may test steroids regularly, but I don't know where he gets the 'everything else' from. The league does not test well enough for HGH, which means that players can freely take the stuff to strengthen themselves to get stronger or heal from injuries. Don't tell me that linemen looking for an edge won't take HGH, especially when contracts aren't guaranteed. And in a 16 game season, you'd be foolish not to think that players take HGH to heal faster, especially later in the season. Popular New England Patriots Safety Rodney Harrison tested positive for HGH, and it's probably safe to say that it's a much bigger problem in football than in baseball. If baseball players did HGH to heal faster, I'm sure that NFL'ers do the same thing.
"The HGH crap, save it for a doctor." Maalouf said.
George Mitchell's report blamed the owners, team executives, and the media for overlooking how big of a problem steroids was. If football's media members are like Maalouf, it seems like the NFL is going down the same road that baseball went on, casting a blind eye to the problem.
Everyone notices the media scrutiny that players like Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Miguel Tejada are getting for being in this report, but not many people cared when star Chargers player Shawne Merriman tested positive for steroids.
"I remember a lot of outcries when Merriman got busted, especially from his peers and the pro bowl stuff last year."
Merriman played in the Pro Bowl last year even though he tested positive for 'roids. But an article last year by San Diego Union-Tribune columnist Tim Sullivan said that many of the Chargers' players and staff members openly joked about the suspension, not really taking it seriously at all:
"In the culture of the locker room, cruelty and comedy are sometimes synonymous. Yet the issue of steroids barely raises an eyebrow anymore, much less a laugh, and seems almost as passé as Hester Prynne's scarlet letter. It is more often the subject of lame jokes than value judgments in the NFL. It is treated almost as an inconvenience instead of an infraction...Depending on your level of cynicism, it says either that the NFL drug policy is an effective deterrent for young players who might be susceptible to temptation or that NFL cheating is too easy and too prevalent to be effectively policed. "
Too easy? Too prevelant? That sounded like baseball before they got dragged in front of Congress and were basically forces to get serious about the steroid problem. And the ironic thing is that the NFL was cited as the model for steroids testing at the time, and now the league has fallen behind baseball in my mind in terms of testing. But the NFL is really good at sweeping things under the rug, as Sullivan stated a year ago:
"The NFL is America's Teflon league, an enterprise of such surpassing popularity and skillful packaging that its dirty laundry seems more like lint. For all of their scandals this season...There is no backlash. There are no consequences."
So does this mean that the steroids situation is just as problematic in the NFL as it is in Major League Baseball? Maybe the NFL is just better at downplaying a problem better than baseball. Highly respected ESPN baseball analyst Jerry Crasnick was nice enough to shed some light on this situation, and it seems that his opinion is quite strong:
"Sprung, Don't get me started. I think it's ridiculous that the NFL gets such a pass. In fact, the presence of so many 350-pound behemoths dying young is way more of a health threat than steroids in baseball. It's not a health issue -- It's a matter of managing PR, and the NFL is much better than baseball at that."
So all these things that have been said here in this piece has led me to believe that the performance enhancing in football is just as bad as it is in baseball if not worse, it's just that the giant power that the NFL is just does a better job of sweeping it under the rug. So why is football getting such a free pass, like Crasnick said. It will come a time where steroids becomes a major issue in football, but it's rediculous that the steroids saga does not involve football as well. Hopefully this changes soon.
The N.B.A. Today
A few things on the docket today. I'll discuss last night's games along with some talk about ESPN going all-access inside the Charlotte Bobcats today before their televised game against Orlando.
-The Heat are now 2-7 at home this season after their 104-91 loss to the Gilbert Arenas-less Wizards. Miami coach Pat Riley is very disappointed in his team as he should be. It's already been a while since Dwayne Wade returned from injury and they're still 6-16 and in last place in the Southeast. Meanwhile Washington sits at 12-10 despite being without their best player and on a 3 game winning streak. A lot of that can be attributed to Wizards coach Eddie Jordan, along with the improved play of Antawn Jamison, Caron Butler, and DeShawn Stevenson who had 26 against the Heat last night. And why isn't Riley taking any heat (no pun intended) for Miami's struggles. Meanwhile, Stan Van Gundy (the guy Riley forced out because he wanted to coach) leads the 16-7 Orlando Magic that is up there among the elite teams in the eastern conference. Put Pat Riley on the hot seat.
-What does the Lakers 102-97 win over San Antonio mean? The Spurs were without both Tim Duncan and Tony Parker last night but still held a21 point lead going into the 4th quarter. It shows that San Antonio's bench can step up when their big dogs are hurt, but what's possibly a bigger story is that they were outplayed by the Lakers bench. Jordan Farmar, Sasha Vujacic, Ronny Turiaf, Trevor Ariza and Vladimir Radmanovic shot 14-26 last night in there win, and Kobe Bryant said that he was (gasp) happy! The Lakers are playing some good basketball right now, but we'll have to wait until later in the season to see whether they're at "Spurs" level.
-ESPN all day today is going inside the Charlotte Bobcats as they prepare for tonight's ESPN broadcasted game against Orlando. They went inside the meetings, the shootarounds, and some people will be mic'd up during the contest.
"Great for fans to see behind the scenes stuff." Said ESPN analyst David Thorpe. Especially for those younger fans, they'll get to see what goes on and what their favorite stars do to prepare for the games. Hopefully this will be a good distraction from all the steroids talk in baseball. The Bobcats are struggling a bit right now in their quest for a playoff spot, but I was able to ask star forward Gerald Wallace on what he thought his team had to do to reach the postseason:
"We have to stay consistent. That's the main thing. We have to pay attention to detail and focus every game. "
Charlotte definitely has some young talent, but first year coach Sam Vincent will have to be patient with his team in order to attain their goals.
-The Lakers will be playing in the 2nd game of the ESPN twinbill tonight at Golden State. The Warriors are at 12-10 despite playing little to no defense during games. It's hard to win games when you give up 107 points per contest, but Golden State has been pulling it off. It'll be interesting to see how they fare against Los Angeles especially with the momentum that the Lakers have right now.
That's your NBA Today.
-The Heat are now 2-7 at home this season after their 104-91 loss to the Gilbert Arenas-less Wizards. Miami coach Pat Riley is very disappointed in his team as he should be. It's already been a while since Dwayne Wade returned from injury and they're still 6-16 and in last place in the Southeast. Meanwhile Washington sits at 12-10 despite being without their best player and on a 3 game winning streak. A lot of that can be attributed to Wizards coach Eddie Jordan, along with the improved play of Antawn Jamison, Caron Butler, and DeShawn Stevenson who had 26 against the Heat last night. And why isn't Riley taking any heat (no pun intended) for Miami's struggles. Meanwhile, Stan Van Gundy (the guy Riley forced out because he wanted to coach) leads the 16-7 Orlando Magic that is up there among the elite teams in the eastern conference. Put Pat Riley on the hot seat.
-What does the Lakers 102-97 win over San Antonio mean? The Spurs were without both Tim Duncan and Tony Parker last night but still held a21 point lead going into the 4th quarter. It shows that San Antonio's bench can step up when their big dogs are hurt, but what's possibly a bigger story is that they were outplayed by the Lakers bench. Jordan Farmar, Sasha Vujacic, Ronny Turiaf, Trevor Ariza and Vladimir Radmanovic shot 14-26 last night in there win, and Kobe Bryant said that he was (gasp) happy! The Lakers are playing some good basketball right now, but we'll have to wait until later in the season to see whether they're at "Spurs" level.
-ESPN all day today is going inside the Charlotte Bobcats as they prepare for tonight's ESPN broadcasted game against Orlando. They went inside the meetings, the shootarounds, and some people will be mic'd up during the contest.
"Great for fans to see behind the scenes stuff." Said ESPN analyst David Thorpe. Especially for those younger fans, they'll get to see what goes on and what their favorite stars do to prepare for the games. Hopefully this will be a good distraction from all the steroids talk in baseball. The Bobcats are struggling a bit right now in their quest for a playoff spot, but I was able to ask star forward Gerald Wallace on what he thought his team had to do to reach the postseason:
"We have to stay consistent. That's the main thing. We have to pay attention to detail and focus every game. "
Charlotte definitely has some young talent, but first year coach Sam Vincent will have to be patient with his team in order to attain their goals.
-The Lakers will be playing in the 2nd game of the ESPN twinbill tonight at Golden State. The Warriors are at 12-10 despite playing little to no defense during games. It's hard to win games when you give up 107 points per contest, but Golden State has been pulling it off. It'll be interesting to see how they fare against Los Angeles especially with the momentum that the Lakers have right now.
That's your NBA Today.
Friday, December 7, 2007
Super Bowl Losers: Coincidence or Trend?
Last night in Washington, the Bears fell 24-16 to the Redskins to fall to 5-8; for all intensive purposes eliminating them from the NFC Wild Card race. That will mark the sixth time in seven years that the losers of the Super Bowl will miss the playoffs the following season, and the Seahawks should have been the champions in my mind against Pittsburgh, but that's another article for another time. When something like this goes on for several years, it makes me wonder what's actually behind something that's been going on for so long. It's been going on for too long to be a coincidence; there has to be some reasons behind it. I posed the question to Matt Williamson of Scouts' INC, and he said that a combination of many factors answers this big question:
"Could be many reasons: Usually their roster gets picked apart somewhat and they only have late draft picks to restock. Players can also get the feeling that they have reached their goal and don't realize that getting back is as tough as it really is. Lastly, winning is tough in this league- it's that simple. I think the competitiveness of this league is sometimes overlooked a bit. Brutal to stay on top."
Williamson makes many good points. The Super Bowl loser usually loses many parts the following season. This year's Bears team doesn't have starting RB Thomas Jones who was traded to the Jets, and Tank Johnson who was a large part of their run stuffing defense last season who now plays for Dallas after various offseason problems forced Chicago to cut him. Many Bears rookies played big roles when they won the NFC, but the young players this year haven't made the kind of impact that they were probably looking for. I don't know if I agree with the sentiment of complacency among the players who made it so far only to lose on the biggest stage. I believe that would be a sort of motivational factor for the SB losers. Once you taste success, and once you've gotten so far, you want to get back to capture the ultimate prize. But Williamson then says that players may not realize how difficult it is to get back to the postseason. With highly competitive balance in free agency and the draft coupled with the wild parity that goes on during the season, it's so hard to win year in and year out without a down season along the way. There are 31 other teams who want that prize just as badly as you do, if not an even bigger desire to thrive. You have to have such a well rounded organization from the top all the way down. From the ownership willing to keep the team together, for GM's and directors of player personnel to deal with the constant roster turnover, down to the coaching staff to not only teach the system to the players, but to adapt with the latest schemes and to adjust their styles along with the times. Not to mention the players who actually have to succeed on the field. It's certainly interesting that six out of the last seven Super Bowl losers missed the postseason the following year, but with all the factors laid out, maybe it shouldn't be so surprising. Coincidence or trend? It's a combination of so many factors that maybe we shouldn't be so shocked when it happens. The climb to the top of the mountain is as hard as it gets.
"Could be many reasons: Usually their roster gets picked apart somewhat and they only have late draft picks to restock. Players can also get the feeling that they have reached their goal and don't realize that getting back is as tough as it really is. Lastly, winning is tough in this league- it's that simple. I think the competitiveness of this league is sometimes overlooked a bit. Brutal to stay on top."
Williamson makes many good points. The Super Bowl loser usually loses many parts the following season. This year's Bears team doesn't have starting RB Thomas Jones who was traded to the Jets, and Tank Johnson who was a large part of their run stuffing defense last season who now plays for Dallas after various offseason problems forced Chicago to cut him. Many Bears rookies played big roles when they won the NFC, but the young players this year haven't made the kind of impact that they were probably looking for. I don't know if I agree with the sentiment of complacency among the players who made it so far only to lose on the biggest stage. I believe that would be a sort of motivational factor for the SB losers. Once you taste success, and once you've gotten so far, you want to get back to capture the ultimate prize. But Williamson then says that players may not realize how difficult it is to get back to the postseason. With highly competitive balance in free agency and the draft coupled with the wild parity that goes on during the season, it's so hard to win year in and year out without a down season along the way. There are 31 other teams who want that prize just as badly as you do, if not an even bigger desire to thrive. You have to have such a well rounded organization from the top all the way down. From the ownership willing to keep the team together, for GM's and directors of player personnel to deal with the constant roster turnover, down to the coaching staff to not only teach the system to the players, but to adapt with the latest schemes and to adjust their styles along with the times. Not to mention the players who actually have to succeed on the field. It's certainly interesting that six out of the last seven Super Bowl losers missed the postseason the following year, but with all the factors laid out, maybe it shouldn't be so surprising. Coincidence or trend? It's a combination of so many factors that maybe we shouldn't be so shocked when it happens. The climb to the top of the mountain is as hard as it gets.
Monday, December 3, 2007
SprungOnSports College Hoops Top 25
Top 25
1) UNC- Wins over Ohio State and Kentucky? Hellooo top ranking.
2) Kansas- Win over USC has them leapfrogging Memphis.
3) Duke- Demolished Wisconsin and beat Davidson.
4) Texas- Beat UCLA, movin on up Jeffersons style.
5) Memphis- Way to show Austin Peay who's boss!
6) Georgetwon- Nice win over ODU.
7) Washington State- Beat Baylor, teams behind them did better.
8) UCLA- Falls down to 8th, beat GW though.
9) Michigan State- Destroyed NC State.
10) Indiana- Big wins over GT and SIU move them up.
11) Louisville- Keeps up their good play with a win over Miami.
12) Tennessee- Beat up on crappy teams to keep up their rank.
13) Texas A&M- Good win over Bama, bad loss to Arizona.
14) Butler- Moves up with a win over Ohio State.
15) Oregon- Nice win over K-State.
16) Marquette- Beat UWM but still slides down a couple.
17) Gonzaga- Wins over St Joe's and UConn move them up.
18) Clemson- Good wins over Purdue and South Carolina.
19) Pitt- Beat BU and Toledo, but move down because of the Zags.
20) Arkansas- Wins over Mizzou and Oral Roberts keeps them at 20.
21) Xavier- Beat Oakland and Belmont, which is pretty good.
22) Vanderbilt- Beat GT and South Alabama to move into this week's rankings.
23) Stanford- Mauled Colorado to move up.
24) BYU- 5-1 and debuts this week.
25) Villanova- Pounded Penn to enter this week.
1) UNC- Wins over Ohio State and Kentucky? Hellooo top ranking.
2) Kansas- Win over USC has them leapfrogging Memphis.
3) Duke- Demolished Wisconsin and beat Davidson.
4) Texas- Beat UCLA, movin on up Jeffersons style.
5) Memphis- Way to show Austin Peay who's boss!
6) Georgetwon- Nice win over ODU.
7) Washington State- Beat Baylor, teams behind them did better.
8) UCLA- Falls down to 8th, beat GW though.
9) Michigan State- Destroyed NC State.
10) Indiana- Big wins over GT and SIU move them up.
11) Louisville- Keeps up their good play with a win over Miami.
12) Tennessee- Beat up on crappy teams to keep up their rank.
13) Texas A&M- Good win over Bama, bad loss to Arizona.
14) Butler- Moves up with a win over Ohio State.
15) Oregon- Nice win over K-State.
16) Marquette- Beat UWM but still slides down a couple.
17) Gonzaga- Wins over St Joe's and UConn move them up.
18) Clemson- Good wins over Purdue and South Carolina.
19) Pitt- Beat BU and Toledo, but move down because of the Zags.
20) Arkansas- Wins over Mizzou and Oral Roberts keeps them at 20.
21) Xavier- Beat Oakland and Belmont, which is pretty good.
22) Vanderbilt- Beat GT and South Alabama to move into this week's rankings.
23) Stanford- Mauled Colorado to move up.
24) BYU- 5-1 and debuts this week.
25) Villanova- Pounded Penn to enter this week.
Winter Meetings Day I
Winter Meetings!!!!!! What a great week to be a baseball fan. Today may very well be decision day for the Twins regarding Johan Santana, and who knows what else could go down from the Grand Opryland Hotel in Nashville. Let's hope there are as many deals as there are rooms in the sprawling building.
8:45am EST
-Ken Rosenthal says that the heat is now on Mets GM Omar Minaya. Rosenthal also reports that a trade of Miguel Tejada will likely hinge on what happens with Miguel Cabrera, but that the Astros, Cardinals, and Giants would be interested regardless. The Brewers are still the frontrunners for Scott Rolen. Many are saying that the Orioles would definitely trade Brian Roberts if Baltimore owner Peter Angelos allowed it. The Mets and Astros were interested until they got second basemen of their own, but the Cubs are still intrigued. Mike Piazza interests the Padres if Michael Barrett leaves for Tampa, Florida, or the Orioles, who would have interest if they deal Ramon Hernandez. Jim Bowden offered Chad Cordero to the Brewers for Rickie Weeks, and was flatly rejected on the spot. Atlanta no longer has interest in Coco Crisp, the Mets and Yankees are both interested in Octavio Dotel, and Craig Brazell has signed a contract with Seibu of the Japanese League.
-Jim Molony of MLB.com gives his report from Nashville: Florida may hold on to Miguel Cabrera until July. Jon Lieber could go to the Astros, and Jason Jennings could go to Colorado, San Diego, or Washington.
-Colorado could swing a trade for Chris Burke and has interest in Mark Loretta, according to Thomas Harding of MLB.com.
-Now that Jake Peavy will be signed to an extension, Arizona could do the same with Brandon Webb. (Arizona Republic)
-The Cubs could trade Matt Murton, and the Padres have interest in Mark Prior. (Chicago Sun-Times)
8:45am EST
-Ken Rosenthal says that the heat is now on Mets GM Omar Minaya. Rosenthal also reports that a trade of Miguel Tejada will likely hinge on what happens with Miguel Cabrera, but that the Astros, Cardinals, and Giants would be interested regardless. The Brewers are still the frontrunners for Scott Rolen. Many are saying that the Orioles would definitely trade Brian Roberts if Baltimore owner Peter Angelos allowed it. The Mets and Astros were interested until they got second basemen of their own, but the Cubs are still intrigued. Mike Piazza interests the Padres if Michael Barrett leaves for Tampa, Florida, or the Orioles, who would have interest if they deal Ramon Hernandez. Jim Bowden offered Chad Cordero to the Brewers for Rickie Weeks, and was flatly rejected on the spot. Atlanta no longer has interest in Coco Crisp, the Mets and Yankees are both interested in Octavio Dotel, and Craig Brazell has signed a contract with Seibu of the Japanese League.
-Jim Molony of MLB.com gives his report from Nashville: Florida may hold on to Miguel Cabrera until July. Jon Lieber could go to the Astros, and Jason Jennings could go to Colorado, San Diego, or Washington.
-Colorado could swing a trade for Chris Burke and has interest in Mark Loretta, according to Thomas Harding of MLB.com.
-Now that Jake Peavy will be signed to an extension, Arizona could do the same with Brandon Webb. (Arizona Republic)
-The Cubs could trade Matt Murton, and the Padres have interest in Mark Prior. (Chicago Sun-Times)
Sunday, December 2, 2007
College Hoops- Freshman Fantasy
| - Back from my brief stint on the bench, I'm back, and it feels good. College Basketball, possibly the best basketball being played right now, is a wonderful thing. Freshman seem to be taking over the game. Some of them are phenoms. Players that come around once in a lifetime. We thought last years' class was good with Oden, Durant, Hawes, Budinger and the rest of the gang. Well I'm about to take you on a tour of the best freshman class,(in my opinion), in a long time. - I'd like to start in Manhattan, Kansas, in a school called Kansas State University. Michael Beasley is leading the nation in scoring with 27.2 a game while averaging 15.5 rebounds a game. In their last game scouts said he played poorly, i didn't know that 13 and 10 was poor. The guy has big man skills, slashing skills, shooting skills, leadership ability and is playing alongside Bill Walker, another solid frosh, on a team playing sleeper. Oh hes good, and watch out because he's coming to a city near you, if your team is as bad as mine, the Knicks. - Not to far below Mr. Beasley is the second leading scorer in the Nation, from Indiana, Eric Gordon. Averaging 27 points, 3.5 boards and 3.5 assists, he already the go-to-guy for a top 25 ranked ball team. Had his "worst" night lately as well, finishing with 20 points, 3 boards and 2 assists. He is the next NBA star guard. Kind of reminds me of a young Paul Pierce, just better. - Derrick Rose, who is playing PG for the Memphis Tigers, is proving early that he can be a pass-first point guard with tremendous scoring ability. Averaging 16.6 points, 5 boards and 4 assists, he is jumping out as the captain of a top 5 team. Memphis relies on this high-flyer from Chicago to lead them to the holy Final Four. - USC will put their fate in the hands of super-frosh OJ Mayo. This kid is super athletic and has a knack for scoring. 21 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists are this kids stats. He showed us that he can take a game into his own hands against Kansas when he scored the teams first 5 points and had 5 steals to start the game. He is a defensive maven and what we call a true all-around ball player. - Possibly the most over looked freshman is Kevin Love. Because he is playing for a stronger team, he doesn't need to take over games. That doesn't stop him from being the player of the game in all of the games of the CBE Invitational. Averaging 19.5 and 10 a game, he is the true meaning of a post player. His amazing rebounding ability and outlet passing ability have pro-scouts craving his teamwork style of play. He also has guard like handles which makes him even more dangerous. |
- Donte Green of Syracuse is playing out of his mind. Alongside Johnny Flynn, The Orange have found their rhythm and are playing pretty well. He is scoring 20 points a game while also averaging 8.8 rebounds. He had huge games against both Washington and Ohio State and looks to continue a great year.
- Jerryd Bayless who is averaging 18 points, 4.5 boards and 5.5 assists a game for Arizona, is proving that there was a reason for Chase Budinger to stay another year. While Coach Lute Olson is gone, Budinger and Bayless are playing very well together and developing a chemistry that should take them deep into the dance.
That's all for now, if you want to read more about this years Freshman class, check out the College Basketball section of rivals.com.
Adam Ehrenreich
Saturday, December 1, 2007
NFL Daily Presents: Week 13 ATS
I have a headache, so I'll go through this quickly while analyzing and being brilliant like I always am. Man, did Omar Minaya have a headache the whole last week or what? It's hard to think when your head hurts. Now I know how Omar and Miss Teen South Carolina felt. I digress.......
-The Chiefs need to win this game at home, and they'll once again rely on Kolby Smith to do so. Sorry, not this time. Look for LT to ratchet up his effort in a game they must have, and look for Antonio Cromartie to do some damage on D. Bolts plus the 5.
-I trust Tennessee right now as much as I trust the local burglar right now. They can't get anything done on offense with both VY and the running game slumping. Look for Matt Schaub to have a good day and look for the Texans to pull the upset on the nosediving Titans.
-The Jaguars are on a roll, the Colts may still be without some of their good players. Jacksonville will do their best to control the clock, and I say that they'll at least cover and perhaps win the game outright. Call me crazy, but the Jags are the AFC's 2nd best team right now. Big "show me" game for J-Ville.
-The Skins will be playing with emotion and heavy hearts, and Buffalo will be playing without both Marshawn Lynch and Anthony Thomas. Look for Jason Campbell to wing it against Buffalo (I can't think of a better joke, my head hurts) and look for Washington to remain in the thick of the NFC Wild Card race with a win over the Bills and the 6 point cover.
-Who's playing QB for the Panthers? Who cares, unless they give Steve Smith the ball the entire game, they can't even beat Trent Dilfer and the Niners. Look for Frank Gore to have a big day and Frisco pulls an upset, causing a Carolina uproar and riots in the streets calling for John Fox's head on a stick.
-An enormous game on the schedule pits the Vikings and the Lions, two teams going in the opposite directions. Adrian Peterson's health will be a huge factor; if he can run it, it'll take the pressure of off Tarvaris Jackson up against an opportunistic ballhawking Detroit defense. If Air Martz's crew can get anything on the ground, Jon Kitna and his god squad will have a divine experience at Minnesota's expense. I have a feeling that the Minnesota defense won't do what they did last week, and I don't trust their dormant offense, so I'm taking the Lions for the win. (circle gets the square, with Gilbert Gottfried)
-I can't see a team going 0-16 in the modern era, and the Phins will do it tomorrow at home against the rival Jets. Gang Green fans will be embarrassed for about a day and then realize that the loss was for the greater good of the franchize. For draft purposes, this is a must-lose game, and the Jets will come up big (or small) and lose to Miami plus the 2.
-The Rams were finally putting it together last week, and an almost win against Seattle is good enough for a victory over the Falcons. Gimme STL and the 5.
-The Eagles looked fabulous against New England last week, but will they be deflated by their loss to the Patriots? I'll say yes, and bet on the Mo Morris-Shawn Alexander combo being too much for Philly to handle. Seattle pulls the road upset.
-The Saints need to win this game in order to stay in the NFC South mix, but the Bucs have been too good this season and New Orleans has been way too inconsistent, and my money is on Tampa to put on a good performance defensively on the ground, and running the football with Earnest Graham. Bucs lock up the dirty dirty with the win.
-The Browns are playing really good football, and Kurt Warner can't stay out of his own way. Look for Cleveland to survive in the desert, and come out sitting pretty in the wild card picture.
-For the rest of my picks, I'll take Denver, the Giants, Pittsburgh, and the Patriots with all those glorious points. Enjoy football, I'm going to the medicine cabinet.
-The Chiefs need to win this game at home, and they'll once again rely on Kolby Smith to do so. Sorry, not this time. Look for LT to ratchet up his effort in a game they must have, and look for Antonio Cromartie to do some damage on D. Bolts plus the 5.
-I trust Tennessee right now as much as I trust the local burglar right now. They can't get anything done on offense with both VY and the running game slumping. Look for Matt Schaub to have a good day and look for the Texans to pull the upset on the nosediving Titans.
-The Jaguars are on a roll, the Colts may still be without some of their good players. Jacksonville will do their best to control the clock, and I say that they'll at least cover and perhaps win the game outright. Call me crazy, but the Jags are the AFC's 2nd best team right now. Big "show me" game for J-Ville.
-The Skins will be playing with emotion and heavy hearts, and Buffalo will be playing without both Marshawn Lynch and Anthony Thomas. Look for Jason Campbell to wing it against Buffalo (I can't think of a better joke, my head hurts) and look for Washington to remain in the thick of the NFC Wild Card race with a win over the Bills and the 6 point cover.
-Who's playing QB for the Panthers? Who cares, unless they give Steve Smith the ball the entire game, they can't even beat Trent Dilfer and the Niners. Look for Frank Gore to have a big day and Frisco pulls an upset, causing a Carolina uproar and riots in the streets calling for John Fox's head on a stick.
-An enormous game on the schedule pits the Vikings and the Lions, two teams going in the opposite directions. Adrian Peterson's health will be a huge factor; if he can run it, it'll take the pressure of off Tarvaris Jackson up against an opportunistic ballhawking Detroit defense. If Air Martz's crew can get anything on the ground, Jon Kitna and his god squad will have a divine experience at Minnesota's expense. I have a feeling that the Minnesota defense won't do what they did last week, and I don't trust their dormant offense, so I'm taking the Lions for the win. (circle gets the square, with Gilbert Gottfried)
-I can't see a team going 0-16 in the modern era, and the Phins will do it tomorrow at home against the rival Jets. Gang Green fans will be embarrassed for about a day and then realize that the loss was for the greater good of the franchize. For draft purposes, this is a must-lose game, and the Jets will come up big (or small) and lose to Miami plus the 2.
-The Rams were finally putting it together last week, and an almost win against Seattle is good enough for a victory over the Falcons. Gimme STL and the 5.
-The Eagles looked fabulous against New England last week, but will they be deflated by their loss to the Patriots? I'll say yes, and bet on the Mo Morris-Shawn Alexander combo being too much for Philly to handle. Seattle pulls the road upset.
-The Saints need to win this game in order to stay in the NFC South mix, but the Bucs have been too good this season and New Orleans has been way too inconsistent, and my money is on Tampa to put on a good performance defensively on the ground, and running the football with Earnest Graham. Bucs lock up the dirty dirty with the win.
-The Browns are playing really good football, and Kurt Warner can't stay out of his own way. Look for Cleveland to survive in the desert, and come out sitting pretty in the wild card picture.
-For the rest of my picks, I'll take Denver, the Giants, Pittsburgh, and the Patriots with all those glorious points. Enjoy football, I'm going to the medicine cabinet.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
NFL Daily Presents: Analytical Assault Week 12
Before I get to the post with analysis from Matt Williamson and Keith Kidd, I'd like to take a minute to talk about Sean Taylor. As a diehard Cowboys fan, I never liked Taylor; I'd even go as far as saying that I despise Taylor and hoped that he would be injured so that he wouldn't play an amazing safety for the hated Washington Redskins. Sometimes I joke that it would be amazing if this guy gets harmed or that guy gets hurt, but I never really meant it or anything. So I felt bad when I heard the news that Taylor got shot, and I felt even worse when he passed away. From now on I'll try my hardest to take things into context and realize that these players on your bitter rivals have lives outside of the games on the field. They may have wives and children and parents who care for them. So the next time you talk about the certain player on your rival that you hate (everyone has them) maybe think again and remember that it's just a game and you would never want that person to actually get hurt, or worse become another needless victim like a Sean Taylor. I'm sure that many Red Sox fans hated Thurmon Munson with a passion, but never wished that he'd die in a plane crash. So let's try to take things in perspective as we mourn the loss of a damn good football player and someone who was finally coming into his own as a human being. I'll only do the Sunday and Monday games in the assault.
-The Titans are nosediving. Their defense is finally breaking, the running game is falling apart, and Vince Young cannot carry this team. The Bengals were able to stop the run, keep VY in check, dominate the clock with Rudi Johnson, and get a stellar day from Chad Johnson. Cincy had 38 passes and 36 runs, which is nearly perfect. I asked Williamson if the Bengals can go on a run starting this Sunday against Pittsburgh.
"Was thinking that. PGH is the better team, but that game is certainly winnable for Cincy next week. Under the radar-Cincy has SHUT DOWN opposing running games of late!!!"
Willie Parker should take notice, and Tennessee is playing themselves out of this playoff picture. -The Browns keep winning, and Jamal Lewis keeps their offense moving. He's the man behind the scenes with Derek Anderson getting all the headlines; impressive against a Texans team that was good against the run. Kellen Winslow was spectacular, and the Cleveland defense forced 3 turnovers. With a running game that good, it gets to be a lot easier in the 4th quarter. Lewis wore Houston down and they were able to pull away to continue one of the surprise stories.
-There's a certain reason why New York grew sour on Herm Edwards. Oh yeah, it's because his late game decision making is atrocious. He had the chance to tie the game with 4th and 1 deep in Raiders territory, went for it and missed. A field goal keeps you in the game, but Edwards decided to go for the jugular and wasn't even close and the Chiefs suffered a critical loss. His clock management has also been criticized, and now people are questioning his mental capacity. He wasted a phenomenal Kolby Smith game and a game where Brodie Croyle didn't screw everything up. Meanwhile, Justin Fargas is emerging as a really quality back and almost singlehandedly gave Oakland their first big win since the Carter administration.
-It's more than injuries and lack of talent for the Rams, it's the terrible decision making by Scott Linehan and the coaching staff. They had every single opportunity to win this game and blew it. People will look to the dropped snap on 4th down, but St Louis should have won the game wayy before that. Linehan should be canned immediately after their nightmare season is over. Pound Stephen Jackson by the goal line, not put your game in the hands of Gus Frerotte. Seattle played very well in the 2nd half, but were not impressive at all after looking good in previous weeks.
-I met Eli Manning on the street wearing a purple shirt, and he was completely freaked out. I told him that I was the Vikings and he started throwing footballs at me. It's like a reaction at this point. What really led to Manning's total collapse was that without Jacobs and Ward, Minnesota had zero respect for the run and the play-action pass, which is how the Giants get most of their big plays. In addition, Plaxico Burress cannot play effectively right now and Minnesota disguised their coverages just enough to turn the game into a purple pigskin pick six party. That was basically the game right there, and rumor has it that the Bears are adding a purple alternate jersey for next week's game.
-The Redskins were sliding even before Sean Taylor's untimely death, as they turned it over 6 times, dropping the ball more than a corporate executive with short term memory loss. The Bucs had 25 minutes of possession on mostly short fields and won without getting a first down the entire 2nd half. There's still a lot of fight in Washington, and they'll be playing a lot harder in the future. Tampa's legit, though.
-Stick a fork in John Fox and the Panthers, I'd like my piece burnt so I don't have to look at all the potential they had. Carr and Moore were awful, Steve Smith led the team in rushing with 22 yards, and they let the Saints control the ball for over 39 minutes. New Orleans punished with Carolina with the run and then hit the big plays with excellent balance. Is it too late for the inconsistent Saints? All bets are off, I can't solve these guys.
-The Bills aren't the same without Marshawn Lynch. They had to rely on JP Losman, and they can't win like that. Fred Taylor was great, and David Garrard is evolving into a real QB. Look Jeppetto, he's a real QB eat that Leftwich! Buffalo needs Lynch back if they want a shot at the playoffs, but the Jags have a shot at a first round bye and I'm not crazy.
-The Niners can't lose to the Cardinals. Kurt Warner's a good player, but sometimes he can't get out of his own way. Neil Rackers was very unclutch in OT, but the Arizona offense clicked really well. Unfortunately, the defense took a day off on Sunday. Frisco finally gave Frank Gore more than 20 yards, and the 49ers won. What a coincidence, and even Trent Dilfer had a good game. This game confuses me, let's go to the next one which actually contains meaning.
-Todd Sauerbrun insisted on kicking on kicking to Devin Hester, which is the worst decision since Herm Edwards decided to.....and the Iraq War before that. I'll give the Bears credit for the comeback in the end, but they would not have been in that position if Denver kicked it away from him. Cutler and Andre Hall had good games, but their defense imploded late. They're still in this race, but how realistic are the playoff chances for the Bears and Vikings? Williamson has the answer:
"Much better now than a week ago, but still it is a long shot; especially for Minny. How many times are they going to get 3 defensive TDs? I still like the Giants' chances. Maybe NO? What a mess in the NFC now."
-That Chargers swagger is back, and the Ravens' window of opportunity with this team they have now has slammed shut. The Bolts had good balance, and Phil Rivers tore up the Baltimore secondary. But why in the name of Rex Ryan would Antonio Gates be covered by a LB the entire game? 6-105 and two scores later, it was 29-7 and San Diego got their classy back.
-Oh man, the Patriots were nervous, the Eagles figured them out. Run inside routes down the middle of the field, and you can torch the New England secondary. It was so apparent that even Captain Obvious Frank Caliendo err John Madden was saying it 150 times. The Eagles played well, but the Pats persevered. It was a fantastic score for score game, but how will Belichik adjust to what AJ Feely and the Eagles did to his defense? Keith Kidd has the answer:
"One of the ways is to play more inside of the WR, and force more outside throws. But it is obvious if you can keep your QB upright in the pocket it causes problems for the secondary."
-The Dolphins just may pull this 0-16. Nobody could do anything last night, and the Steelers don't look as good as they did a couple of weeks ago. Miami is down to their 87th string RB, and even Ricky Williams made a guest appearance only to be out for the season roughly five minutes after his debut; word has it that he's charging a dime bag for his 2007 season cameo. Cameo Cameron may be riding this imperfect storm, but the Jets will give them a run next week.
-The Titans are nosediving. Their defense is finally breaking, the running game is falling apart, and Vince Young cannot carry this team. The Bengals were able to stop the run, keep VY in check, dominate the clock with Rudi Johnson, and get a stellar day from Chad Johnson. Cincy had 38 passes and 36 runs, which is nearly perfect. I asked Williamson if the Bengals can go on a run starting this Sunday against Pittsburgh.
"Was thinking that. PGH is the better team, but that game is certainly winnable for Cincy next week. Under the radar-Cincy has SHUT DOWN opposing running games of late!!!"
Willie Parker should take notice, and Tennessee is playing themselves out of this playoff picture. -The Browns keep winning, and Jamal Lewis keeps their offense moving. He's the man behind the scenes with Derek Anderson getting all the headlines; impressive against a Texans team that was good against the run. Kellen Winslow was spectacular, and the Cleveland defense forced 3 turnovers. With a running game that good, it gets to be a lot easier in the 4th quarter. Lewis wore Houston down and they were able to pull away to continue one of the surprise stories.
-There's a certain reason why New York grew sour on Herm Edwards. Oh yeah, it's because his late game decision making is atrocious. He had the chance to tie the game with 4th and 1 deep in Raiders territory, went for it and missed. A field goal keeps you in the game, but Edwards decided to go for the jugular and wasn't even close and the Chiefs suffered a critical loss. His clock management has also been criticized, and now people are questioning his mental capacity. He wasted a phenomenal Kolby Smith game and a game where Brodie Croyle didn't screw everything up. Meanwhile, Justin Fargas is emerging as a really quality back and almost singlehandedly gave Oakland their first big win since the Carter administration.
-It's more than injuries and lack of talent for the Rams, it's the terrible decision making by Scott Linehan and the coaching staff. They had every single opportunity to win this game and blew it. People will look to the dropped snap on 4th down, but St Louis should have won the game wayy before that. Linehan should be canned immediately after their nightmare season is over. Pound Stephen Jackson by the goal line, not put your game in the hands of Gus Frerotte. Seattle played very well in the 2nd half, but were not impressive at all after looking good in previous weeks.
-I met Eli Manning on the street wearing a purple shirt, and he was completely freaked out. I told him that I was the Vikings and he started throwing footballs at me. It's like a reaction at this point. What really led to Manning's total collapse was that without Jacobs and Ward, Minnesota had zero respect for the run and the play-action pass, which is how the Giants get most of their big plays. In addition, Plaxico Burress cannot play effectively right now and Minnesota disguised their coverages just enough to turn the game into a purple pigskin pick six party. That was basically the game right there, and rumor has it that the Bears are adding a purple alternate jersey for next week's game.
-The Redskins were sliding even before Sean Taylor's untimely death, as they turned it over 6 times, dropping the ball more than a corporate executive with short term memory loss. The Bucs had 25 minutes of possession on mostly short fields and won without getting a first down the entire 2nd half. There's still a lot of fight in Washington, and they'll be playing a lot harder in the future. Tampa's legit, though.
-Stick a fork in John Fox and the Panthers, I'd like my piece burnt so I don't have to look at all the potential they had. Carr and Moore were awful, Steve Smith led the team in rushing with 22 yards, and they let the Saints control the ball for over 39 minutes. New Orleans punished with Carolina with the run and then hit the big plays with excellent balance. Is it too late for the inconsistent Saints? All bets are off, I can't solve these guys.
-The Bills aren't the same without Marshawn Lynch. They had to rely on JP Losman, and they can't win like that. Fred Taylor was great, and David Garrard is evolving into a real QB. Look Jeppetto, he's a real QB eat that Leftwich! Buffalo needs Lynch back if they want a shot at the playoffs, but the Jags have a shot at a first round bye and I'm not crazy.
-The Niners can't lose to the Cardinals. Kurt Warner's a good player, but sometimes he can't get out of his own way. Neil Rackers was very unclutch in OT, but the Arizona offense clicked really well. Unfortunately, the defense took a day off on Sunday. Frisco finally gave Frank Gore more than 20 yards, and the 49ers won. What a coincidence, and even Trent Dilfer had a good game. This game confuses me, let's go to the next one which actually contains meaning.
-Todd Sauerbrun insisted on kicking on kicking to Devin Hester, which is the worst decision since Herm Edwards decided to.....and the Iraq War before that. I'll give the Bears credit for the comeback in the end, but they would not have been in that position if Denver kicked it away from him. Cutler and Andre Hall had good games, but their defense imploded late. They're still in this race, but how realistic are the playoff chances for the Bears and Vikings? Williamson has the answer:
"Much better now than a week ago, but still it is a long shot; especially for Minny. How many times are they going to get 3 defensive TDs? I still like the Giants' chances. Maybe NO? What a mess in the NFC now."
-That Chargers swagger is back, and the Ravens' window of opportunity with this team they have now has slammed shut. The Bolts had good balance, and Phil Rivers tore up the Baltimore secondary. But why in the name of Rex Ryan would Antonio Gates be covered by a LB the entire game? 6-105 and two scores later, it was 29-7 and San Diego got their classy back.
-Oh man, the Patriots were nervous, the Eagles figured them out. Run inside routes down the middle of the field, and you can torch the New England secondary. It was so apparent that even Captain Obvious Frank Caliendo err John Madden was saying it 150 times. The Eagles played well, but the Pats persevered. It was a fantastic score for score game, but how will Belichik adjust to what AJ Feely and the Eagles did to his defense? Keith Kidd has the answer:
"One of the ways is to play more inside of the WR, and force more outside throws. But it is obvious if you can keep your QB upright in the pocket it causes problems for the secondary."
-The Dolphins just may pull this 0-16. Nobody could do anything last night, and the Steelers don't look as good as they did a couple of weeks ago. Miami is down to their 87th string RB, and even Ricky Williams made a guest appearance only to be out for the season roughly five minutes after his debut; word has it that he's charging a dime bag for his 2007 season cameo. Cameo Cameron may be riding this imperfect storm, but the Jets will give them a run next week.
Around The Majors- Tuesday
Tuesday baseball is on SOS2 today and myself and the entire SprungOnSports network mourn the tragic loss of Sean Taylor today. Onto some baseball, where talks are heating up and some things just never change. MLB.com's Top 50 prospects countdown also continues.
11:30am EST
-The Yankees and Twins are indeed talking about a Johan Santana trade but they are in the super preliminary stages according to Hank Steinbrenner. In a radio interview this morning, ESPN's Buster Olney said that both teams have barely gotten off the ground in these talks, and other teams have had similar conversations as well.
-Mike Hampton is once again injured. Once thought to be a lock for the Braves rotation next season, Hampton injured his hamstring in the Mexican Winter League last week, and bleeding outside the muscle makes it unclear when he'll return to the mound. "Now we just have less of an indication of where Mike is in his comeback," Braves general manager Frank Wren told MLB.com. "The good news is that he was ecstatic about how his arm felt and how he commanded his pitches." Hampton has not pitched since the 2005 season.
-The Astros added a piece to their bullpen yesterday, inking righty Doug Brocail. The signing will be announced today. The 40 year old was 5-1 with a 3.05 ERA in 67 games for the Padres.
-The Boss was very vague when the Twins asked him for his list of untouchables, says the New York Post. The Mets have shown interest in Shawn Chacon and Octavio Dotel for their bullpen. -The Yankees have reached out to David Riske, says the Newark Star-Ledger.
-According to Newsday, the Mets have the option to nontender the contract of Johnny Estrada, making him a free agent and saving 3.2 million dollars which they could give to another team in a deal for a catcher like Gerald Laird, Ramon Hernandez, Brian Schneider, or Bengie Molina.
-The Angels and Marlins are still arguing over a combination of prospects, according to the Los Angeles Times. Dodgers GM Ned Colleti said that Joe Torre could be the team's only big acquisition. Florida is asking too much for Cabrera and talks have stalled with the Orioles regarding Erik Bedard.
-The Royals are denying a Dominican report that said that KC and Jose Guillen have agreed on a 1 year deal. GM Dayton Moore said that Baltimore is still in the mix. Yasuhiko Yabuta will take a physical with the Royals and then officially announce his signing. (KC Star)
-Seattle may be the clear favorites for Hiroki Kuroda, but the Phillies are going strong after Randy Wolf, says the Philadelphia Inquirer.
-The Rockies are talking about resigning both Matt Herges and Yorvit Torrealba, according to the Denver Post.
-The Diamondbacks are waiting to hear back with a counter offer from Hiroki Kuroda, says the Arizona Republic.
-Aaron Rowand could return to the White Sox, according to the Chicago Tribune. The White Sox are also interested in Cesar Izturis.
-The Brewers are going after Dotel, Troy Percival, and Eric Gagne. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
-Talks are intensifying between Boston and Minnesota about Coco Crisp.
-The Dodgers are now going after Kuroda, says the LA Daily News. -The Cubs, Astros, and Rockies are the frontrunners for Kaz Matsui. Kerry Wood wants to close for the Cubs. (Daily Herald)
-The Cardinals are going after Carlos Silva and Kyle Lohse. The Cards could also be looking to trade Scott Rolen. (St Louis Post-Dispatch)
-The Dodgers expect Jeff Kent back next season. (Orange County Register)
-The Yankees are trying to make an offer to trade for Ron Mahay. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
-The Boston Herald reports that the Red Sox will be allowed to carry 28 players for their series in Japan against the A's as they are starting the season with a 19 day road trip. As a Yankee fan I believe that's BS, because they weren't able to do that when they went and started the season terribly. Let's give the BoSox all the advantages!
MLB.com's Top Prospect Countdown 31-40
Some players that made a difference in last year's 31-40 include Erick Aybar, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, James Loney, John Danks, Yunel Escobar, Jacoby Ellsbury, Hunter Pence, Felix Pie, and Daric Barton. WOW.
40) Luke Hocheaver- RSP- KC
-The 2006 #1 overall pick didn't do as well as expected in AA and AAA last year, going 4-9 with a 4.68 ERA in 27 games (26 starts). He pitched well in 4 games in the bigs last year and can throw 4 pitches for strikes. He'll be up sometime next season.
39) Chris Volstad- RSP- FLA
-The 20 year old 2005 first rounder has a heavy sinker that gets a lot of ground balls, and pitched pretty well last year in hi A and AA. He went 12-11 with a 4.16 ERA in 28 starts but does give up a lot of hits. He has a very good curve and change and should be up sometime next season.
38-) Elvis Andrus- SS- TEX
-The 19 year old top SS spect was traded from the Braves in the Teixeira deal and is a great defender with speed who is still working on his hitting. In hi A last year, Andrus had a .257-5-49-.338 season with 40 steals in 55 attempts. He could be in the majors in 2009, and has the tools to be special.
37) Ross Detwiler- LSP- WSH
-The Nats' top pitching prospect was their first round pick this year with a 2 seam and 4 seam fastball, a curve and a change. He pitched well in 9 games last year in Rookie and A ball, and even pitched an inning for the big club. His sample size is small, but he could be up for good in 2009.
36) Scott Elbert- LSP- LAD
-He has amazing potential with his high 90's heater with a curve and a change, but had to have shoulder surgery that ended his year in AA after just 2 starts. He's still just 22 and will be back in AA next season. ETA:2009.
35) Max Scherzer- RSP- ARZ
-The 2006 first rounder and Scott Boras client held out until this past May, but was fantastic when he finally played. The 23 year old went 6-4 with a 3.28 ERA in 17 starts in A and AA with very few hits and a whole lot of k's. Upper 90's fastball and good slider, he could be up next season.
34) Joey Votto- 1B- CIN
-The Canadian lefty is ready for the show and a huge career at the GABP. In AAA he went .294-22-92-.381 and played 24 games for the Reds, hitting .321 with 4 homers and 17 ribs. Did I mention he also stole 17 bags in the minors? He's ready to start at first right now.
33) Andy LaRoche- 3B- LAD
-Adam's little bro did very well for himself last year, batting .309 in AAA and playing 35 games in the big leagues. A right handed hitter who is patient and loves to walk, and has been rumored in trades because the Dodgers have no room for him right now. He'd be a valuable asset to any team that plays him, though.
32) Reid Brignac- SS- TB
-He's the Rays shortstop of the future, and can hit for power with speed. In AA last year, Brignac went .260-17-81-.328 with 15 steals. Though he did walk a decent amount, he needs to get on base more in order to elevate his value. He'll be up next September and will be up in 2009 for good.
31) Chris Marrero- OF- WSH
-He's 19 and can flat out rake. A typical big power hitter, Marrero batted .275 with 23 homers and 88 ribbies in 2 A levels with an OBP that needs to be worked on. He strikes out a lot, but has big league power right now and will be a September callup.
11:30am EST
-The Yankees and Twins are indeed talking about a Johan Santana trade but they are in the super preliminary stages according to Hank Steinbrenner. In a radio interview this morning, ESPN's Buster Olney said that both teams have barely gotten off the ground in these talks, and other teams have had similar conversations as well.
-Mike Hampton is once again injured. Once thought to be a lock for the Braves rotation next season, Hampton injured his hamstring in the Mexican Winter League last week, and bleeding outside the muscle makes it unclear when he'll return to the mound. "Now we just have less of an indication of where Mike is in his comeback," Braves general manager Frank Wren told MLB.com. "The good news is that he was ecstatic about how his arm felt and how he commanded his pitches." Hampton has not pitched since the 2005 season.
-The Astros added a piece to their bullpen yesterday, inking righty Doug Brocail. The signing will be announced today. The 40 year old was 5-1 with a 3.05 ERA in 67 games for the Padres.
-The Boss was very vague when the Twins asked him for his list of untouchables, says the New York Post. The Mets have shown interest in Shawn Chacon and Octavio Dotel for their bullpen. -The Yankees have reached out to David Riske, says the Newark Star-Ledger.
-According to Newsday, the Mets have the option to nontender the contract of Johnny Estrada, making him a free agent and saving 3.2 million dollars which they could give to another team in a deal for a catcher like Gerald Laird, Ramon Hernandez, Brian Schneider, or Bengie Molina.
-The Angels and Marlins are still arguing over a combination of prospects, according to the Los Angeles Times. Dodgers GM Ned Colleti said that Joe Torre could be the team's only big acquisition. Florida is asking too much for Cabrera and talks have stalled with the Orioles regarding Erik Bedard.
-The Royals are denying a Dominican report that said that KC and Jose Guillen have agreed on a 1 year deal. GM Dayton Moore said that Baltimore is still in the mix. Yasuhiko Yabuta will take a physical with the Royals and then officially announce his signing. (KC Star)
-Seattle may be the clear favorites for Hiroki Kuroda, but the Phillies are going strong after Randy Wolf, says the Philadelphia Inquirer.
-The Rockies are talking about resigning both Matt Herges and Yorvit Torrealba, according to the Denver Post.
-The Diamondbacks are waiting to hear back with a counter offer from Hiroki Kuroda, says the Arizona Republic.
-Aaron Rowand could return to the White Sox, according to the Chicago Tribune. The White Sox are also interested in Cesar Izturis.
-The Brewers are going after Dotel, Troy Percival, and Eric Gagne. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
-Talks are intensifying between Boston and Minnesota about Coco Crisp.
-The Dodgers are now going after Kuroda, says the LA Daily News. -The Cubs, Astros, and Rockies are the frontrunners for Kaz Matsui. Kerry Wood wants to close for the Cubs. (Daily Herald)
-The Cardinals are going after Carlos Silva and Kyle Lohse. The Cards could also be looking to trade Scott Rolen. (St Louis Post-Dispatch)
-The Dodgers expect Jeff Kent back next season. (Orange County Register)
-The Yankees are trying to make an offer to trade for Ron Mahay. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
-The Boston Herald reports that the Red Sox will be allowed to carry 28 players for their series in Japan against the A's as they are starting the season with a 19 day road trip. As a Yankee fan I believe that's BS, because they weren't able to do that when they went and started the season terribly. Let's give the BoSox all the advantages!
MLB.com's Top Prospect Countdown 31-40
Some players that made a difference in last year's 31-40 include Erick Aybar, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, James Loney, John Danks, Yunel Escobar, Jacoby Ellsbury, Hunter Pence, Felix Pie, and Daric Barton. WOW.
40) Luke Hocheaver- RSP- KC
-The 2006 #1 overall pick didn't do as well as expected in AA and AAA last year, going 4-9 with a 4.68 ERA in 27 games (26 starts). He pitched well in 4 games in the bigs last year and can throw 4 pitches for strikes. He'll be up sometime next season.
39) Chris Volstad- RSP- FLA
-The 20 year old 2005 first rounder has a heavy sinker that gets a lot of ground balls, and pitched pretty well last year in hi A and AA. He went 12-11 with a 4.16 ERA in 28 starts but does give up a lot of hits. He has a very good curve and change and should be up sometime next season.
38-) Elvis Andrus- SS- TEX
-The 19 year old top SS spect was traded from the Braves in the Teixeira deal and is a great defender with speed who is still working on his hitting. In hi A last year, Andrus had a .257-5-49-.338 season with 40 steals in 55 attempts. He could be in the majors in 2009, and has the tools to be special.
37) Ross Detwiler- LSP- WSH
-The Nats' top pitching prospect was their first round pick this year with a 2 seam and 4 seam fastball, a curve and a change. He pitched well in 9 games last year in Rookie and A ball, and even pitched an inning for the big club. His sample size is small, but he could be up for good in 2009.
36) Scott Elbert- LSP- LAD
-He has amazing potential with his high 90's heater with a curve and a change, but had to have shoulder surgery that ended his year in AA after just 2 starts. He's still just 22 and will be back in AA next season. ETA:2009.
35) Max Scherzer- RSP- ARZ
-The 2006 first rounder and Scott Boras client held out until this past May, but was fantastic when he finally played. The 23 year old went 6-4 with a 3.28 ERA in 17 starts in A and AA with very few hits and a whole lot of k's. Upper 90's fastball and good slider, he could be up next season.
34) Joey Votto- 1B- CIN
-The Canadian lefty is ready for the show and a huge career at the GABP. In AAA he went .294-22-92-.381 and played 24 games for the Reds, hitting .321 with 4 homers and 17 ribs. Did I mention he also stole 17 bags in the minors? He's ready to start at first right now.
33) Andy LaRoche- 3B- LAD
-Adam's little bro did very well for himself last year, batting .309 in AAA and playing 35 games in the big leagues. A right handed hitter who is patient and loves to walk, and has been rumored in trades because the Dodgers have no room for him right now. He'd be a valuable asset to any team that plays him, though.
32) Reid Brignac- SS- TB
-He's the Rays shortstop of the future, and can hit for power with speed. In AA last year, Brignac went .260-17-81-.328 with 15 steals. Though he did walk a decent amount, he needs to get on base more in order to elevate his value. He'll be up next September and will be up in 2009 for good.
31) Chris Marrero- OF- WSH
-He's 19 and can flat out rake. A typical big power hitter, Marrero batted .275 with 23 homers and 88 ribbies in 2 A levels with an OBP that needs to be worked on. He strikes out a lot, but has big league power right now and will be a September callup.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Around The Majors- Monday
Before I get to baseball, my thoughts and prayers are with Redskins Safety Sean Taylor, who is in critical condition after being shot in Florida. But now to the less important matters of the baseball world including news, rumors, and a look at the first day on MLB.com counting down the 50 greatest prospects in the game. Today is 41-50, and if you don't think it matters, you're dead wrong. Kevin Kouzmanoff, Jason Hirsh, Kevin Slowey, and Adam Jones were in the 41-50 range and made an impact for their respective clubs.
-This just in, the Cubs have just announced that they've given Kerry Wood a 1 year contract. Ken Rosenthal has reported his deal is worth 4.2 million.
-Indians reliever Juan Lara was involved in a serious car accident in the Dominican when his SUV was struck by a motorcycle. He played most of the year in AAA but was in the majors late in the season. The AP has reported that Lara will need surgery in the US.
-It was certainly interesting when the Reds signed Francisco Cordero last week to a 4 year, 46 million dollar deal. That seems like too much for me. He was inconsistent in the last hitters park he pitched in (Texas) and the GABP is a hitters paradise. We'll see, but I'm a bit leery of the transactions. Then again, look who else is out there. Are you still thinking? Exactly my point.
-This is for all you Brewers fans out there. Former manager Jerry Royster has become the first ever foreign skipper in Korea, as he has signed to manage the Lotte Giants. How the "mighty" have fallen.
-The Marlins are not budging from their stance of wanting four legit players from the Angels, who would be the best candidates to get Miguel Cabrera right now. (Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel)
-Bobby Kielty's situation hinges on what Boston does with Coco Crisp. The Twins, Braves, White Sox, and Rangers are interested. (Boston Herald)
-The Winter Meetings are coming up, and Johan Santana will be a main subject. (The Free World)
-Phil Rogers reports that the Yankees and Red Sox would be very interested in Dan Haren.
-The Rays are very interested in Cesar Izturis, according to the St Petersburg Times. The Nationals are still interested in Elijah Dukes
-Pittsburgh has inquired about Matt Clement, says the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.
-Arizona may let Tony Clark go and replace him with Mark Sweeney. (East Valley Tribune)
-The St Paul Pioneer Press reports that a Matt Garza trade to Tampa for Delmon
MLB.com Top Prospects 41-50
50)Dexter Fowler- CF- COL
-He was a rising star in the Fall League this year after a decent season at high A Modesto. He batted .273 but had a .397 on base. His ETA is 2010.
49)Austin Jackson- OF- NYY
-Jackson shows a nice amount of power, belting 13 homers in mostly A ball this year and swiped 33 bags with a .370 OBP. He has to cut down on his striekouts but has very good potential. ETA 2010, but could be sooner.
48-)Carlos Triunfel- SS- SEA
-17 years old and already in high A! He batted .296 which is promising, but had a low on base and got caught stealing more than he had SB's, but scouts are in awe of his raw talent and amazing SS arm. ETA 2010.
47)Johnny Cueto- RSP- CIN
-Scouts have him just behind Homer Bailey among team pitching prospects. Was 12-9 with a 3.07 ERA in 28 starts between A, AA, and AAA. He had 170 strikeouts to only 34 walks, and only gave up 11 homers in 161 innings. The 21 year old has a mid 90's fastball, a slider, and a change. He should be in the majors this coming season.
46)Jeff Clement- C- SEA
-Clement put up a solid .275-20-80-.370 year in AAA and hit 2 homers in 9 games with the big club. He's ready for the bigs hitting-wise now, but his defense is a liability and they have Kenji Jojhima behind the plate.
45)Radhames Liz- RRP- BAL
-Liz put up a very good year as a starter at AA, going 11-4 with a 3.22 ERA in 25 starts, with a 2.25-1 K-walk ratio. He was then brought up to the O's as a reliever and spot starter and didn't do so well. It seems like his future is as a reliever, and has to work on lingering command issues. 44)Tyler Colvin- LF- CHC
-The Cubs first round pick in 2006 didn't disappoint last year, batting .299 with 16 jacks and 81 RBI's between A and AA. His K's and OBP weren't good, but he stole 17 bases in 22 tries. He needs to be more patient at the plate though, and could be a late summer call-up if he starts off well.
43)Jeremy Jeffress- SP- MIL
-The 20 year old 2006 first rounder went 9-5 with a 3.13 ERA in Middle A, and held hitters to a .201 batting average against. His fastball approaches 100, and is working on a slider. He was suspended 50 games for drugs, and we'll see how he adjusts to that. He'll be back in June, ETA 2011.
42) Alcides Escobar- SS- MIL
-The 20 year is also a speedster with very good defense but only has a .331 OBP. Hit .306 between A and AA with 22 steals, didn't strike out too often, but didn't have many walks. ETA 2009.
41)Ian Stewart- 3B- COL
-Everyone knows Stewart has talent, but he's been hampered by injuries and he has nowhere to play for the Rockies. Atkins and Tulo aren't going anywhere. He put up good numbers in AAA, not so good in 35 games in the bigs. With Kaz Matsui unlikely to return, Stewart played some second base in the instructional league and that is perhaps his calling.
-This just in, the Cubs have just announced that they've given Kerry Wood a 1 year contract. Ken Rosenthal has reported his deal is worth 4.2 million.
-Indians reliever Juan Lara was involved in a serious car accident in the Dominican when his SUV was struck by a motorcycle. He played most of the year in AAA but was in the majors late in the season. The AP has reported that Lara will need surgery in the US.
-It was certainly interesting when the Reds signed Francisco Cordero last week to a 4 year, 46 million dollar deal. That seems like too much for me. He was inconsistent in the last hitters park he pitched in (Texas) and the GABP is a hitters paradise. We'll see, but I'm a bit leery of the transactions. Then again, look who else is out there. Are you still thinking? Exactly my point.
-This is for all you Brewers fans out there. Former manager Jerry Royster has become the first ever foreign skipper in Korea, as he has signed to manage the Lotte Giants. How the "mighty" have fallen.
-The Marlins are not budging from their stance of wanting four legit players from the Angels, who would be the best candidates to get Miguel Cabrera right now. (Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel)
-Bobby Kielty's situation hinges on what Boston does with Coco Crisp. The Twins, Braves, White Sox, and Rangers are interested. (Boston Herald)
-The Winter Meetings are coming up, and Johan Santana will be a main subject. (The Free World)
-Phil Rogers reports that the Yankees and Red Sox would be very interested in Dan Haren.
-The Rays are very interested in Cesar Izturis, according to the St Petersburg Times. The Nationals are still interested in Elijah Dukes
-Pittsburgh has inquired about Matt Clement, says the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.
-Arizona may let Tony Clark go and replace him with Mark Sweeney. (East Valley Tribune)
-The St Paul Pioneer Press reports that a Matt Garza trade to Tampa for Delmon
MLB.com Top Prospects 41-50
50)Dexter Fowler- CF- COL
-He was a rising star in the Fall League this year after a decent season at high A Modesto. He batted .273 but had a .397 on base. His ETA is 2010.
49)Austin Jackson- OF- NYY
-Jackson shows a nice amount of power, belting 13 homers in mostly A ball this year and swiped 33 bags with a .370 OBP. He has to cut down on his striekouts but has very good potential. ETA 2010, but could be sooner.
48-)Carlos Triunfel- SS- SEA
-17 years old and already in high A! He batted .296 which is promising, but had a low on base and got caught stealing more than he had SB's, but scouts are in awe of his raw talent and amazing SS arm. ETA 2010.
47)Johnny Cueto- RSP- CIN
-Scouts have him just behind Homer Bailey among team pitching prospects. Was 12-9 with a 3.07 ERA in 28 starts between A, AA, and AAA. He had 170 strikeouts to only 34 walks, and only gave up 11 homers in 161 innings. The 21 year old has a mid 90's fastball, a slider, and a change. He should be in the majors this coming season.
46)Jeff Clement- C- SEA
-Clement put up a solid .275-20-80-.370 year in AAA and hit 2 homers in 9 games with the big club. He's ready for the bigs hitting-wise now, but his defense is a liability and they have Kenji Jojhima behind the plate.
45)Radhames Liz- RRP- BAL
-Liz put up a very good year as a starter at AA, going 11-4 with a 3.22 ERA in 25 starts, with a 2.25-1 K-walk ratio. He was then brought up to the O's as a reliever and spot starter and didn't do so well. It seems like his future is as a reliever, and has to work on lingering command issues. 44)Tyler Colvin- LF- CHC
-The Cubs first round pick in 2006 didn't disappoint last year, batting .299 with 16 jacks and 81 RBI's between A and AA. His K's and OBP weren't good, but he stole 17 bases in 22 tries. He needs to be more patient at the plate though, and could be a late summer call-up if he starts off well.
43)Jeremy Jeffress- SP- MIL
-The 20 year old 2006 first rounder went 9-5 with a 3.13 ERA in Middle A, and held hitters to a .201 batting average against. His fastball approaches 100, and is working on a slider. He was suspended 50 games for drugs, and we'll see how he adjusts to that. He'll be back in June, ETA 2011.
42) Alcides Escobar- SS- MIL
-The 20 year is also a speedster with very good defense but only has a .331 OBP. Hit .306 between A and AA with 22 steals, didn't strike out too often, but didn't have many walks. ETA 2009.
41)Ian Stewart- 3B- COL
-Everyone knows Stewart has talent, but he's been hampered by injuries and he has nowhere to play for the Rockies. Atkins and Tulo aren't going anywhere. He put up good numbers in AAA, not so good in 35 games in the bigs. With Kaz Matsui unlikely to return, Stewart played some second base in the instructional league and that is perhaps his calling.
College Hoops Monday
My top 25 and a preview of tonight's games. Let's get to it.
SprungOnSports Top 25
1)UCLA- Beat Maryland and Michigan State to leapfrog UNC.
2)UNC- Good wins, Bruins had better.
3)Kansas- Win over Arizona jumps them to third.
4)Memphis- They beat Arky State to keep it going.
5)Georgetown- Beat Ball State, did nothing wrong.
6)Washington State-3-0 this week when everyone else lost.
7)Duke- Their huge win over Marquette shoots them up to 7th.
8)Texas- Win over Tennessee was huge for the Longhorns.
9)Louisville-Their loss to BYU not as severe as the rest of the losers.
10) Texas A&M- Beat Washington and Ohio State to shoot up.
11)Tennessee- Would have dropped further, but Texas is a very good team.
12)Indiana- Loss to Xavier knocks them out of the top 10.
13)Marquette- They lost to Duke, put destroyed OK State
14)Michigan State- Also losers to the Blue Devils, but they had a tough time with Oakland.
15)Butler- Michigan, VaTech, and Texas Tech all fall to AJ Graves and co.
16)Oregon- Loss to Saint Mary's knocks them down a few spots.
17)Pittsburgh- Keeps the wins coming, quietly moving up.
18)Gonzaga-Loss to Texas Tech knocks them down as well.
19)Clemson- Everyone lost above them, and they smacked Gardner-Webb by a lot.
20)Arkansas- Debuts with a big win over VCU.
21)NC State- Beat South Carolina and Villanova
22)Wisconsin- Beat Georgia, and is here for now.
23)Kansas State- Loss knocks them back to 22nd.
24)Stanford- Beat Yale and Colorado State to debut at 24.
25)Kansas State- Loss to George Mason puts them on notice.
Monday Preview
No SOS top 25 teams in action tonight, but some good matchups nonetheless. UConn will host Florida A&M at 7pm on ESPN Full Court. Ohio plays a good match at Holy Cross, Temple battles Akron, and Davidson plays Appalachian State in a battle of hoops and gridiron upsetters. The ACC/Big 10 Challange begins tonight at 7pm as Wake Forest visits Iowa on ESPN2. Nortre Dame will get a test from Colgate, Houston will host Coastal Carolina, Arizona State will entertain Cal Poly, and Washington will host Long Beach State.
SprungOnSports Top 25
1)UCLA- Beat Maryland and Michigan State to leapfrog UNC.
2)UNC- Good wins, Bruins had better.
3)Kansas- Win over Arizona jumps them to third.
4)Memphis- They beat Arky State to keep it going.
5)Georgetown- Beat Ball State, did nothing wrong.
6)Washington State-3-0 this week when everyone else lost.
7)Duke- Their huge win over Marquette shoots them up to 7th.
8)Texas- Win over Tennessee was huge for the Longhorns.
9)Louisville-Their loss to BYU not as severe as the rest of the losers.
10) Texas A&M- Beat Washington and Ohio State to shoot up.
11)Tennessee- Would have dropped further, but Texas is a very good team.
12)Indiana- Loss to Xavier knocks them out of the top 10.
13)Marquette- They lost to Duke, put destroyed OK State
14)Michigan State- Also losers to the Blue Devils, but they had a tough time with Oakland.
15)Butler- Michigan, VaTech, and Texas Tech all fall to AJ Graves and co.
16)Oregon- Loss to Saint Mary's knocks them down a few spots.
17)Pittsburgh- Keeps the wins coming, quietly moving up.
18)Gonzaga-Loss to Texas Tech knocks them down as well.
19)Clemson- Everyone lost above them, and they smacked Gardner-Webb by a lot.
20)Arkansas- Debuts with a big win over VCU.
21)NC State- Beat South Carolina and Villanova
22)Wisconsin- Beat Georgia, and is here for now.
23)Kansas State- Loss knocks them back to 22nd.
24)Stanford- Beat Yale and Colorado State to debut at 24.
25)Kansas State- Loss to George Mason puts them on notice.
Monday Preview
No SOS top 25 teams in action tonight, but some good matchups nonetheless. UConn will host Florida A&M at 7pm on ESPN Full Court. Ohio plays a good match at Holy Cross, Temple battles Akron, and Davidson plays Appalachian State in a battle of hoops and gridiron upsetters. The ACC/Big 10 Challange begins tonight at 7pm as Wake Forest visits Iowa on ESPN2. Nortre Dame will get a test from Colgate, Houston will host Coastal Carolina, Arizona State will entertain Cal Poly, and Washington will host Long Beach State.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
NFL Daily Presents: Week 12 Picks ATS- The Rest
Three for three on Turkey Day, let's keep it up on Sunday.
-The Rams have been gaining steam as of late, but Seattle seems to be coming into its own after a good win over Chicago. Mike Holmgren will have his team prepared to bottle up the pass, and the emergence of Mo Morris will continue and the Seahawks will cover the 3.
-The running games will be key at the Meadowlands. Chester Taylor has to succeed for Minnesota to have any chance, and Brandon Jacobs excelling will mean that Eli Manning can go deep on the playaction where he's at his best. Both defenses are solid againt the run but weak against the past, so the battle of the trenches will decide the contest. Give the edge to the Giants.
-Without Marshawn Lynch, Buffalo doesn't stand that much of a chance against a Jacksonville defense that could feast on a one dimentional offense. The Bills will have to come up big against Taylor and Jones-Drew and win the battles on special teams. If David Garrard takes care of the ball, there seems to be too many hurdles for the Bills to jump in order to win this game.
-This is a huge game for Washington on the road in Tampa, as they try to take advantage of a Detroit loss and get in this Wild Card race. The Bucs could create some separation in the NFC South, so the stakes are pretty high. The running games are huge here, and it may come down to which QB makes the least amount of mistakes. That's where the experienced Jeff Garcia could have the edge over Jason Campbell. That being said, I'm going to take the Redskins in the upset.
-The Browns are coming off their win over Baltimore, but can't take Houston's offense lightly by any stretch the imagination. That Schaub-Johnson connection is lethal over the top, but Romeo Crennel will have his defense ready to go. This may be closer than you might think; the Texans defense silenced the Saints last week led by Mario Williams and Amobi Okoye. I'll still give the Browns the win.
-The Bengals can't get out of their own way, and Jeff Fisher will have his defense ready after getting torched by the Broncos. LenDale White will have a big day, and the Titans will run away if Vince Young cuts down on the mistakes.
-Even without LJ and Priest, the struggling Raiders have no prayer against the Chiefs. Look for a big game from Dwayne Bowe as KC gets a big win.
-The Niners are a dead team walking, and the Cards will run all over them at home.
-The Ravens need to come back from a win that they think was taken from that, and LT will take advantage of a struggling team and San Diego will pick up a much needed victory over sinking Baltimore.
-Denver's another team riding high, and I can see Jay Cutler absoultely shredding the Bears defense en route to the win. The corners will lock the top Chicago wideouts up and Cedric Benson will remain a nonfactor.
-Pats against a McNabb-less Eagles? Belichik is already dreaming of pissing everyone off by running the score up. They'll cover the 20, perhaps twice.
-Pittsburgh's really good, Miami's really bad. ESPN will wish they had a flex package.
Enjoy football!
-The Rams have been gaining steam as of late, but Seattle seems to be coming into its own after a good win over Chicago. Mike Holmgren will have his team prepared to bottle up the pass, and the emergence of Mo Morris will continue and the Seahawks will cover the 3.
-The running games will be key at the Meadowlands. Chester Taylor has to succeed for Minnesota to have any chance, and Brandon Jacobs excelling will mean that Eli Manning can go deep on the playaction where he's at his best. Both defenses are solid againt the run but weak against the past, so the battle of the trenches will decide the contest. Give the edge to the Giants.
-Without Marshawn Lynch, Buffalo doesn't stand that much of a chance against a Jacksonville defense that could feast on a one dimentional offense. The Bills will have to come up big against Taylor and Jones-Drew and win the battles on special teams. If David Garrard takes care of the ball, there seems to be too many hurdles for the Bills to jump in order to win this game.
-This is a huge game for Washington on the road in Tampa, as they try to take advantage of a Detroit loss and get in this Wild Card race. The Bucs could create some separation in the NFC South, so the stakes are pretty high. The running games are huge here, and it may come down to which QB makes the least amount of mistakes. That's where the experienced Jeff Garcia could have the edge over Jason Campbell. That being said, I'm going to take the Redskins in the upset.
-The Browns are coming off their win over Baltimore, but can't take Houston's offense lightly by any stretch the imagination. That Schaub-Johnson connection is lethal over the top, but Romeo Crennel will have his defense ready to go. This may be closer than you might think; the Texans defense silenced the Saints last week led by Mario Williams and Amobi Okoye. I'll still give the Browns the win.
-The Bengals can't get out of their own way, and Jeff Fisher will have his defense ready after getting torched by the Broncos. LenDale White will have a big day, and the Titans will run away if Vince Young cuts down on the mistakes.
-Even without LJ and Priest, the struggling Raiders have no prayer against the Chiefs. Look for a big game from Dwayne Bowe as KC gets a big win.
-The Niners are a dead team walking, and the Cards will run all over them at home.
-The Ravens need to come back from a win that they think was taken from that, and LT will take advantage of a struggling team and San Diego will pick up a much needed victory over sinking Baltimore.
-Denver's another team riding high, and I can see Jay Cutler absoultely shredding the Bears defense en route to the win. The corners will lock the top Chicago wideouts up and Cedric Benson will remain a nonfactor.
-Pats against a McNabb-less Eagles? Belichik is already dreaming of pissing everyone off by running the score up. They'll cover the 20, perhaps twice.
-Pittsburgh's really good, Miami's really bad. ESPN will wish they had a flex package.
Enjoy football!
Friday, November 23, 2007
Around The Majors- Friday
It's a dark day on Black Friday in the baseball world. Jerry Crasnick reports that free agent pitcher Joe Kennedy has passed away today from undetermined causes at age 28. He played for Arizona, Toronto, and Oakland last season. This death opens up almost endless speculation on what caused this sudden and saddening death. This may be disrespectful to Kennedy, but the steroids question has to enter my mind. The sudden death of a journeyman possibly looking to obtain an edge? Putting two and two together has to be done during these times of the impending Mitchell report that hangs like a dark cloud before a storm over the Major League world. In a seprate Crasnick article, he wonders whether Mitchell's report will have an impact on this year's free agent market. The early answers remain mixed. The Indians exercized the option of Paul Byrd, despite the reports that he bought HGH and could face possible discipline. The Kansas City Star reports that the Royals are still interested in Jose Guillen even though there are reports that he bought steroids and may have been invited for a little chit-chat with Bud Selig on Park Avenue. Even in the face of positive tests, the Mets signed Guillermo Mota a year ago (he was recently dealt to Milwaukee) and Padres GM Kevin Towers makes no secret of his desire to resign Mike Cameron despite his recent positive test that will keep him sidelined for the first 25 games of the 2008 campaign. On the other side of the coin, there have been whispers that Alex Rodriguez agreed to a contract so quickly because he knew that he would be named in Mitchell's report and went for the quick bucks. But the facts are few and far between in this sea of speculation, and with time hopefully will come answers. But the answers may bring even more questions and doubts to the forefront, engrossing the baseball univerese in an irreversible cycle of rumors and accusations that have engulfed us in this Steroids Era.
-Sources have told Ken Rosenthal that the Reds are in serious talks with free agent closer Francisco Cordero. Sources also say that the Brewers have offered Cordero a 4 year, 42 million dollar contract to stay a Brewer.
-SI's Jon Heyman reports that the Twins have offered Johan Santana a 4 year extension worth 80 million, which is a huge gap from what he's looking for. Many say that Santana is looking for Barry Zito money, 7 years at 126 million. This increases the likelihood that he could get dealt at the Winter Meetings in 2 weeks.
-The Marlins may play a series or two in San Juan this season, possibly a late July series against the Mets.
-The LA Times can't help but wonder if the Angels' next move is a trade for Miguel Cabrera or Miguel Tejada. The Miami Herald reports that the Angels are the favorites to land Cabrera, and that the signing of Torii Hunter allows Los Angeles to send Reggie Willits off to Florida. The Marlins would also get at least catching prospect Jeff Mathis, Howie Kendrick, and one of Ervin Santana, Jered Weaver, or Joe Saunders. The major argument hinges on super top pitching prospect Nick Adenhart. The LA Times also reports that the Angels could be interested in bringing back David Eckstein.
-A possible emerging trade has the Twins sending Matt Garza to the Dodgers for Matt Kemp, says the Minneapolis Star Tribune. The Twins are also interested in Kenny Lofton and Corey Patterson.
-The White Sox could be working a deal for Coco Crisp, says the Chicago Sun-Times. Crisp could go to the Rangers, according to the Dallas Morning News.
-The Braves will definitely not resign Andruw Jones, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
-The Royals are interested in Carlos Silva and Hiroki Kuroda, says the KC Star.
-Sources have told Ken Rosenthal that the Reds are in serious talks with free agent closer Francisco Cordero. Sources also say that the Brewers have offered Cordero a 4 year, 42 million dollar contract to stay a Brewer.
-SI's Jon Heyman reports that the Twins have offered Johan Santana a 4 year extension worth 80 million, which is a huge gap from what he's looking for. Many say that Santana is looking for Barry Zito money, 7 years at 126 million. This increases the likelihood that he could get dealt at the Winter Meetings in 2 weeks.
-The Marlins may play a series or two in San Juan this season, possibly a late July series against the Mets.
-The LA Times can't help but wonder if the Angels' next move is a trade for Miguel Cabrera or Miguel Tejada. The Miami Herald reports that the Angels are the favorites to land Cabrera, and that the signing of Torii Hunter allows Los Angeles to send Reggie Willits off to Florida. The Marlins would also get at least catching prospect Jeff Mathis, Howie Kendrick, and one of Ervin Santana, Jered Weaver, or Joe Saunders. The major argument hinges on super top pitching prospect Nick Adenhart. The LA Times also reports that the Angels could be interested in bringing back David Eckstein.
-A possible emerging trade has the Twins sending Matt Garza to the Dodgers for Matt Kemp, says the Minneapolis Star Tribune. The Twins are also interested in Kenny Lofton and Corey Patterson.
-The White Sox could be working a deal for Coco Crisp, says the Chicago Sun-Times. Crisp could go to the Rangers, according to the Dallas Morning News.
-The Braves will definitely not resign Andruw Jones, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
-The Royals are interested in Carlos Silva and Hiroki Kuroda, says the KC Star.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
NFL Daily Presents: Analytical Assault Week 11
No discussion is needed for this blog, it's good! No Kitnaesque excuses and no looking forward to next week, Black & Gold bleeders. From the Pats to the Phins and everywhere in between, this is the pre-holiday assault will give you what you need so you won't have to go shopping for the best football blog. It's all here right now.
-More menstrual than Hillary? Maybe Bobby Petrino is looking at a mirror and asking himself why all the analysts are making fun of him, is it because he's winning? Well clearly not, idiot it's because you yanked Joey Harrington after winning two straight games you started Byron Leftwich who was terrible! The killer combination of Harrington and Leftwich threw it 48 times to 19 runs. Not a very good ratio for a team with crazy bad QB play. What the Bucs did was pound it with the run, and then hit the big pass play with Joey Galloway and cruised to victory. Tampa has an easy road to the division title if everyone else have their heads up their derrieres.
-Rumor has it that after the game, Chad Johnson was seen cursing at himself and wondered why Antrel Rolle had better receiving stats than him. I think Carson Palmer may have found himself a new favorite target. Wait...breaking news into the SOS studios, Rolle is on the Cardinals? What? Did Palmer know this before Rolle put up 3 picks for 127 yards and 2 TD's? Chad Johnson had 86 yards and no scores. Palmer may have a golden arm, but you're asking him to throw it 52 times. Arizona not only got big plays on defense, they had excellent pass:run balance and FitzBoldin had another great day leading the Cards to a big win over smelly Cincinnati.
-Coversation between Jon Kitna and God:
"Oh please God, why did I have to make bad decisions late in the game?"
"Because Jon, I'm not really down with the fact that people are calling Detroit God's Team. And I can't help you if you never run the ball. I have to take some time off from football to address the situation in Pakistan. Have you noticed how bad Notre Dame is doing? And don't give me that win over Duke garbage. Hello, Blue DEVILS. Some things have to be put in order. So lay off the excuses, Jon and don't throw a jump ball deep to someone if he's short. Christ out."
"But wait God, why did the Giants do so well on offense? I prayed hard that our defense would put out a strong effort?"
"Well pray harder, Jon. Eli and his coordinator know and practice the great virtue of run:pass balance. Do you know how well they accomplished that?"
"I thought you would know."
"Silence, Kitna! I was testing you, it's not like I'm asking you to slaughter your own son. New York threw it 28 times and ran 27, and they were able to rush you well. Next time, pray for your line to give you time or Michael Strahan will sack you yet again."
"But isn't he a homosexual?"
"Silence, I punished him enough with his teeth gap. Run along now, and ask Martz to call more runs."
-After they left their canes and walkers on the sidelines, Brett Favre and Vinny Testaverde did battle. A few seconds later, Carolina had no chance. A big punt return set the tone, and Favre virtually ended the game before halftime with two TD strikes. By no means did the Panthers play a really bad game, but Green Bay was on another level on Sunday. Both running games were effective, but special teams and QB play made this an easy win for the Cheeseheads.
-The Colts are battered and bruised, but they were able to get it done against the Chiefs. This game was played really evenly and it was good for Indy to get the win with so many people missing. No player had a particluarly good game, and the Colts will have to raise their level of play to lock up an AFC South title. The Chiefs need a QB and now they require a backup RB with the Holmes injury.
-Chester took some vitamin AP and grabbed a win for the Vikings against the helpless Raiders. Tarvaris Jackson had his best game yet, but Daunte Culpepper really impressed me. Minnesota was able to bottle up the Oakland rushing attack, but were able to stay in it with some big passing plays to Ronald Curry. What's really sad is that the Vikings turned it over 5 times and still one. The Raiders have a long way to go, and capitalization is vital to a team's success in this league.
-If Miami had any offense at all against the Eagles, they would've claimed their first win, because their defense and special teams are improving. John Beck showed that rookie rust, and was pathtically putrid. After McNabb was atrocious and got injured, AJ Feely came in and played rather well, but Brian Westbrook was the real star. He gained almost as many yards as the entire Miami offense and will have to almost singlehandedly keep Philly in the playoff race. The dream is still alive for the Dolphins, if you dream of utter chaos and failure.
-Norv is a huge loser! Phil Rivers is not a good quarterback! He threw 42 times, LT rushed 16 times, and they lost for some reason. Garrard managed the game well, and Fred Taylor's still got it. Jacksonville didn't turn it over and went to an under the radar 7-3. The Bolts are an overrated 5-5.
-In one of the oddest games ever, "the field goal that wasn't good but really was which was then not reviewed but reviewed and then called good" Cleveland benefited from the RIGHT call and saved their season. The Ravens had their usual 4 turnovers, but they were able to make a really strong fourth quarter comeback led by the defense and Willis McGahee. Anderson and Lewis played well, but Cleveland's talent and a defensive TD prevailed. And the Browns need to get Cribbs the ball more, he could take it to the house every time he touches the ball.
-I can't solve the Saints. They're an enigma, and not in a good way. Mario Williams played better than Reggie Bush did, and the Schaub-Johnson connection can be lethal when both are healthy. Drew Brees' hot streak finally ran out, and the Texans did a good job of tackling and preserved the win. Colston and Bush can catch it well, but they can't beat a good team like Houston playing one dimensionally.
-The Steelers were caught looking ahead, and Eric Mangini had the Jets perfectly prepared for the Steelers, beating Pittsburgh at their own game: dominating the line of scrimmage and getting to the opposing QB with a trick play mixed in. Kellen Clemens didn't have stellar stats, but he took them down the field when they needed it, and Thomas Jones finally had a breakout game. Big Ben and Willie Parker were held in check and the Jets earned this win.
-The Redskins were very close to pulling the upset in Dallas. They stopped the run and made the Cowboys safeties get into coverage, but their injuries in their secondary were exposed over the course of the game, and Terrell Owens exposed the Skins defense, and ripped them apart. Jason Campbell had a very good game, but Tony Romo was that much better, but Washington made it tough.
-The 49ers are atrocious and the Rams are not much better. And the coaching can be blamed for Trent Dilfer throwing it 42 times and Frank Gore only rushed it 15 times. Steven Jackson played very well, and the Rams happened to be not as bad as Frisco was.
-Just when you thought the Bears were turning the corner early, but the Seahawks had life breathed into them by Mo Morris and Matt Hasselbeck played very well in the win. Hackett and Engram had good performances which offset a good day by the Chicago receivers. The Seahawks could lay a claim to the 3rd best team in the NFC.
-The Patriots are one of the best teams I've ever seen. Randy Moss was able to impose his will on the Buffalo team, who couldn't do anything on offense without Marshawn Lynch. Belichik dared Buffalo to stop them and they couldn't. That's not running up the score, that's sending a message. New England won't be calling off the dogs and they won't stop playing their hardest until the Lombardi Trophy rests in their arms.
-Tennessee's defense was torched to the tune of four TD's of 40 plus yards, and Jay Cutler proved that he's far superior than Vince Young, and Selvin Young and the Broncos cruised to victory. Denver was pumped for the MNF game and for the opportunity to stake their claim as the top dogs in their division. They showed it in the first quarter and never looked back for the win.
-More menstrual than Hillary? Maybe Bobby Petrino is looking at a mirror and asking himself why all the analysts are making fun of him, is it because he's winning? Well clearly not, idiot it's because you yanked Joey Harrington after winning two straight games you started Byron Leftwich who was terrible! The killer combination of Harrington and Leftwich threw it 48 times to 19 runs. Not a very good ratio for a team with crazy bad QB play. What the Bucs did was pound it with the run, and then hit the big pass play with Joey Galloway and cruised to victory. Tampa has an easy road to the division title if everyone else have their heads up their derrieres.
-Rumor has it that after the game, Chad Johnson was seen cursing at himself and wondered why Antrel Rolle had better receiving stats than him. I think Carson Palmer may have found himself a new favorite target. Wait...breaking news into the SOS studios, Rolle is on the Cardinals? What? Did Palmer know this before Rolle put up 3 picks for 127 yards and 2 TD's? Chad Johnson had 86 yards and no scores. Palmer may have a golden arm, but you're asking him to throw it 52 times. Arizona not only got big plays on defense, they had excellent pass:run balance and FitzBoldin had another great day leading the Cards to a big win over smelly Cincinnati.
-Coversation between Jon Kitna and God:
"Oh please God, why did I have to make bad decisions late in the game?"
"Because Jon, I'm not really down with the fact that people are calling Detroit God's Team. And I can't help you if you never run the ball. I have to take some time off from football to address the situation in Pakistan. Have you noticed how bad Notre Dame is doing? And don't give me that win over Duke garbage. Hello, Blue DEVILS. Some things have to be put in order. So lay off the excuses, Jon and don't throw a jump ball deep to someone if he's short. Christ out."
"But wait God, why did the Giants do so well on offense? I prayed hard that our defense would put out a strong effort?"
"Well pray harder, Jon. Eli and his coordinator know and practice the great virtue of run:pass balance. Do you know how well they accomplished that?"
"I thought you would know."
"Silence, Kitna! I was testing you, it's not like I'm asking you to slaughter your own son. New York threw it 28 times and ran 27, and they were able to rush you well. Next time, pray for your line to give you time or Michael Strahan will sack you yet again."
"But isn't he a homosexual?"
"Silence, I punished him enough with his teeth gap. Run along now, and ask Martz to call more runs."
-After they left their canes and walkers on the sidelines, Brett Favre and Vinny Testaverde did battle. A few seconds later, Carolina had no chance. A big punt return set the tone, and Favre virtually ended the game before halftime with two TD strikes. By no means did the Panthers play a really bad game, but Green Bay was on another level on Sunday. Both running games were effective, but special teams and QB play made this an easy win for the Cheeseheads.
-The Colts are battered and bruised, but they were able to get it done against the Chiefs. This game was played really evenly and it was good for Indy to get the win with so many people missing. No player had a particluarly good game, and the Colts will have to raise their level of play to lock up an AFC South title. The Chiefs need a QB and now they require a backup RB with the Holmes injury.
-Chester took some vitamin AP and grabbed a win for the Vikings against the helpless Raiders. Tarvaris Jackson had his best game yet, but Daunte Culpepper really impressed me. Minnesota was able to bottle up the Oakland rushing attack, but were able to stay in it with some big passing plays to Ronald Curry. What's really sad is that the Vikings turned it over 5 times and still one. The Raiders have a long way to go, and capitalization is vital to a team's success in this league.
-If Miami had any offense at all against the Eagles, they would've claimed their first win, because their defense and special teams are improving. John Beck showed that rookie rust, and was pathtically putrid. After McNabb was atrocious and got injured, AJ Feely came in and played rather well, but Brian Westbrook was the real star. He gained almost as many yards as the entire Miami offense and will have to almost singlehandedly keep Philly in the playoff race. The dream is still alive for the Dolphins, if you dream of utter chaos and failure.
-Norv is a huge loser! Phil Rivers is not a good quarterback! He threw 42 times, LT rushed 16 times, and they lost for some reason. Garrard managed the game well, and Fred Taylor's still got it. Jacksonville didn't turn it over and went to an under the radar 7-3. The Bolts are an overrated 5-5.
-In one of the oddest games ever, "the field goal that wasn't good but really was which was then not reviewed but reviewed and then called good" Cleveland benefited from the RIGHT call and saved their season. The Ravens had their usual 4 turnovers, but they were able to make a really strong fourth quarter comeback led by the defense and Willis McGahee. Anderson and Lewis played well, but Cleveland's talent and a defensive TD prevailed. And the Browns need to get Cribbs the ball more, he could take it to the house every time he touches the ball.
-I can't solve the Saints. They're an enigma, and not in a good way. Mario Williams played better than Reggie Bush did, and the Schaub-Johnson connection can be lethal when both are healthy. Drew Brees' hot streak finally ran out, and the Texans did a good job of tackling and preserved the win. Colston and Bush can catch it well, but they can't beat a good team like Houston playing one dimensionally.
-The Steelers were caught looking ahead, and Eric Mangini had the Jets perfectly prepared for the Steelers, beating Pittsburgh at their own game: dominating the line of scrimmage and getting to the opposing QB with a trick play mixed in. Kellen Clemens didn't have stellar stats, but he took them down the field when they needed it, and Thomas Jones finally had a breakout game. Big Ben and Willie Parker were held in check and the Jets earned this win.
-The Redskins were very close to pulling the upset in Dallas. They stopped the run and made the Cowboys safeties get into coverage, but their injuries in their secondary were exposed over the course of the game, and Terrell Owens exposed the Skins defense, and ripped them apart. Jason Campbell had a very good game, but Tony Romo was that much better, but Washington made it tough.
-The 49ers are atrocious and the Rams are not much better. And the coaching can be blamed for Trent Dilfer throwing it 42 times and Frank Gore only rushed it 15 times. Steven Jackson played very well, and the Rams happened to be not as bad as Frisco was.
-Just when you thought the Bears were turning the corner early, but the Seahawks had life breathed into them by Mo Morris and Matt Hasselbeck played very well in the win. Hackett and Engram had good performances which offset a good day by the Chicago receivers. The Seahawks could lay a claim to the 3rd best team in the NFC.
-The Patriots are one of the best teams I've ever seen. Randy Moss was able to impose his will on the Buffalo team, who couldn't do anything on offense without Marshawn Lynch. Belichik dared Buffalo to stop them and they couldn't. That's not running up the score, that's sending a message. New England won't be calling off the dogs and they won't stop playing their hardest until the Lombardi Trophy rests in their arms.
-Tennessee's defense was torched to the tune of four TD's of 40 plus yards, and Jay Cutler proved that he's far superior than Vince Young, and Selvin Young and the Broncos cruised to victory. Denver was pumped for the MNF game and for the opportunity to stake their claim as the top dogs in their division. They showed it in the first quarter and never looked back for the win.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Around The Majors- Hot Stove Monday
News and rumors as the day goes by, it starts right now.
8:30am EST
-Tom Glavine has agreed to a 1 year, 8 million dollar contract with the Braves. This fills a hole in the rotation, and gives Atlanta a proven 3rd starter after Smoltz and Hudson.
-Mariano Rivera will soon take the Yankees' 3 year, 45 million dollar offer.
-Mike Lowell will likely take Boston's 3 year contract offer to remain a Red Sock.
-As reported first last night on SprungOnSports2, the Mets and Luis Castillo have agreed on a 4 year contract worth 25 million dollars to play 2nd base. Several teams including Houston and San Diego coveted Castillo, and their focus will now likely turn to David Eckstein, who the Mets courted last week.
-Alex Rodriguez will collect the AL MVP Award and sign his 10 year, 275 million dollar contract, according to the New York Post. That's a pretty good day. The Post also reports that the Mets could pursue Livan Hernandez or even David Wells.
-The Rangers are entertaining Torri Hunter according to the Dallas Morning News, and the Dodgers are close to the top of Hunter's list says the Riverside Press Enterprise.
-Mariano Rivera is trying to get an option year out of the Yankees, according to the New York Daily News.
-Toronto has interest in Matt Clement, says the Toronto Sun.
-Fox Sports reported last week that Japanese reliever Yasuhiko Yabuta had signed with the Royals, but the Chicago Tribune says that Yabuta has listed the Royals, White Sox, Pirates, Rays, and Indians among his finalists.
8:30am EST
-Tom Glavine has agreed to a 1 year, 8 million dollar contract with the Braves. This fills a hole in the rotation, and gives Atlanta a proven 3rd starter after Smoltz and Hudson.
-Mariano Rivera will soon take the Yankees' 3 year, 45 million dollar offer.
-Mike Lowell will likely take Boston's 3 year contract offer to remain a Red Sock.
-As reported first last night on SprungOnSports2, the Mets and Luis Castillo have agreed on a 4 year contract worth 25 million dollars to play 2nd base. Several teams including Houston and San Diego coveted Castillo, and their focus will now likely turn to David Eckstein, who the Mets courted last week.
-Alex Rodriguez will collect the AL MVP Award and sign his 10 year, 275 million dollar contract, according to the New York Post. That's a pretty good day. The Post also reports that the Mets could pursue Livan Hernandez or even David Wells.
-The Rangers are entertaining Torri Hunter according to the Dallas Morning News, and the Dodgers are close to the top of Hunter's list says the Riverside Press Enterprise.
-Mariano Rivera is trying to get an option year out of the Yankees, according to the New York Daily News.
-Toronto has interest in Matt Clement, says the Toronto Sun.
-Fox Sports reported last week that Japanese reliever Yasuhiko Yabuta had signed with the Royals, but the Chicago Tribune says that Yabuta has listed the Royals, White Sox, Pirates, Rays, and Indians among his finalists.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
NFL Daily Presents: Week 11 Picks ATS
We'll start off strong with Chris Mortensen of ESPN and will have some Jags-Bolts talk with Matt Mosley. It's never early to talk about next season especially if you bleed teal, so let's talk about some potential coaching candidates for next season with Chris Mortensen:
"It's early and even difficult to tell whether there will be many (if any) coaching changes. Cowher is an obvious one, as is Marty Schottenheimer. I don't think Jason Garrett is going anywhere. Jim Mora Jr. could get another shot. Jags defensive coordinator Mike Smith and Miss. State coach Sylvester Croom - who was a very good NFL assistant for 17 years - may get a look, too. That's just off the top of my head."
Don't forget Mike Martz, but now let's get to the games.
-Who would have thought that the Browns would be road favorites in Baltimore, but the Ravens have been funkier than the bathroom after Thanksgiving dinner. I'll look for Cleveland to have another good first half to take the lead, but not blow it against an anemic Baltimore offense that's clumsier than your nosy mother-in-law who likes interfering with everything. Like your in-laws, it's a lose-lose for the Ravens. Cleveland by a healthy margin.
-The Chargers looked awful in their win over the Colts last week, and the Jaguars looked nice in a big win over Tennessee. Matt Mosley talks about the keys to this one:
"I think the Jaguars have spent a lot of time looking to see what the Vikings did against the Chargers. The Vikes are the most one-dimensional team in football, but Adrian Peterson still put up record numbers. I'm baffled by how poorly the Chargers offense is playing. Rivers has regressed even though Norv Turner has such a great reputation for working with quarterbacks. I think this offense will continue to be inconsistent, and that's an indictment of Turner."
Norv may have been indicted and blamed more often than a certain big-headed former SF Giant. But I think that the Jaguars will be able to run it well and control the clock, and ultimately the game against the Chargers.
-I think that the Dolphins will cover a 10 point spread in Philly. John Beck may be the QB, but it took a collapse by Washington for the Eagles to come away with a win, and I expect Miami to keep it close with a big day from Chatman. Phins cover!!
-Why have I liked the Raiders so much? I don't know, but I'm going with them in Daunte Culpepper's return to Minnesota, which has not garnered much publicity because both teams suck. But I think that 'Pepper will be motivated, and Da Raidaz will win over the AP-less Vikes.
-There has to be a reason why the Colts are favored by 2 TD's over a pretty good Chiefs team. Perhaps it's a combination of no Larry Johnson, and a QB desperate to shake off an embarrassing outing (and that QB isn't Brodie Croyle). So I'll go with Indy on this one, because they have to be favored by that much for a reason.
-The Panthers are in the official SOS Doghouse. And they're certainly not coming out of it this week against Favre and the Packers who will be able to control the run and force whatever helpless QB Carolina puts out there. Steve Smith will once again be frustrated, and the Panthers will be at Brett Favre's mercy, like your overweight aunt to mom's pumpkin pie. Green Bay by at least a dozen.
-If the Lions want to make a statement in the NFC, they have to at least give the run a chance or Jon Kitna will be on the ground like your alcoholic cousin who never knows his limits. I think that New York will get to Kitna often and Brandon Jacobs will do well enough for the Giatns to come out of Ford Field with the much needed victory.
-This is a trapper for the Bucs in Atlanta, but I think they'll barely squeeze out of it. Warrick Dunn is always amped against Tampa, but expect the Bucs to do just enough for the win plus the three.
-What New Orleans team will show up? Four straight wins, or the one who couldn't stop the Rams? Since I like Sean Payton, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and give this pick 'em game to the Brees-Colston connection and New Orleans. But expect a big day from Andre Johnson.
-The Bills' Obi Wan was Marshawn Lynch, and he's probably out for the Patriots game. So unless Brady pulls a Romo/Peyton on Sunday night, the Pats will take this one big, but It'll be close early.
-I like the way the Cardinals played last week against the Lions, and I'm enticed to take them at the Bengals and I will. Though they looked good against Baltimore last week, the Ravens are playing horrible football and I expect Arizona to take it in The Jungle.
-The Steelers are oozing with confidence, and I'll expect a classis Pittsburgh outing with lots of Willie Parker and lots of smiles in the end. PGH over NYJ big.
-I think the Rams are better than the Niners, and I don't even think it's close. That's a statement considering that St Louis was winless before last week. But Frisco has nothing, and the Rams will take the game and cause further insult to a once proud franchise.
-The Redskins are missing key members of their secondary including Sean Taylor, so expect Tony Romo and co to impose their will against Washington especially as the game goes by. Expect Clinton Portis to have a pretty good game, and expect the Skins to try to heave it over the top. But I expect Dallas to pull away late for a double digit win.
-Rexy returns! And so does the losing. Seattle will be up for this one in a playoffs rematch and expect the Seahawks to get the last laugh.
-Denver is never a good place to play at in a prime time game. Expect the Broncos' Selvin Young to be the star rather than former teammate Vince, and watch the Broncos get a big statement win over the Titans.
"It's early and even difficult to tell whether there will be many (if any) coaching changes. Cowher is an obvious one, as is Marty Schottenheimer. I don't think Jason Garrett is going anywhere. Jim Mora Jr. could get another shot. Jags defensive coordinator Mike Smith and Miss. State coach Sylvester Croom - who was a very good NFL assistant for 17 years - may get a look, too. That's just off the top of my head."
Don't forget Mike Martz, but now let's get to the games.
-Who would have thought that the Browns would be road favorites in Baltimore, but the Ravens have been funkier than the bathroom after Thanksgiving dinner. I'll look for Cleveland to have another good first half to take the lead, but not blow it against an anemic Baltimore offense that's clumsier than your nosy mother-in-law who likes interfering with everything. Like your in-laws, it's a lose-lose for the Ravens. Cleveland by a healthy margin.
-The Chargers looked awful in their win over the Colts last week, and the Jaguars looked nice in a big win over Tennessee. Matt Mosley talks about the keys to this one:
"I think the Jaguars have spent a lot of time looking to see what the Vikings did against the Chargers. The Vikes are the most one-dimensional team in football, but Adrian Peterson still put up record numbers. I'm baffled by how poorly the Chargers offense is playing. Rivers has regressed even though Norv Turner has such a great reputation for working with quarterbacks. I think this offense will continue to be inconsistent, and that's an indictment of Turner."
Norv may have been indicted and blamed more often than a certain big-headed former SF Giant. But I think that the Jaguars will be able to run it well and control the clock, and ultimately the game against the Chargers.
-I think that the Dolphins will cover a 10 point spread in Philly. John Beck may be the QB, but it took a collapse by Washington for the Eagles to come away with a win, and I expect Miami to keep it close with a big day from Chatman. Phins cover!!
-Why have I liked the Raiders so much? I don't know, but I'm going with them in Daunte Culpepper's return to Minnesota, which has not garnered much publicity because both teams suck. But I think that 'Pepper will be motivated, and Da Raidaz will win over the AP-less Vikes.
-There has to be a reason why the Colts are favored by 2 TD's over a pretty good Chiefs team. Perhaps it's a combination of no Larry Johnson, and a QB desperate to shake off an embarrassing outing (and that QB isn't Brodie Croyle). So I'll go with Indy on this one, because they have to be favored by that much for a reason.
-The Panthers are in the official SOS Doghouse. And they're certainly not coming out of it this week against Favre and the Packers who will be able to control the run and force whatever helpless QB Carolina puts out there. Steve Smith will once again be frustrated, and the Panthers will be at Brett Favre's mercy, like your overweight aunt to mom's pumpkin pie. Green Bay by at least a dozen.
-If the Lions want to make a statement in the NFC, they have to at least give the run a chance or Jon Kitna will be on the ground like your alcoholic cousin who never knows his limits. I think that New York will get to Kitna often and Brandon Jacobs will do well enough for the Giatns to come out of Ford Field with the much needed victory.
-This is a trapper for the Bucs in Atlanta, but I think they'll barely squeeze out of it. Warrick Dunn is always amped against Tampa, but expect the Bucs to do just enough for the win plus the three.
-What New Orleans team will show up? Four straight wins, or the one who couldn't stop the Rams? Since I like Sean Payton, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and give this pick 'em game to the Brees-Colston connection and New Orleans. But expect a big day from Andre Johnson.
-The Bills' Obi Wan was Marshawn Lynch, and he's probably out for the Patriots game. So unless Brady pulls a Romo/Peyton on Sunday night, the Pats will take this one big, but It'll be close early.
-I like the way the Cardinals played last week against the Lions, and I'm enticed to take them at the Bengals and I will. Though they looked good against Baltimore last week, the Ravens are playing horrible football and I expect Arizona to take it in The Jungle.
-The Steelers are oozing with confidence, and I'll expect a classis Pittsburgh outing with lots of Willie Parker and lots of smiles in the end. PGH over NYJ big.
-I think the Rams are better than the Niners, and I don't even think it's close. That's a statement considering that St Louis was winless before last week. But Frisco has nothing, and the Rams will take the game and cause further insult to a once proud franchise.
-The Redskins are missing key members of their secondary including Sean Taylor, so expect Tony Romo and co to impose their will against Washington especially as the game goes by. Expect Clinton Portis to have a pretty good game, and expect the Skins to try to heave it over the top. But I expect Dallas to pull away late for a double digit win.
-Rexy returns! And so does the losing. Seattle will be up for this one in a playoffs rematch and expect the Seahawks to get the last laugh.
-Denver is never a good place to play at in a prime time game. Expect the Broncos' Selvin Young to be the star rather than former teammate Vince, and watch the Broncos get a big statement win over the Titans.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Around The Majors- Friday
Barry Bonds talk with ESPN Page 2's Jonah Keri, news, and rumors for yet another baseball day on SOS.
-So Bonds will probably never play Major League Baseball again. Is this where I sob or climb up high to my soap box? I actually feel pretty indifferent on the subject and am pleased to see Barry go away from the baseball scene for a while, or maybe not. I follow the independent Long Island Ducks, and they had John Rocker on their roster a few years ago, and Jose Canseco and Rickey Henderson played for the Newark Bears of the Atlantic League. So why not Barroids?
"I like the way you think." Keri said. Gotta love flattery, right?
"It's funny, when the Bonds news came down the pike, here were my two immediate reactions, in order:
1) Really? The government has nothing better to do but to charge a baseball player with perjury? Iraq's a disaster, Pakistan is on the verge of becoming a disaster, health care's got problems, the education system is a joke in many states, we're on the verge of a theocracy in this country, and Barry Bonds is their #1 priority?!
2) Too bad, Bonds would've been the best free agent bargain of the winter, by a mile. A's could've parlayed him into a run at the AL West title."
The government always loves high profile cases that they can get their noses into. When Congress hosted all those players for the steroids season, they were giddier than John Madden at a Brett Favre convention. Bonds and Billy Beane would have been perfect fits together, because love it or hate it Bonds is an optimal Moneyball player. Gets on base more than anyone in a while, hits jacks, and rarely ever strikes out. But that's all for naught now.
-Derek Jeter may owe millions in income taxes, so he's not perfect. Wait, so he's not God?
-Mariano Rivera still wants that 4th year, but this may end up like the A-Rod thing. Nobody may offer him a 4th year, and he'll come to the team that has the overwhelmingly best offer. That is once again New York.
-I don't agree with the Yankees offering Mike Lowell 4 years and 50-55 million to play first base. He's in his 30's and they would put him out of position, which would be insane considering Lowell is a superb defender at the hot corner. Once again, Boston seems sensible as they're offering 3 years and 35-45 million. My hope is that the Phillies get him, but they're likely to go after pitching.
-The Braves are closing in on making a contract offer to Tom Glavine. Glavine has said that he'd take less money than he got last year from the Mets to pitch in Atlanta. He'd join Smoltz, Hudson, James, and Jurrjens to make a nice rotation.
-The Red Sox are adding 900 seats to Fenway Park for next season, and $25 standing room tickets. Now not being able to stand baseball will only cost 25 bucks. A bargain.
-Aaron Rowand could go to the Dodgers, according to the Riverside Press Enterprise.
-Jake Peavy may take a hometown discount on a contract extension, says the San Diego Union-Tribune.
-Lowell could decide as soon as this weekend, according to the Boston Herald.
-The Tigers are interested in Livan Hernandez, according to the Detroit Free Press.
-The White Sox want to deal Joe Crede, says tha Daily Herald.
-The New York Post reports that Paul Lo Duca could go to Florida or Colorado.
- Arizona is interested in Bartolo Colon and Matt Clement, according to the Arizona Republic. The team will not deal Conor Jackson.
-The Marlins, Padres, and Rockies have interest in Michael Barrett. (Palm Beach Post)
-Milwaukee may sign Jason Kendall to be their Catcher. (Brewers.com)
-Kenny Rogers wants to stay with the Tigers. (Detroittigers.com)
-The New York Daily News reports that the Yankees and Jose Molina have agreed on a 2 year extension worth 4 million.
-The Mets have interest in Octavio Dotel. (New York Times)
-So Bonds will probably never play Major League Baseball again. Is this where I sob or climb up high to my soap box? I actually feel pretty indifferent on the subject and am pleased to see Barry go away from the baseball scene for a while, or maybe not. I follow the independent Long Island Ducks, and they had John Rocker on their roster a few years ago, and Jose Canseco and Rickey Henderson played for the Newark Bears of the Atlantic League. So why not Barroids?
"I like the way you think." Keri said. Gotta love flattery, right?
"It's funny, when the Bonds news came down the pike, here were my two immediate reactions, in order:
1) Really? The government has nothing better to do but to charge a baseball player with perjury? Iraq's a disaster, Pakistan is on the verge of becoming a disaster, health care's got problems, the education system is a joke in many states, we're on the verge of a theocracy in this country, and Barry Bonds is their #1 priority?!
2) Too bad, Bonds would've been the best free agent bargain of the winter, by a mile. A's could've parlayed him into a run at the AL West title."
The government always loves high profile cases that they can get their noses into. When Congress hosted all those players for the steroids season, they were giddier than John Madden at a Brett Favre convention. Bonds and Billy Beane would have been perfect fits together, because love it or hate it Bonds is an optimal Moneyball player. Gets on base more than anyone in a while, hits jacks, and rarely ever strikes out. But that's all for naught now.
-Derek Jeter may owe millions in income taxes, so he's not perfect. Wait, so he's not God?
-Mariano Rivera still wants that 4th year, but this may end up like the A-Rod thing. Nobody may offer him a 4th year, and he'll come to the team that has the overwhelmingly best offer. That is once again New York.
-I don't agree with the Yankees offering Mike Lowell 4 years and 50-55 million to play first base. He's in his 30's and they would put him out of position, which would be insane considering Lowell is a superb defender at the hot corner. Once again, Boston seems sensible as they're offering 3 years and 35-45 million. My hope is that the Phillies get him, but they're likely to go after pitching.
-The Braves are closing in on making a contract offer to Tom Glavine. Glavine has said that he'd take less money than he got last year from the Mets to pitch in Atlanta. He'd join Smoltz, Hudson, James, and Jurrjens to make a nice rotation.
-The Red Sox are adding 900 seats to Fenway Park for next season, and $25 standing room tickets. Now not being able to stand baseball will only cost 25 bucks. A bargain.
-Aaron Rowand could go to the Dodgers, according to the Riverside Press Enterprise.
-Jake Peavy may take a hometown discount on a contract extension, says the San Diego Union-Tribune.
-Lowell could decide as soon as this weekend, according to the Boston Herald.
-The Tigers are interested in Livan Hernandez, according to the Detroit Free Press.
-The White Sox want to deal Joe Crede, says tha Daily Herald.
-The New York Post reports that Paul Lo Duca could go to Florida or Colorado.
- Arizona is interested in Bartolo Colon and Matt Clement, according to the Arizona Republic. The team will not deal Conor Jackson.
-The Marlins, Padres, and Rockies have interest in Michael Barrett. (Palm Beach Post)
-Milwaukee may sign Jason Kendall to be their Catcher. (Brewers.com)
-Kenny Rogers wants to stay with the Tigers. (Detroittigers.com)
-The New York Daily News reports that the Yankees and Jose Molina have agreed on a 2 year extension worth 4 million.
-The Mets have interest in Octavio Dotel. (New York Times)
Thursday, November 15, 2007
N.B.A. Today
Last night's scores, the upcoming schedule, and the latest news will be right here sprinkled with analysis from lead SOS analyst Cameron Berns and ESPN basketball guru Chad Ford.
Scores & Analysis
Atlanta got a much needed win over Charlotte last night 117-109 behind 34 points and 10 assists from Joe Johnson. Wallace and Richardson each had 27 in the loss. Despite a triple double from LeBron James, Orlando continued its early season run with a 117-116 OT win over the Cavaliers. Dwight Howard had 35 and 16 in the win. The struggling Wizards got a much needed 103-90 win over Indiana as Gilbert Arenas scored 30 with 11 assists. The Pacers have dropped five in a row and are playing like everyone expected them to. Utah has won 5 in a row as they won in Toronto 92-88. Carlos Boozer had 23 points and 14 rebounds in the win, and Andrei Kirilenko had 8 points, 9 boards, 11 assists, 5 steals, and 2 blocks. That's what I like to call a Swiss Army game. The Celtics manhandled the Nets 91-69 to go to 7-0, but Berns is worried that the Celts stars would burn out come playoff time at the rate they're going:
"Boston is playing its stars too many minutes which could come back to haunt them aroud playoff time."
Dwayne Wade returned from injury, but the Heat lost to the Sonics 104-95 as Durant and Seattle got their first win of the year. I can definitely see Miami having an awful season, so I asked Chad Ford if the Heat would be big sellers come February:
"What do they have to sell? Dwyane Wade? That's the one guy they want to keep. Ricky Davis may have some value because he's in the last year of his deal. Ditto for Jason Williams. But they don't have a lot of coveted players to move."
The Hornets are 7-2, and ranked #2 this week in John Hollinger's power rankings? They beat the Sixers 95-76 and I asked Ford if New Orleans were really that good:
"They're good. They have a great point guard (Chris Paul) and Tyson Chandler is coming into his own (don't the Bulls wish they had him instead of Ben Wallace right now). They've been smart about building the team. David West is good. Mo Peterson looks like a good pickup. Peja has been up and down, but he's a good veteran leader. I think they're a playoff team for sure. Not sure they're the second best team in the West. But they look like that proverbial team no one would want to meet in the first round. Of course this is November. Ask me again in March."
Michael Redd hit a late jumper in Milwaukee's 102-99 home win over Memphis. Redd had 31 and Andrew Bogut had 23 and 12 in the victory. Minnesota got their first win 108-103 over woeful Sacramento as Rashad McCants had 33 in the victory. The Kings blow. Denver keeps rolling as Carmelo Anthony scored 25 in a 110-93 triumph over Portland. The Lakers got a nice road win in Houston 93-90 and Berns had some choice words for the Rockets:
" Houston is the most overated team in the league.( If you don't believe me watch the first half of their loss to the Lakers last night)." Houston was pretty bad in the first half and couldn't come back in time for the win. Berns also believes that the Bulls and Cavs are just .500 teams. Detroit beat the Warriors, and the dysfunctional Knicks fell to the Clippers.
TV Schedule
Tonight on TNT, Tim Duncan and the Spurs head to Dallas in a rivalry match with Dirk and Dallas followed by the Bulls at Steve Nash and the Suns.
A Friday night ESPN twinbill has Yao and the Rockets visiting San Antonio followed by the Pistons facing Kobe and the Lakers.
NBATV has the Bulls at Clippers on Saturday night.
NBATV has a great matchup on Sunday night as the BIG 3 of Boston travel to Orlando to battle Dwight Howard and the Magic.
NBATV on Monday has Kevin Durant and the Sonics taking on Pau Gasol and Memphis.
NBATV Tuesday has the Spurs facing Joe Johnson and the Hawks.
Dallas plays at Houston Wednesday on ESPN.
The league is off on Thanksgiving.
Scores & Analysis
Atlanta got a much needed win over Charlotte last night 117-109 behind 34 points and 10 assists from Joe Johnson. Wallace and Richardson each had 27 in the loss. Despite a triple double from LeBron James, Orlando continued its early season run with a 117-116 OT win over the Cavaliers. Dwight Howard had 35 and 16 in the win. The struggling Wizards got a much needed 103-90 win over Indiana as Gilbert Arenas scored 30 with 11 assists. The Pacers have dropped five in a row and are playing like everyone expected them to. Utah has won 5 in a row as they won in Toronto 92-88. Carlos Boozer had 23 points and 14 rebounds in the win, and Andrei Kirilenko had 8 points, 9 boards, 11 assists, 5 steals, and 2 blocks. That's what I like to call a Swiss Army game. The Celtics manhandled the Nets 91-69 to go to 7-0, but Berns is worried that the Celts stars would burn out come playoff time at the rate they're going:
"Boston is playing its stars too many minutes which could come back to haunt them aroud playoff time."
Dwayne Wade returned from injury, but the Heat lost to the Sonics 104-95 as Durant and Seattle got their first win of the year. I can definitely see Miami having an awful season, so I asked Chad Ford if the Heat would be big sellers come February:
"What do they have to sell? Dwyane Wade? That's the one guy they want to keep. Ricky Davis may have some value because he's in the last year of his deal. Ditto for Jason Williams. But they don't have a lot of coveted players to move."
The Hornets are 7-2, and ranked #2 this week in John Hollinger's power rankings? They beat the Sixers 95-76 and I asked Ford if New Orleans were really that good:
"They're good. They have a great point guard (Chris Paul) and Tyson Chandler is coming into his own (don't the Bulls wish they had him instead of Ben Wallace right now). They've been smart about building the team. David West is good. Mo Peterson looks like a good pickup. Peja has been up and down, but he's a good veteran leader. I think they're a playoff team for sure. Not sure they're the second best team in the West. But they look like that proverbial team no one would want to meet in the first round. Of course this is November. Ask me again in March."
Michael Redd hit a late jumper in Milwaukee's 102-99 home win over Memphis. Redd had 31 and Andrew Bogut had 23 and 12 in the victory. Minnesota got their first win 108-103 over woeful Sacramento as Rashad McCants had 33 in the victory. The Kings blow. Denver keeps rolling as Carmelo Anthony scored 25 in a 110-93 triumph over Portland. The Lakers got a nice road win in Houston 93-90 and Berns had some choice words for the Rockets:
" Houston is the most overated team in the league.( If you don't believe me watch the first half of their loss to the Lakers last night)." Houston was pretty bad in the first half and couldn't come back in time for the win. Berns also believes that the Bulls and Cavs are just .500 teams. Detroit beat the Warriors, and the dysfunctional Knicks fell to the Clippers.
TV Schedule
Tonight on TNT, Tim Duncan and the Spurs head to Dallas in a rivalry match with Dirk and Dallas followed by the Bulls at Steve Nash and the Suns.
A Friday night ESPN twinbill has Yao and the Rockets visiting San Antonio followed by the Pistons facing Kobe and the Lakers.
NBATV has the Bulls at Clippers on Saturday night.
NBATV has a great matchup on Sunday night as the BIG 3 of Boston travel to Orlando to battle Dwight Howard and the Magic.
NBATV on Monday has Kevin Durant and the Sonics taking on Pau Gasol and Memphis.
NBATV Tuesday has the Spurs facing Joe Johnson and the Hawks.
Dallas plays at Houston Wednesday on ESPN.
The league is off on Thanksgiving.
Around The Majors- Thursday
SOS2 presents a special ATM today, because the hot stove is too smokin to ignore.
-A-Rod is negotiating basically by himself with Hank Steinbrenner for a new contract, and there are opinions from all angles on how this impacts and/or weakens Scott Boras' stranglehold on the industry. Buster Olney said today that Boras "overplayed the perfect hand" and that this will be a signifigcant red mark for Boras. Another intriguing stance came from Keith Law, who did not rule out the possibility of Boras purposely letting Rodriguez virtually negotiate by himself because that would maximize his chance for a bigger contract which could be as high as 290 million, according to a report this morning on MLB.com.
"Scott Boras really is smart." Law posted in his weekly chat on ESPN.com. "I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt any time there's a question about his strategy." If there isn't a question on his strategy now, I don't think there would ever be any doubt placed on Boras. This is obviously a very interesting story, and keep it here for the duration of this day for breaking news stories.
-Jake Peavy was the unanimous winner of the NL Cy Young Award after leading the league in wins, ERA, and strikeouts, which is the pitchers' version of the triple crown. This is the 12th time in NL history that an award was given unanimously, and the first since 2002 when Randy Johnson took it. If this is any consolation for the Diamondbacks fans, Brandon Webb was nearly the unanimous 2nd place, getting 31 of the 32 2nd place votes. Brad Penny came in 3rd.
-A New York Mets plan to split time at Catcher between Ramon Castro and Yorvit Torrealba may come to fruition as soon as today. Torrealba's agent Mark Roman told ESPN Radio in New York (the official station of SOS)that he'll sign a 3 year deal with New York today which will be worth 14.4 million dollars according to Newsday. Both Catchers will provide power to the position.
-Bud Selig said that MLB took in 6.075 BILLION dollars in revenue this season which should probably mean that the small market teams likely took in enough green to have higher payrolls. That will never happen, but there may be a shortage in excuses right about now for those penny pinching owners. -Even as the Yankees appear to be on the verge of signing Rodriguez, they still have interest in World Series MVP Mike Lowell to play first base, according to the New York Post and the Newark Star Ledger. Lowell's agent Seth Levinson said that the two parties have engaged in conversation.
-According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, Mariano Rivera wants a 4th guaranteed year with the Yankees, which is why he has not yet accepted a 3 year, 45 million dollar offer. Whether another team like the Dodgers give him that 4th year is yet to be seen.
More reports and content will stream in as the afternoon and evening goes by right here on SprungOnSports2.
-A-Rod is negotiating basically by himself with Hank Steinbrenner for a new contract, and there are opinions from all angles on how this impacts and/or weakens Scott Boras' stranglehold on the industry. Buster Olney said today that Boras "overplayed the perfect hand" and that this will be a signifigcant red mark for Boras. Another intriguing stance came from Keith Law, who did not rule out the possibility of Boras purposely letting Rodriguez virtually negotiate by himself because that would maximize his chance for a bigger contract which could be as high as 290 million, according to a report this morning on MLB.com.
"Scott Boras really is smart." Law posted in his weekly chat on ESPN.com. "I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt any time there's a question about his strategy." If there isn't a question on his strategy now, I don't think there would ever be any doubt placed on Boras. This is obviously a very interesting story, and keep it here for the duration of this day for breaking news stories.
-Jake Peavy was the unanimous winner of the NL Cy Young Award after leading the league in wins, ERA, and strikeouts, which is the pitchers' version of the triple crown. This is the 12th time in NL history that an award was given unanimously, and the first since 2002 when Randy Johnson took it. If this is any consolation for the Diamondbacks fans, Brandon Webb was nearly the unanimous 2nd place, getting 31 of the 32 2nd place votes. Brad Penny came in 3rd.
-A New York Mets plan to split time at Catcher between Ramon Castro and Yorvit Torrealba may come to fruition as soon as today. Torrealba's agent Mark Roman told ESPN Radio in New York (the official station of SOS)that he'll sign a 3 year deal with New York today which will be worth 14.4 million dollars according to Newsday. Both Catchers will provide power to the position.
-Bud Selig said that MLB took in 6.075 BILLION dollars in revenue this season which should probably mean that the small market teams likely took in enough green to have higher payrolls. That will never happen, but there may be a shortage in excuses right about now for those penny pinching owners. -Even as the Yankees appear to be on the verge of signing Rodriguez, they still have interest in World Series MVP Mike Lowell to play first base, according to the New York Post and the Newark Star Ledger. Lowell's agent Seth Levinson said that the two parties have engaged in conversation.
-According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, Mariano Rivera wants a 4th guaranteed year with the Yankees, which is why he has not yet accepted a 3 year, 45 million dollar offer. Whether another team like the Dodgers give him that 4th year is yet to be seen.
More reports and content will stream in as the afternoon and evening goes by right here on SprungOnSports2.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
College Hoops Wednesday
There were some great games yesterday and more awesome action today. I'll go inside Syracuse's dramatic win over St Joe's.
Tuesday Capper
Siena and UTEP recorded early wins. Michigan State is supposed to be a top 10 team led by Drew Neitzel, but nobody talked about Raymar Morgan who scored 25 and pulled 15 rebounds in an 86-52 rout of Chicago State. Neitzel had 12 points and 8 assists.
SOS2 Inside- Syracuse vs St Joe's
Freshman Jonny Flynn hit a top of the key three with 5 seconds left to lift the Orange to a 72-69 win over the Hawks at the Carrier Dome. St Joe's started off on a tear going out to a 12-0 lead but Syracuse put some good runs together to get a 33-30 halftime lead. The team is young and will have a lot of growing pains, but with Flynn and Donte Greene the team will have to take the inexplicable mistakes with the flashes of greatness. The Cuse built a double digit lead early in the 2nd, but Phil Martelli's club came back to keep it tight the rest of the way. The Hawks were 11-26 from 3 point range, and Darrin Govens hit 6 threes and finished with 22 points, as did senior forward Pat Calathes who had 22 points with 8 boards and 6 assists. Flynn only had 5 points, but he had 6 assists and his only field goal was hit when it mattered most. Greene had 18 points and 8 rebounds, and Paul Harris tore it up with 18 points to go with 14 rebounds and 6 helpers. The Orange has the firepower to succeed, but will have to overcome the mistakes that they'll inevitably make along the way. Keep it here for the best insight and analysis.
-Buffalo beat USF, George Mason defeated Cleveland State, and Shan Foster poured in 21 points with 8 rebounds in a good 77-70 win at Toledo. Holy Cross won at Fairfield, and Alabama got 28 points and 14 rebounds from Bakari Hendrix in a hard fought 90-83 win at Mercer. Auburn, UAB, UIC, and Missouri recorded wins. DeMarre Carroll had 16 and 8 in the Tigers 79-55 win over Fordham. Eniel Polynice had 28 and 7 as Ole Miss edged South Alabama, and Dan Geriot had 22, 10, and 5 in Richmond's OT win at East Carolina. Miami (OH) edged Xavier, and Utah, Gardner-Webb, Gonzaga, and UNLV were victorious. Derrick Low scored 26 as Wazzu beat Boise State, Kosta Koufos had 19 as Ohio State downed Columbia, TAMU beat Oral Roberts, and Kevin Love had 19 and 9 as UCLA routed San Bernardino. Chase Budinger had 26 points and 5 boards as Arizona beat Northern Arizona. Washington destroyed NJIT.
Wednesday Preview
Florida will host NC Central at 7pm on Full Court. Bucknell is at Towson, Michigan State hosts Louisiana-Monroe, and tonight's SOS featured game has Davidson and top ranked UNC doing battle in Charlotte at 7pm on ESPN. UW-Milwaukee is at Ball State, and BU will be at GW at 7:30. Iona is at Princeton, and St Francis (NY) will play at St John's at 7:30 on Full Court. At 8pm all on Full Court, Iowa State will be at Bradley, LSU will host McNeese State, OK State will be at North Texas, and Texas Tech will be at Sam Houston State. NIT Tip-Off is at 9pm on ESPNU as Texas A&M hosts UTEP in a really good matchup. Southern Miss will be at Cal at 10:30, and Washington will host Utah at 10:30 in the NIT on ESPN.
Tuesday Capper
Siena and UTEP recorded early wins. Michigan State is supposed to be a top 10 team led by Drew Neitzel, but nobody talked about Raymar Morgan who scored 25 and pulled 15 rebounds in an 86-52 rout of Chicago State. Neitzel had 12 points and 8 assists.
SOS2 Inside- Syracuse vs St Joe's
Freshman Jonny Flynn hit a top of the key three with 5 seconds left to lift the Orange to a 72-69 win over the Hawks at the Carrier Dome. St Joe's started off on a tear going out to a 12-0 lead but Syracuse put some good runs together to get a 33-30 halftime lead. The team is young and will have a lot of growing pains, but with Flynn and Donte Greene the team will have to take the inexplicable mistakes with the flashes of greatness. The Cuse built a double digit lead early in the 2nd, but Phil Martelli's club came back to keep it tight the rest of the way. The Hawks were 11-26 from 3 point range, and Darrin Govens hit 6 threes and finished with 22 points, as did senior forward Pat Calathes who had 22 points with 8 boards and 6 assists. Flynn only had 5 points, but he had 6 assists and his only field goal was hit when it mattered most. Greene had 18 points and 8 rebounds, and Paul Harris tore it up with 18 points to go with 14 rebounds and 6 helpers. The Orange has the firepower to succeed, but will have to overcome the mistakes that they'll inevitably make along the way. Keep it here for the best insight and analysis.
-Buffalo beat USF, George Mason defeated Cleveland State, and Shan Foster poured in 21 points with 8 rebounds in a good 77-70 win at Toledo. Holy Cross won at Fairfield, and Alabama got 28 points and 14 rebounds from Bakari Hendrix in a hard fought 90-83 win at Mercer. Auburn, UAB, UIC, and Missouri recorded wins. DeMarre Carroll had 16 and 8 in the Tigers 79-55 win over Fordham. Eniel Polynice had 28 and 7 as Ole Miss edged South Alabama, and Dan Geriot had 22, 10, and 5 in Richmond's OT win at East Carolina. Miami (OH) edged Xavier, and Utah, Gardner-Webb, Gonzaga, and UNLV were victorious. Derrick Low scored 26 as Wazzu beat Boise State, Kosta Koufos had 19 as Ohio State downed Columbia, TAMU beat Oral Roberts, and Kevin Love had 19 and 9 as UCLA routed San Bernardino. Chase Budinger had 26 points and 5 boards as Arizona beat Northern Arizona. Washington destroyed NJIT.
Wednesday Preview
Florida will host NC Central at 7pm on Full Court. Bucknell is at Towson, Michigan State hosts Louisiana-Monroe, and tonight's SOS featured game has Davidson and top ranked UNC doing battle in Charlotte at 7pm on ESPN. UW-Milwaukee is at Ball State, and BU will be at GW at 7:30. Iona is at Princeton, and St Francis (NY) will play at St John's at 7:30 on Full Court. At 8pm all on Full Court, Iowa State will be at Bradley, LSU will host McNeese State, OK State will be at North Texas, and Texas Tech will be at Sam Houston State. NIT Tip-Off is at 9pm on ESPNU as Texas A&M hosts UTEP in a really good matchup. Southern Miss will be at Cal at 10:30, and Washington will host Utah at 10:30 in the NIT on ESPN.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
NFL Daily Presents: Analytical Assault Week 10
Oh my, how the mighty have fallen. The great sink to new lows, streaks crumble, and one old geezer QB outlasts it all. And then, there's Baltimore........
Flash Forward
"Somewhere, Mel Brooks is smiling right now."
"If the Patriots are destiny's child, then Miami could be destiny's bastard child."
"Harder to figure out than Hillary Clinton's political views."
"Grab me a mirror, I look so good when I'm right."
-Brett Favre was like a hypnotist on Sunday. Minnesota bit his every fake, were fascinated by his every move. They were so in awe of him that they forgot that they're paid large craploads of cheddar to stop him. But King Cheesehead threw for over 350 and eclipsed the 60,000 yard mark and Dan Marino still pretends not to be jealous. They finally have a running game, while the Vikes still haven't found that QB guy, and will now be without Adrian Peterson for an extended period. When you hit so hard as a player, you're bound to get hurt. Favre completed passes to 10 different players, which is impressive considering that the Vikes barely had 10 completions on offense (16). Green Bay had it for over 40 minutes, and they're heads and shoulders (knees and toes) above Minnesota.
-What happens when you're strength turns into a weakness? You lose. The Titans found that out after their vaunted run defense got trampled by Freddy T and MJD. The Jags had 44 rushes and 23 passes, and controlled the pigskin for over 34 minutes. Vince Young threw 41 times which is a lot for someone who just isn't a good QB right now. You people have to stop being enamored with the "greatness" of VY and realize that he's not a very good passer. And when the overachieving running game went back to earth yesterday, Tennessee's chances were in Young's hands. And unlike State Farm, Young was not there, and he may not ever be there. The defense will have to carry the Titans if they want to reach the postseason. Because oh great Texas savior doesn't have your back.
-Running back reliance is very important in football (unless you're Favre). And when your top back is out, someone needs to step up and carry the load. Selvin Young did that for Denver in place of Travis Henry, Priest Holmes could not do that for an injured Larry Johnson. That was the difference, plain and simple. None of the QB's were very good, but the good offensive player from Texas came through when his team needed it, and Denver is back in the saddle again trying to go straight as piss to the promised land. Somewhere, Mel Brooks is smiling right now. I have now associated him with being a Broncos fan. That has nothing to do with this game, but Denver is definitely in this bad boy.
-If the Dolphins were gonna win a game this season, that might have been it. They owned a 10-2 lead over Buffalo, and everything looked good. But those scrappy Bills came back and won despite Miami having posession of the ball for almost 37 minutes. Jesse Chatman allowed the Phins to control the clock, and they played a very good game. But it looks like they could be a team of destiny. If the Patriots are destiny's child, then Miami could be destiny's bastard child. We'll see if Buffalo can keep this up against the Pats, of course Lynch will have to be back for them to have a chance. Miami will get there...one day.
-The Saints are harder to figure out than Hillary Clinton's political views (are they even there??). They reel off four straight wins and then get beat by a previously winless Rams team. St Louis had perfect run-pass balance and Steven Jackson and Antonio Pittman helped the Rams have ball possession for almost 40 minutes. Marc Bulger managed the game well, and Tory Holt had a very solid outing. New Orleans had an almost 4:1 pass to run ratio and that is clearly unacceptable. Drew Brees were picked off twice and will have to regain their momentum.
-The Steelers haven't hired too many head coaches in their history, and it looks like they've found another really good one in Mike Tomlin. Cleveland got great plays on defense and special teams in the first half, and connected on shots down the field led by Derek Anderson. But It may not be about the way the Browns played yesterday, It's probably about the way Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh defense adjusted in the second half. They closed off all the deep routes and forced Anderson to settle for check downs underneath. This strategy forces three and outs and allowed the Steelers to come back. Then you give the credit to Ben Roethlisberger for leading his team back, and to the Pittsburgh defense for shutting the Browns down in the 2nd half. The Steelers are an elite team, and played an superb 2nd half.
-The Redskins consistently fail to close out games. It's just not in their DNA, and the Eagles took advantage with a 20 point 4th quarter to save their season and reinvigorate a franchise that needed a jump start. Campbell, Thrash, and Portis did a great job of putting their team in a position to win. But Brian Westbrook was tremendous at the end of the game, and Washington helped the Eagle cause by committing more stupid penalties than a dyslexic accountant doing your taxes. It was a huge road win for Philly, as new life has been breathed into their season.
-Grab me a mirror, because I look so good when I'm right. I called the Falcons upset win over the Panthers, because the Panthers have fallen off the face of the earth. I wonder if Stephen Hawking ever looks at himself in the mirror and robotically types to himself "who's....the...man?" Well that's me right now without the science and with much more normal. Vinny Testaverde finally played like his age, and the running game was basically a nonfactor. Did you know that Vinny was college roommates with Thomas Jefferson? Atlanta didn't make any mistakes, and had a big drive late that ended with Joey Harrington coming through with a huge TD to Alge Crumpler. The last time Harrington and big drive late were said in the same sentence was Joey's tee shot on the 16th hole last winter. But I digress, good Falcons win, Panthers are underachieving more than the NYC Public School System.
-How pathetic are the Ravens? 6 turnovers again, and a loss to the Bengals who can barely get out of their own way. In fact, to make the players more comfortable with their surroundings, the coaches are now referred to as wardens, and locker rooms are holding cells. Steve McNair has hit the end of the road. He's fumbling more than Tiki Barber and Kerry Collins used to combined, and he isn't making good football decisions anymore. The defense can only do so much, I'm with Ray Lewis on this one. Brian Billick is once again under fire. Cincy scored their 21 points on 7 field goals. It's almost like they're allergic to the end zone, much like the Knicks who are allergic to making sense. I mean they break out in good decisions and wins, I mean who in their right mind would want that? Bottom line, both teams are awful but the Bengals are less terrible. The Ravens have some serious changing to do before they can show up on a consistent basis again.
-Rex to the rescue? It's been a wild ride for the Bears QB, but he came in for an injured Brian Griese and saved the Chicago season with a big win over Oakland. If Rex is actually successful getting the snap, he has the arm to hit the deep play and did so with Bernard Berrian. Josh McCown was brutal as usual, but Justin Fargas had a very solid day, but Chicago had that one quarter that saved their season (for now). We'll see if they can keep their momentum going.
-All the Cowboys had to do to beat the Giants and take a stranglehold of the NFC East was to stop making the critical mistakes. They made numerous penalties in the first half including just an insanely stupid taunting penalty. But the Giants evened it out with mistakes of their own, and the Cowboy talent prevailed late, as Tony Romo and Terrell Owens provided the fireworks in the win. What the Giants can't do is let this loss snowball, because they're still one of the best teams in the conference. They have a huge game at Detroit and need to be ready.
-Speaking of the Lions, I was shocked at the way them and the Cards played on Sunday. There were 9 combined turnovers, but Kurt Warner bounced back with a tremendous game, and they were able to control the clock for the win. The Arizona defense had 4 sacks and force a bunch of fumbles for the win. But the Lions rushed for negative 18 yards, and completely gave up on it. To win in this league, you have to be able to run the ball and the Lions won't be able to take it to the next level if they can't run the ball. Jon Kitna isn't mobile, and the defense can just go right after him if there's no remote threat of a running play. This was a terrible job by Detroit, and they have to regroup fast.
-We all know Peyton Manning had the worst game of his life, but they had a good chance to win because the Chargers defense was almost as dreadful. Darren Sproles and Antonio Cromartie were the main reasons that San Diego came up with the win, because Phil Rivers is just not a good QB this year. The Colts didn't deserve to win the game, but they came very close. But the Chargers offense needs to get into gear otherwise there's no way they can make the postseason. Maybe the AFC isn't as deep as we once thought. These were two of the best? Oy.
-I think Gardner-Webb could beat the 49ers in football. Alex Smith is terrible, but I put a lot of blame on Mike Nolan for not giving it to Frank Gore so much. He had 13 carries for 5.5 per rush, so why not give it to him more if your QB blows. The Seahawks were able to dominate with Alexander and Branch out, which shows how bad the Niners are.
Flash Forward
"Somewhere, Mel Brooks is smiling right now."
"If the Patriots are destiny's child, then Miami could be destiny's bastard child."
"Harder to figure out than Hillary Clinton's political views."
"Grab me a mirror, I look so good when I'm right."
-Brett Favre was like a hypnotist on Sunday. Minnesota bit his every fake, were fascinated by his every move. They were so in awe of him that they forgot that they're paid large craploads of cheddar to stop him. But King Cheesehead threw for over 350 and eclipsed the 60,000 yard mark and Dan Marino still pretends not to be jealous. They finally have a running game, while the Vikes still haven't found that QB guy, and will now be without Adrian Peterson for an extended period. When you hit so hard as a player, you're bound to get hurt. Favre completed passes to 10 different players, which is impressive considering that the Vikes barely had 10 completions on offense (16). Green Bay had it for over 40 minutes, and they're heads and shoulders (knees and toes) above Minnesota.
-What happens when you're strength turns into a weakness? You lose. The Titans found that out after their vaunted run defense got trampled by Freddy T and MJD. The Jags had 44 rushes and 23 passes, and controlled the pigskin for over 34 minutes. Vince Young threw 41 times which is a lot for someone who just isn't a good QB right now. You people have to stop being enamored with the "greatness" of VY and realize that he's not a very good passer. And when the overachieving running game went back to earth yesterday, Tennessee's chances were in Young's hands. And unlike State Farm, Young was not there, and he may not ever be there. The defense will have to carry the Titans if they want to reach the postseason. Because oh great Texas savior doesn't have your back.
-Running back reliance is very important in football (unless you're Favre). And when your top back is out, someone needs to step up and carry the load. Selvin Young did that for Denver in place of Travis Henry, Priest Holmes could not do that for an injured Larry Johnson. That was the difference, plain and simple. None of the QB's were very good, but the good offensive player from Texas came through when his team needed it, and Denver is back in the saddle again trying to go straight as piss to the promised land. Somewhere, Mel Brooks is smiling right now. I have now associated him with being a Broncos fan. That has nothing to do with this game, but Denver is definitely in this bad boy.
-If the Dolphins were gonna win a game this season, that might have been it. They owned a 10-2 lead over Buffalo, and everything looked good. But those scrappy Bills came back and won despite Miami having posession of the ball for almost 37 minutes. Jesse Chatman allowed the Phins to control the clock, and they played a very good game. But it looks like they could be a team of destiny. If the Patriots are destiny's child, then Miami could be destiny's bastard child. We'll see if Buffalo can keep this up against the Pats, of course Lynch will have to be back for them to have a chance. Miami will get there...one day.
-The Saints are harder to figure out than Hillary Clinton's political views (are they even there??). They reel off four straight wins and then get beat by a previously winless Rams team. St Louis had perfect run-pass balance and Steven Jackson and Antonio Pittman helped the Rams have ball possession for almost 40 minutes. Marc Bulger managed the game well, and Tory Holt had a very solid outing. New Orleans had an almost 4:1 pass to run ratio and that is clearly unacceptable. Drew Brees were picked off twice and will have to regain their momentum.
-The Steelers haven't hired too many head coaches in their history, and it looks like they've found another really good one in Mike Tomlin. Cleveland got great plays on defense and special teams in the first half, and connected on shots down the field led by Derek Anderson. But It may not be about the way the Browns played yesterday, It's probably about the way Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh defense adjusted in the second half. They closed off all the deep routes and forced Anderson to settle for check downs underneath. This strategy forces three and outs and allowed the Steelers to come back. Then you give the credit to Ben Roethlisberger for leading his team back, and to the Pittsburgh defense for shutting the Browns down in the 2nd half. The Steelers are an elite team, and played an superb 2nd half.
-The Redskins consistently fail to close out games. It's just not in their DNA, and the Eagles took advantage with a 20 point 4th quarter to save their season and reinvigorate a franchise that needed a jump start. Campbell, Thrash, and Portis did a great job of putting their team in a position to win. But Brian Westbrook was tremendous at the end of the game, and Washington helped the Eagle cause by committing more stupid penalties than a dyslexic accountant doing your taxes. It was a huge road win for Philly, as new life has been breathed into their season.
-Grab me a mirror, because I look so good when I'm right. I called the Falcons upset win over the Panthers, because the Panthers have fallen off the face of the earth. I wonder if Stephen Hawking ever looks at himself in the mirror and robotically types to himself "who's....the...man?" Well that's me right now without the science and with much more normal. Vinny Testaverde finally played like his age, and the running game was basically a nonfactor. Did you know that Vinny was college roommates with Thomas Jefferson? Atlanta didn't make any mistakes, and had a big drive late that ended with Joey Harrington coming through with a huge TD to Alge Crumpler. The last time Harrington and big drive late were said in the same sentence was Joey's tee shot on the 16th hole last winter. But I digress, good Falcons win, Panthers are underachieving more than the NYC Public School System.
-How pathetic are the Ravens? 6 turnovers again, and a loss to the Bengals who can barely get out of their own way. In fact, to make the players more comfortable with their surroundings, the coaches are now referred to as wardens, and locker rooms are holding cells. Steve McNair has hit the end of the road. He's fumbling more than Tiki Barber and Kerry Collins used to combined, and he isn't making good football decisions anymore. The defense can only do so much, I'm with Ray Lewis on this one. Brian Billick is once again under fire. Cincy scored their 21 points on 7 field goals. It's almost like they're allergic to the end zone, much like the Knicks who are allergic to making sense. I mean they break out in good decisions and wins, I mean who in their right mind would want that? Bottom line, both teams are awful but the Bengals are less terrible. The Ravens have some serious changing to do before they can show up on a consistent basis again.
-Rex to the rescue? It's been a wild ride for the Bears QB, but he came in for an injured Brian Griese and saved the Chicago season with a big win over Oakland. If Rex is actually successful getting the snap, he has the arm to hit the deep play and did so with Bernard Berrian. Josh McCown was brutal as usual, but Justin Fargas had a very solid day, but Chicago had that one quarter that saved their season (for now). We'll see if they can keep their momentum going.
-All the Cowboys had to do to beat the Giants and take a stranglehold of the NFC East was to stop making the critical mistakes. They made numerous penalties in the first half including just an insanely stupid taunting penalty. But the Giants evened it out with mistakes of their own, and the Cowboy talent prevailed late, as Tony Romo and Terrell Owens provided the fireworks in the win. What the Giants can't do is let this loss snowball, because they're still one of the best teams in the conference. They have a huge game at Detroit and need to be ready.
-Speaking of the Lions, I was shocked at the way them and the Cards played on Sunday. There were 9 combined turnovers, but Kurt Warner bounced back with a tremendous game, and they were able to control the clock for the win. The Arizona defense had 4 sacks and force a bunch of fumbles for the win. But the Lions rushed for negative 18 yards, and completely gave up on it. To win in this league, you have to be able to run the ball and the Lions won't be able to take it to the next level if they can't run the ball. Jon Kitna isn't mobile, and the defense can just go right after him if there's no remote threat of a running play. This was a terrible job by Detroit, and they have to regroup fast.
-We all know Peyton Manning had the worst game of his life, but they had a good chance to win because the Chargers defense was almost as dreadful. Darren Sproles and Antonio Cromartie were the main reasons that San Diego came up with the win, because Phil Rivers is just not a good QB this year. The Colts didn't deserve to win the game, but they came very close. But the Chargers offense needs to get into gear otherwise there's no way they can make the postseason. Maybe the AFC isn't as deep as we once thought. These were two of the best? Oy.
-I think Gardner-Webb could beat the 49ers in football. Alex Smith is terrible, but I put a lot of blame on Mike Nolan for not giving it to Frank Gore so much. He had 13 carries for 5.5 per rush, so why not give it to him more if your QB blows. The Seahawks were able to dominate with Alexander and Branch out, which shows how bad the Niners are.
College Hoops Tuesday
Last night's scores including an analysis of Duke's win over New Mexico State, and a preview of tonight's action.
Monday Scores
Fordham recorded a win at the CBE in Missouri, and Indiana overcame a 4 point halftime defecit to blow out Chattanooga by 20, 99-79. Freshman Eric Gordon had a game high 33 points and 6 rebounds for the Hoosiers. He'll be one to watch. BC also found themselves down at the half but came back to beat Florida Atlantic 68-62 behind 21 points and 9 assists from Tyrece Rice.
SOS2 Inside- Duke vs New Mexico State
The young Blue Devils found themselves down 6-4 early on, but had fairly smooth sailing throughout in their 86-61 rout of the Aggies at Cameron Indoor Stadium. You immediately saw the agility and balance that Duke has this year as several players came up with important turnovers and all ran the floor rather well. They may not have size, but they're lethal in transition. New Mexico State didn't force the issue enough early on, and settled for long jumpers. Once those jumpers missed long, Duke went on secondary breaks and built a 32-17 advantage. NMSU then played really sloppy ball, and ended up with 26 in the contest. John Scheyer hit a couple of threes on steals by freshman Kyle Singler to increase the lead, and the stingy Blue Devils defense led to a DeMarcus Nelson three to close the half with a 47-26 lead. They had numbers on the bench going 10 deep, and used their speed to create easy buckets. The Aggies committed more turnovers than hit field goals in the half. Duke went on a 14-4 run to open the half and led 61-30 and that was basically it from there. NMSU went on a mini run of their own after that, and were led by Justin Hawkins who had 16 points and 11 boards, and Fred Peete who ended with 11. Duke then cruised for the 86-61 win. Scheyer had 22 off the bench, and Nelson had 14 points and 7 boards. Singler had 10 points and 5 boards, and PG Greg Paulus had a very good overall game with 9 points, 8 assists, 4 boards, and 4 steals.
-St Bonaventure, Penn State, and Duquesne were winners. Syracuse didn't play much defense, but their offense was able to hold off a tough Siena team 97-89 in NIT action. Freshman Johnny Flynn hit all 6 of his 3 point attempts and scored 28 points to go along with 9 assists and 5 rebounds. Eric Devendorf had 19 points and 6 assists, and Paul Harris had 14 points and 15 rebounds. Nortre Dame got 19 and 10 from rob Kurz to beat Long Island 82-50, and Rutgers got 24 and 9 from Will Inman in their win over NC Central. Clemson, Charlotte, South Carolina, LSU, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Marquette, Pacific, Florida State, New Mexico, Ohio State, Maryland, St Joe's, and Oregon were all winners. UCLA got 21 points and 9 boards from Kevin Love as the Bruins blasted Youngstown State.
Tuesday Preview
The CBE continues as Michigan State hosts Chicago State in Lansing, game at 7 on ESPNU. Syracuse will host St Joe's at 7pm on ESPN in preseason NIT, that will be tomorrow's analyzed game. Buffalo will host USF, George Mason takes on Cleveland State, and Vandy will be at Toledo. Mercer beat USC last week, tonight they'll take on Alabama. Fordham takes on Missouri at 8pm, and Gonzaga will entertain Idaho. Some good matches tip off at 9 as Wazzu will be at Boise State, Columbia will be at Ohio State, and Texas A&M will host Oral Roberts on ESPNU. Arizona hosts Northern Arizona at 9:30, and FDU takes on Siena on ESPN. UCLA will host UC San Bernardino, and Washington hosts NJIT.
Monday Scores
Fordham recorded a win at the CBE in Missouri, and Indiana overcame a 4 point halftime defecit to blow out Chattanooga by 20, 99-79. Freshman Eric Gordon had a game high 33 points and 6 rebounds for the Hoosiers. He'll be one to watch. BC also found themselves down at the half but came back to beat Florida Atlantic 68-62 behind 21 points and 9 assists from Tyrece Rice.
SOS2 Inside- Duke vs New Mexico State
The young Blue Devils found themselves down 6-4 early on, but had fairly smooth sailing throughout in their 86-61 rout of the Aggies at Cameron Indoor Stadium. You immediately saw the agility and balance that Duke has this year as several players came up with important turnovers and all ran the floor rather well. They may not have size, but they're lethal in transition. New Mexico State didn't force the issue enough early on, and settled for long jumpers. Once those jumpers missed long, Duke went on secondary breaks and built a 32-17 advantage. NMSU then played really sloppy ball, and ended up with 26 in the contest. John Scheyer hit a couple of threes on steals by freshman Kyle Singler to increase the lead, and the stingy Blue Devils defense led to a DeMarcus Nelson three to close the half with a 47-26 lead. They had numbers on the bench going 10 deep, and used their speed to create easy buckets. The Aggies committed more turnovers than hit field goals in the half. Duke went on a 14-4 run to open the half and led 61-30 and that was basically it from there. NMSU went on a mini run of their own after that, and were led by Justin Hawkins who had 16 points and 11 boards, and Fred Peete who ended with 11. Duke then cruised for the 86-61 win. Scheyer had 22 off the bench, and Nelson had 14 points and 7 boards. Singler had 10 points and 5 boards, and PG Greg Paulus had a very good overall game with 9 points, 8 assists, 4 boards, and 4 steals.
-St Bonaventure, Penn State, and Duquesne were winners. Syracuse didn't play much defense, but their offense was able to hold off a tough Siena team 97-89 in NIT action. Freshman Johnny Flynn hit all 6 of his 3 point attempts and scored 28 points to go along with 9 assists and 5 rebounds. Eric Devendorf had 19 points and 6 assists, and Paul Harris had 14 points and 15 rebounds. Nortre Dame got 19 and 10 from rob Kurz to beat Long Island 82-50, and Rutgers got 24 and 9 from Will Inman in their win over NC Central. Clemson, Charlotte, South Carolina, LSU, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Marquette, Pacific, Florida State, New Mexico, Ohio State, Maryland, St Joe's, and Oregon were all winners. UCLA got 21 points and 9 boards from Kevin Love as the Bruins blasted Youngstown State.
Tuesday Preview
The CBE continues as Michigan State hosts Chicago State in Lansing, game at 7 on ESPNU. Syracuse will host St Joe's at 7pm on ESPN in preseason NIT, that will be tomorrow's analyzed game. Buffalo will host USF, George Mason takes on Cleveland State, and Vandy will be at Toledo. Mercer beat USC last week, tonight they'll take on Alabama. Fordham takes on Missouri at 8pm, and Gonzaga will entertain Idaho. Some good matches tip off at 9 as Wazzu will be at Boise State, Columbia will be at Ohio State, and Texas A&M will host Oral Roberts on ESPNU. Arizona hosts Northern Arizona at 9:30, and FDU takes on Siena on ESPN. UCLA will host UC San Bernardino, and Washington hosts NJIT.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Around The Majors- Monday
Awards, Detroit keeping up with the Jonses, a move that would change the free agent landscape, and much more today on ATM.
-Dustin Pedroia won the ALROY in a landslide win with 132 points. The Red Sox 2nd baseman batted .317 with a .380 OBP and was the catalyst in the postseason that allowed Boston to roll to a world title. Rays OF Delmon Young came in second, and surprise Royals starter Brian Bannister came in 3rd.
-Ryan Braun batted .324 with 34 jacks and 97 driven in, and that was all after May 25. Wow. He barely edged out Rockies SS Troy Tulowitzki by 2 points to win the NLROY. Tulo set the rookie record for NL shorstops with 24 homers and also drove in 91. In any other year, Tulowitzki would have won it running away, but Braun had such amazing stats in such a short amount of time. The time may have been the determining factor, because Tulowitzki's fielding numbers were far superior.
-According to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick, the Tigers and Cubs alleviated problems in the Outfield with a trade this afternoon. The Tigers needed an outfielder and acquired Jacque Jones from Chicago in exchange for utility player Omar Infante. Jones will likely start in Left Field instead of a possible platoon of Marcus Thams and Ryan Rayburn. The Cubbies had a logjam in the outfield, and Infante will be someone good off the bench in a similar role that Mark DeRosa had with the team. Infante is a contact hitter who can play 2nd, 3rd, short, and the outfield. The trade filled needs for both clubs.
-Speaking of filling needs, the Tigers did that in a big way when they resigned closer Todd Jones to a 1 year deal worth 7 million. Jones became even more of a priority for GM Dave Dombrowski when young setup man Joel Zumaya went down with a shoulder injury that will sideline him for at least the first half of the 2008 season. Along with Fernando Rodney, Jones was a must resign for this team.
-Jorge Posada will likely reup with the Yankees, which leaves other teams in search of a catcher with little to rummage through. The Mets may have to resign Paul Lo Duca, or could go after Colorado backstop Yorvit Torrealba or Pirates Catcher Ronny Paulino.
-"When I spoke to Omar, he told me, `Be prepared to be the third baseman in 2008. That's what I took from it and that's the way I'm going about it." David Wright's statement today will likely quell A-Rod rumors for the time being.
-The free agent frenzy will begin at midnight tonight, expect the best coverage here at the SOS family of blogs.
-Dustin Pedroia won the ALROY in a landslide win with 132 points. The Red Sox 2nd baseman batted .317 with a .380 OBP and was the catalyst in the postseason that allowed Boston to roll to a world title. Rays OF Delmon Young came in second, and surprise Royals starter Brian Bannister came in 3rd.
-Ryan Braun batted .324 with 34 jacks and 97 driven in, and that was all after May 25. Wow. He barely edged out Rockies SS Troy Tulowitzki by 2 points to win the NLROY. Tulo set the rookie record for NL shorstops with 24 homers and also drove in 91. In any other year, Tulowitzki would have won it running away, but Braun had such amazing stats in such a short amount of time. The time may have been the determining factor, because Tulowitzki's fielding numbers were far superior.
-According to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick, the Tigers and Cubs alleviated problems in the Outfield with a trade this afternoon. The Tigers needed an outfielder and acquired Jacque Jones from Chicago in exchange for utility player Omar Infante. Jones will likely start in Left Field instead of a possible platoon of Marcus Thams and Ryan Rayburn. The Cubbies had a logjam in the outfield, and Infante will be someone good off the bench in a similar role that Mark DeRosa had with the team. Infante is a contact hitter who can play 2nd, 3rd, short, and the outfield. The trade filled needs for both clubs.
-Speaking of filling needs, the Tigers did that in a big way when they resigned closer Todd Jones to a 1 year deal worth 7 million. Jones became even more of a priority for GM Dave Dombrowski when young setup man Joel Zumaya went down with a shoulder injury that will sideline him for at least the first half of the 2008 season. Along with Fernando Rodney, Jones was a must resign for this team.
-Jorge Posada will likely reup with the Yankees, which leaves other teams in search of a catcher with little to rummage through. The Mets may have to resign Paul Lo Duca, or could go after Colorado backstop Yorvit Torrealba or Pirates Catcher Ronny Paulino.
-"When I spoke to Omar, he told me, `Be prepared to be the third baseman in 2008. That's what I took from it and that's the way I'm going about it." David Wright's statement today will likely quell A-Rod rumors for the time being.
-The free agent frenzy will begin at midnight tonight, expect the best coverage here at the SOS family of blogs.
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