Not only will you get my picks, but you'll get the picks of analyst Andrew Livingston and the keys to the game of the week, Cowboys-Bears from Matt Williamson of Scouts INC.
SOS ATS
DET @ PHI- Give me the Lions to at least cover the 6.5. I don't trust the Iggles and Kitna's on a roll.
MIA @ NYJ- The Jets showed some promise late last week, the Phins wilted down the stretch in their loss to Dallas. Give me Gang Green and the 3.5
BUF @ NE- This looks to be the best and worst teams matching up at Foxboro, 15.5 isn't enough to get me to even consider picking the Bills to cover. Gimme the Pats.
STL @ TB- The Bucs aren't this good, and the Rams aren't this bad. Tampa being favored is a product of an early season, I'll take St Louis with the 3.5.
SF @ PIT- The Steelers have been impressive, no doubt, but they've played awful teams. The Niners seem to play to their competition so they'll be in a lot of cose games this season. That being said, Frisco will cover the 8.5
IND @ HOU- The spread would usually be at least double this, but Houston's successes will end here. I'll take the Colts plus the 5.5.
SDG @ GB- The Packers look good, but LT is primed to break out and I expect him to do it against Green Bay. The Bolts D will force Favre into mistakes and take the game with the 4.5.
MIN @ KC- Even though the Vikings are much better with Kelly Holcomb, I expect Larry Johnson to run wild on the Vikes D and take the game by more then 2.5.
CLE @ OAK- I don't get the Browns, I'll expect them to lose and tab last week as an out of body performance. Gimme Da Raidaz with the points.
JAX @ DEN- Have you seen the Jaguars this season? Pathetic. The Broncos will break out of their close games and blow J-Villle out plus 2.5.
CIN @ SEA- If the Bengals couldn't stop Derek Anderson and Jamal Lewis, how will they do against Hasslebeck and Alexander? Expect the Seahawks to control the clock and the line of scrimmage and take the contest with the 3.5.
NYG @ WSH- Call me crazy (I've been called worse) but if the Giants have anything left, they'll at least cover the 3.5 against Washington if not win. Chalk it up to desperation, I may never pick the Giants again.
CAR @ ATL- The Falcons are terrible, the Panthers are decent. I'll take Carolins with the 4.5
DAL @ CHI- Matt Williamson gave SprungOnSports the keys to this game:
"I think Benson will be good, not great, in this game...especially between the tackles. Dallas' O will get theirs, but the Bears' D matches up well against them. Rex is obviously the X factor. He MUST value the ball and not turn it over. I picked Dallas to win because I don't trust Rex one bit, but it is going to be tight. Real tight."
I don't think Chicago will win by more then 3, I just don't trust Grossman. I'll take the Cowboys.
TEN @ NO- Emotions will be key at the Superdome on Monday Night, and I expect Sean Payton to lead New Orleans to a big win over the Titans, plus the 4.5.
Andrew Livingston's Picks
Redskins Over Giants
Jets Over Miami
SF over Pittsburgh
SD over GB
Philly Over DET
Balt Over Arizona
New England Over Buffalo
Indy Over Houston
KC Over Minny
Denver Over Jax
Cleveland Over Oakland
Seattle Over Cincy
St Louis Over TB
Dallas Over Chicago
tennesee over New Orleans
Carolina Over Atlanta
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Saturday, September 22, 2007
Friday, September 21, 2007
Friday Hooptalk
Sexual harassment, AK threats, and robberies? That can only mean that a new Hooptalk season has started. Get the latest on the NBA and NBDL every Friday during the preseason on SOS2. ESPN's David Thorpe will start off the year by chiming in on the Isiah and MSG sexual harassment case. Should the league discipline Thomas?
"Nothing should happen until the case is closed. Unless he admits to something improper." I don't know about my readership or Thorpe, but something smells funny about this. And if this incident is giving the league a bad name, then maybe something should happen to the New York uberuler. More about this in next week's edition.
A few days ago on his blog, Jazz star Forward Andrei Kirilenko said on his blog that he wanted out of Utah because he felt mistreated by longtime head coach Jerry Sloan. Now today in reports from the Salt Lake Tribune in the US and from Sport Express in Russia, AK-47 would forgo the remaining 63 million dollars on his contract and play overseas. Kirilenko began his career with EuroLeague power CSKA Moscow. Kelly Dwyer of TrueHoop gave some possibilities for a trade, including to the Warriors for Al Harrington and someone else. Dwyer also suggested an AK for Lamar Odom deal, a deal involving AK and Jarron Collins for Shawn Marion, Ben Wallace, or Antawn Jamison, or a 3 way deal that would have AK going to the Kings, Mike Bibby and Francisco Garcia going to the Clippers, and Corey Magette and Tim Thomas headed to the Jazz. But let's get to some real news.
Two men have plead not guilty in the robbery case of Eddy Curry, and four men have plead not guilty in the home insavion case of Antoine Walker. It shows that black athletes can be victims too, and that nobody is safe from a crime. Joey Crawford has been reinstated as an NBA referee which is good, because his other option for cash may have been a Celebrity Boxing match with Tonya Harding. It's becoming obvious that the Bucks just don't give a damn about what people say. In June, Yi Jianlian is drafted by Milwaukee against his wishes, and they now match the offer sheet of Charlie Bell even though he wanted to go to Miami to be an option at point guard. Though Bell isn't happy now, his agent said that he'll be ready for the start of the season with the right mindset. Elton Brand had his cast removed and will be in a walking boot for the next six weeks in his recovery from a ruptured Achilles tendon. He'll then be evaluated by doctors, but is expected to miss a large portion of the '07/'08 season.
D-League Digest
The league now has 14 teams this year up from 12, and with the departure of Arkansas and Fort Worth there are 4 new teams. The Fort Wayne Mad Ants will be the affiliate for the Pacers and Pistons, the Iowa Energy will include the Bulls and Heat, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers includes the Hornets, Rockets, and Cavs, and the Utah Flash will be the affiliate for the Jazz and Celtics. The Austin Toros were bought out by San Antonio and will only be a Spurs affiliate with new black and silver coloring, the LA D-Fenders remain a Lakers owned franchise, and the Bakersfield Jam have changed their colors to red, white, and blue and will be the affiliates for the Kings and Warriors. Here are the other teams and their corresponding affiliates:
Albequerque Thunderbirds- Suns and Sixers
Anaheim Arsenal- Clippers, Hawks, Magic
Colorado 14ers- Nuggets, Raptors, Nets
Dakota Wizards, Grizzlies, Wizards
Idaho Stampede- Blazers, Sonics
Sioux Falls Skyforce- Timberwolves, Bobcats
Tulsa 66ers- Bucks, Mavericks, Knicks
"Nothing should happen until the case is closed. Unless he admits to something improper." I don't know about my readership or Thorpe, but something smells funny about this. And if this incident is giving the league a bad name, then maybe something should happen to the New York uberuler. More about this in next week's edition.
A few days ago on his blog, Jazz star Forward Andrei Kirilenko said on his blog that he wanted out of Utah because he felt mistreated by longtime head coach Jerry Sloan. Now today in reports from the Salt Lake Tribune in the US and from Sport Express in Russia, AK-47 would forgo the remaining 63 million dollars on his contract and play overseas. Kirilenko began his career with EuroLeague power CSKA Moscow. Kelly Dwyer of TrueHoop gave some possibilities for a trade, including to the Warriors for Al Harrington and someone else. Dwyer also suggested an AK for Lamar Odom deal, a deal involving AK and Jarron Collins for Shawn Marion, Ben Wallace, or Antawn Jamison, or a 3 way deal that would have AK going to the Kings, Mike Bibby and Francisco Garcia going to the Clippers, and Corey Magette and Tim Thomas headed to the Jazz. But let's get to some real news.
Two men have plead not guilty in the robbery case of Eddy Curry, and four men have plead not guilty in the home insavion case of Antoine Walker. It shows that black athletes can be victims too, and that nobody is safe from a crime. Joey Crawford has been reinstated as an NBA referee which is good, because his other option for cash may have been a Celebrity Boxing match with Tonya Harding. It's becoming obvious that the Bucks just don't give a damn about what people say. In June, Yi Jianlian is drafted by Milwaukee against his wishes, and they now match the offer sheet of Charlie Bell even though he wanted to go to Miami to be an option at point guard. Though Bell isn't happy now, his agent said that he'll be ready for the start of the season with the right mindset. Elton Brand had his cast removed and will be in a walking boot for the next six weeks in his recovery from a ruptured Achilles tendon. He'll then be evaluated by doctors, but is expected to miss a large portion of the '07/'08 season.
D-League Digest
The league now has 14 teams this year up from 12, and with the departure of Arkansas and Fort Worth there are 4 new teams. The Fort Wayne Mad Ants will be the affiliate for the Pacers and Pistons, the Iowa Energy will include the Bulls and Heat, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers includes the Hornets, Rockets, and Cavs, and the Utah Flash will be the affiliate for the Jazz and Celtics. The Austin Toros were bought out by San Antonio and will only be a Spurs affiliate with new black and silver coloring, the LA D-Fenders remain a Lakers owned franchise, and the Bakersfield Jam have changed their colors to red, white, and blue and will be the affiliates for the Kings and Warriors. Here are the other teams and their corresponding affiliates:
Albequerque Thunderbirds- Suns and Sixers
Anaheim Arsenal- Clippers, Hawks, Magic
Colorado 14ers- Nuggets, Raptors, Nets
Dakota Wizards, Grizzlies, Wizards
Idaho Stampede- Blazers, Sonics
Sioux Falls Skyforce- Timberwolves, Bobcats
Tulsa 66ers- Bucks, Mavericks, Knicks
Around The Majors- Friday
Feel the excitement of the 2nd to last weekend. Can't take the heat? Then stay out of the postseason. Jerry Crasnick of ESPN chimes in on the struggles of the choking Mets.
Thursday Recap
Zach Greinke struck out 10 over 8 shutout frames as the Royals blanked the White Sox 3-0. Tony Pena Jr drove in 2 for KC. Baltimore scored 5 times in the 10th, 3 on a Brian Roberts homer to defeat Texas 6-3. Garrett Anderson drove in 3 as the Angels clinched at least a tie for the AL West crown with a 9-5 win over Seattle.
Tulowitzki and Holliday each homered and drove in 3 as Colorado scored 6 in the 2nd to down the Dodgers 9-4. Barrett and Kouzmanoff each drove in 2 as Brett Tomko pitched the Padres past Pittsburgh 6-3. Philadelphia scored 4 in the 7th, 3 on a Jayson Werth bomb to edge Washington 7-6 and inch closer to the NL East lead. The Mets scored 4 in the 9th led by a 3 run triple by Marlon Anderson, only to have Jorge Sosa blow it by giving up 3 in the bottom half. Enter bottom 10, where Dan Uggla's double off of Sosa scored Hanley Ramirez to shock the free falling Mets 8-7. Amazin, isn't it? Miggy Cabrera homered and knocked in 3 for the Fish. Chipper Jones drove in 2 as the Braves beat the Brewers 3-1. Rookie JR Towles broke an Astros franchise record with 8 RBI's as Houston hammered the Cardinals 18-1. Jeff Keppinger drove in 2 as Homer Bailey did nicely in Cincy's 4-2 win over the Giants.
News and Notes
- The Astros have named former Phillies GM Ed Wade their new General Manager. The Pirates are close to naming Indians Special Assistant Neal Huntington their new GM, according to the Beaver County Times.
- Junior Griffey will miss the remainder of the year with groin problems, Albert Pujols could be shut down as well with a strained calf.
Weekend Preview
Friday
2:20 today has Maholm facing Marquis in Wrigley. Good game in Cleveland tonight as Carmona battles Blanton and the A's. Hudson faces Villanueva as Braves-Brewers is at 7pm on ESPN. Halladay faces Wang, Eaton pitches in Washington, Beckett and Kazmir go in Tampa, and Pedro battles the Marlins. On some ESPN stations, Backe and the Astros will face Piniero and St Louis at 8pm. Buehrle battles Santana, Loaiza-Hernandez in Phoenix, Peavy faces Colorado, and the Angels go for the division title.
Saturday
Vazquez faces the Twins, Duke and Hill go in Chicago, and Marcum and Kennedy battle in The Bronx. FOX games today include Smoltz and Gallardo, Batista and Escobar, and Perez and Kim in Miami. Haren and Byrd battle, Rogers faces the Royals, Dice-K battles the Rays, Arroyo faces the Giants, Liz faces Volquez in a 'spect show, and Brandon Webb and David Wells square off. Wells is more like round, though.
Sunday
Hamels battles the Nats, Harden faces Westbrook, Meche battles Verlander, and Sheets goes against the Braves. McGowan battles Clemens, Maine faces the Marlins, Wakefield battles Tampa, and Gorzalanny and Zambrano duel. Floyd faces Slowey, Francis faces Maddux, Harang faces the Giants, Weaver battles Lackey, Billingsley battles the Dodgers, and Oswalt goes to St Louis on sunday night. (8pm ESPN).
State of The Mets
What would happen if the Mets don't make the playoffs? Jerry Crasnick of ESPN had this to say:
"It will be extremely ugly. But the Mets still owe Willie Randolph more than $4 million on his contract over the next two seasons. That's an awful lot of money for a team to eat."
Thursday Recap
Zach Greinke struck out 10 over 8 shutout frames as the Royals blanked the White Sox 3-0. Tony Pena Jr drove in 2 for KC. Baltimore scored 5 times in the 10th, 3 on a Brian Roberts homer to defeat Texas 6-3. Garrett Anderson drove in 3 as the Angels clinched at least a tie for the AL West crown with a 9-5 win over Seattle.
Tulowitzki and Holliday each homered and drove in 3 as Colorado scored 6 in the 2nd to down the Dodgers 9-4. Barrett and Kouzmanoff each drove in 2 as Brett Tomko pitched the Padres past Pittsburgh 6-3. Philadelphia scored 4 in the 7th, 3 on a Jayson Werth bomb to edge Washington 7-6 and inch closer to the NL East lead. The Mets scored 4 in the 9th led by a 3 run triple by Marlon Anderson, only to have Jorge Sosa blow it by giving up 3 in the bottom half. Enter bottom 10, where Dan Uggla's double off of Sosa scored Hanley Ramirez to shock the free falling Mets 8-7. Amazin, isn't it? Miggy Cabrera homered and knocked in 3 for the Fish. Chipper Jones drove in 2 as the Braves beat the Brewers 3-1. Rookie JR Towles broke an Astros franchise record with 8 RBI's as Houston hammered the Cardinals 18-1. Jeff Keppinger drove in 2 as Homer Bailey did nicely in Cincy's 4-2 win over the Giants.
News and Notes
- The Astros have named former Phillies GM Ed Wade their new General Manager. The Pirates are close to naming Indians Special Assistant Neal Huntington their new GM, according to the Beaver County Times.
- Junior Griffey will miss the remainder of the year with groin problems, Albert Pujols could be shut down as well with a strained calf.
Weekend Preview
Friday
2:20 today has Maholm facing Marquis in Wrigley. Good game in Cleveland tonight as Carmona battles Blanton and the A's. Hudson faces Villanueva as Braves-Brewers is at 7pm on ESPN. Halladay faces Wang, Eaton pitches in Washington, Beckett and Kazmir go in Tampa, and Pedro battles the Marlins. On some ESPN stations, Backe and the Astros will face Piniero and St Louis at 8pm. Buehrle battles Santana, Loaiza-Hernandez in Phoenix, Peavy faces Colorado, and the Angels go for the division title.
Saturday
Vazquez faces the Twins, Duke and Hill go in Chicago, and Marcum and Kennedy battle in The Bronx. FOX games today include Smoltz and Gallardo, Batista and Escobar, and Perez and Kim in Miami. Haren and Byrd battle, Rogers faces the Royals, Dice-K battles the Rays, Arroyo faces the Giants, Liz faces Volquez in a 'spect show, and Brandon Webb and David Wells square off. Wells is more like round, though.
Sunday
Hamels battles the Nats, Harden faces Westbrook, Meche battles Verlander, and Sheets goes against the Braves. McGowan battles Clemens, Maine faces the Marlins, Wakefield battles Tampa, and Gorzalanny and Zambrano duel. Floyd faces Slowey, Francis faces Maddux, Harang faces the Giants, Weaver battles Lackey, Billingsley battles the Dodgers, and Oswalt goes to St Louis on sunday night. (8pm ESPN).
State of The Mets
What would happen if the Mets don't make the playoffs? Jerry Crasnick of ESPN had this to say:
"It will be extremely ugly. But the Mets still owe Willie Randolph more than $4 million on his contract over the next two seasons. That's an awful lot of money for a team to eat."
The State of the Mets
There are few words that could describe how the Mets have played for the past few weeks. The only one that comes to mind is bad. After being swept by the Phillies a few weeks ago, the Mets swept the Braves in Atlanta and went on to win 7 of their next 9 games against the Reds, Astros, and Braves. This is when all Mets fans thought that the team was going to pull off a big run and win the NL East. Then the Phillies came to town. All the Mets had to do was win one out of the three games to squash the Phillies hopes of winning the division. They got swept, and they have been on a free fall losing some brutal games to the Nationals and last night to the Marlins. As a Mets fan, I have lost most of my hope with this team. The only hope I have left is seeing what has happened in the past that 1. the Phillies always find a way to lose, and 2. the Cardinals and Tigers both struggled before the playoffs last year and both teams ended up playing in the World Series. It seems now that the Mets are finding every way to lose and let the Phillies and Braves back in the race (the Braves are only 4.5 out, and with the way the Mets have been playing, and with the Braves playing against the Phillies next week anything is possible).
Everyone on this team is to blame. Jose Reyes has been struggling for the past month and a half both offensively and defensively. David Wright can't make a routine throw to first base. Both John Maine and Oliver Perez have not been as effective in the second half. The bullpen is a mess. All these reasons and then some are why the Mets have struggled. Some blame has to be put on Willie Randolph and Omar Minaya as well. Minaya misjudged the free agent market this past winter, and let Chad Bradford go, and ended up paying Scott Schoeneweis the same amount of money Bradford. Any Mets fan will tell you he would rather have Bradford in the pen then Schoeneweis. Mets fans will also agree that they don't want to see Guillermo Mota on the mound in a Mets uniform any more, but Willie Randolph keeps putting him in big situations. It is just mind boggling to me. This team is a mess right now, and all Mets fans could hope for is a miracle.
Everyone on this team is to blame. Jose Reyes has been struggling for the past month and a half both offensively and defensively. David Wright can't make a routine throw to first base. Both John Maine and Oliver Perez have not been as effective in the second half. The bullpen is a mess. All these reasons and then some are why the Mets have struggled. Some blame has to be put on Willie Randolph and Omar Minaya as well. Minaya misjudged the free agent market this past winter, and let Chad Bradford go, and ended up paying Scott Schoeneweis the same amount of money Bradford. Any Mets fan will tell you he would rather have Bradford in the pen then Schoeneweis. Mets fans will also agree that they don't want to see Guillermo Mota on the mound in a Mets uniform any more, but Willie Randolph keeps putting him in big situations. It is just mind boggling to me. This team is a mess right now, and all Mets fans could hope for is a miracle.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
NFL Daily Presents: Thunder Thursday
Adam Ehrenriech provides today's Thunder.
Arizona @ Baltimore: Arizona's surprise victory against Seattle last week starts a trend, Arizona wins.
San Diego @ Green Bay: Super Chargers bounce back strong to beat the 2-0 Packers.
Colts @ Texans: An early 1st place battle ends in tight fashion as the Colts win this one by a field goal.
Vikings @ KC: Adrian shows Larry how its done, Vikes win.
Buffalo @ New England: Next question: Pats
Miami @ Jets: One team need to get a win, I say home field advantage to NY.
Detroit @ Philly: Lions go 3-0 for the first time in a while.
49ers @ Steelers: Steelers lose their first as the Niners go 3-0 for the first time since the Young era.
St. Louis @ Tampa: Steven Jackson needs to show what he could do. Rams wins this one for a much needed victory.
Jags @ Broncos: Broncos win this one big after two very close calls.
Cleveland @ Oakland: Doesn't get much better than this: Browns win.
Bengals @ Seahawks: Bengals win but Palmer only throws 3 touchdowns.
Carolina @ Atlanta: Panthers continue to show that Mr. Smith is good.
Giants @ Washington: Surprise 2-0 start turns into a one game losing streak as the Giants come out winners.
Dallas @ Chicago: Bears show they still have a defense, even though Owens has another touchdown, Bears win.
Titans @ Saints: Vince comes up short, again, to a Reggie Bush Monday Night Party. Saints
Arizona @ Baltimore: Arizona's surprise victory against Seattle last week starts a trend, Arizona wins.
San Diego @ Green Bay: Super Chargers bounce back strong to beat the 2-0 Packers.
Colts @ Texans: An early 1st place battle ends in tight fashion as the Colts win this one by a field goal.
Vikings @ KC: Adrian shows Larry how its done, Vikes win.
Buffalo @ New England: Next question: Pats
Miami @ Jets: One team need to get a win, I say home field advantage to NY.
Detroit @ Philly: Lions go 3-0 for the first time in a while.
49ers @ Steelers: Steelers lose their first as the Niners go 3-0 for the first time since the Young era.
St. Louis @ Tampa: Steven Jackson needs to show what he could do. Rams wins this one for a much needed victory.
Jags @ Broncos: Broncos win this one big after two very close calls.
Cleveland @ Oakland: Doesn't get much better than this: Browns win.
Bengals @ Seahawks: Bengals win but Palmer only throws 3 touchdowns.
Carolina @ Atlanta: Panthers continue to show that Mr. Smith is good.
Giants @ Washington: Surprise 2-0 start turns into a one game losing streak as the Giants come out winners.
Dallas @ Chicago: Bears show they still have a defense, even though Owens has another touchdown, Bears win.
Titans @ Saints: Vince comes up short, again, to a Reggie Bush Monday Night Party. Saints
College Football Weekend Preview
Conference schedules go into full gear this weekend, with some interesting noncon storylines sprinkled in. Let's get to the times and listings.
Thursday
Texas A&M at Miami is a very interesting macthup. Miami needs to assert itself and regain some confidence after getting pasted by Oklahoma. The Aggies want a nice notch in their belts and some momentum going into the Big 12 South schedule. Coverage at 7:30pm on ESPN.
Friday
Oklahoma goes into Tulsa, which could be a trap game for the Sooners. Bob Stoops will not have his team overlooking this Golden Hurricane club, but they could cause some problems at 8pm on ESPN2.
Saturday
South Florida hosts North Carolina, will the success continue for the Bulls? Noon coverage on ESPN. Indiana hosts Illinois and look to stay unbeaten at noon on Big Ten, Lousiville needs to come back from a tough loss at Kentucky and will do so be humiliating Syracuse at 12, and Clemson takes its unbeaten mark down south to underachieving NC State at 12. Virginia is already 2-0 in the ACC, and Georgia Tech wants to come back from a loss to BC, noon coverage from Charlottesville on ESPNU. West Virginia hosts feisty East Carolina on ESPN2 at noon, Florida will play at Ole Miss at 12:30, ditto for Nebraska at home against Ball State.
BC and Matt Ryan will be getting some coverage, they host Army at 1 on ESPN Classic. Duke is at Navy at 1 on CSTV. VaTech hosts William & Mary at 1:30, Missouri hosts Illinois State at 2, and 3-0 Air Force has a huge game at 3 on the road at slumping BYU.
All eyes will be on the Irish at 3:30 on NBC when they try to finally win a game at home against Michigan State. The Spartans will look to pillage South Bend. All the eyes of the smart ones will tune in to the game of the week in the SEC as South Carolina plays its biggest game in the Steve Spurrier era at LSU at 3:30 on CBS. An upset win for the Gamecocks would be monumental for the program and would change the landscape of the SEC this year and open it up for teams like SC, Florida, and even Nick Saban's Tide. Some would argue that Michigan hosting Penn State is better (3:30pm ABC) but those people are most likely Mickey Mouse execs and not rational college pigskin fans. Maryland would like to come back from a loss to WV, they head to Winston Salem to play Wake at 3:30 on ESPNU. Northwestern lost to Duke last week, good luck at Ohio State at 3:30pm on ESPN. Texas Tech is 3-0 they play at OK State. Colorado State and Houston at 4:30pm on CSTV.
At 6pm, the amazing resurgence of Kentucky could take a hit as they battle Darren McFadden and Arkansas at 6 on ESPN2. Take that Pac 10. At that same time, Cal will host Arizona. UConn and Pitt like to think that they're up and coming in the Big East, they face off at 7pm on ESPNU. Texas hosts Rice at 7, the Longhorns have struggled against inferior competition despite their untarnished record.
The SEC also has the 2nd best game of the week, with Georgia looking to get back in the SEC race at 3-0 Alabama who's back in the polls for the first time seemingly since the Bear Bryant days. Coverage at 7:45 on ESPN. Regional ABC coverage at 8pm, some will see Wazzu get spanked by USC, others will see boring yet efficient Wisconsin host Iowa. Didn't boring yet efficient describe the Spurs? SMU is at TCU at 8:30 on CSTV. 3-0 Purdue is at sad Minnesota at 9pm on ESPN2. 3-0 Arizona State hosts Oregon State, Oregon is at Stanford, and Washington plays UCLA in an intruiging affair. 3-0 Hawaii hosts Charleston Southern, Colt Brennan will only play 1 half and throw more TD's then Tarvaris Jackson's INT's.
Thursday
Texas A&M at Miami is a very interesting macthup. Miami needs to assert itself and regain some confidence after getting pasted by Oklahoma. The Aggies want a nice notch in their belts and some momentum going into the Big 12 South schedule. Coverage at 7:30pm on ESPN.
Friday
Oklahoma goes into Tulsa, which could be a trap game for the Sooners. Bob Stoops will not have his team overlooking this Golden Hurricane club, but they could cause some problems at 8pm on ESPN2.
Saturday
South Florida hosts North Carolina, will the success continue for the Bulls? Noon coverage on ESPN. Indiana hosts Illinois and look to stay unbeaten at noon on Big Ten, Lousiville needs to come back from a tough loss at Kentucky and will do so be humiliating Syracuse at 12, and Clemson takes its unbeaten mark down south to underachieving NC State at 12. Virginia is already 2-0 in the ACC, and Georgia Tech wants to come back from a loss to BC, noon coverage from Charlottesville on ESPNU. West Virginia hosts feisty East Carolina on ESPN2 at noon, Florida will play at Ole Miss at 12:30, ditto for Nebraska at home against Ball State.
BC and Matt Ryan will be getting some coverage, they host Army at 1 on ESPN Classic. Duke is at Navy at 1 on CSTV. VaTech hosts William & Mary at 1:30, Missouri hosts Illinois State at 2, and 3-0 Air Force has a huge game at 3 on the road at slumping BYU.
All eyes will be on the Irish at 3:30 on NBC when they try to finally win a game at home against Michigan State. The Spartans will look to pillage South Bend. All the eyes of the smart ones will tune in to the game of the week in the SEC as South Carolina plays its biggest game in the Steve Spurrier era at LSU at 3:30 on CBS. An upset win for the Gamecocks would be monumental for the program and would change the landscape of the SEC this year and open it up for teams like SC, Florida, and even Nick Saban's Tide. Some would argue that Michigan hosting Penn State is better (3:30pm ABC) but those people are most likely Mickey Mouse execs and not rational college pigskin fans. Maryland would like to come back from a loss to WV, they head to Winston Salem to play Wake at 3:30 on ESPNU. Northwestern lost to Duke last week, good luck at Ohio State at 3:30pm on ESPN. Texas Tech is 3-0 they play at OK State. Colorado State and Houston at 4:30pm on CSTV.
At 6pm, the amazing resurgence of Kentucky could take a hit as they battle Darren McFadden and Arkansas at 6 on ESPN2. Take that Pac 10. At that same time, Cal will host Arizona. UConn and Pitt like to think that they're up and coming in the Big East, they face off at 7pm on ESPNU. Texas hosts Rice at 7, the Longhorns have struggled against inferior competition despite their untarnished record.
The SEC also has the 2nd best game of the week, with Georgia looking to get back in the SEC race at 3-0 Alabama who's back in the polls for the first time seemingly since the Bear Bryant days. Coverage at 7:45 on ESPN. Regional ABC coverage at 8pm, some will see Wazzu get spanked by USC, others will see boring yet efficient Wisconsin host Iowa. Didn't boring yet efficient describe the Spurs? SMU is at TCU at 8:30 on CSTV. 3-0 Purdue is at sad Minnesota at 9pm on ESPN2. 3-0 Arizona State hosts Oregon State, Oregon is at Stanford, and Washington plays UCLA in an intruiging affair. 3-0 Hawaii hosts Charleston Southern, Colt Brennan will only play 1 half and throw more TD's then Tarvaris Jackson's INT's.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
NFL Daily Presents: The Wednesday Rundown
TWR is in session
- Obstruction of Justice Simpson (OJ) was released from jail today after posting his 125,000 dollar bail and did not enter a plea. He was charged with 10 felonies and a misdemeanor, and could fave life in prison if convicted. Are people really that stupid that they could do these types of alleged actions? Don't classify people and Simpson in the same category. People aren't that stupid, OJ deviates from the norm. He's not a person, he's a bona fide freak show.
- Some Cowboys news. TO was fined 7,500 dollars for his TD dance on Sunday in which he used the ball and the goal post to replicate the Patriots spying on other teams. Dallas' newest acquisition for 2 years Tank Johnson claimed that he's not a risk. "I know I'm not a risk. I'm a highly intelligent person and I take pride in a lot of things I do in life. Like any other person, I'm going to make mistakes and I've made mistakes. I'm coming to Dallas to be a productive defensive lineman and really solidify what [team owner] Jerry Jones thinks of me." You are a risk, Tank. No doubt about it, for the Cowboys play on the field starting in week 9 to the team's reputation off the field which starts immediately.
- As expected, Andre Johnson will be out for Sunday's game with the Colts due to a sprained knee. This is a tough loss for a team with no reliable 2nd receiver.
- Brian Billick said after Baltimore's win on Sunday that the Jets defensive line was cheating by screaming things out to cause the Raven line to start falsely. Billick and New York head coach Eric Mangini cleared the air, and all seems to be well between the two.
- Philadelphia signed DB JR Reed for secondary depth because of the banged up safeties Brian Dawkins and Sean Considine. In terms of McNabb getting on HBO and saying that black QB's are criticized more then whites, what's the point of going up there? Kvetching to James Brown isn't going to help the situation, it's just going to make people think that you're a crybaby. Perhaps, McNabb's bringing the criticism on himself on and off the field.
- Byron Leftwich will start as the 3rd QB in Atlanta as he learns Bobby Petrino's offense, but could be a starter long term. Brian Brohm has some other ideas....
- Cincy signed LB Dhani Jones, Baltimore signed LB Nick Greisen, Cleveland signed P Scott Player, and that's today's rundown.
- Obstruction of Justice Simpson (OJ) was released from jail today after posting his 125,000 dollar bail and did not enter a plea. He was charged with 10 felonies and a misdemeanor, and could fave life in prison if convicted. Are people really that stupid that they could do these types of alleged actions? Don't classify people and Simpson in the same category. People aren't that stupid, OJ deviates from the norm. He's not a person, he's a bona fide freak show.
- Some Cowboys news. TO was fined 7,500 dollars for his TD dance on Sunday in which he used the ball and the goal post to replicate the Patriots spying on other teams. Dallas' newest acquisition for 2 years Tank Johnson claimed that he's not a risk. "I know I'm not a risk. I'm a highly intelligent person and I take pride in a lot of things I do in life. Like any other person, I'm going to make mistakes and I've made mistakes. I'm coming to Dallas to be a productive defensive lineman and really solidify what [team owner] Jerry Jones thinks of me." You are a risk, Tank. No doubt about it, for the Cowboys play on the field starting in week 9 to the team's reputation off the field which starts immediately.
- As expected, Andre Johnson will be out for Sunday's game with the Colts due to a sprained knee. This is a tough loss for a team with no reliable 2nd receiver.
- Brian Billick said after Baltimore's win on Sunday that the Jets defensive line was cheating by screaming things out to cause the Raven line to start falsely. Billick and New York head coach Eric Mangini cleared the air, and all seems to be well between the two.
- Philadelphia signed DB JR Reed for secondary depth because of the banged up safeties Brian Dawkins and Sean Considine. In terms of McNabb getting on HBO and saying that black QB's are criticized more then whites, what's the point of going up there? Kvetching to James Brown isn't going to help the situation, it's just going to make people think that you're a crybaby. Perhaps, McNabb's bringing the criticism on himself on and off the field.
- Byron Leftwich will start as the 3rd QB in Atlanta as he learns Bobby Petrino's offense, but could be a starter long term. Brian Brohm has some other ideas....
- Cincy signed LB Dhani Jones, Baltimore signed LB Nick Greisen, Cleveland signed P Scott Player, and that's today's rundown.
Around The Majors- Wednesday
One city, two tales. One Central and one West tightens, while the others pull away. ATM back on SOS, let's roll.
Tuesday Recap
Cleveland's magic number is 5 as they beat Verlander and Detroit 7-4. Travis Hafner homered and drove in 3, and Joe Borowski earned his 41st save. The Yankees now lead Detroit by 4.5 in the Wild Card race, and only trails Boston by 2.5 in the AL East. New York got 7 shutout innings from Mike Mussina and blasted Baltimore 12-0. Doug Mientkiewicz homered and drove in 4 for the Yanks. Toronto scored 3 in the 8th off of Eric Gagne to beat the Red Sox 4-3. Russ Adams drove in 2 for the Jays, and AJ Burnett struck out 11 in 8 plus innings. The Royals scored 3 in the first to beat the White Sox 3-2. Billy Butler drove in 2 for KC. Carlos Silva pitched 6 solid and Torii Hunter drove in 2 as Minnesota tamed Texas 4-2. John Lackey struck out 10 over 8 innings to earn his 17th win as the Angels edged Tampa Bay 2-1. Chad Gaudin allowed 8 over 4 innings, and Raul Ibanez homered and drove in 5 as Seattle edged Oakland 8-7.
Jeff Francis struck out 10 over 6 plus as Colorado downed the Dodgers 3-1 in the first of a twinbill. In the second game, Todd Helton hit a walkoff 2 run homer in the 9th off of Takashi Saito to beat LA 9-8. Holliday and Spilborghs each drove in 3 for the Rox. Both teams are 4.5 back in the Wild Card. The Mets lost their 5th straight 9-8 to Washington. Ronnie Belliard homered and drove in 3 for the Nats. New York only leads the Phillies by 1.5 in the NL East, the Phils got 3 in the 14th off of Mike Maroth to outlast the Cards 7-4. They're also 1.5 back in the Wild Card race. Jo-Jo Reyes pitched 5 innings for his first ML win as Atlanta edged Florida 4-3. The Cubs have now fallen into a tie for the NL Central lead. Edwin Encarnacion homered and drove in 2 as Aaron Harang bested Carlos Zambrano in the Reds 5-2 win over Chicago. Milwaukee pulled up for the tie, as the got an Estrada grand slam in a 5 run 4th to pound the Astros 9-1. Ben Sheets left after the first inning, keep it here for the latest. Arizona kept their 1 game lead atop the NL West as Micah Owings threw a complete game 2 hit shutout in a 5-0 win over the Giants. Chris Snyder drove in 2 for the Snakes. San Diego kept pace as Khalil Greene drove in 2 in a 5-3 win over Pittsburgh.
News and Notes
- Orioles OF Jay Gibbons talked with officials from the Commissioner's Office to discuss a report he received performance-enhancing steroids and human growth hormone after both substances were banned by baseball. A company that gave HGH to well known athletes and entertainers has paid 10.5 million dollars in penalties and the copmany Specialty Distribution Services Inc., has agreed to cooperate with an ongoing federal investigation.
- Lou Merloni homered and drove in 4 as the Sacramento River Cats beat the Richmond Braves 7-1 in the AAA Bricktown Showdown Championship Game from OKC. This is the 2nd year that the champions of the International and Pacific Coast leagues have competed for the ultimate AAA crown.
- After Monday's poor start, Brian Lawrence was designated for assignment and Dave Williams will take his roster, and possibly his rotation spot.
Wednesday On Tap
In what's probably a must win for the Tigers, Detroit sends Nate Robertson to the hill against CC Sabathia and the Indians. First pitch is at 12:05. JP Howell and Ervin Santana play day at 3:35 in LA. Pelfrey and Chico go in Washington as the Mets try to stop the bleeding. Battle of lefties in Atlanta as Dontrelle Willis battles Chuck James. Andy Pettitte goes for the Yankees as they try to catch the Red Sox. Boston sends Clay Buchholz to Toronto against Jesse Litsch. The Cubs look to regain their outright division lead when they send Ted Lilly to the hill at home against the Reds (8pm ESPN). The Brewers send Dave Bush to Houston. The Phillies look to get closer to a postseason spot as Jaime Moyer faces Adam Wainwright and St Louis. Contreras and Bannister go in KC, Penny and Fogg in Denver, Zito-Davis in Phoenix, and Snell-Young in San Diego.
Fantasy Studs & Duds
Hitting Studs
1) Matt Holliday, OF, COL
2) Frank Thomas, 1B/DH, TOR
3) James Loney, 1B, LAD
4) Aaron Rowand, OF, PHI
5) Rafael Furcal, SS, LAD
Hitting Duds (min 24 AB's)
1) Ken Griffey Jr, OF, CIN
2) Jose Guillen, OF, SEA
3) Kevin Millar, 1B/DH, BAL
4) Alex Rodriguez, 3B, NYY
5) Hunter Pence, OF, HOU
Pitching Studs
1) Javier Vazquez, SP, CWS
2) Gil Meche, SP, KC
3) Mike Mussina, SP, NYY
4) AJ Burnett, SP, TOR
5) Aaron Harang, SP, CIN
Pitching Duds
1) Paul Maholm, SP, PIT
2) Daniel Cabrera, SP, BAL
3) Scott Olsen, SP, FLA
4) Anthony Reyes, SP, STL
5) Matt Morris, SP, PIT
Tuesday Recap
Cleveland's magic number is 5 as they beat Verlander and Detroit 7-4. Travis Hafner homered and drove in 3, and Joe Borowski earned his 41st save. The Yankees now lead Detroit by 4.5 in the Wild Card race, and only trails Boston by 2.5 in the AL East. New York got 7 shutout innings from Mike Mussina and blasted Baltimore 12-0. Doug Mientkiewicz homered and drove in 4 for the Yanks. Toronto scored 3 in the 8th off of Eric Gagne to beat the Red Sox 4-3. Russ Adams drove in 2 for the Jays, and AJ Burnett struck out 11 in 8 plus innings. The Royals scored 3 in the first to beat the White Sox 3-2. Billy Butler drove in 2 for KC. Carlos Silva pitched 6 solid and Torii Hunter drove in 2 as Minnesota tamed Texas 4-2. John Lackey struck out 10 over 8 innings to earn his 17th win as the Angels edged Tampa Bay 2-1. Chad Gaudin allowed 8 over 4 innings, and Raul Ibanez homered and drove in 5 as Seattle edged Oakland 8-7.
Jeff Francis struck out 10 over 6 plus as Colorado downed the Dodgers 3-1 in the first of a twinbill. In the second game, Todd Helton hit a walkoff 2 run homer in the 9th off of Takashi Saito to beat LA 9-8. Holliday and Spilborghs each drove in 3 for the Rox. Both teams are 4.5 back in the Wild Card. The Mets lost their 5th straight 9-8 to Washington. Ronnie Belliard homered and drove in 3 for the Nats. New York only leads the Phillies by 1.5 in the NL East, the Phils got 3 in the 14th off of Mike Maroth to outlast the Cards 7-4. They're also 1.5 back in the Wild Card race. Jo-Jo Reyes pitched 5 innings for his first ML win as Atlanta edged Florida 4-3. The Cubs have now fallen into a tie for the NL Central lead. Edwin Encarnacion homered and drove in 2 as Aaron Harang bested Carlos Zambrano in the Reds 5-2 win over Chicago. Milwaukee pulled up for the tie, as the got an Estrada grand slam in a 5 run 4th to pound the Astros 9-1. Ben Sheets left after the first inning, keep it here for the latest. Arizona kept their 1 game lead atop the NL West as Micah Owings threw a complete game 2 hit shutout in a 5-0 win over the Giants. Chris Snyder drove in 2 for the Snakes. San Diego kept pace as Khalil Greene drove in 2 in a 5-3 win over Pittsburgh.
News and Notes
- Orioles OF Jay Gibbons talked with officials from the Commissioner's Office to discuss a report he received performance-enhancing steroids and human growth hormone after both substances were banned by baseball. A company that gave HGH to well known athletes and entertainers has paid 10.5 million dollars in penalties and the copmany Specialty Distribution Services Inc., has agreed to cooperate with an ongoing federal investigation.
- Lou Merloni homered and drove in 4 as the Sacramento River Cats beat the Richmond Braves 7-1 in the AAA Bricktown Showdown Championship Game from OKC. This is the 2nd year that the champions of the International and Pacific Coast leagues have competed for the ultimate AAA crown.
- After Monday's poor start, Brian Lawrence was designated for assignment and Dave Williams will take his roster, and possibly his rotation spot.
Wednesday On Tap
In what's probably a must win for the Tigers, Detroit sends Nate Robertson to the hill against CC Sabathia and the Indians. First pitch is at 12:05. JP Howell and Ervin Santana play day at 3:35 in LA. Pelfrey and Chico go in Washington as the Mets try to stop the bleeding. Battle of lefties in Atlanta as Dontrelle Willis battles Chuck James. Andy Pettitte goes for the Yankees as they try to catch the Red Sox. Boston sends Clay Buchholz to Toronto against Jesse Litsch. The Cubs look to regain their outright division lead when they send Ted Lilly to the hill at home against the Reds (8pm ESPN). The Brewers send Dave Bush to Houston. The Phillies look to get closer to a postseason spot as Jaime Moyer faces Adam Wainwright and St Louis. Contreras and Bannister go in KC, Penny and Fogg in Denver, Zito-Davis in Phoenix, and Snell-Young in San Diego.
Fantasy Studs & Duds
Hitting Studs
1) Matt Holliday, OF, COL
2) Frank Thomas, 1B/DH, TOR
3) James Loney, 1B, LAD
4) Aaron Rowand, OF, PHI
5) Rafael Furcal, SS, LAD
Hitting Duds (min 24 AB's)
1) Ken Griffey Jr, OF, CIN
2) Jose Guillen, OF, SEA
3) Kevin Millar, 1B/DH, BAL
4) Alex Rodriguez, 3B, NYY
5) Hunter Pence, OF, HOU
Pitching Studs
1) Javier Vazquez, SP, CWS
2) Gil Meche, SP, KC
3) Mike Mussina, SP, NYY
4) AJ Burnett, SP, TOR
5) Aaron Harang, SP, CIN
Pitching Duds
1) Paul Maholm, SP, PIT
2) Daniel Cabrera, SP, BAL
3) Scott Olsen, SP, FLA
4) Anthony Reyes, SP, STL
5) Matt Morris, SP, PIT
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
NFL Daily Presents: The NFL Analytical Assault
Lots of week 2 surprises. Let's see what went down.
- Let's start with the shocker of shockers. The Bengals were so unbelievably overconfident that they got lit up by Derek Anderson and LOST to their rival Browns 51-45, a score usually seen by my home town Dragons. Carson Palmer threw 6 TD passes and lost. For being a defensive coach. Marvin Lewis' defense is quite the smelly, funky swiss cheese. That's the difference between Lewis and Tony Dungy, a defensive coach who's defense is actually succeeding. For someone over the hill, Jamal Lewis sure killed it. And a note to Chad Johnson, don't jump into the arms of your enemies. Can't end up well.
- The loss of Orlando Pace and a Special Teams fumble killed the Rams in their 17-16 loss against the Niners. And I'm calling out St Louis head coach Scott Linehan who down by 1 went for it 4th and 7 on their own 43 and failed, and tried a 56 yard field goal at 4th and 3 on the 49er 38 with 1:08 and missed it for the loss. If you have the offensive weapons like the Rams do, you take your chances, get 5 wide in there and get closer to the game winning score. Gotta give props to the 49er defense, their offense is last in the league and they're 2-0. Bravo to Mike Nolan.
- How bad is the Giants defense? I'm a journalist, and words can't describe it. 2 weeks, 80 points, zero passion, and one big fat forthcoming pink slip for the head coach. Even Pam Oliver was dishing out the smack against th Little Blue d. They had Bubba Franks and Donald Lee playing like Gonzalez and Gates. Brett Favre was tremendous and the youngry Green Bay D was outstanding, especially the vastly underrated CB duo of Harris and Woodson which is probably the best corner tandem in the NFC.
- Buffalo was either going to play inspired or expired, the latter was the case in their blowout loss to Pittsburgh. JP Losman was OK, but the Steelers held the ball 35 minutes, Willie Parker had another good rushing week, and Big Ben did a marvelous job of distributing the ball and is really embracing his role in Mike Tomlin's new opened up offense. The AFC North is getting interesting.
- Grab a carton of milk, you'll likely see the Saints offense front and center on it. And 31 points to Tampa? Joey Galloway threw it back 7 years and was really good and Caddy Williams found the end zone twice. McAllister and Bush were awful, and the New Orleans offense isn't going to work when Drew Brees has to chuck the rock 44 times. Maybe 30 rock, but not 44. Sean Payton needs to switch things up, or K-Ville may be down in the dumps again and not just because your best copper is Anthony Anderson.
- Carolina looked so good last week, but the Texans are the league's biggest surprise. Matt Schaub looks like a brilliant move by this team, and Gary Kubiak is the insanely early frontrunner for coach of the year. Best start in franchise history. They rushed the ball a lot to allow Schaub to manage the game, and Andre Johnson looks like he's elevated his game to a new level. Steve Smith may have scored 3 TD's, but the Panthers only ran it 18 times. Any offense needs to keep the defense honest, and they didn't. The Texans were able to stay back in coverage and easily fended off the Panthers. Is it hot in here, or is it just John Fox's swivel chair?
- If Jacksonville is a depressing team to watch, (which they are) Atlanta is suicide. It was bad versus worse here, a stinkfest. Joey Harrington was sacked 7 times, as many points as they scored. Jacksonville had 11 penalties, 2 shy of their point total. David Garrard was the lone bright spot.
- Tennessee always plays Indianapolis tough, but Vince Young has to complete his game. He has to realize that he has to use his arm in the 4th quarter and not his feet. Adam Vinatieri was uncharacteristically bad, missing a field goal and an extra point. It was a pretty even game throughout, and Tennessee has to grab a moral victory here.
- Props to the Cardinals, for a big division win in the wiiiiiiide open NFC West. Edge James has regained his mojo in Ken Whisenhunt's offense, and the team now has the balanced attack they envisioned when they pried James away from the Colts. This was a really well played game, and this time it was Arizona that put a final drive together to win it. Good football, good division.
- What's the opposite of good football? Why, Vikings-Lions of course. 10 turnovers, 19 penalties, 1 concussion, numerous cases of headaches and heartburn. There were more wasted opportunities then there are troops in Iraq, and thankfully the Lions finally ended it. The Mike Martz offense seems to be working, and Jon Kitna is closer to proving everyone wrong.
- Trent Green allowed the Cowboys to pull away late, and Marion Barber and the defense guided Dallas to a 37-20 win. 4 picks, 1 fumble, 1 insanely embarrassing fumbled spike, and 1 terrible game for Green. The Dolphin running attack was held in check, as was Tony Romo for the most part but he was able to get the throws in when he needed including a 34 yard TD to TO.
- Justin McCareins had a sure TD to tie the game and let the ball, and a potentially uplifiting, season making, awe inspiring comeback led by Kellen Clemens. He later threw a pick to lose it, and Gang Green left Baltimore with a sour taste in their mouth. McGahee and Boller were impressive, as was Jerricho Cotchery, Thomas Jones was not. It was a wasted opportunity to bring the Jets team back to life, instead they'll be fighting for theirs next week.
- Combined with how much the Chiefs suck and a great day from Cedric Benson, the bad outing by Rex Grossman wasn't enough to keep Chicago from winning. Devin Hester also broke one for a score, and an offensive lineman caught a TD. What was also masked was that an offensive skill player doesn't have a TD this season. There are problems in the Second City, one week they may come to the forefront.
- The Broncos game ended in controversy, but I call it good 'ol fashioned icing the kicker. That's why I picked Mike Shanahan for coach of the year, he won it for Denver on Sunday. What lost it for Oakland was 53 yards passing, 46 came on one play to Joey Porter. That's pathetic and should bring Culpepper into the fold. Henry and Walker were superb for Denver, who keeps winning close games. This will bode well for later.
- San Diego failed to adjust in the first half, and it cost them the game early. New England knew that the Bolts rush D was legit, so they threw on 13 of their first 19 plays and the Chargers looked painfully puzzled. LT was shut down again, and the Patriots cemented their status as the team to beat,
- Boomer Esiason and Mark Schereth sang the praises of Jason Campbell in their big win over the Eagles, Donovan McNabb was blasted by Philly fans and some are already calling for Kevin Kolb. The Skins defense was very good in a very evenly played match. Maybe Washington could hang around for a while.
- Let's start with the shocker of shockers. The Bengals were so unbelievably overconfident that they got lit up by Derek Anderson and LOST to their rival Browns 51-45, a score usually seen by my home town Dragons. Carson Palmer threw 6 TD passes and lost. For being a defensive coach. Marvin Lewis' defense is quite the smelly, funky swiss cheese. That's the difference between Lewis and Tony Dungy, a defensive coach who's defense is actually succeeding. For someone over the hill, Jamal Lewis sure killed it. And a note to Chad Johnson, don't jump into the arms of your enemies. Can't end up well.
- The loss of Orlando Pace and a Special Teams fumble killed the Rams in their 17-16 loss against the Niners. And I'm calling out St Louis head coach Scott Linehan who down by 1 went for it 4th and 7 on their own 43 and failed, and tried a 56 yard field goal at 4th and 3 on the 49er 38 with 1:08 and missed it for the loss. If you have the offensive weapons like the Rams do, you take your chances, get 5 wide in there and get closer to the game winning score. Gotta give props to the 49er defense, their offense is last in the league and they're 2-0. Bravo to Mike Nolan.
- How bad is the Giants defense? I'm a journalist, and words can't describe it. 2 weeks, 80 points, zero passion, and one big fat forthcoming pink slip for the head coach. Even Pam Oliver was dishing out the smack against th Little Blue d. They had Bubba Franks and Donald Lee playing like Gonzalez and Gates. Brett Favre was tremendous and the youngry Green Bay D was outstanding, especially the vastly underrated CB duo of Harris and Woodson which is probably the best corner tandem in the NFC.
- Buffalo was either going to play inspired or expired, the latter was the case in their blowout loss to Pittsburgh. JP Losman was OK, but the Steelers held the ball 35 minutes, Willie Parker had another good rushing week, and Big Ben did a marvelous job of distributing the ball and is really embracing his role in Mike Tomlin's new opened up offense. The AFC North is getting interesting.
- Grab a carton of milk, you'll likely see the Saints offense front and center on it. And 31 points to Tampa? Joey Galloway threw it back 7 years and was really good and Caddy Williams found the end zone twice. McAllister and Bush were awful, and the New Orleans offense isn't going to work when Drew Brees has to chuck the rock 44 times. Maybe 30 rock, but not 44. Sean Payton needs to switch things up, or K-Ville may be down in the dumps again and not just because your best copper is Anthony Anderson.
- Carolina looked so good last week, but the Texans are the league's biggest surprise. Matt Schaub looks like a brilliant move by this team, and Gary Kubiak is the insanely early frontrunner for coach of the year. Best start in franchise history. They rushed the ball a lot to allow Schaub to manage the game, and Andre Johnson looks like he's elevated his game to a new level. Steve Smith may have scored 3 TD's, but the Panthers only ran it 18 times. Any offense needs to keep the defense honest, and they didn't. The Texans were able to stay back in coverage and easily fended off the Panthers. Is it hot in here, or is it just John Fox's swivel chair?
- If Jacksonville is a depressing team to watch, (which they are) Atlanta is suicide. It was bad versus worse here, a stinkfest. Joey Harrington was sacked 7 times, as many points as they scored. Jacksonville had 11 penalties, 2 shy of their point total. David Garrard was the lone bright spot.
- Tennessee always plays Indianapolis tough, but Vince Young has to complete his game. He has to realize that he has to use his arm in the 4th quarter and not his feet. Adam Vinatieri was uncharacteristically bad, missing a field goal and an extra point. It was a pretty even game throughout, and Tennessee has to grab a moral victory here.
- Props to the Cardinals, for a big division win in the wiiiiiiide open NFC West. Edge James has regained his mojo in Ken Whisenhunt's offense, and the team now has the balanced attack they envisioned when they pried James away from the Colts. This was a really well played game, and this time it was Arizona that put a final drive together to win it. Good football, good division.
- What's the opposite of good football? Why, Vikings-Lions of course. 10 turnovers, 19 penalties, 1 concussion, numerous cases of headaches and heartburn. There were more wasted opportunities then there are troops in Iraq, and thankfully the Lions finally ended it. The Mike Martz offense seems to be working, and Jon Kitna is closer to proving everyone wrong.
- Trent Green allowed the Cowboys to pull away late, and Marion Barber and the defense guided Dallas to a 37-20 win. 4 picks, 1 fumble, 1 insanely embarrassing fumbled spike, and 1 terrible game for Green. The Dolphin running attack was held in check, as was Tony Romo for the most part but he was able to get the throws in when he needed including a 34 yard TD to TO.
- Justin McCareins had a sure TD to tie the game and let the ball, and a potentially uplifiting, season making, awe inspiring comeback led by Kellen Clemens. He later threw a pick to lose it, and Gang Green left Baltimore with a sour taste in their mouth. McGahee and Boller were impressive, as was Jerricho Cotchery, Thomas Jones was not. It was a wasted opportunity to bring the Jets team back to life, instead they'll be fighting for theirs next week.
- Combined with how much the Chiefs suck and a great day from Cedric Benson, the bad outing by Rex Grossman wasn't enough to keep Chicago from winning. Devin Hester also broke one for a score, and an offensive lineman caught a TD. What was also masked was that an offensive skill player doesn't have a TD this season. There are problems in the Second City, one week they may come to the forefront.
- The Broncos game ended in controversy, but I call it good 'ol fashioned icing the kicker. That's why I picked Mike Shanahan for coach of the year, he won it for Denver on Sunday. What lost it for Oakland was 53 yards passing, 46 came on one play to Joey Porter. That's pathetic and should bring Culpepper into the fold. Henry and Walker were superb for Denver, who keeps winning close games. This will bode well for later.
- San Diego failed to adjust in the first half, and it cost them the game early. New England knew that the Bolts rush D was legit, so they threw on 13 of their first 19 plays and the Chargers looked painfully puzzled. LT was shut down again, and the Patriots cemented their status as the team to beat,
- Boomer Esiason and Mark Schereth sang the praises of Jason Campbell in their big win over the Eagles, Donovan McNabb was blasted by Philly fans and some are already calling for Kevin Kolb. The Skins defense was very good in a very evenly played match. Maybe Washington could hang around for a while.
Around The Majors- Tuesday Special
Just when you thought all the races were clear, right? The rest of the season now calls for cloudy with a chance of surprise, or for some Queens team disappointment and utter collapse. Let's get to the regular stuff done here at ATM today on SOS2.
Monday Recap
This was probably a game Detroit had to have. Cleveland scored 3 in the 8th to tie it and then won it 6-5 on a solo homer by Casey Blake off of Zach Miner. Johnny Peralta had 3 RBI's for the Tribe, who now leads Detroit by 5.5 games. The Tigers are now 3.5 games behind the Yankees for the Wild Card, New York held on to beat Baltimore 8-5. Abreu and Mientkiewicz each drove in 2. The Yankees are now 3.5 games behind Boston for the AL East lead, the Red Sox were shut down for one run over the complete game by Dustin McGowan as Toronto won 5-1. It was the Frank Thomas show for the Jays as he hit 3 homers and drove in all the runs. Javy Vazquez struck out 13 and Josh Fields homered and drove in 4 as the White Sox ripped the Royals 11-3. Minnesota scored twice in the 9th off of Joaqin Benoit as the Twins edged the Rangers 5-4. Figgins, Cabrera, and Kotchman each drove in 2 as the Angels nipped the Rays 10-7. Delmon Young drove in 3 for Tampa. Jose Lopez hit a big 3 run homer as the Mariners defeated Oakland 4-0.
BK Kim allowed 9 runs over 4 innings as the Braves mauled the Marlins 11-6. Jeff Francouer and Andrew Jones each drove in 3 for Atlanta. The Mets lead over Philly is now 2.5 as they committed 4 errors in a 12-4 loss to Washington. Church, Pena, Belliard, and Schnieder each drove in 2 for the Nats. Philadelphia had to slug and sweat as they edged the Cardinals 13-11. Ryan Howard homered twice and drove in 5 for the Phils. The Cubs kept their NL Central lead with 3 in the 9th off of David Weathers to win 7-6. Ramirez, Floyd, and DeRosa each drove in 2 for the Cubbies. Milwaukee stayed a game back as Yovani Gallardo threw 8 shutout frames in a 6-0 win over the Astros. The Giants scored 5 in the 8th to slither past the Snakes 8-5. Randy Winn drove in 4 for Frisco. San Diego now trails by only a game in the NL West as they got 2 ribs from Khalil Greene in a 3-0 win over Pittsburgh. The Pads lead the NLWC by 1.5 over Philly and 3 over the Dodgers.
News and Notes
- It's no secret that the Mets are in a state of peril. Pedro Martinez said that he probably won't play again if he suffers another serious injury. Carlos Delgado doesn't know when he'll return from a hip flexor injury. Willie Randolph said that he could go this weekend in Miami. Orlando Hernandez is day to day with a bunion on his right foot. Dinner will be served at 4:30.
- Apparently, towards the end of the season, rookies dress up in some odd costumes on plane rides. Dice-K Matsuzaka and his translator were dressed as Telletubbies. I'm not going to say which one he was, but you could email me (blueguy223@aol.com) for his name. Mike Lowell said he had to dress as a hobo on a team flight when he was a rook. On a recent Orioles trip, Fernando Cabrera was a gorilla, Jeremy Guthrie was a female nurse, and Kurt Birkins was a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader.
- Big move for the Phillies as Cole Hamels went off the DL. The Yankees brought up Chase Wright and Tyler Clippard.
Tuesday On Tap
Billingsley and Francis go at Coors in the first of a twinbill. Team rejects David Wells and Mark Redman go in the nightcap. The AL Central showdown continues at The Jake, as Verlander battles Westbrook. Mike Mussina faces Baltimore, and John Maine gets the call to save the Mets in Washington. Jon Lester and AJ Burnett battle in Toronto, Floyd faces Meche in KC, and Harang and Zambrano is a duel to watch at Wrigley. Ben Sheets goes in Houston, Lackey faces Tampa, and Cole Hamels comes back against St Louis. Gorzelanny and Maddux duel in San Diego.
- ATM will be back tomorrow on SOS.
Monday Recap
This was probably a game Detroit had to have. Cleveland scored 3 in the 8th to tie it and then won it 6-5 on a solo homer by Casey Blake off of Zach Miner. Johnny Peralta had 3 RBI's for the Tribe, who now leads Detroit by 5.5 games. The Tigers are now 3.5 games behind the Yankees for the Wild Card, New York held on to beat Baltimore 8-5. Abreu and Mientkiewicz each drove in 2. The Yankees are now 3.5 games behind Boston for the AL East lead, the Red Sox were shut down for one run over the complete game by Dustin McGowan as Toronto won 5-1. It was the Frank Thomas show for the Jays as he hit 3 homers and drove in all the runs. Javy Vazquez struck out 13 and Josh Fields homered and drove in 4 as the White Sox ripped the Royals 11-3. Minnesota scored twice in the 9th off of Joaqin Benoit as the Twins edged the Rangers 5-4. Figgins, Cabrera, and Kotchman each drove in 2 as the Angels nipped the Rays 10-7. Delmon Young drove in 3 for Tampa. Jose Lopez hit a big 3 run homer as the Mariners defeated Oakland 4-0.
BK Kim allowed 9 runs over 4 innings as the Braves mauled the Marlins 11-6. Jeff Francouer and Andrew Jones each drove in 3 for Atlanta. The Mets lead over Philly is now 2.5 as they committed 4 errors in a 12-4 loss to Washington. Church, Pena, Belliard, and Schnieder each drove in 2 for the Nats. Philadelphia had to slug and sweat as they edged the Cardinals 13-11. Ryan Howard homered twice and drove in 5 for the Phils. The Cubs kept their NL Central lead with 3 in the 9th off of David Weathers to win 7-6. Ramirez, Floyd, and DeRosa each drove in 2 for the Cubbies. Milwaukee stayed a game back as Yovani Gallardo threw 8 shutout frames in a 6-0 win over the Astros. The Giants scored 5 in the 8th to slither past the Snakes 8-5. Randy Winn drove in 4 for Frisco. San Diego now trails by only a game in the NL West as they got 2 ribs from Khalil Greene in a 3-0 win over Pittsburgh. The Pads lead the NLWC by 1.5 over Philly and 3 over the Dodgers.
News and Notes
- It's no secret that the Mets are in a state of peril. Pedro Martinez said that he probably won't play again if he suffers another serious injury. Carlos Delgado doesn't know when he'll return from a hip flexor injury. Willie Randolph said that he could go this weekend in Miami. Orlando Hernandez is day to day with a bunion on his right foot. Dinner will be served at 4:30.
- Apparently, towards the end of the season, rookies dress up in some odd costumes on plane rides. Dice-K Matsuzaka and his translator were dressed as Telletubbies. I'm not going to say which one he was, but you could email me (blueguy223@aol.com) for his name. Mike Lowell said he had to dress as a hobo on a team flight when he was a rook. On a recent Orioles trip, Fernando Cabrera was a gorilla, Jeremy Guthrie was a female nurse, and Kurt Birkins was a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader.
- Big move for the Phillies as Cole Hamels went off the DL. The Yankees brought up Chase Wright and Tyler Clippard.
Tuesday On Tap
Billingsley and Francis go at Coors in the first of a twinbill. Team rejects David Wells and Mark Redman go in the nightcap. The AL Central showdown continues at The Jake, as Verlander battles Westbrook. Mike Mussina faces Baltimore, and John Maine gets the call to save the Mets in Washington. Jon Lester and AJ Burnett battle in Toronto, Floyd faces Meche in KC, and Harang and Zambrano is a duel to watch at Wrigley. Ben Sheets goes in Houston, Lackey faces Tampa, and Cole Hamels comes back against St Louis. Gorzelanny and Maddux duel in San Diego.
- ATM will be back tomorrow on SOS.
Monday, September 17, 2007
No, I Did Not See This Coming
-The NFL is starting to get confusing. While people expected the 49ers to will some games, no one thought that they would shut down Steven Jackson and Rams. John Kitna predicted 10 wins, but no one thought they would start off 2-0. The Browns got rid of their starter, and behold, they had a starter in Derek Anderson all along. When people think Texans they think expansion, not Defense! The Texans defense shut down Carolina and Kansas City ( including Larry Johnson) and that's just the start of it. Mario Williams is looking like a true number one pick and Matt Schaub is playing All-Pro football. Randy Moss is open all day every day and when you have Tom Brady as your QB, there really is nothing to get upset over. LaDanian Tomlinson (I like to call him by his real name) has done nearly nothing besides for throw for a touchdown and run a little 5 yarder in. Lamont Jordan and Edgerrin James are reviving their careers in the early weeks and where in the world did Wes Welker come from. Here are some things to look out for as the weeks progress.
1. The Lions: Will they keep this up and win the weak NFC North!?
2. Can Matt Schaub lead the Texans to a good first half? Wow that would be crazy!
3. Will receivers and running backs continue to just demolish dismal defenses or will the coaches and players do their jobs?
4. Is LT the real MVP? He did this last year too but is he figured out?
Until next time, eat, drink and sleep sports.
Adam Ehrenreich
1. The Lions: Will they keep this up and win the weak NFC North!?
2. Can Matt Schaub lead the Texans to a good first half? Wow that would be crazy!
3. Will receivers and running backs continue to just demolish dismal defenses or will the coaches and players do their jobs?
4. Is LT the real MVP? He did this last year too but is he figured out?
Until next time, eat, drink and sleep sports.
Adam Ehrenreich
College Football Fallout
Another week, another big upset, another loss for a marquee program. The Pac 10 leads the SEC 1-0 in the showdown, let's see who came out on tap as it all falls out right now.
- 3 TD's for Steve Slaton, and a big road win for West Virginia on Thursday. That was the non-con test the Mountaineers needed to boost their computer standing.
- Air Force looks like a force after the beat TCU in OT. The team once thought of as BCS busters seems busted at 1-2.
- OK State fell at Troy. Ouch.
- Indiana is 3-0 and could sneak into a bowl game.
- Michigan State is 3-0 with a nice win over Pitt. Purdue is 3-0.
- Big road win for the hot seated Al Groh in North Carolina.
- Syracuse is the worst major conference team, and that includes Duke.
- Cincy went to Miami of Ohio and smashed 'em 47-10. The Bearcats are 3-0.
- Penn State ramped up the offense against Buffalo, and seems like the team to beat in the Big 10 after Wisconsin struggles in their win over The Citadel.
- What's going on at Auburn? A home loss to Mississippi State? That win may save Sly Croom his job. Minus 1 for the SEC, 0 to -1 Pac 10.
- Clemson could be a dark horse for the ACC title.
- Minnesota lost at Florida Atlantic. That's pretty bad.
- Florida and Tim Tebow proved it's still among the SEC elite by putting up 59 against Tennessee. That was an enourmous statement for the Gators.
- It keeps getting worse for Notre Dame as 0-2 Michigan punished them 38-0. Notre Dame is sure living up to its name, the Dame part that is. They're playing like women. Charlie Weis is going back to training camp, and they may need a whole lot more than that.
- Rutgers and Oklahoma go to 3-0 with cupcake killings.
- Very good win for Ohio State at Washington. The Huskies are tougher then they look.
- First Arkansas State, and now UCF gives Texas a bigtime scare. I don't think that the Longhorns can win the Big 12 this year if they could barely hold off these teams.
- Miami beat Florida International on the field, not off of it.
- UCLA was absolutely shocked by Utah, and it wasn't even close. They were thoroughly dominated by the Utes, minus one for the Pac 10. -1 to -1.
- Big C-USA win for Southern Miss on the road at East Carolina.
- Easy win for Cal over LaTech, who almost beat Hawaii last week.
- Alabama and Nick Saban are nack on the national radar after a huge upset of Arkansas. The Tide are back as a threat in the SEC, add one point for the southeast. 0 to -1 SEC.
- Baylor only beat Texas State by a TD, that's trouble for the Bears.
- Kansas is 3-0. they're a program on the rise.
- Spurr Dog is bringing South Carolina to prominence, he has to be one of the best college coaches of our generation.
- Everyone talks about Cal, USC, and UCLA but nobody talks about Oregon. The Ducks have cemented themselves as a top 3 Pac 10 team.
- Matt Ryan will be an NFL star. 435 yards in the air as BC blitzed GT 24-10. The Eagles are for real, and Ryan is the reason.
- Upset of the week and a huge blow to the Big East as Kentucky scored a TD in the last minute to shock Louisville. Score one for the SEC, 1 to -1 SEC. Andre' Woodson may have outplayed Brian Brohm in this one, and it was a sensational matchup for QB's. I hope they play this game more often if they don't do already.
- Even Duke can win, and Northwestern is pathetic as ever.
- Good bounce back win for Boise State against a good Wyoming team.
- USC easily made the statement of the week when they absolutely spanked Nebraska in Lincoln. 1 point for the Pac 10, 1-0 SEC.
- Arizona State is quietly 3-0 going into conference play.
- Colt Brennan made quick work of UNLV as Hawaii romped over the Runnin Rebs.
- 3 TD's for Steve Slaton, and a big road win for West Virginia on Thursday. That was the non-con test the Mountaineers needed to boost their computer standing.
- Air Force looks like a force after the beat TCU in OT. The team once thought of as BCS busters seems busted at 1-2.
- OK State fell at Troy. Ouch.
- Indiana is 3-0 and could sneak into a bowl game.
- Michigan State is 3-0 with a nice win over Pitt. Purdue is 3-0.
- Big road win for the hot seated Al Groh in North Carolina.
- Syracuse is the worst major conference team, and that includes Duke.
- Cincy went to Miami of Ohio and smashed 'em 47-10. The Bearcats are 3-0.
- Penn State ramped up the offense against Buffalo, and seems like the team to beat in the Big 10 after Wisconsin struggles in their win over The Citadel.
- What's going on at Auburn? A home loss to Mississippi State? That win may save Sly Croom his job. Minus 1 for the SEC, 0 to -1 Pac 10.
- Clemson could be a dark horse for the ACC title.
- Minnesota lost at Florida Atlantic. That's pretty bad.
- Florida and Tim Tebow proved it's still among the SEC elite by putting up 59 against Tennessee. That was an enourmous statement for the Gators.
- It keeps getting worse for Notre Dame as 0-2 Michigan punished them 38-0. Notre Dame is sure living up to its name, the Dame part that is. They're playing like women. Charlie Weis is going back to training camp, and they may need a whole lot more than that.
- Rutgers and Oklahoma go to 3-0 with cupcake killings.
- Very good win for Ohio State at Washington. The Huskies are tougher then they look.
- First Arkansas State, and now UCF gives Texas a bigtime scare. I don't think that the Longhorns can win the Big 12 this year if they could barely hold off these teams.
- Miami beat Florida International on the field, not off of it.
- UCLA was absolutely shocked by Utah, and it wasn't even close. They were thoroughly dominated by the Utes, minus one for the Pac 10. -1 to -1.
- Big C-USA win for Southern Miss on the road at East Carolina.
- Easy win for Cal over LaTech, who almost beat Hawaii last week.
- Alabama and Nick Saban are nack on the national radar after a huge upset of Arkansas. The Tide are back as a threat in the SEC, add one point for the southeast. 0 to -1 SEC.
- Baylor only beat Texas State by a TD, that's trouble for the Bears.
- Kansas is 3-0. they're a program on the rise.
- Spurr Dog is bringing South Carolina to prominence, he has to be one of the best college coaches of our generation.
- Everyone talks about Cal, USC, and UCLA but nobody talks about Oregon. The Ducks have cemented themselves as a top 3 Pac 10 team.
- Matt Ryan will be an NFL star. 435 yards in the air as BC blitzed GT 24-10. The Eagles are for real, and Ryan is the reason.
- Upset of the week and a huge blow to the Big East as Kentucky scored a TD in the last minute to shock Louisville. Score one for the SEC, 1 to -1 SEC. Andre' Woodson may have outplayed Brian Brohm in this one, and it was a sensational matchup for QB's. I hope they play this game more often if they don't do already.
- Even Duke can win, and Northwestern is pathetic as ever.
- Good bounce back win for Boise State against a good Wyoming team.
- USC easily made the statement of the week when they absolutely spanked Nebraska in Lincoln. 1 point for the Pac 10, 1-0 SEC.
- Arizona State is quietly 3-0 going into conference play.
- Colt Brennan made quick work of UNLV as Hawaii romped over the Runnin Rebs.
Around The Majors- Monday Express
Not a lot of time, so let's jetset.
Game Action
Cleveland lost 4-3 to KC, their AL Central lead is 4.5 over Detroit who beat Minnesota. They meet tonight Rogers against Byrd. The Tigers are 2.5 back of the Yankees for the AL Wild Card, they got a 3 run jack from Derek Jeter to take 2 of 3 from Boston 4-3. New York is 4.5 behind the Red Sox, they send Phil Hughes to the hill in Baltimore against Daniel Cabrera, they beat Toronto 8-6 in 10. The Jays send Dustin McGowan against Boston and Tim Wakefield. Jim Thome hit his 500th career homer, a walkoff to lead the White Sox over the Angels 9-7. Volquez and Slowey duel in Minnesota, Texas got 7 RBI's from Michael Young in an 11-9 win over Oakland. 17 game winner Kelvim Escobar goes tonight against Tampa who beat Seattle 9-2.
The Phillies have won 8 straight against the Mets including a 10-6 win over New York where the Mets committed 6 errors and walked 11 batters. The Phils are 3.5 back, and they send Kyle Kendrick on the mound in St Louis, the Mets are in Washington. The Nats got shut out by Tim Hudson and the Braves 3-0, they pitch John Smoltz at home against BK Kim and Florida. The Fish got fried 13-0 against the Rockies, Todd Helton hit career homer 300. The Cubs topped St Louis 4-2, they play Cincy who beat Milwaukee to give Chicago a 1 game lead in the NL Central. Milwaukee pitches Yovani Gallardo in Houston. The Giants lost to now 18 game winner Jake Peavy and the Padres 5-1, Frisco faces Brandon Webb and Arizona. The Snakes beat the Dodgers 6-1 and own a 2 game division lead.
Transactions
The Indians recalled Jeremy Sowers, Washington claimed Enrique Gonzalez off of waivers.
Less than 2 weeks left, enjoy the games.
Game Action
Cleveland lost 4-3 to KC, their AL Central lead is 4.5 over Detroit who beat Minnesota. They meet tonight Rogers against Byrd. The Tigers are 2.5 back of the Yankees for the AL Wild Card, they got a 3 run jack from Derek Jeter to take 2 of 3 from Boston 4-3. New York is 4.5 behind the Red Sox, they send Phil Hughes to the hill in Baltimore against Daniel Cabrera, they beat Toronto 8-6 in 10. The Jays send Dustin McGowan against Boston and Tim Wakefield. Jim Thome hit his 500th career homer, a walkoff to lead the White Sox over the Angels 9-7. Volquez and Slowey duel in Minnesota, Texas got 7 RBI's from Michael Young in an 11-9 win over Oakland. 17 game winner Kelvim Escobar goes tonight against Tampa who beat Seattle 9-2.
The Phillies have won 8 straight against the Mets including a 10-6 win over New York where the Mets committed 6 errors and walked 11 batters. The Phils are 3.5 back, and they send Kyle Kendrick on the mound in St Louis, the Mets are in Washington. The Nats got shut out by Tim Hudson and the Braves 3-0, they pitch John Smoltz at home against BK Kim and Florida. The Fish got fried 13-0 against the Rockies, Todd Helton hit career homer 300. The Cubs topped St Louis 4-2, they play Cincy who beat Milwaukee to give Chicago a 1 game lead in the NL Central. Milwaukee pitches Yovani Gallardo in Houston. The Giants lost to now 18 game winner Jake Peavy and the Padres 5-1, Frisco faces Brandon Webb and Arizona. The Snakes beat the Dodgers 6-1 and own a 2 game division lead.
Transactions
The Indians recalled Jeremy Sowers, Washington claimed Enrique Gonzalez off of waivers.
Less than 2 weeks left, enjoy the games.
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