Around The Majors- Friday

-The formerly hot Rockies have been compromised by some excellent Boston pitching, and a Fenway crowd louder than a frat party with elderly neighbors. Curt Schilling pitched another stellar game, and Scott Van Pelt of ESPN proclaimed that superbridge Hideki Okajima is far more important to his team than heralded Japanese starter Daisuke Matsuzaka. John Kruk claims that this series is over, but the change over to Coors Field in Colorado will make this a series again, according to SI Baseball savant Tom Verducci. The outfields are much deeper, causing Manny Ramirez to play further out without the Green Monster to hide his fielding liability. And the lack of a DH will cause the Sox to lose the bat of either Youkilis, Ortiz, or Lowell in all 3 games. Josh Fogg starts for the Rox, who has a 1.19 ERA this postseason, Dice-K on the other hand has a playoff ERA of over 5.5. Obviously, game 3 is a must for Colorado.
-While the Yankees decide on a new skipper, the Dodgers may not be as interested in Joe Girardi as once anticipated, according to the LA Daily News. In honor of the team's 50th year in LA, the Dodgers plan on playing a game at The Coliseum.
-The Yankees plan on picking up Bobby Abreu's option, says the New York Post.
-Torii Hunter has not heard from the Twins yet, so it looks like he's a goner. Texas, anyone??
-JC Romero will test free agency, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Thunder Thursday

Just a lil bit of everything today, including baseball, basketball, college football, and hockey.

-Though the Yankees haven't decided on a new manager as of yet, the Dodgers could be interested in Joe Girardi if he doesn't get hired in the Bronx, according to ESPN's Buster Olney. Los Angeles still had Grady Little under contract, and a Dodgers spokesman said that Little was still our manager. Like Rex Grossman is our starter.......
-Major League Baseball could suspend people who have admitted to taking HGH such as Gary Matthews Jr, Rick Ankiel, and Paul Byrd. There will probably be even more suspensions after George Mitchell's investigation comes out in November or December.
-Yesterday, Miami acquired Ricky Davis, and Mark Blount from Minnesota for Antoine Walker, Michael Doleac, Wayne Simien, and a conditonal draft pick. The Heat were 0-7 in the preseason, and they were not only able to deal away someone Pat Riley despised in Walker, they were able to get a scorer and a very capable backup big man to compliment O'Neal and Mourning. Minnesota got youth in Simien, but this trade was mainly to clear away some vets who didn't want to be there anyway, in exchange for letting their young players get into their leading roles immediately. As of now, both teams came out as winners because they did what was best for them at the stages of their respective franchises. Blount will have less minutes, so he comes out of this as a loser, but Walker could be a winner after all because the Wolves are already trying to deal 'Toine. But for now, Walker is a loser because he'll be on the bench for a bad team when he wants to start for a good team.
-Huge ACC contest tonight as undefeated number two BC take on eighth ranked VaTech at 8pm on ESPN. The Worldwide Leader's Orestes Destrade has his take on the contest and his TV viewing preference:
"BC will give the Ws a run in New England tonight...great game. I'm a fan of VaTech and the #2 has lost 4 straight wks. Yet, I think BC will hold them off in a tight well played game. I'll be flipping back and forth a bit myself from fox to espn"
What will be on FOX tonight will be World Series game 2, with Curt Schilling and the Red Sox looking to duplicate last night's massacre against Ubaldo Jimenez and the Rockies. Colorado has to block this from their memories and start anew. The loss happened, and now you must move on. Can Boston continue to ride the momentum train all the way to a title? Find out tonight!
-The New York Rangers are playing like horse crap, and will play the Devils tonight at 7pm on Yahoo! sports. Friday on Yahoo, you can watch a battle of first place clubs as Detroit battles San Jose. Saturday night on CBC, the Rangers take on the middling Maple Leafs, followed by Edmonton and surprising Los Angeles. On Monday, San Jose take on rival Dallas on Versus. Versus has a great matchup the next night as Sid and the Pens take on Minnesota, while Montreal hosts Atlanta on TSN. And get a treat on Halloween as the Devils host the Lightning in their new arena on TSN.
-We wish the best to Corey Simon, who announced his retirement today.

World Series Preview

So many people have opinions on who will win this series, and in how many games. With the 8 day layoff for Colorado, game one is vital for the Rockies in Fenway. I asked Hall of Famer Joe Morgan if the Rockies would be able to get to Beckett?
"Well the Rockies have more good hitters/consistent hitters than Cleveland. I think the Rockies lineup will be a little tougher for Beckett, but he is an ace and can beat anyone."
Colorado possesses an AL style lineup, and Boston will be at a disadvantage when the series shifts to Denver. Seemingly, either Lowell, Youkilis, or Ortiz will have to sit 3 games. That's huge, and how will Dice-K and Jon Lester pitch in Colorado? The first game will be a big measuring stick, but game two would be a huge litmus test for the Rox if they lose game one. How would they adjust to losing a postseason game? Would they start pressing at the plate. Colorado's bullpen and defense are much stronger than Boston's and I have the Rockies shocking the world and taking the series in 6 games.

World Series

While the Rockies and Red Sox get ready for the World Series, let's take a look at the matchups.

Offense- Both teams have very good offenses, but the edge goes to the Red Sox because of Ortiz and Manny.
Starting Pitching- The Rockies have pitched really well throughout this unbelievable stretch, but once again the Red Sox edge them out because of two big game pitchers; Beckett and Schilling.
Relief Pitching- Although they don't have the best closer in the series, I'd rather have Corpas and Co. who have a better all aroung bullpen than the Sox. The only guys I trust in the Red Sox bullpen are Okajima and Papelbon.
Defense- Lead by rookie Troy Tulowitzki, the Rockies are baseballs best defense.

Although both teams are evenly matched, the Red Sox will win in 7, with Josh Beckett winning the world series MVP.

The Next Yankees Manager

Just days after firing Joe Torre, the Yankees have begun their search for a new manager. Let's take a look at the candidates:

Don Mattingly- He is ownership's favorite, but he isn't the right man for the job. He has never managed a team before, and his managerial style would be similar to Torre, which is what the Yankees are trying to get away from. The Yankees ownership might be inclined to hire him because the players said they would like a manager who knows the players, and the players will respond to Donnie Baseball, which is really important.

Tony Pena- He is being interviewed on Wednesday, and the Yankees like what he brings to the table. When he managed the Royals in 2003, he shocked the baseball world by actually having the Royals play at such a high level, and he wound up winning the AL Manager of the Year Award. He also knows the players because he has been on the Yankees coaching staff for a couple of seasons. The only knock against him could be how he deals with the pressure of managing in NY. When things start to go wrong, would he be able to deal with the media and the hordes of angry Yankee fans?

Joe Girardi- Girardi was interviewed on Monday, and according to reports, he really impressed Hank Steinbrenner. In his first season with the Marlins in 2006, he took a team that was predicted to be in last place and lead them to a third place finish. He was fired by owner Jeffrey Loria after Girardi mouthed off at him. There would be no way Girardi lasts in NY if he talks like that to The Boss. He also is being blamed by the Marlins for overusing their young pitchers last season. Other than that, he seems best suited for this job. His is a passionate manager, who has played for the Yankees before and knows many of the players. If the Yankees want to get an already proven manager who has played in New York, Girardi is their man.

NFL Daily Presents: Analytical Assault Week 7

Across the spectrum, there were all kinds of performances from the good, to the bad, and the ugly; some with wild and wacky finishes. It all goes down now.

Flash Forward
"I hate using caps lock...but it has to be done when something so dumb is going on." "And yes, screwder is now a word, usually used to describe the Falcons."

-Granted that the Ravens probably have a worse offense than Notre Dame right now, but you have to give credit to a decimated Bills defense for putting the clamps on Baltimore, especially given the return of Willis McGahee, who had a very good game as usual. The Bills used a good ball control offense with Marshawn Lynch, Trent Edwards got the ball to Lee Evans when it was necessary, and they only had 3 penalties compared to 11 by Baltimore. The Ravens got down early, forcing Kyle Boller to throw too often and the Bills got a big confidence building win against a good team.
-Tampa Bay outgained Detroit 422-278, and they had the ball for over 35 minutes. How did they lose to the Lions? The two time that they lost the ball, on Jeff Garcia fumbles. They got a rushing TD from Kevin Jones and one from Calvin Johnson, and John Kitna did just enough for Detroit to grab a victory and go to 4-2. If Kitna didn't love Jesus so much, I'd bring him with me to AC to bet on horses or something, because his 10 win guarantee could come to fruition. Earnest Graham had a sensational game running and catching, and Ike Hilliard did his job against a porous Lions defense, but the mistakes were way too costly to earn the win.
-Don't you get the feeling that the Patriots are toying with us sometimes? Let's bring in Vrabel and Seau and try to score, but you can't have fun at our expense. It seemed like the sky was falling on Bill Belichik when Miami got within (gasp and violent shrieks) 21 points, so Tom Brady had to go in and throw his 6th TD pass. Could this be the most dominant untainted statistical season (sorry Barry and Big Mac) in any sport since Wilt in his prime? Since MJ in his heyday? More likely since Wayne Gretzky when he shattered ever single season hockey record. Cleo Lemon played well, but the Ronnie Brown ACL tear adds injury to insult, and the Phins may have to start watching more College Football on Saturdays.
-Both the Saints and the Falcons played pretty poorly, but the Non Flashy Reggie Bush led his team to victory in the 4th quarter? You mean that the glamour plays with the fancy moves aren't always the most important? Heresy, says the Bush SportsCenter Club. Hogwash, say the advertisers. But though the stats were unimpressive, Bush took the next step forward in being the workhorse that New Orleans needs to offset the loss of Deuce McAllister. Atlanta had the ball for over 35 minutes, but they suffered an injury to Byron Leftwich and they didn't get enough yards per carry. And now that Leftwich could miss some time, the Falcons are screweder for an even larger period of time (And yes, screweder is now a word, usually used to describe the Falcons). Harrington played OK, but the team just doesn't have enough talent on offense to succeed.
-If I would have offered Trent Dilfer A-Rod/Boras money to play like barfed out horse crap, he could not have done worse than what he did against the Giants. 2 picks and 2 lost fumbles leading to New York scores. The Niners O-line was swiss cheese, and Eli Manning did enough to make this one a laugher (or more like a wrist slitter for those inclined that way). Frank Gore played well, but he can't do it all himself. They need Alex Smith almost as much as the Southeast needs water (who am I kidding but y'all get my point) and the Niners are going to lose laughers if they keep this pace of play. Brandon Jacobs was able to pound a deflated Niner D that had no reason to play hard given Frisco's inability to get anything done. The Niners need to hang their heads in shame way more than the Giants need to pat themselves on the back.
-The Redskins are really good at winning ugly. Their offense vanished in the 2nd half, they had 160 total yards on offense (and 21 points mainly due to their good D/Kurt Warner) and they only won by the skin of their teeth after Neil Rackers barely missed a 55 yarder. But their defense looks fabulous, possibly enough to win them games in the future. But if they expect to win with this kind of output in New England, they'd be almost as mistaken as that whole WMD thing. Both teams need to regroup and get it together for next week.
-Maybe the Titans forgot in the 4th quarter that they're one of the best defenses in the league, perhaps Sage Rosenfels forgot in the 4th quarter that he sucked, but the one person who didn't have last second amnesia won it for Tennessee: former New York Dragon Rob Bironas, who had the dream day of any kicker, eight FG's, a new record. And you know the defenses take a day off when a man whose first name is a spice and Kerry Collins light it up. And it's even weirder that the Texans scored their 36 points in just over 23 minutes of ball control, AND had 6 turnovers in that 23+ minute span. That is some Twilight Zone stuff right there my friends. The game was dictated by statistical anomalies from the beginning, to the very record setting end.
-I'll give credit for about two seconds to Eric Mangini, his team is still playing hard for him. But you're defense is terrible AND YOU STILL HAVEN'T YANKED PENNINGTON!!! I hate caps lock almost as much as the Red Sox, UConn hoops, and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad but it has to be used when something so dumb is going on. And if a 3-4 defense has more holes than a golf course designed by a guy with double vision, switch to a 4-3! It's elementary, my dear Watson who made the Jets D look like they were playing against one of those starting running backs. Pennington played quite well in the first half, but down by 7 with time running out, the Jets call for their patented fade route that gets picked every time (insider sources at SOS actually saw the name of it in the playbook) and in a George Mason-like shocker, it got pick six'd. Game, set, season. On the flipside, the Bengals desperately needed that game. And why is Mangini risking injury to his players by playing the final 37 seconds down by 2 scores? And going for 2? Point differential doesn't count in this league, and even if it did a 1-6 record doesn't help. And back to that flipside, the Bengals need to prepare for a big game against Pittsburgh that could get them back in this bad boy.
-Herm Edwards has seen the light! He was once lost, but now he is found. In a stroke of unadulterated genius, he realized that Larry Johnson is a stud. he rushed 24 times and the offense had perfect run:pass balance. Dwayne Bowe has emerged as the number one receiver, and the defense put the clamps on the Raiders running attack and earned the win, and first place in the AFC West.
-All the Cowboys had to do was stop being stupid, and they had the win right there next to them for the taking. Brad Childress didn't pound Adrian Peterson after their first really successful drive, and Tarvaris Jackson has more letters in his first name than he did completions. If not for 2 turnovers in the first half, Dallas would have been blowing the Vikes out. But it took a blocked field goal returned for a score to get the Cowboys going, and there seems to be a scary trend of Dallas playing down to their competition as of late (see Buffalo game). But the Vikings offense may have more problems than Hollywood, Capitol Hill, and Iraq combined. Here's some advice, Childress: call more runs and watch some BC, Kentucky, and Louisville games.
-Didn't you used to be the Eagles defense? Didn't you used to be Brian Griese? The former heralded replacement for John Elway pulled one when he drove 97 yards for the game winning score, and Philly made like the Browns and allowed a "The Drive". Usually the Bears lose when Griese throws 41 times, but the Philly D laid an egg and got the loss. Maybe this will be a lift for Chicago, but this may be a bigger blow to the Eagles, who may be lost in the NFC East.
-I was walking by my local unemployment office on Monday, and there was a big sign that read, "Spot Saved For Scott Linehan". After the way the Rams have been getting shellacked, he may be more axed than Chris Hanson. (In 2003 Jaguar’s coach, Jack Del Rio brought in a wooden stump and an axe to illustrate his ‘Keep Chopping’ philosophy. He could never have foreseen his punter, Chris Hanson attempting a hearty swing after practice. The punter missed the wood and chopped his leg — landing him in the hospital.) Bulger was awful, the running game was nonexistent, and Will Heller scored 2 TD's on the St Louis defense. With 5 turnovers and a special teams TD, who needs offense if you're the Seahawks when everyone else can do the work for you.
-It was a roller coaster of emotions for both teams in Denver. The Broncos started firing on all cylinders, getting 2 TD's and a big fumble return to take a 21-7 halftime lead. But then it looked like the Steelers got a good halftime speech and were on their way to a win and a 5-1 start and a crushing blow to Denver's season. Jay Cutler led his team down the field and Jason Elam kicked the game winning score. One telling stat I heard, that when Ben Roethlisberger throws it 35 times or more, the Steelers are 3-10. He had 35 on the nose, and he lost when the nose of the football went through the uprights for the Denver win.
-Take that Patriots! The Colts were dominant on both sides of the ball and won handily in Jacksonville against a team that was thought to be a legit threat in the AFC. Indy isn't a Rams style, vertical passing offense anymore. They ran it 33 times at 4.3 yards a carry with both Addai and Keith, and passed it 37 times with Manning, mainly to Reggie Wayne, and then to Dallas Clark to put the icing on the cake. Just to show the improvement of this Colts defense, they allowed 375 rushing yards to the Jaguars the last time they played, only 117 on the ground this time. 2 more weeks until the showdown, and 1 more week until the next Assault.

Around The Majors- Monday

-My how tables can turn. The good relief pitching, the big hits in the big spots, the series win. I despise the Sawx, but they did one helluva job coming back. But what will happen against the Rockies? More analysis as the series comes up.
-Tony LaRussa signed a 2 year extension as Cardinals manager, and he's "thrilled to come back". Bull! One of the reasons LaRussa was hesitant to come back was the GM situation; he and ousted GM Walt Jocketty are good friends, going back to the Oakland days. Either LaRussa was one desperate SOB, or he may have some say on who becomes the next GM in the STL.
-While Joe Girardi interviewed for the Yankees managerial opening today, Bobby Valentine will not. Larry Bowa will likely become the 3rd base coach in Seattle, and would have made a good Yankee manager in my mind.
-Dontrelle Willis believes that Florida will keep him, according to the Palm Beach Post.
-Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell could be another Yankee candidate, says the New York Post.
-Hitting coach Jeff Pentland will likely be joined by a nice coaching staff in Seattle including pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre, bench coach Jim Riggleman, first base coach Eddie Rodriguez and bullpen coach Norm Charlton. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
-Coco Crisp could go to the Nationals, according to the Washington Post.
-Mike Lowell could go to the Yankees or Phillies, according to the Boston Globe.
-Scott Boras thinks that player salaries should increase 30%, says the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Start being angry.......now.
-If Florida moves Miguel Cabrera, Dan Uggla could move to 3B. It seems that Jose Canseco's 2nd book is on hold.''there's not big interest,'' (Miami Herald)

NBA Rumorama

I was thinking about what I should write about today for SOS2, so I've searched through the latest rumors and picked out the juiciest rumors in pro hoops.

NBA
-The NBA's Board of Governors meeting is later this week in New York, and Jerry Buss and Mark Cuban among others will be there. That's when Kobe talks could heat up again, according to the Dallas Morning News.
-Allen Houston will attempt to make another comeback, but not until December at the earliest, says the New York Daily News. (Insert Monty Python "bring out you're dead, I'm not dead yet quote here) The Daily News also reports that the Bulls are severely lowballing Luol Deng on an extension by as much as 20 million bucks. Detroit thinks they got the steal of the draft in Rodney Stuckey.
-The Chicago Tribune lays out a possible scenario for Kobe: "Consider this package: Leandro Barbosa, Boris Diaw, Shawn Marion and the Atlanta Hawks' unprotected first-round pick in 2008, which the Suns own from the Joe Johnson trade, for Bryant, Kwame Brown (who has an expiring contract) and someone like Brian Cook or Chris Mihm." This likely won't happen because the Lakers don't want Kobe in the Western Conference. LeBron wants the Cavs to sign Charles Oakley, says the Tribune. Dallas is considering starting Jerry Stackhouse and benching Jason Terry, something that should be considered for fantasy hoops. Yao Ming is almost completely deaf in his left ear. Memphis is looking to trade Damon Stoudamire. Doug Christie still wants to play.
-Anderson Varaejo is controlling the contract negotiations with the Cavs. (Akron Beacon Journal)
-The Hawks aren't talking contract extension with either Josh Smith or Josh Childress. (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
-Golden State will probably send rookies to the D-League soon, says the San Francisco Chronicle.
-Walter Herrmann is likely to get more minutes for the Bobcats, according to the Charlotte Observer.
-Corey Maggette wants a larger role with the Clippers, says the Orange County Register.

NFL Daily Presents: Week 7 Tuneup

Get pumped, hyped, and juiced but not in the HGH way. More updates straight until game time.

Late Breaking News
-Laurence Maroney will play today for New England.
-Kerry Collins will start today for Tennessee, but Vince Young will be available as a backup for the Titans.
-ESPN's Chris Mortensen reports that Jets coach Eric Mangini has starting QB Chad Pennington on a very short leash, with backup Kellen Clemens ready to enter the game after a few bad plays. This could be a spark for a team in dire need of one.

Out Players
Javon Walker, Brandon Jones, Sammy Morris, Trent Green (IR), Eddie Kennison, Deion Branch, Steven Jackson, Dante Hall, Michael Pittman, and Andre Johnson.

Injury Report
Buf- Ryan Denney, Sam Aiken, and Ashton Youboty are out.
Bal- Trevor Pryce, Todd Heap, and Chris McAllister are out.
TB- Pittman and Chukwarah are both out.
Chi- Nathan Vasher is out.
Arz- Karlos Dansby is out.
Oak- Gerrard Warren and Sam Williams are both out.
Cin- Miller, Chatman, and Brooks are out.
Nyj- Chris Baker is out.
Ne- Benjamin Watson is out.
Hou- Orr, Gado, and Wynn are out.
Det- Alma-Francis, Woody, and Williams are out.

SOS Baseball Sunday

A story of two leagues, one chock full of activity, the other completely devoid of it. And breaking news that could be a distraction to one of the teams competing tonight.

According to a story in today's San Francisco Chronicle, Indians pitcher Paul Byrd, who won game four for Cleveland and could end up pitching this evening in game 7 reportedly bought nearly $25,000 worth of human growth hormone and syringes from a Florida anti-aging clinic. The paper said Byrd spent $24,850 to buy more than 1,000 vials of growth hormone as well as hundreds of syringes. This could cause a distraction for the Indians, who play their biggest game in a decade tonight against Boston in game seven of the ALCS. The Red Sox seem loose and brimming with confidence as they got more runs off of the seemingly invincable Fausto Carmona than he got outs. JD Drew went from goat to glory with one swing, propelling Boston to a deciding game and sending the Fenway crows into a frenzy. Cleveland will send Jake Westbrook to the mound, the former Yankees prospect who has fared well this postseason. In my mind, the most pressure will be on Japanese rookie Daisuke Matsuzaka, who will start for all the marbles. Will his huge posting fee and contract be worth it for a franchise desperate to prove that 2004 was no fluke? Cleveland has gone from red hot to reeling, and the club that puts a run on the board first will have a decided advantage, and would immediately apply a great deal of pressure on the opposition.
From so much activity to not nearly enough, the NL Champion Colorado Rockies lurk in the shadows waiting for a World Series opponent. They considered going to their Spring Training facility in Tuscon to get practice in, but there's bad weather there. So for a few days last week, they had batting practice and simulated games, trying to keep up the intensity in front of 50,000 empty seats at Coors Field. But bad weather and a chance of snow have halted those simulated games. I find that weather hard to believe, given the 70 degree temperatures in the Northeast and near disastrous drought conditions in many parts of the southeast. But Aaron Cook threw a simulated game and could be good to go for the World Series roster. Rox GM Dan O'Dowd had a talk with Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski on what to do with such a long layoff. It's admittedly tough from going to games with such high intensity to a week without any game action. The trends definitely play against Denver's Darlings, but that doesn't scare or frighten a team that have bucked every trend put before them the entire year at a historic clip. Go on ESPN.com and read a Jayson Stark article from lastn week that really shows how many things this club has had to overcome. This is just one more hurdle for Clint and co to jump over, and it seems that nothing is out of their grasps.
The Yankees will interview Don Mattingly, Joe Girardi, and Tony Pena for their managerial opening, and reporters are still camped outside of Joe Torre's house. That's absolutely absurd. Scott Boras said that where the other Yankee free agents go will greatly impact A-Rod's decision. At this point, I think that Boras is just trying to keep himself and his client in the news. I think I could work this situation out; I'll reroute the reporters to A-Rod and Boras so that Torre can have peace and Boras and A-Rod can have attention. That's why I'm king. Apparently Hank Steinbrenner has fired back at Torre, playing the opportunity card, saying that Joe's career was nothing before he was hired by the Yankees and that he wasn't trying to insult Torre with his offer.

Rumors
-The Yankees are prepared to make a big extension offer to Rodriguez, says the New York Post. Mike Lowell and Joe Crede would be other New York options.
-The Cubs would defnitely be interested in Mariano Rivera, at least for leverage purposes, according to Newsday.
-The Seattle Times reports that there's no chance that Lou Piniella would leave the Cubs to manage the Yankees.
-Larry Bowa has been offered the 3rd base coaching job in Seattle, according to the New York Times.
-The Phillies are looking to resign Tadahito Iguchi, and Pittsburgh has interviewed AAA manager John Russell for their opening. (Philadelphia Inquirer)