I'll recap yesterday's games, go through the news and notes, tell y'all what's up today, and get you inside one of the nicest big league parks with staff writer Adam Ehrenreich.
Tuesday Recap
Tampa Bay scored 11 runs in the 8th inning to beat Baltimore 15-8. Carl Crawford and Akinori Iwamura each drove in 3 for the Rays. Travis Hafner homered and drove in two as Cleveland edged Minnesota 6-5. Torii Hunter drove in 2 for the Twins. Johnny Damon hit a 2 run homer off of Daisuke Matsuzaka in the 7th to lead the Yankees past the Red Sox 5-3. Alex Gordon drove in 3 as the Royals tamed the Tigers 6-3. Texas edged the White Sox 4-3, and Toronto got 3 in the 8th to beat Oakland 5-4. The Angels scored 4 in the 8th and beat Seattle 10-6, behind 4 hits and 3 RBI's from Vladdy Guerrero.
Freddy Sanchez homered and drove in 5 as the Pirates bested the Reds 6-4. Ryan Howard hit a 2 run homer off of Guillermo Mota in the 10th inning to lead the Phillies over the Mets 4-2. Carlos Delgado accounted for the Met runs. A sac fly by Alejandro de Aza in the 11th lifted Florida past Atlanta 4-3. Jeremy Hermida drove in 2 for the Fish. The Cubs scored 4 in the 7th to best the Brewers 5-3. Jacque Jones drove in 2 for the Cubbies. Braden Looper threw 7 shutout innings and Chris Duncan drove in 4 as the Cardinals shut out the Astros 7-0. In game 2, and Adam LaRoche single in the 8th led the Pirates past the Reds 4-3. San Diego scored 6 runs off of Brandon Webb and beat the Diamondbacks 6-4. Khalil Greene and Josh Bard each drove in 2 for the Pads. Shea Hillenbrand drove in 2 as the Dodgers nipped the Nats 4-3. The Giants got 2 RBI's from Randy Winn in a 3-1 win over Colorado.
News and Notes
- Mike Mussina will be skipped in his next turn in the rotation, being replaced with highly touted prospect Ian Kennedy. He'll start Saturday against Tampa. It may be the beginning of the end to a storied Mussina career that borders on HOF but will probably fall just short.
- Ben Sheets was activated from the DL and will start tonight in a huge game against the Cubs. Milwaukke has fallen into 3rd place in the NL Central.
- Esteban Loaiza was claimed off of waivers by the Dodgers, as they try to shore up an injured and ineffective rotation. Alex Cintron was placed on the restricted list.
Wednesday On Tap
Today, Jeff Francis threw a complete game six hit shutout as the Rockies rocked the Giants 8-0. Garrett Atkins homered twice and drove in 4 for Colorado. Toronto-Oakland and Washington-Los Angeles have both gone into extra frames, and the Angels are holding a late inning lead over Seattle.
At 7 on ESPN2, Roger Clemens opposes Josh Beckett in The Bronx as the Yankees and Red Sox do battle. Rays and O's go at 7 with James Shields taking the hill for Tampa. It's Santana and Sabathia as the Twins and Indians tussle. Miller and Greinke go in a critical series for the Tigers, and Garland faces Loe deep in the heart of Texas.
Philadelphia wants to stay in the NL East race and send Jaime Moyer to the mound against Oliver Perez of the Mets. Harang and Snell go in Pittsburgh, and the Braves send Buddy Carlyle against the Marlins and Dontrelle Willis. Huge game in the NLC as Ben Sheets returns opposite Carlos Zambrano and the Cubbies. St Louis sends Kip Wells to Houston against Roy Oswalt, and Micah Owings and Greg Maddux duel at Petco.
Stubhub
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Welcome To Citizens Bank Park
As a Mets fan, I have never experienced t
he fun in going to another stadium while the Mets were the away team. Monday night as the Phillies hosted the Mets, I was there, sitting in the upper deck with first inning drunk fans and a beautiful skyline to look at.
Citizens Bank Park, which opened in 2004, is very smartly planned out. Parking is very convenient and the outside view of the stadium is unreal. When you walk in, either through the right field entrance or the left field entrance, you see the field immediately. There is an abundance of room to walk around and enjoy the experience of the park. With
a great amount of standing room and restaurants, you could go there three hours early and have something to do. The lit up Liberty Bell which swings after a home run is a very smart and entertaining idea. The bleachers are great and during batting practice you could never get so close to the players in the outfield as the wall is directly above the field in left. Overall it is a great ballpark and a fun place to visit.
The atmosphere as a baseball fan was great. Besides for the fact that it was playoff baseball in late August, the fans were really into it. There happened to be a large group of Mets fans there but a
s the game went on and I started to get cursed at, I decided to cover my Reyes shirt with my sweatshirt. I wasn't exactly in the mood to get beered. Constant cheers and being pumped up by the Philly Fanatic really shows that these fans are there to enjoy the baseball game. Even though the Mets lost, the bullpen crashed and burned and Pat Burrel decided to do a little more damage on the Mets, it was still an amazing and fun trip, well worth it.
he fun in going to another stadium while the Mets were the away team. Monday night as the Phillies hosted the Mets, I was there, sitting in the upper deck with first inning drunk fans and a beautiful skyline to look at.Citizens Bank Park, which opened in 2004, is very smartly planned out. Parking is very convenient and the outside view of the stadium is unreal. When you walk in, either through the right field entrance or the left field entrance, you see the field immediately. There is an abundance of room to walk around and enjoy the experience of the park. With
a great amount of standing room and restaurants, you could go there three hours early and have something to do. The lit up Liberty Bell which swings after a home run is a very smart and entertaining idea. The bleachers are great and during batting practice you could never get so close to the players in the outfield as the wall is directly above the field in left. Overall it is a great ballpark and a fun place to visit.The atmosphere as a baseball fan was great. Besides for the fact that it was playoff baseball in late August, the fans were really into it. There happened to be a large group of Mets fans there but a
s the game went on and I started to get cursed at, I decided to cover my Reyes shirt with my sweatshirt. I wasn't exactly in the mood to get beered. Constant cheers and being pumped up by the Philly Fanatic really shows that these fans are there to enjoy the baseball game. Even though the Mets lost, the bullpen crashed and burned and Pat Burrel decided to do a little more damage on the Mets, it was still an amazing and fun trip, well worth it.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Tuesday Football Frenzy
Frenzy Time!
Lance Briggs abandoned a vehicle that he smashed into a light pole. His $350k Lamborghini was reported stolen after he abandoned the scene and then he called a tow truck. Tell me if what Briggs did made sense? Did the tow truck Briggs called steal his totaled vehicle? Why would the truck steal a mangled car, and why would he risk framing an innocent person?
"When it happened, the first thing I did was, obviously, I panicked,"
Yeah, panicking may be an understatement. Next time you drive like a fool, use your brain. Does Drew Rosenhaus purposely hire the biggest idiots in football to be their clients?
Cowboys top CB Terrence Newman has a small tear in his plantar fascia, according to the Dallas Morning News which is bad especially for backpedaling corners. This could be a big issue for the Cowboys if he can't be as effective, because Anthony Henry and Aaron Glenn probably can't do the job as the starters. One red flag in the Big D.
Corey Simon is now a man on a mission. He signed a one year deal with the Titans today, and will face the Colts twice a year, the team that dropped him for almost no reason at all. Even owner Jim Irsay said that it was a mistake. Simon will likely make Indy pay this coming season.
Asante Samuel signed a 1 year contract tender worth 7.79 million dollars, officially ending his holdout. With that kind of cheese, what took him so long to sign? New England is always non-committal on long term deals, and Samuek may not have a bigger chance to win anywhere but with the Patriots. As always, Samuel will play lockdown jail cell defense and I expect him to match his total of 10 picks from 2k6.
The Giants went from no discussion to production with Michael Strahan. Why the double-take? Because Strahan now said that he'd like to come back, thus getting his wish (albeit a costly one) to skip camp altogether. Strahan will tell Big Blue within 2 days of whether he'll play football this year. Tom Coughlin wanted Training Camp to be quiet, but his team ended up with one large gap-toothed sideshow.
Jonathan Ogden was activated from the PUP list, and practiced today for the first time this season. As one of the greatest offensive linemen ever, I'm sure that Steve McNair and Willis McGahee are overjoyed to have seen their mammoth body guard on the field. He may not play Friday against Atlanta, but should be good to go for the season opener.
The PUP list seems to be a revolving door as Cleveland placed OL LeCharles Bentley on the list today. Bentley has been in the shop way too often for the Browns, who missed all of last season. With barely any protection, perhaps Brady Quinn should be happy that he won't start the season as the starter. Cleveland QB's better get used to being sacked more than budget conscious government workers.
Hines Ward had surgery to repair a broken nose, but will be ready for the opener. Washington released veteran DT Joe Salave'a, and placed Ross Tucker on IR. Buffalo placed OL Aaron Merz on IR with a shoulder injury.
Lance Briggs abandoned a vehicle that he smashed into a light pole. His $350k Lamborghini was reported stolen after he abandoned the scene and then he called a tow truck. Tell me if what Briggs did made sense? Did the tow truck Briggs called steal his totaled vehicle? Why would the truck steal a mangled car, and why would he risk framing an innocent person?
"When it happened, the first thing I did was, obviously, I panicked,"
Yeah, panicking may be an understatement. Next time you drive like a fool, use your brain. Does Drew Rosenhaus purposely hire the biggest idiots in football to be their clients?
Cowboys top CB Terrence Newman has a small tear in his plantar fascia, according to the Dallas Morning News which is bad especially for backpedaling corners. This could be a big issue for the Cowboys if he can't be as effective, because Anthony Henry and Aaron Glenn probably can't do the job as the starters. One red flag in the Big D.
Corey Simon is now a man on a mission. He signed a one year deal with the Titans today, and will face the Colts twice a year, the team that dropped him for almost no reason at all. Even owner Jim Irsay said that it was a mistake. Simon will likely make Indy pay this coming season.
Asante Samuel signed a 1 year contract tender worth 7.79 million dollars, officially ending his holdout. With that kind of cheese, what took him so long to sign? New England is always non-committal on long term deals, and Samuek may not have a bigger chance to win anywhere but with the Patriots. As always, Samuel will play lockdown jail cell defense and I expect him to match his total of 10 picks from 2k6.
The Giants went from no discussion to production with Michael Strahan. Why the double-take? Because Strahan now said that he'd like to come back, thus getting his wish (albeit a costly one) to skip camp altogether. Strahan will tell Big Blue within 2 days of whether he'll play football this year. Tom Coughlin wanted Training Camp to be quiet, but his team ended up with one large gap-toothed sideshow.
Jonathan Ogden was activated from the PUP list, and practiced today for the first time this season. As one of the greatest offensive linemen ever, I'm sure that Steve McNair and Willis McGahee are overjoyed to have seen their mammoth body guard on the field. He may not play Friday against Atlanta, but should be good to go for the season opener.
The PUP list seems to be a revolving door as Cleveland placed OL LeCharles Bentley on the list today. Bentley has been in the shop way too often for the Browns, who missed all of last season. With barely any protection, perhaps Brady Quinn should be happy that he won't start the season as the starter. Cleveland QB's better get used to being sacked more than budget conscious government workers.
Hines Ward had surgery to repair a broken nose, but will be ready for the opener. Washington released veteran DT Joe Salave'a, and placed Ross Tucker on IR. Buffalo placed OL Aaron Merz on IR with a shoulder injury.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Around The Majors- Monday
School has started, and that means that baseball's regular season is hitting the stretch run. The weekend brought some heavy impact and one team has pulled out some Donald Trumps to send a message. Yesterday's recap, today's news and notes, and what's on tap for today is what's going down today on ATM.
Sunday Recap
Detroit hit 3 homers and scored their 5 runs on 4 hits in a 5-4 win over Phil Hughes and the Yankees. Curtis Granderson led off the 1st with an inside thr park homer. Erik Bedard had a rare rought outing as the Twins blasted Baltimore 11-3 to complete the sweep. Bartlett, Redmond, and White each drove in 2 for Minnesota. Carlos Pena homered twice and drove in 3 as the Rays beat the A's 7-4. Tampa got 7 strikeouts from starter Andy Sonnanstine. Boston got 6 solid frames from Julian Taverez and walloped the White Sox 11-1. Pedroia, Ortiz, and Kielty each drove in 2 for the Red Sox. Cleveland got RBI singles from Hafner and Martinez in the 11th to edge Kansas City 5-3. Escobar outdueled McGowan as the Angels beat the Blue Jays 3-1. Byrd and Sosa each drove in 2 as the Rangers defeated Seattle 5-3.
The Reds scored 6 in the first and mauled the Marlins 9-3. Ryan Jorgensen had a first inning grand slam for Cincy. Padres starter Tim Stauffer gave up a team record 11 earned runs in a 14-2 loss to Philadelphia. Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth each drove in 4 runs for the Phils. Ty Wigginton drove in 2 as Houston beat the Pirates 5-3. Adam Wainwright pitched the Cardinals past the Braves 4-1. Colorado scored 6 in the 3rd to weather Washington 10-5. Holliday and Tulowitzki each drove in 3 for the Rockies. Randy Winn and Guillermo Rodriguez each drove in 2 as the Giants edged the Brewers 5-4. Ryan Braun had a 3 run homer for Milwaukee. Chris Young homered twice and drove in 4 as the Diamondbacks got a much needed 5-4 win over the Cubs. David Wells got the win in his Dodgers debut as Los Angeles defeated the Mets 6-2. Pierre and Kemp each drove in 2 for the Dodgers.
News and Notes
- One day after retiring Jeff Bagwell's number 5, the Astros fired manager Phil Garner and GM Tim Purpura. Bench coach Cecil Cooper will be the interrim skipper, and president Tal Smith will currently serve as the temporary GM.
- Alfonso Soriano will be back in the lineup tomorrow for the Cubs in a huge series against the Brewers, according to manager Lou Piniella.
- Phils ace Cole Hamels has started his rehab and hopes to be back on the 3rd of September.
- Redefining a comedy of errors, the AAA Syracuse Chiefs (Toronto) made 10 errors in one game, and almost won! They fell 12-10 in 10 innings to the Ottawa Lynx (Philadelphia).
- Pete Orr up, and Joey Devine down for Atlanta. Detroit placed both Gary Sheffield and Jair Jurrjens on the DL, and called up Zach Miner and Timo Perez in their steads.
Monday On Tap
In a makeup game, the White Sox got 5 runs in the 7th inning on 4 home runs to beat Tampa Bay 5-4. Delmon Young had a 2 run shot for the Rays.
At 7 on ESPN2, the Yankees send struggling Mike Mussina to the hill against Justin Verlander and the Tigers. Silva and Byrd tussle as the Twins and Tribe open a series at the Jake. Burnett and Loaiza go in Oakland, and the Angels and Mariners open up a huge series with Lackey facing Batista.
The Phillies need wins over the Mets, JD Durbin faces Brian Lawrence. Atlanta is in Florida, and Arizona and San Diego open up a bigtime series, Livan Hernandez goes up against Jake Peavy. Los Angeles sends Derek Lowe to the mound against Washignton, and Josh Fogg faces Barry Zito as the Giants and Rockies open up a set by the Bay.
- ESPN senior writer Jayson Stark told SprungOnSports the rational behind the Cubs' recent acquisition of Craig Monroe.
"They're 12-19 against lefthanded starters. And Monroe is hitting .302, with an .858 OPS, vs. lefthanders. So he's there to be a platoon piece in the puzzle. They're not bringing him in thinking he's going to be Mark Teixeira." Maybe not an impact piece, but someone who can definitely impact a tight NL Central race.
Sunday Recap
Detroit hit 3 homers and scored their 5 runs on 4 hits in a 5-4 win over Phil Hughes and the Yankees. Curtis Granderson led off the 1st with an inside thr park homer. Erik Bedard had a rare rought outing as the Twins blasted Baltimore 11-3 to complete the sweep. Bartlett, Redmond, and White each drove in 2 for Minnesota. Carlos Pena homered twice and drove in 3 as the Rays beat the A's 7-4. Tampa got 7 strikeouts from starter Andy Sonnanstine. Boston got 6 solid frames from Julian Taverez and walloped the White Sox 11-1. Pedroia, Ortiz, and Kielty each drove in 2 for the Red Sox. Cleveland got RBI singles from Hafner and Martinez in the 11th to edge Kansas City 5-3. Escobar outdueled McGowan as the Angels beat the Blue Jays 3-1. Byrd and Sosa each drove in 2 as the Rangers defeated Seattle 5-3.
The Reds scored 6 in the first and mauled the Marlins 9-3. Ryan Jorgensen had a first inning grand slam for Cincy. Padres starter Tim Stauffer gave up a team record 11 earned runs in a 14-2 loss to Philadelphia. Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth each drove in 4 runs for the Phils. Ty Wigginton drove in 2 as Houston beat the Pirates 5-3. Adam Wainwright pitched the Cardinals past the Braves 4-1. Colorado scored 6 in the 3rd to weather Washington 10-5. Holliday and Tulowitzki each drove in 3 for the Rockies. Randy Winn and Guillermo Rodriguez each drove in 2 as the Giants edged the Brewers 5-4. Ryan Braun had a 3 run homer for Milwaukee. Chris Young homered twice and drove in 4 as the Diamondbacks got a much needed 5-4 win over the Cubs. David Wells got the win in his Dodgers debut as Los Angeles defeated the Mets 6-2. Pierre and Kemp each drove in 2 for the Dodgers.
News and Notes
- One day after retiring Jeff Bagwell's number 5, the Astros fired manager Phil Garner and GM Tim Purpura. Bench coach Cecil Cooper will be the interrim skipper, and president Tal Smith will currently serve as the temporary GM.
- Alfonso Soriano will be back in the lineup tomorrow for the Cubs in a huge series against the Brewers, according to manager Lou Piniella.
- Phils ace Cole Hamels has started his rehab and hopes to be back on the 3rd of September.
- Redefining a comedy of errors, the AAA Syracuse Chiefs (Toronto) made 10 errors in one game, and almost won! They fell 12-10 in 10 innings to the Ottawa Lynx (Philadelphia).
- Pete Orr up, and Joey Devine down for Atlanta. Detroit placed both Gary Sheffield and Jair Jurrjens on the DL, and called up Zach Miner and Timo Perez in their steads.
Monday On Tap
In a makeup game, the White Sox got 5 runs in the 7th inning on 4 home runs to beat Tampa Bay 5-4. Delmon Young had a 2 run shot for the Rays.
At 7 on ESPN2, the Yankees send struggling Mike Mussina to the hill against Justin Verlander and the Tigers. Silva and Byrd tussle as the Twins and Tribe open a series at the Jake. Burnett and Loaiza go in Oakland, and the Angels and Mariners open up a huge series with Lackey facing Batista.
The Phillies need wins over the Mets, JD Durbin faces Brian Lawrence. Atlanta is in Florida, and Arizona and San Diego open up a bigtime series, Livan Hernandez goes up against Jake Peavy. Los Angeles sends Derek Lowe to the mound against Washignton, and Josh Fogg faces Barry Zito as the Giants and Rockies open up a set by the Bay.
- ESPN senior writer Jayson Stark told SprungOnSports the rational behind the Cubs' recent acquisition of Craig Monroe.
"They're 12-19 against lefthanded starters. And Monroe is hitting .302, with an .858 OPS, vs. lefthanders. So he's there to be a platoon piece in the puzzle. They're not bringing him in thinking he's going to be Mark Teixeira." Maybe not an impact piece, but someone who can definitely impact a tight NL Central race.
Baseball Prospects Who Might Have Some Impact in the Future
As the pennant races around baseball are heating up, many rookies are contributing to help their teams cause. Players such as 3B Ryan Braun of the Brewers (.334 AVG, 25 HR, 66 RBI), SS Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies (.296 AVG, 18 HR, 72 RBI), CF Chris B. Young of the Diamondbacks (.236 AVG, 28 HR, 51 RBI, 21 SB), and Yankee Phenoms RP Joba Chamberlain(9 IP, 3 Hits, 15 K's, 0.00 ERA) and SP Phil Hughes (2 Wins, 38.2 IP, 5.35 ERA, 1.22 WHIP) are all trying to help their respective teams make the playoffs. Teams are now relying on their younger players to make impacts, rather than trading them for one great player before the deadline. This means more minor leaguers will be called upon to help their teams make the playoffs for years to come. Here are a few prospects who might help their teams make the playoffs in 2008 and beyond.
Jeff Clement, Catcher, Seattle Mariners.
Drafted out of USC in 2005, Clement has looked good in the minor leagues. This year he is hitting .268 with 19 HR and 74 RBI for AAA Tacoma. Clement should be ready to come to the majors soon, but C Kenji Johjima is behind the plate for the Mariners. If the Mariners want Clements bat in the lineup they will have to open up another position for him, but his future will definitly be behind home plate at some point for the Mariners. He might get a September call up when the rosters expand on September First, but he will make an impact in the 2008 season for the Mariners.
Jay Bruce, OF, Cincinnati Reds.
Bruce has been surging through the Reds farm system this year and has made it up from high class A all the way up to AAA. No matter where he has been in the minors, Bruce has been hitting. He is a power hitting OF and is considered as a good defensive OF. Bruce will take over for Adam Dunn when Dunn leaves as a free agent. If the Reds want to make a run at the playoffs like they did in 2006, they will need Bruce to produce like he has done in the minors.
Reid Brignac, SS, and Evan Longoria, 3B, Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
The reason I put both together is because the Devil Rays will need both of these prospects to have major impacts if they will ever compete with the Red Sox and the Yankees. Brignac is a power hitting SS who is struggling in AA this year, but in 2006 he hit 24 HR between A and AA while hitting over .300. Longoria was the Devil Rays first round pick last year and has done nothing but hit since signing. This year between AA and AAA he has hit 24 HR while maintaining a .300 AVG and a .400 OBP. He could get a September callup this year and he will eventually force Akinori Iwamura over to play 2B. Longoria and Brignac could have the type of impact that Jose Reyes and David Wright have for the Mets. The Devil Rays will need them and the rest of their young talent to produce if the want to win the AL East.
Jeff Clement, Catcher, Seattle Mariners.
Drafted out of USC in 2005, Clement has looked good in the minor leagues. This year he is hitting .268 with 19 HR and 74 RBI for AAA Tacoma. Clement should be ready to come to the majors soon, but C Kenji Johjima is behind the plate for the Mariners. If the Mariners want Clements bat in the lineup they will have to open up another position for him, but his future will definitly be behind home plate at some point for the Mariners. He might get a September call up when the rosters expand on September First, but he will make an impact in the 2008 season for the Mariners.
Jay Bruce, OF, Cincinnati Reds.
Bruce has been surging through the Reds farm system this year and has made it up from high class A all the way up to AAA. No matter where he has been in the minors, Bruce has been hitting. He is a power hitting OF and is considered as a good defensive OF. Bruce will take over for Adam Dunn when Dunn leaves as a free agent. If the Reds want to make a run at the playoffs like they did in 2006, they will need Bruce to produce like he has done in the minors.
Reid Brignac, SS, and Evan Longoria, 3B, Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
The reason I put both together is because the Devil Rays will need both of these prospects to have major impacts if they will ever compete with the Red Sox and the Yankees. Brignac is a power hitting SS who is struggling in AA this year, but in 2006 he hit 24 HR between A and AA while hitting over .300. Longoria was the Devil Rays first round pick last year and has done nothing but hit since signing. This year between AA and AAA he has hit 24 HR while maintaining a .300 AVG and a .400 OBP. He could get a September callup this year and he will eventually force Akinori Iwamura over to play 2B. Longoria and Brignac could have the type of impact that Jose Reyes and David Wright have for the Mets. The Devil Rays will need them and the rest of their young talent to produce if the want to win the AL East.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Sunday Football Fix
The season is only two weeks away, and the 3rd preseason game means that the players stay in the longest. I'll recap those games and go through the latest news here on the Fix.
Week 3 Recap
David Garrard outperformed Byron Leftwich as Jacksonville won at Green Bay 21-13. Garrard was 6/7 with a TD while Leftwich was 6/16. Brett Favre was a solid 14/20 and James Jones had 6 catches for 80 yards in the loss. Drew Brees was 17/19 passing as the Saints slammed the Chiefs 30-7. Pierre Thomas ran for 2 scores and David Patten caught a TD pass from Brees in the win. Titans QB's were the difference as Kerry Collins threw for 2 scores and Vince Young had a rushing and passing TD as Tennessee bested Buffalo 28-17. LenDale White had a solid game, and Lee Evans caught 5 for 100 in the losing cause for the Bills. Tom Brady celebrated his new son in style as he went 17/22 with 2 scores as the Patriots pasted the Panthers 24-7. Delhomme outperformed Carr for Carolina, and Jake threw a 48 yard TD strike to Keary Colbert in the loss. Oakland doubled up the Rams 20-10 in the battle of the former LA teams. Peyton Manning and Jim Sorgi went a combined 39/50 with 5 TD's as the Colts clobbered the Lions 37-10. Wayne, Thorpe, Clark, Moorehead, and Harrison each had TD catches for Indy. Bruce Gradkowski threw for 2 scores as the Bucs beat Miami 31-28. Rookie John Beck threw for 2 scores in the loss. Chicago beat the 49ers by the same score, as they got 3 catches for 79 yards from Bernard Berrian. The Jets jolted the Giants 20-12 in the battle for New York. Eli Manning played well, but the play of the game was a 79 yard TD connection between Chad Pennington and Leon Washington. Washington beat Baltimore 13-7 in a game that only went 3 quarters due to inclement weather. A pick 6 from Dallas Sartz was the difference in the contest. Steve McNair performed well for the Ravens. Houston downed Dallas 28-16 as Romo and Schaub each threw 2 TD's for their clubs. Ahman Green had 8 carries for 65 yards in the Texans win. Cleveland nipped Denver 17-16, as Brady Quinn had a TD pass 20 yards to Joshua Cribbs. Selvin Young and Cecil Sapp each had excellent games for Denver in defeat. Seattle mauled Minnesota 30-13. The Chargers clipped the Cardinals in a 33-31 shootout in the desert. Phillip Rivers has 20/29 for 282 and 2 TD's, both to Vincent Jackson. Anquan Boldin caught 5 passes for 143 yards, including an 80 yard score from Matt Leinart.
News and Notes
-According to Browns GM Phil Savage, Brady Quinn will not open the season as the starting QB for Cleveland. "It's unrealistic for Brady to be in the mix for the opener,"
Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson will compete for the season opening nod.
- The Falcons will seek 22 million dollars in bonuses from Michael Vick, who will be in court for a trial tomorrow. Vick was suspended indefinitely on Friday by Commissioner Roger Goodell, who had this comment about Vick's behavior.
"Not only illegal but also cruel and reprehensible. Your actions in funding the betting and your association with illegal gambling both violate the terms of your NFL player contract and expose you to corrupting influences in derogation of one of the most fundamental responsibilities of an NFL player.'' 'Nuff said.
- One team that will name a starting QB are the Chiefs, who named Damon Huard as their starter as Brodie Croyle went 5/17 passing in their last game. Somehow, those numbers don't spell starter, in spells out a nice amount of time riding the bench.
- Jacksonville signed LB Chris Claiborne to a 1 year deal.
- Dwight Freeney bruised his thigh against the Lions, and probably won't play against the Bengals on Friday.
- Carolina 3rd string QB Brett Basanez was placed on IR with a severely sprained right wrist, and will miss the entire season.
Steelers and Eagles at 8 on NBC, Bengals-Falcons tomorrow night on ESPN.
Week 3 Recap
David Garrard outperformed Byron Leftwich as Jacksonville won at Green Bay 21-13. Garrard was 6/7 with a TD while Leftwich was 6/16. Brett Favre was a solid 14/20 and James Jones had 6 catches for 80 yards in the loss. Drew Brees was 17/19 passing as the Saints slammed the Chiefs 30-7. Pierre Thomas ran for 2 scores and David Patten caught a TD pass from Brees in the win. Titans QB's were the difference as Kerry Collins threw for 2 scores and Vince Young had a rushing and passing TD as Tennessee bested Buffalo 28-17. LenDale White had a solid game, and Lee Evans caught 5 for 100 in the losing cause for the Bills. Tom Brady celebrated his new son in style as he went 17/22 with 2 scores as the Patriots pasted the Panthers 24-7. Delhomme outperformed Carr for Carolina, and Jake threw a 48 yard TD strike to Keary Colbert in the loss. Oakland doubled up the Rams 20-10 in the battle of the former LA teams. Peyton Manning and Jim Sorgi went a combined 39/50 with 5 TD's as the Colts clobbered the Lions 37-10. Wayne, Thorpe, Clark, Moorehead, and Harrison each had TD catches for Indy. Bruce Gradkowski threw for 2 scores as the Bucs beat Miami 31-28. Rookie John Beck threw for 2 scores in the loss. Chicago beat the 49ers by the same score, as they got 3 catches for 79 yards from Bernard Berrian. The Jets jolted the Giants 20-12 in the battle for New York. Eli Manning played well, but the play of the game was a 79 yard TD connection between Chad Pennington and Leon Washington. Washington beat Baltimore 13-7 in a game that only went 3 quarters due to inclement weather. A pick 6 from Dallas Sartz was the difference in the contest. Steve McNair performed well for the Ravens. Houston downed Dallas 28-16 as Romo and Schaub each threw 2 TD's for their clubs. Ahman Green had 8 carries for 65 yards in the Texans win. Cleveland nipped Denver 17-16, as Brady Quinn had a TD pass 20 yards to Joshua Cribbs. Selvin Young and Cecil Sapp each had excellent games for Denver in defeat. Seattle mauled Minnesota 30-13. The Chargers clipped the Cardinals in a 33-31 shootout in the desert. Phillip Rivers has 20/29 for 282 and 2 TD's, both to Vincent Jackson. Anquan Boldin caught 5 passes for 143 yards, including an 80 yard score from Matt Leinart.
News and Notes
-According to Browns GM Phil Savage, Brady Quinn will not open the season as the starting QB for Cleveland. "It's unrealistic for Brady to be in the mix for the opener,"
Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson will compete for the season opening nod.
- The Falcons will seek 22 million dollars in bonuses from Michael Vick, who will be in court for a trial tomorrow. Vick was suspended indefinitely on Friday by Commissioner Roger Goodell, who had this comment about Vick's behavior.
"Not only illegal but also cruel and reprehensible. Your actions in funding the betting and your association with illegal gambling both violate the terms of your NFL player contract and expose you to corrupting influences in derogation of one of the most fundamental responsibilities of an NFL player.'' 'Nuff said.
- One team that will name a starting QB are the Chiefs, who named Damon Huard as their starter as Brodie Croyle went 5/17 passing in their last game. Somehow, those numbers don't spell starter, in spells out a nice amount of time riding the bench.
- Jacksonville signed LB Chris Claiborne to a 1 year deal.
- Dwight Freeney bruised his thigh against the Lions, and probably won't play against the Bengals on Friday.
- Carolina 3rd string QB Brett Basanez was placed on IR with a severely sprained right wrist, and will miss the entire season.
Steelers and Eagles at 8 on NBC, Bengals-Falcons tomorrow night on ESPN.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
U.S. Open Tennis Preview
The American Grand Slam event takes place from this Monday up until Sunday, September 9th. The hard, blue court makes for fast excellent Tennis and the fans are among the rabid in the world. The electrifying atmosphere that is the Open Championship is vastly underrated because the sport is far from mainstream. All the matches are played basically next to each other at the same time, making it a crazed heaven for Tennis junkies. Imagine the NCAA Tournament all played at one site. I went to first and second round matches last year, and became hooked. Woman's 11th seed Patty Schnyder, loves the atmosphere at Flushing Meadows.
"I think it's great. " Schnyder said. "There are so many fans from different countries come to support us. People travel from all over the world."
On the ladies side, the Swiss support Schnyder, and of course Roger Federer on the men's side. Spain, France, and Russia all have big time stars on their side traveling to the events and matches. Justin Henin is the top seed on the womens side, and all of Belgium greatly support their biggest Tennis star. Expect a quarterfinal matchup with either 8th seed Serena Williams, or French 10 seed Marion Bartoli. The Serbain women have really made named for themselves on tour, and 3rd seed Jelena Jankovic highlights the 2nd section. Her countrymate and 5th seed Ana Ivanovic is at the bottom of the bracket, and is a force to be reckoned with. She's 3-1 head to head with Jankovic. 14th seed Elena Dementieva and 12th seed Venus Williams would make for a great 3rd round match and would be potential spoilers for the Serbs. Russian 7th seed Nadia Petrova leads the 3rd section, and could face either 9th seed Slovokian Daniela Hantuchova, or 16 seed Martina Hingis, who has vast experience in New York. 4th seeded Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova has an easy draw on the bottom of the bracket. Russian 6th seed Anna Chakvetadze is at the top of the bracket, but could run into trouble in the 3rd round with the 26th seed Sania Mirza. The Indian has made headlines worldwide for her nationality and stellar play. Schnyder and 13th seeded Czech Nicole Vaidisova could also be threats in the round of 16. 2nd seed Maria Sharapova is on the bottom of the bracket along with 18th seeded Israeli Shahar Pe'er.
On the mens side, the big story is the emergence of another Serbian named Novack Djokovic. The 3rd seed is coming on really strong and is quickly rising to the levels of the top two in Federer and Rafael Nadal. Tennis Magazine Senior Editor Peter Bodo analyzes Djokovic's game, and points out that he's a big threat to the top two.
"Novak is a huge threat. The crazy thing is, neither I nor a number of people I know were surprised that Djokovic beat the top 3 players in the world in back-to-back matches in Montreal just three weeks ago. I think the biggest thing that Djokovic needs in order to beat Federer as well as Nadal is a slightly greater willingness to attack. On the other hand, he's been holding his own as a kind of all-court power-based liner just fine, and there's no doubt that his progression towards the top has been orderly as well as predictable. But yeah, I've been saying this kid is the real deal since before he was."
Federer is the top seed in the first section, and will have to likely play a tough wild card Rainer Schuettler in round two. 21st seeded Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero will likely be his first test, and 13th seed Richard Gasquet or 9 seed Tomas Berdych could be next. Young American Donald Young could foil the 13th seeded Frenchman. Ultimately though, 5th seed Andy Roddick is set to face Federer in the quarterfinal, which would be a finals worthy matchup because Roddick plays so well on hardcourt with his powerful serves.
4th seeded Nikolay Davydenko leads the 2nd section, and will likely face the tough German Nicolas Kiefer in the 2nd round. Rising Brit and 19 seed Andy Murray will be a threat to Davydenko, but experienced Swede Jonas Bjorkman will challange the powerful Murray. 10th seeded German Tommy Haas is also in the section, and could face tough Slovak Dominik Hrbaty early on. 18th seeded Marcos Baghdatis will also be a threat, but will likely take on Sebastian Grosjean in roun two. They will likely have to take on the man at the bottom of the bracket, 6th seeded American James Blake.
8th seeded Spaniard Tommy Robredo leads section 3, and will run into a hot Mardy Fish in round two, who's having a great Pilot Pen tournament in Connecticut. Robredo will also be challanged by fellow countryman and 17 seed Carlos Moya. 11th seeded Russian Mikhail Youzhny will also be a threat, and will have a great 3rd round match against 16th seeded Australian Lleyton Hewitt, if Hewitt can get by American Amer Delic in round one. Djokovic headlines the bottom of the bracket as the 3rd seed, and could face a 2nd round test from Radek Stepanek, 23rd seed Juan Monaco, or 31st seed Jurgen Melzer.
Chilean 7th seed Fernando Gonzalez is at the top of section 4, but will be really challanged in round two against American Robby Ginepri. Gonzalez will also be challanged by 25th seed Marat Safin, who has a lot of major experience. Croatian 12th seed Ivan Ljubicic and 15th seed David Ferrer could also be opponents for Gonzalez in the round of 16. The bottom of the bracket belongs to 2nd seed Rafael Nadal, who has never won at the US Open. On his side is the tough 24th seeded David Nalbandian. The best match in the first round comes on this side, as 27th seeded Russian Dmitry Tursonov faces British hero Tim Henman.
Watch the ESPN family of networks and CBS for all the fantastic and exciting action at the Open. You won't want to miss it. Stay here at SprungOnSports for daily Open updates on sprungonsports.blogspot.com
"I think it's great. " Schnyder said. "There are so many fans from different countries come to support us. People travel from all over the world."
On the ladies side, the Swiss support Schnyder, and of course Roger Federer on the men's side. Spain, France, and Russia all have big time stars on their side traveling to the events and matches. Justin Henin is the top seed on the womens side, and all of Belgium greatly support their biggest Tennis star. Expect a quarterfinal matchup with either 8th seed Serena Williams, or French 10 seed Marion Bartoli. The Serbain women have really made named for themselves on tour, and 3rd seed Jelena Jankovic highlights the 2nd section. Her countrymate and 5th seed Ana Ivanovic is at the bottom of the bracket, and is a force to be reckoned with. She's 3-1 head to head with Jankovic. 14th seed Elena Dementieva and 12th seed Venus Williams would make for a great 3rd round match and would be potential spoilers for the Serbs. Russian 7th seed Nadia Petrova leads the 3rd section, and could face either 9th seed Slovokian Daniela Hantuchova, or 16 seed Martina Hingis, who has vast experience in New York. 4th seeded Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova has an easy draw on the bottom of the bracket. Russian 6th seed Anna Chakvetadze is at the top of the bracket, but could run into trouble in the 3rd round with the 26th seed Sania Mirza. The Indian has made headlines worldwide for her nationality and stellar play. Schnyder and 13th seeded Czech Nicole Vaidisova could also be threats in the round of 16. 2nd seed Maria Sharapova is on the bottom of the bracket along with 18th seeded Israeli Shahar Pe'er.
On the mens side, the big story is the emergence of another Serbian named Novack Djokovic. The 3rd seed is coming on really strong and is quickly rising to the levels of the top two in Federer and Rafael Nadal. Tennis Magazine Senior Editor Peter Bodo analyzes Djokovic's game, and points out that he's a big threat to the top two.
"Novak is a huge threat. The crazy thing is, neither I nor a number of people I know were surprised that Djokovic beat the top 3 players in the world in back-to-back matches in Montreal just three weeks ago. I think the biggest thing that Djokovic needs in order to beat Federer as well as Nadal is a slightly greater willingness to attack. On the other hand, he's been holding his own as a kind of all-court power-based liner just fine, and there's no doubt that his progression towards the top has been orderly as well as predictable. But yeah, I've been saying this kid is the real deal since before he was."
Federer is the top seed in the first section, and will have to likely play a tough wild card Rainer Schuettler in round two. 21st seeded Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero will likely be his first test, and 13th seed Richard Gasquet or 9 seed Tomas Berdych could be next. Young American Donald Young could foil the 13th seeded Frenchman. Ultimately though, 5th seed Andy Roddick is set to face Federer in the quarterfinal, which would be a finals worthy matchup because Roddick plays so well on hardcourt with his powerful serves.
4th seeded Nikolay Davydenko leads the 2nd section, and will likely face the tough German Nicolas Kiefer in the 2nd round. Rising Brit and 19 seed Andy Murray will be a threat to Davydenko, but experienced Swede Jonas Bjorkman will challange the powerful Murray. 10th seeded German Tommy Haas is also in the section, and could face tough Slovak Dominik Hrbaty early on. 18th seeded Marcos Baghdatis will also be a threat, but will likely take on Sebastian Grosjean in roun two. They will likely have to take on the man at the bottom of the bracket, 6th seeded American James Blake.
8th seeded Spaniard Tommy Robredo leads section 3, and will run into a hot Mardy Fish in round two, who's having a great Pilot Pen tournament in Connecticut. Robredo will also be challanged by fellow countryman and 17 seed Carlos Moya. 11th seeded Russian Mikhail Youzhny will also be a threat, and will have a great 3rd round match against 16th seeded Australian Lleyton Hewitt, if Hewitt can get by American Amer Delic in round one. Djokovic headlines the bottom of the bracket as the 3rd seed, and could face a 2nd round test from Radek Stepanek, 23rd seed Juan Monaco, or 31st seed Jurgen Melzer.
Chilean 7th seed Fernando Gonzalez is at the top of section 4, but will be really challanged in round two against American Robby Ginepri. Gonzalez will also be challanged by 25th seed Marat Safin, who has a lot of major experience. Croatian 12th seed Ivan Ljubicic and 15th seed David Ferrer could also be opponents for Gonzalez in the round of 16. The bottom of the bracket belongs to 2nd seed Rafael Nadal, who has never won at the US Open. On his side is the tough 24th seeded David Nalbandian. The best match in the first round comes on this side, as 27th seeded Russian Dmitry Tursonov faces British hero Tim Henman.
Watch the ESPN family of networks and CBS for all the fantastic and exciting action at the Open. You won't want to miss it. Stay here at SprungOnSports for daily Open updates on sprungonsports.blogspot.com
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