New features in the SCS this week, since many of you are bitching about the fact that I'm not explaining why I'm placing teams where they are. I'm going to explain why I place teams where they are. So instead of reviewing the week & then giving you my list, I'll give you my list & then review the week, team by team.
As always, for last weeks SCStandings, click on "Shark Championship Standings Week II" on the right.
1. USC 8-0 (last week: 1)
2. Texas 8-0 (lw: 2)
3. Virginia Tech 8-0 (lw: 3)
4. Alabama 8-0 (lw: 4)
5. LSU 6-1 (lw: 7)
6. UCLA 8-0 (lw: 8)
7. Notre Dame 5-2 (lw: 6)
8. Miami 5-1 (lw: 9)
9. Ohio State 6-2 (lw: 10)
10. Penn State 8-1 (lw: 11)
11. Florida State 7-1 (lw: 12)
12. Florida 5-2 (lw: 15)
13. Georgia 7-1 (lw: 4)
14. Wisconsin 8-1 (lw: 13)
15. Michigan 6-3 (lw: unr)
USC is #1 until they are beaten, that's how we roll at thesharkey.com.
Although Vince Young played great, it was just Oklahoma State, and they didn't really blow them out. Just a matter of time before VaTech passes Texas in the SCS.
VaTech with a good win against a good Boston College team. If they can win out, they'll surely be #2. As for Boston College, the loss drops them out of the Top 15, but just barely.
Alabama with a dominating win over a weak Utah State. You all laughed at me for putting 'Bama ahead of Georgia last week. Who's laughing now?
LSU & UCLA. I'm sure many are questioning the placement of LSU over undefeated UCLA, but it's justified. All UCLA had to do was beat a weak Stanford with semi-ease. It didn't have to be a blowout, but OT wasn't good for them either. They proved poise in coming from behind & pulling it out, but they shouldn't have found themselves in that position in the first place. LSU, on the other hand, dominated North Texas, as they well should have. They find themselves in the midst of an 11 week stretch with 11 games, and are two weeks away from a showdown with Alabama that will decide who gets to play in the SEC Championship. They'll win that game, and will play in the SEC Championship.
Notre Dame had a bye.
Miami, Ohio State, Penn State & Florida State all played good games on Saturday, and with Georgia losing, all were deserving of moving up a spot. Miami avenged last years debacle against UNC. Ohio State & Penn State beat two good Big Ten opponents. They were tough games that shouldn't have been easy wins, but both teams made them look fairly easy, in the end. And Florida State had a nice win against a very tough Maryland opponent, and with only Clemson & NC State left on their ACC schedule, should be able to reach the ACC Championship with ease.
Florida continues to climb in the polls after beating Georgia. Sure, Georgia didn't have their starting QB, but a loss is a loss, and in a rivalry this big, emotion should have been enough to will this team to victory. It wasn't. And with the toughest part of Florida's SEC schedule done with, and Auburn looming for Georgia in two weeks, the Bulldogs had better be careful, or they won't even make the SEC Championship.
Wisconsin falls a spot despite winning this week. The fall has less to do with them and more to do with the fact that they beat Illinois, and not by too much, plus in a head to head matchup, Georgia & Florida would both beat the Badgers.
Michigan makes its SCS debut. Two wins against ranked teams in the last three weeks, coupled with a three game winning streak makes them the surprise pick for the 15th spot. This team is playing inspired football lately, and is very much alive in the ultra-tight Big Ten. Oregon & West Virginia are arguably two better choices for an SCS spot, but with both teams being on byes, they couldn't move into the SCS. Lucky for them, with Michigan on a bye next week, a good win for either team should propel one of them into the Top 15.
Monday, October 31, 2005
Thursday, October 27, 2005
The NFC East
So I had a lot of great ideas about what I could say about the NFC East & such, but I'm tired. Real tired. And tomorrow morning I have to drive 5 hours to Boston in a car that has a "check engine" light that turns itself on every 40 miles or so. So I'm not happy. Just tired.
Of course, once I get to Boston & am with all my old college roommates I will be happy, and tired. But until then, just tired.
So instead of writing out all my thoughts "column" style like I did in that insanely long Notre Dame post of yesterday (yes, I apologize about that. I have no idea how it got so long), I'm just going to do this ramblings style.
*Does anyone actually read all this crap I'm saying, or am I just wasting my time? Let me know, because regardless of if I get any answers, I'm still doing this. Good exercise.
*Giants-Redskins on Sunday, can't wait. First of four divisional games for the Giants in the next 7 weeks. What a huge seven weeks these are going to be. If they can go 4-3 in them, 8-5 is a pretty place to be sitting. If they can go 5-2 over the next six weeks, 9-4 is a glorious little position. Of course, 3-4 for a 7-6 record isn't too shabby consider where this team is. But still, the three non-division games in those 7 weeks are Minnesota, San Fran & Green Bay. I honestly see no reason why the Gmen can't go 3-0 in those games & 2-2 in division games. They'll beat the Cowboys at home. Hopefully take the Redskins game. Am I getting greedy in praying for a split with the Eagles in those games? OK, seriously, I don't think they'll go 6-1. As much as 10-3 excites me, I don't see it happening. I'll settle for 7-6, I'm expecting 8-5.
*The Eagles are probably playing the worst football of any team in this division & they still have to be considered the favorites. Eventually McNabb might go into a coma during a huddle, I don't know. But until that point, an effective McNabb with Westbrook, T.O. & Andy Reid has to be the favorites in the NFC East.
*Yes, I'll admit, I never thought the Redskins would be 4-2. Yours truly here thought they'd finish 5-11 this season. I don't see that happening, but I'm still not buying into them yet. Not sure why, there's just something about them I don't like. Might have something to do with the fact that I haven't watched a single minute of a Redskins game all season. Regardless, 7-8 wins for this team is still my projected total. Of course, that may all change on Sunday afternoon. I'm hoping Sunday's game will convert some of you to my way of thinking, though. We'll see.
*Lastly, the Cowboys, the one team in professional sports I grew up hating more then any other. These aren't the Cowboys I used to hate. It pains me to admit I was actually rooting for them two weeks ago in the Eagles game. I promise that'll never happen again. Simply because I'm never going to watch another Eagles-Cowboys game.
*You may be saying wait a minute, he skipped talking about the Cowboys as a team this year in that little paragraph. Well, you're right, I did. I can't figure that team out for the life of me. Unfortunately I've seen like 5 of their games this year, and I just don't know. It wouldn't surprise me to see them go 7-2 down the stretch, or 6-3. At the same time, 2-7 wouldn't surprise me either. I can't figure them out. They scare me, but not really.
*So there you have it. All the great things I had to say about the NFC East, and I didn't say them. This freaking post is still a lot longer then I expected, and I didn't say half the crap I wanted to. Oh well.
*But, on the plus side, from now until the end of the season, there is only one week (week 12) where there isn't at least one NFC East head-to-head matchup. So that will make each week fun to pay attention to. This division is totally up in the air, and every week from here until the end will play a large roll in determining who gets this division.
*Oh yea, and week 12, when there isn't an NFC East game, that's Thanksgiving weekend, so that weekend is going to be great anyway. God, I can't believe Thanksgiving is four weeks from today. That's just scary.
Goodnight, I'm off to Boston. Don't miss me when I'm gone, I'll be back for your reading entertainment on Tuesday.
Of course, once I get to Boston & am with all my old college roommates I will be happy, and tired. But until then, just tired.
So instead of writing out all my thoughts "column" style like I did in that insanely long Notre Dame post of yesterday (yes, I apologize about that. I have no idea how it got so long), I'm just going to do this ramblings style.
*Does anyone actually read all this crap I'm saying, or am I just wasting my time? Let me know, because regardless of if I get any answers, I'm still doing this. Good exercise.
*Giants-Redskins on Sunday, can't wait. First of four divisional games for the Giants in the next 7 weeks. What a huge seven weeks these are going to be. If they can go 4-3 in them, 8-5 is a pretty place to be sitting. If they can go 5-2 over the next six weeks, 9-4 is a glorious little position. Of course, 3-4 for a 7-6 record isn't too shabby consider where this team is. But still, the three non-division games in those 7 weeks are Minnesota, San Fran & Green Bay. I honestly see no reason why the Gmen can't go 3-0 in those games & 2-2 in division games. They'll beat the Cowboys at home. Hopefully take the Redskins game. Am I getting greedy in praying for a split with the Eagles in those games? OK, seriously, I don't think they'll go 6-1. As much as 10-3 excites me, I don't see it happening. I'll settle for 7-6, I'm expecting 8-5.
*The Eagles are probably playing the worst football of any team in this division & they still have to be considered the favorites. Eventually McNabb might go into a coma during a huddle, I don't know. But until that point, an effective McNabb with Westbrook, T.O. & Andy Reid has to be the favorites in the NFC East.
*Yes, I'll admit, I never thought the Redskins would be 4-2. Yours truly here thought they'd finish 5-11 this season. I don't see that happening, but I'm still not buying into them yet. Not sure why, there's just something about them I don't like. Might have something to do with the fact that I haven't watched a single minute of a Redskins game all season. Regardless, 7-8 wins for this team is still my projected total. Of course, that may all change on Sunday afternoon. I'm hoping Sunday's game will convert some of you to my way of thinking, though. We'll see.
*Lastly, the Cowboys, the one team in professional sports I grew up hating more then any other. These aren't the Cowboys I used to hate. It pains me to admit I was actually rooting for them two weeks ago in the Eagles game. I promise that'll never happen again. Simply because I'm never going to watch another Eagles-Cowboys game.
*You may be saying wait a minute, he skipped talking about the Cowboys as a team this year in that little paragraph. Well, you're right, I did. I can't figure that team out for the life of me. Unfortunately I've seen like 5 of their games this year, and I just don't know. It wouldn't surprise me to see them go 7-2 down the stretch, or 6-3. At the same time, 2-7 wouldn't surprise me either. I can't figure them out. They scare me, but not really.
*So there you have it. All the great things I had to say about the NFC East, and I didn't say them. This freaking post is still a lot longer then I expected, and I didn't say half the crap I wanted to. Oh well.
*But, on the plus side, from now until the end of the season, there is only one week (week 12) where there isn't at least one NFC East head-to-head matchup. So that will make each week fun to pay attention to. This division is totally up in the air, and every week from here until the end will play a large roll in determining who gets this division.
*Oh yea, and week 12, when there isn't an NFC East game, that's Thanksgiving weekend, so that weekend is going to be great anyway. God, I can't believe Thanksgiving is four weeks from today. That's just scary.
Goodnight, I'm off to Boston. Don't miss me when I'm gone, I'll be back for your reading entertainment on Tuesday.
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
The Irish Win A BCS Game
Who would have guessed we'd see those words a few months ago? When Charlie Weis took over the program, everybody knew it was on the rise. We all knew Darius Walker was going to be a great RB. And that Brady Quinn would improve.
I'm not sure everyone thought it would happen this quickly, though. Weis had a core group of players who weren't seniors this year that he could take his time into molding into the players he wanted them to become, including, but not limited to Brady Quinn, Darius Walker, Maurice Stovall, Jeff Samardzija, Tom Zibikowski, Victor Abiamiri, Travis Leitko, Asaph Schwap, Travis Thomas, Chinedum Udukwe, David Grimes & basically every offensive linemen. And yes, since I know you're asking yourself this, all of these players have been significant in turning Notre Dame into a great team this year. Some more then others. And there are some very key people missing from this list, including all starting LB's, but the point remains, Weis had a solid foundation in which most people thought he'd have turned into a title contender next year, or the year after.
But not this year. Sure, they aren't a title contender this year, but realistically, until Matt Leinart fumbled out of bounds two weeks ago, they were. But still, they are leaps & bounds better this year then most people predicted. That's why, 10 weeks from now when they win the Fiesta Bowl, there are going to be a lot of surprised people. And even more then that, there are going to be a lot of pissed off college fans who hate the idea that Notre Dame will once again be a national player. Unfortunately for a lot of schools, Notre Dame has a national recruiting class. They are one of the few schools that don't just get players from around their state & the neighboring states. If there is a significant ballplayer in any of the 50 states, Notre Dame can get them. And now that they are back, they will begin to, again. But we'll save that for another posting on some gloomy February day when there is nothing else to talk about.
Right now, we're talking about the Irish winning one of four BCS Bowls. I know you all don't believe it, but it's true.
Right now the Irish are 15th in the BCS rankings. They are a 5-2 team. But they are going to be a 9-2 team very soon. Next weekend they play the Volunteers. And having two weeks to prepare for them, this team is going to be able to march up & down the field on them. The same can't be said for that Volunteer offense, so while this will be a highly hyped game, it won't deliver like UT-OSU or ND-USC did. It won't be entertaining.
After the Vols game, the Irish have Navy, Stanford & Syracuse left on their schedule. It's not even worth getting into these games because they won't be close. The Irish will put up at least 200 points in their last 4 games, while running their record up to 9-2 with ease.
And in doing so, they will raise themselves in the BCS standings from 15th to at least 12th. They'll most likely finish in the 7-10 range when all is said & done.
Now, we know USC, Texas, Virginia Tech & West Virginia have bids locked up because they are all going to win their conferences. That leaves two conference champions & two at-larges left. I have a hard time believe either Georgia or Alabama will be left out of the BCS, so that takes away a conference championship & an at-large. The only other conference is the Big Ten. With the way they are all beating each other up this year, whoever ends up winning it will likely have two losses, and the second place team will be out of the running for an at-large bid. For this article's sake, we'll say Penn State gets the Big Ten Championship, because that's what I believe is going to happen.
We're now down to one at-large bid. The SEC already has Bama & Georgia in the BCS, they won't get a third team. The Big East is lucky to have one team in, they won't get a second. Big XII doesn't have any other team that has any realistic shot at getting a bid. Big Ten is out. That leaves the Pac-10 #2, the ACC #2 & Notre Dame as the remaining players.
UCLA is the Pac-10 #2, but unfortunately for them, USC just beat them handily on December 3rd, so they've dropped a few spots, and have fallen out of the BCS picture. That leaves the ACC. Boston College & Miami both lost in November to Virginia Tech. Coupled with their previous losses, they are eliminated. That leaves just Florida State, who Virginia Tech beat in the ACC Championship. Realistically, they are a decent choice for the 8th spot.
But this is the Irish we're talking about here. Notre Dame. You must finish in the BCS Top 12 to qualify for an at-large bid. They've done that. They've garnered all sorts of National attention with Charlie Weis, Brady Quinn & that USC Classic in October. They're 9-2. They're the most popular football team in the country, possibly in the world. When it comes down to it, greed will win out. The Irish are going to win that 8th spot, because that is what America is going to want to see.
So now we have the Rose Bowl for the National Championship. USC plays VaTech. Don't flip out on me now, I'll explain this sometime next week. Texas vs Alabama in the Orange Bowl. West Virginia vs Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.
And the feel good bowl of the year, the Fiesta Bowl. Notre Dame vs Penn State. The ultimate return to glory bowl. Neither team was giving a snowballs chance in hell to get a BCS game, but they both made it. Joe-Pa vs Charlie Weis. It'll definitely be a great game.
Just one thing. If Charlie Weis could dream up that brilliant gameplan against USC in just two weeks, what is he going to do against a less dominant PSU team with 5 weeks to prepare?
I don't care who the Irish play in their Bowl Game, they are going to come out better prepared then any other team in that last week of December/first week of January. And it may be close, but the Irish will take it in the end, regardless of opponent.
And I can't wait. Because once that happens, Weis has the task of convincing Quinn, Samardzija & Stovall to return for one more year so the Irish can win the National Championship next season.
I'm not sure everyone thought it would happen this quickly, though. Weis had a core group of players who weren't seniors this year that he could take his time into molding into the players he wanted them to become, including, but not limited to Brady Quinn, Darius Walker, Maurice Stovall, Jeff Samardzija, Tom Zibikowski, Victor Abiamiri, Travis Leitko, Asaph Schwap, Travis Thomas, Chinedum Udukwe, David Grimes & basically every offensive linemen. And yes, since I know you're asking yourself this, all of these players have been significant in turning Notre Dame into a great team this year. Some more then others. And there are some very key people missing from this list, including all starting LB's, but the point remains, Weis had a solid foundation in which most people thought he'd have turned into a title contender next year, or the year after.
But not this year. Sure, they aren't a title contender this year, but realistically, until Matt Leinart fumbled out of bounds two weeks ago, they were. But still, they are leaps & bounds better this year then most people predicted. That's why, 10 weeks from now when they win the Fiesta Bowl, there are going to be a lot of surprised people. And even more then that, there are going to be a lot of pissed off college fans who hate the idea that Notre Dame will once again be a national player. Unfortunately for a lot of schools, Notre Dame has a national recruiting class. They are one of the few schools that don't just get players from around their state & the neighboring states. If there is a significant ballplayer in any of the 50 states, Notre Dame can get them. And now that they are back, they will begin to, again. But we'll save that for another posting on some gloomy February day when there is nothing else to talk about.
Right now, we're talking about the Irish winning one of four BCS Bowls. I know you all don't believe it, but it's true.
Right now the Irish are 15th in the BCS rankings. They are a 5-2 team. But they are going to be a 9-2 team very soon. Next weekend they play the Volunteers. And having two weeks to prepare for them, this team is going to be able to march up & down the field on them. The same can't be said for that Volunteer offense, so while this will be a highly hyped game, it won't deliver like UT-OSU or ND-USC did. It won't be entertaining.
After the Vols game, the Irish have Navy, Stanford & Syracuse left on their schedule. It's not even worth getting into these games because they won't be close. The Irish will put up at least 200 points in their last 4 games, while running their record up to 9-2 with ease.
And in doing so, they will raise themselves in the BCS standings from 15th to at least 12th. They'll most likely finish in the 7-10 range when all is said & done.
Now, we know USC, Texas, Virginia Tech & West Virginia have bids locked up because they are all going to win their conferences. That leaves two conference champions & two at-larges left. I have a hard time believe either Georgia or Alabama will be left out of the BCS, so that takes away a conference championship & an at-large. The only other conference is the Big Ten. With the way they are all beating each other up this year, whoever ends up winning it will likely have two losses, and the second place team will be out of the running for an at-large bid. For this article's sake, we'll say Penn State gets the Big Ten Championship, because that's what I believe is going to happen.
We're now down to one at-large bid. The SEC already has Bama & Georgia in the BCS, they won't get a third team. The Big East is lucky to have one team in, they won't get a second. Big XII doesn't have any other team that has any realistic shot at getting a bid. Big Ten is out. That leaves the Pac-10 #2, the ACC #2 & Notre Dame as the remaining players.
UCLA is the Pac-10 #2, but unfortunately for them, USC just beat them handily on December 3rd, so they've dropped a few spots, and have fallen out of the BCS picture. That leaves the ACC. Boston College & Miami both lost in November to Virginia Tech. Coupled with their previous losses, they are eliminated. That leaves just Florida State, who Virginia Tech beat in the ACC Championship. Realistically, they are a decent choice for the 8th spot.
But this is the Irish we're talking about here. Notre Dame. You must finish in the BCS Top 12 to qualify for an at-large bid. They've done that. They've garnered all sorts of National attention with Charlie Weis, Brady Quinn & that USC Classic in October. They're 9-2. They're the most popular football team in the country, possibly in the world. When it comes down to it, greed will win out. The Irish are going to win that 8th spot, because that is what America is going to want to see.
So now we have the Rose Bowl for the National Championship. USC plays VaTech. Don't flip out on me now, I'll explain this sometime next week. Texas vs Alabama in the Orange Bowl. West Virginia vs Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.
And the feel good bowl of the year, the Fiesta Bowl. Notre Dame vs Penn State. The ultimate return to glory bowl. Neither team was giving a snowballs chance in hell to get a BCS game, but they both made it. Joe-Pa vs Charlie Weis. It'll definitely be a great game.
Just one thing. If Charlie Weis could dream up that brilliant gameplan against USC in just two weeks, what is he going to do against a less dominant PSU team with 5 weeks to prepare?
I don't care who the Irish play in their Bowl Game, they are going to come out better prepared then any other team in that last week of December/first week of January. And it may be close, but the Irish will take it in the end, regardless of opponent.
And I can't wait. Because once that happens, Weis has the task of convincing Quinn, Samardzija & Stovall to return for one more year so the Irish can win the National Championship next season.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Shark Championship Standings Week II
Ahhh yes, the second-coming of the SCS. That is to say, the second week of them. They're not Christ-like, at least not yet.
These are the SCS's here, folks, not the BCS. So those of you thinking you're going to see Texas at #1, think again. Here in thesharkey camp, we believe the #1 team is the #1 team until proven otherwise. Sure, USC only played Washington, but they still dominated the game start to finish. That's no reason to drop them a spot.
And to all the critics questioning the placement of Notre Dame at #6, I ask you this: Which of the teams below Notre Dame would you put the house on to beat ND in a Bowl Game right now, with Charlie Weis & Co. having a month to gameplan for it? I can't think of any. In fact, and this may just be Irish-bias, I could see ND rising as high as 4 in the SCS at some point, but not while there are 5 other undefeated teams ahead of them.
And yes, I'm aware UCLA is still undefeated & still below the Irish. But they are rising in this weeks polls, and will have their shot at glory soon enough.
Lastly, before I get to the rankings themselves, I'd like to take a moment to recognize Wellington Mara, who passed away today. The man not only made the NFL what it is today, but also college football, to a lesser degree. Rip Duke.
Now, onto the rankings. Last week's can be viewed by clicking the "Shark Championship Standings" link on the right.
1. USC 7-0 (last week: 1)
2. Texas 7-0 (lw: 2)
3. Virginia Tech 7-0 (lw: 3)
4. Alabama 7-0 (lw: 5)
5. Georgia 7-0 (lw: 4)
6. Notre Dame 5-2 (lw: 6)
7. LSU 5-1 (lw: 7)
8. UCLA 7-0 (lw: 12)
9. Miami 4-1 (lw: 9)
10: Ohio State 5-2 (lw: 10)
11. Penn State 7-1 (lw: 11)
12. Florida State 6-1 (lw: 8)
13. Wisconsin 7-1 (lw: 14)
14. Boston College 7-1 (lw: 15)
15. Florida 4-2 (lw: unr)
Honorable mention to Rutgers for my buddy Logan. He's a Rangers, Knicks, Mets & 9ers fan, so he deserves a little light in his miserable sports life. Rutgers @ the Insight Bowl should help a bit.
These are the SCS's here, folks, not the BCS. So those of you thinking you're going to see Texas at #1, think again. Here in thesharkey camp, we believe the #1 team is the #1 team until proven otherwise. Sure, USC only played Washington, but they still dominated the game start to finish. That's no reason to drop them a spot.
And to all the critics questioning the placement of Notre Dame at #6, I ask you this: Which of the teams below Notre Dame would you put the house on to beat ND in a Bowl Game right now, with Charlie Weis & Co. having a month to gameplan for it? I can't think of any. In fact, and this may just be Irish-bias, I could see ND rising as high as 4 in the SCS at some point, but not while there are 5 other undefeated teams ahead of them.
And yes, I'm aware UCLA is still undefeated & still below the Irish. But they are rising in this weeks polls, and will have their shot at glory soon enough.
Lastly, before I get to the rankings themselves, I'd like to take a moment to recognize Wellington Mara, who passed away today. The man not only made the NFL what it is today, but also college football, to a lesser degree. Rip Duke.
Now, onto the rankings. Last week's can be viewed by clicking the "Shark Championship Standings" link on the right.
1. USC 7-0 (last week: 1)
2. Texas 7-0 (lw: 2)
3. Virginia Tech 7-0 (lw: 3)
4. Alabama 7-0 (lw: 5)
5. Georgia 7-0 (lw: 4)
6. Notre Dame 5-2 (lw: 6)
7. LSU 5-1 (lw: 7)
8. UCLA 7-0 (lw: 12)
9. Miami 4-1 (lw: 9)
10: Ohio State 5-2 (lw: 10)
11. Penn State 7-1 (lw: 11)
12. Florida State 6-1 (lw: 8)
13. Wisconsin 7-1 (lw: 14)
14. Boston College 7-1 (lw: 15)
15. Florida 4-2 (lw: unr)
Honorable mention to Rutgers for my buddy Logan. He's a Rangers, Knicks, Mets & 9ers fan, so he deserves a little light in his miserable sports life. Rutgers @ the Insight Bowl should help a bit.
Saturday, October 22, 2005
The Central Time Zone Series
I refuse to acknowledge this years World Series. I just can't. These playoffs have been too unpredictable. Usually that's a good thing, it adds excitement. Not this year. This year they've been flat out boring. In fact, other then the 9th inning of game 5 of the NLCS, you can argue that this has been the worst postseason in baseball history. I think it has been.
But yet, the games go on. Supposedly there is a World Series about to be played, starting tomorrow night. I refuse to acknowledge it. I don't want anything to do with it. Nothing against the two teams, but this series isn't even deserving of the title "World Series". That should be saved for a series that brings excitement.
This brings none. It's the other Chicago team, or the other Sox team, with the 3rd-rate "curse", against the Astros, who defied all logic & won game 6 handily, thus screwing up what could have been a magical game 7.
I want no part of it.
I refuse to recognize the World Series. I refuse to tune in to see Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio or Frank Thomas finally get what they believe is a world series ring. I refuse to capitalize world series anymore in this post. I refuse to watch a great pitching matchup in game 1. Or another great matchup in game 2. I refuse to get sucked into a 7 game series which may have less then 10 total runs scored. I refuse to enjoy the fact that we have totally fresh blood in the World Series for the first time since 2002. I refuse to get joy out of watching two long suffering fanbases finally get theirs. I refuse to get sucked into the hype that this series will deliver in a way in which the previous 6 (of 2005) couldn't.
And I refuse to believe that Chicago will finally have a World Series title, which, when added to the First Sox title from last year, will probably make Cubs fans more insane & suicidal then they already are.
Yea, I refuse to get caught up in any of the hoopla, because as far as I'm concerned baseball is over until next April.
Which is a very depressing thought. Thank God we've got 7 great games ahead of us before that cold truth becomes a reality.
But yet, the games go on. Supposedly there is a World Series about to be played, starting tomorrow night. I refuse to acknowledge it. I don't want anything to do with it. Nothing against the two teams, but this series isn't even deserving of the title "World Series". That should be saved for a series that brings excitement.
This brings none. It's the other Chicago team, or the other Sox team, with the 3rd-rate "curse", against the Astros, who defied all logic & won game 6 handily, thus screwing up what could have been a magical game 7.
I want no part of it.
I refuse to recognize the World Series. I refuse to tune in to see Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio or Frank Thomas finally get what they believe is a world series ring. I refuse to capitalize world series anymore in this post. I refuse to watch a great pitching matchup in game 1. Or another great matchup in game 2. I refuse to get sucked into a 7 game series which may have less then 10 total runs scored. I refuse to enjoy the fact that we have totally fresh blood in the World Series for the first time since 2002. I refuse to get joy out of watching two long suffering fanbases finally get theirs. I refuse to get sucked into the hype that this series will deliver in a way in which the previous 6 (of 2005) couldn't.
And I refuse to believe that Chicago will finally have a World Series title, which, when added to the First Sox title from last year, will probably make Cubs fans more insane & suicidal then they already are.
Yea, I refuse to get caught up in any of the hoopla, because as far as I'm concerned baseball is over until next April.
Which is a very depressing thought. Thank God we've got 7 great games ahead of us before that cold truth becomes a reality.
Thursday, October 20, 2005
The World I Know
Sorry for the lack of updates, I'm at a loss for words lately. Everything I know about sports has changed since I started this damned website.
Let's review, shall we...
*The New York Yankees & Boston Red Sox both lost in the first round of the playoffs.
*Jose Contreras, Freddy Garcia, Jon Garland & Mark Buerhle became the most dominant pitching staff in nearly a decade.
*The New York Rangers are on pace to win the Presidents Trophy for NHL Regular Season Champion.
*The ever nimble Matt Leinart ran the ball twice in the final 10 seconds of a game his team was losing in order to win the game, instead of handing off to one of his two all-world RBs, or kicing a FG & going into an OT where the inexperienced ND would surely screw up & lose the game before USC would.
*Martin Brodeur has been revealed to be human.
*Eli Manning, in trying to escape a sack last week, used a spin move, which worked, and then threw the ball 20 yards downfield into triple coverage for a completion. He did this with 30 seconds left in the game. While down by 7 points. On the road. Against a defense that had held him to 55 yards in the previous 59 minutes.
*He followed that play up with a 26 yard strike for a game tying TD connection with Jeremy Shockey.
*The previous two prove that suddenly Eli Manning is clutch, even though still going through growing pains? Huh?
*The Anaheim Angels roll over & die in a way that Mike Scoscia would never permit, which means somebody has kidnapped Mike Scoscia.
*Mark Brunell to Santana Moss is the most lethal QB to Wr combo in the NFL.
*The 2-3 Detroit Lions are in first place, while the 3-2 Philadelphia Eagles are in last place.
*Cubs fans are rooting for the White Sox (or, atleast they were, until the Cardinals got eliminated.
*The 3-2 New York football Giants, after getting embarrassed all game long against the Dallas Cowboys, now host the red-hot Denver Broncos, arguably the second best team in the NFL, and the Giants are 3 point favorites.
*And lastly, the Houston Astros get the life taken right out of them on Monday night, and have a full 48 hours to think about how they let a great oppurtunity slip away, and then instead of playing dead for two games, like 99.9% of other teams in that situation would have, they roll last night to their first ever World Series appearance.
So forgive me for refusing to acknowledge that there is a World Series about to begin in two days. A preview for it you will not get from me. I'm having a hard enough time grasping what's going on in the sports world as it is, I don't need another big series to come into play. Anything I may say about it will be completely wrong, anyway.
That said, I expect LaDainian Tomlinson to have another 7 TD performance FRIDAY NIGHT against the Dolphins, in what will be the beginning of the sports world I know returning to normal.
Is that normal?
Let's review, shall we...
*The New York Yankees & Boston Red Sox both lost in the first round of the playoffs.
*Jose Contreras, Freddy Garcia, Jon Garland & Mark Buerhle became the most dominant pitching staff in nearly a decade.
*The New York Rangers are on pace to win the Presidents Trophy for NHL Regular Season Champion.
*The ever nimble Matt Leinart ran the ball twice in the final 10 seconds of a game his team was losing in order to win the game, instead of handing off to one of his two all-world RBs, or kicing a FG & going into an OT where the inexperienced ND would surely screw up & lose the game before USC would.
*Martin Brodeur has been revealed to be human.
*Eli Manning, in trying to escape a sack last week, used a spin move, which worked, and then threw the ball 20 yards downfield into triple coverage for a completion. He did this with 30 seconds left in the game. While down by 7 points. On the road. Against a defense that had held him to 55 yards in the previous 59 minutes.
*He followed that play up with a 26 yard strike for a game tying TD connection with Jeremy Shockey.
*The previous two prove that suddenly Eli Manning is clutch, even though still going through growing pains? Huh?
*The Anaheim Angels roll over & die in a way that Mike Scoscia would never permit, which means somebody has kidnapped Mike Scoscia.
*Mark Brunell to Santana Moss is the most lethal QB to Wr combo in the NFL.
*The 2-3 Detroit Lions are in first place, while the 3-2 Philadelphia Eagles are in last place.
*Cubs fans are rooting for the White Sox (or, atleast they were, until the Cardinals got eliminated.
*The 3-2 New York football Giants, after getting embarrassed all game long against the Dallas Cowboys, now host the red-hot Denver Broncos, arguably the second best team in the NFL, and the Giants are 3 point favorites.
*And lastly, the Houston Astros get the life taken right out of them on Monday night, and have a full 48 hours to think about how they let a great oppurtunity slip away, and then instead of playing dead for two games, like 99.9% of other teams in that situation would have, they roll last night to their first ever World Series appearance.
So forgive me for refusing to acknowledge that there is a World Series about to begin in two days. A preview for it you will not get from me. I'm having a hard enough time grasping what's going on in the sports world as it is, I don't need another big series to come into play. Anything I may say about it will be completely wrong, anyway.
That said, I expect LaDainian Tomlinson to have another 7 TD performance FRIDAY NIGHT against the Dolphins, in what will be the beginning of the sports world I know returning to normal.
Is that normal?
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
The New Curse
So after the Astros absolutely fell apart in the 9th inning last night, I had a million ideas on things I could say about the game. And predictions for the final two games. But I was exhausted and had to get up at the crack of dawn for a lovely 13 hour work day, so I decided to put it off a day.
Now I'm ready to type this, and everything I've thought about has already been written by hundreds of sportswriters across America.
Damn them and they're paying jobs. It's not my fault they get to sit around the house all day in their boxers & put up unoriginal thoughts before I do. I have to make a living, this thing is only secondary. So many of my original ideas seem like ripoffs by them time they're posted (not the Shark Championship Standings though, I ripped nothing off on that one, and have yet to be ripped off myself).
That doesn't change the fact that what I'm about to say is 100% shark. The other writers stole the ideas from me. Kind of like that car that's driving in front of you on the ride home, and 6 turns later they're still in front of you. This is when you realize they're following you, except they're in front of you. Damn them, how'd they pull that off?
Anyway, that's not the point. The point is, the Astros season ended last night. Sure, teams have been absolutely demoralized before, and somehow come back a night or two later and overcome that. But not often. And teams that do that are special. The Astros haven't shown anything all season that resembles special. Effecient, hell yea. Special? No.
So now, after the most heartbreaking sports loss in at least a year, arguably many years, the Astros have sit around on their asses all day just thinking about what could have been. One strike from the World Series. One strike from four days off preparing for the Chicago White Sox. One strike from Jeff Bagwell & Craig Biggio finally getting there. One strike from the city finally getting there. Hell, one strike from Texas finally getting there, since the state hasn't gotten there yet.
But then a single passed the third baseman. Then a walk. And then the most definite homerun in major league history. I think 90% of the country knew that ball was gone as Pujols started swinging, before he even made contact, that's how powerful that blast was.
And now Houston is silent. They're sitting. The memories are stirring. 1980. 1986. 2004. 2005?
Right now is about the time they start to ask themselves if they can overcome something like this. And once you start asking that question, you might as well break the socks off the 3 woods, because you're finished.
The Cardinals, on the other hand, know how to win. They've been here before. Just last year they were down 3-2 going back to Busch Stadium, and after an epic game 6 win, a game 7 victory over Roger Clemens was a cakewalk.
Last year, the Astros were down after that game 6 loss, but they weren't out. This year they're not only down AND out, but they're dead. You could see it on the players faces when Pujols hit that homerun. Andy Pettite's "Oh My God" says it all.
So, starting tomorrow, the Astros send arguably the greatest young pitcher to the mound, followed by arguably the greatest pitcher of alltime in game 7, "if necessary," and statistically that alone should give them an advantage.
But it won't matter. One of two things will happen. One, the Astros will play it close tomorrow, perhaps even leading as deep into the game as the 5th or 6th innings, before one or two shaky plays destroy their psyche, and they lose the game and forget to show up for game 7. Or two, they're already forgotten there's another game to be played. In this case, tomorrow could get very out of hand, 8, 9, 10 runs for the Cardinals, before the Astros remember to play ball. Then they'll make a game out of game 7 before falling behind late in the game once again, and being unable to come back.
Either way, the result is the same. The St Louis Cardinals are back-to-back National League Champions, and the Houston Astros are asking themselves if something happened on a fall October day in 2004, when they lost a 12 inning game 6 in which they could have clinched the playoffs, while across the country the cursed Red Sox did the improbable and sent their series vs the Yanks to game 7. Was a curse passed?
Many people, mostly insane Red Sox fans (another subject for another day), think they have successfully passed the curse of the bambino onto the Yankees. But what if the curse of the lovable losers was passed from the Red Sox to the Astros?
Unlikely, I think, since curses are a ridiculous suggestion in the first place. But nevertheless, there's something depressing about watching this Astros ballclub fall apart again & again.
Now I'm ready to type this, and everything I've thought about has already been written by hundreds of sportswriters across America.
Damn them and they're paying jobs. It's not my fault they get to sit around the house all day in their boxers & put up unoriginal thoughts before I do. I have to make a living, this thing is only secondary. So many of my original ideas seem like ripoffs by them time they're posted (not the Shark Championship Standings though, I ripped nothing off on that one, and have yet to be ripped off myself).
That doesn't change the fact that what I'm about to say is 100% shark. The other writers stole the ideas from me. Kind of like that car that's driving in front of you on the ride home, and 6 turns later they're still in front of you. This is when you realize they're following you, except they're in front of you. Damn them, how'd they pull that off?
Anyway, that's not the point. The point is, the Astros season ended last night. Sure, teams have been absolutely demoralized before, and somehow come back a night or two later and overcome that. But not often. And teams that do that are special. The Astros haven't shown anything all season that resembles special. Effecient, hell yea. Special? No.
So now, after the most heartbreaking sports loss in at least a year, arguably many years, the Astros have sit around on their asses all day just thinking about what could have been. One strike from the World Series. One strike from four days off preparing for the Chicago White Sox. One strike from Jeff Bagwell & Craig Biggio finally getting there. One strike from the city finally getting there. Hell, one strike from Texas finally getting there, since the state hasn't gotten there yet.
But then a single passed the third baseman. Then a walk. And then the most definite homerun in major league history. I think 90% of the country knew that ball was gone as Pujols started swinging, before he even made contact, that's how powerful that blast was.
And now Houston is silent. They're sitting. The memories are stirring. 1980. 1986. 2004. 2005?
Right now is about the time they start to ask themselves if they can overcome something like this. And once you start asking that question, you might as well break the socks off the 3 woods, because you're finished.
The Cardinals, on the other hand, know how to win. They've been here before. Just last year they were down 3-2 going back to Busch Stadium, and after an epic game 6 win, a game 7 victory over Roger Clemens was a cakewalk.
Last year, the Astros were down after that game 6 loss, but they weren't out. This year they're not only down AND out, but they're dead. You could see it on the players faces when Pujols hit that homerun. Andy Pettite's "Oh My God" says it all.
So, starting tomorrow, the Astros send arguably the greatest young pitcher to the mound, followed by arguably the greatest pitcher of alltime in game 7, "if necessary," and statistically that alone should give them an advantage.
But it won't matter. One of two things will happen. One, the Astros will play it close tomorrow, perhaps even leading as deep into the game as the 5th or 6th innings, before one or two shaky plays destroy their psyche, and they lose the game and forget to show up for game 7. Or two, they're already forgotten there's another game to be played. In this case, tomorrow could get very out of hand, 8, 9, 10 runs for the Cardinals, before the Astros remember to play ball. Then they'll make a game out of game 7 before falling behind late in the game once again, and being unable to come back.
Either way, the result is the same. The St Louis Cardinals are back-to-back National League Champions, and the Houston Astros are asking themselves if something happened on a fall October day in 2004, when they lost a 12 inning game 6 in which they could have clinched the playoffs, while across the country the cursed Red Sox did the improbable and sent their series vs the Yanks to game 7. Was a curse passed?
Many people, mostly insane Red Sox fans (another subject for another day), think they have successfully passed the curse of the bambino onto the Yankees. But what if the curse of the lovable losers was passed from the Red Sox to the Astros?
Unlikely, I think, since curses are a ridiculous suggestion in the first place. But nevertheless, there's something depressing about watching this Astros ballclub fall apart again & again.
Monday, October 17, 2005
Shark Championship Standings
Before we get to the first ever SCS, a few thoughts on Notre Dame-USC...
*It lived up to the hype...
*Notre Dame got every call it needed throughout the game. It was starting to get ridiculous...
*Reggie Bush really is a once in a lifetime specimen at RB...
*Brady Quinn will be a better NFL QB then Matt Leinart will...
*As an Irish fan, I can't even complain about how that game ended. The game was just too damn good to tarnish with cries of foul & crap like that...
*Not only was that the greatest regular season game in college football history, but it may be the greatest regular season game in sports history when all is said & done.
Now, onto the standings...
With the mess the BCS has made these last few years in dealing with the National Championship, I've taken it upon myself to make my own polls. And then at the end of the year, a 4-team playoff to decide the champion.
I'm still in negotiations with the NCAA, trying to get them to recognize my poll as a legitimate one. I'm hoping eventually they will, but right now things aren't looking too good. But just in case they decide to recognize it, I bring you the polls starting this week.
How is this determined? No idea. I'm making this up as I go. Keep in mind I've been an Irish fan my entire life, but I've never really paid attention to college football as a whole until this year. So this may be a shaky operation these first few weeks until I figure things out.
Of course, I'm the only member of the media right now voting in the SCS, but if you'd like to give your votes & opinions for any weeks from here on out, feel free to do so.
Week One Shark Championship Standings:
1. USC 6-0
2. Texas 6-0
3. Virginia Tech 6-0
4. Georgia 6-0
5. Alabama 6-0
6. Notre Dame 4-2
7. LSU 4-1
8. Florida State 5-1
9. Miami 4-1
10. Ohio State 4-2
11. Penn State 6-1
12. UCLA 6-0
13. Texas Tech 6-0
14. Wisconsin 6-1
15. Boston College 6-1
*It lived up to the hype...
*Notre Dame got every call it needed throughout the game. It was starting to get ridiculous...
*Reggie Bush really is a once in a lifetime specimen at RB...
*Brady Quinn will be a better NFL QB then Matt Leinart will...
*As an Irish fan, I can't even complain about how that game ended. The game was just too damn good to tarnish with cries of foul & crap like that...
*Not only was that the greatest regular season game in college football history, but it may be the greatest regular season game in sports history when all is said & done.
Now, onto the standings...
With the mess the BCS has made these last few years in dealing with the National Championship, I've taken it upon myself to make my own polls. And then at the end of the year, a 4-team playoff to decide the champion.
I'm still in negotiations with the NCAA, trying to get them to recognize my poll as a legitimate one. I'm hoping eventually they will, but right now things aren't looking too good. But just in case they decide to recognize it, I bring you the polls starting this week.
How is this determined? No idea. I'm making this up as I go. Keep in mind I've been an Irish fan my entire life, but I've never really paid attention to college football as a whole until this year. So this may be a shaky operation these first few weeks until I figure things out.
Of course, I'm the only member of the media right now voting in the SCS, but if you'd like to give your votes & opinions for any weeks from here on out, feel free to do so.
Week One Shark Championship Standings:
1. USC 6-0
2. Texas 6-0
3. Virginia Tech 6-0
4. Georgia 6-0
5. Alabama 6-0
6. Notre Dame 4-2
7. LSU 4-1
8. Florida State 5-1
9. Miami 4-1
10. Ohio State 4-2
11. Penn State 6-1
12. UCLA 6-0
13. Texas Tech 6-0
14. Wisconsin 6-1
15. Boston College 6-1
Friday, October 14, 2005
The Jeweled Shillelagh
Ahh yes, it's been cold & crappy lately. Macy's has Christmas trees up. The movie theater was playing Christmas Carols yesterday. And it's ND-USC this weekend. Everyone's favorite time of year.
Wait, what? It's not Thanksgiving weekend?
I swear, Christmas is going to start on July 5th pretty soon. It keeps getting pushed up more & more each year. Hell, we're only two weeks away from the start of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's winter tour, and the start of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, or whatever it's called now-a-days. Christmas has now merged with Fall AND Winter, to join with Spring & Summer as the three seasons of the year.
"What's your favorite season?"
"Summer..."
"Weird, I'm a personal fan of Christmas."
Anyway, USC-ND is this weekend, because every few years, for whatever reason, these two teams play in the middle of October instead of in the last week of the season. I have no complaints. I don't care when they play, just so long as they play.
I was trying to remember the last time I was this pumped up for a sports game. In all my years, I can only think of maybe 7 or 8 games where I was anywhere near as excited for them as I am for tomorrow's game. The last being the Devils-Senators 2003 East Championship Game 7. I didn't even get this excited about any of the Finals Games vs the Ducks, probably because by that point the Devils were the closest thing to a Dynasty hockey had seen since the Oilers, and I never took the Ducks seriously.
But anyway, the point is, I'm pumped for this game. One minute, I think the Irish actually have a chance to beat the #1 Trojans tomorrow. The other minute, I know that's just false hope and that they're going to lose. But either way, I'm excited.
USC has been the #1 team in the country for 25 straight weeks or something like that. What more fitting way then to lose that distinction then to be beaten by their biggest rival, in South Bend, with Touchdown Jesus watching over.
Matt Leinart & Tom Brady Quinn have identical stats this season, with both passing for 1600 yards & 65%. Leinart has 12 TDs & 2 picks, Quinn has 13 TDs & 3 picks.
USC's two RBs are both in the top 10 in the country in rushing for the season. ND's defense is bad, except against the run, where it has been surprisingly effecient all season long.
USC has shown more then a few times this season that it can be beaten. But the teams that USC ended up coming back against & beating weren't as well-off talent-wise as ND is, nor were they as well coached. When watching video over the last two weeks, Charlie Weis, the leprechaun himself, has only showed his players first half film of USC from their games this season. Instead of showing him what the Trojans are capable of when they are on their game, he shows them where they are weak when they are off their game. Weis may be the one mind in college football who can outcoach Pete Carroll right now.
Add to that the fact that Weis, who learned from Parcells & Belicheck, had a bye last week, and has had two weeks to prepare for the Trojans.
In Jeff Samardzija, Matt Stoval, Anthony Fasano & Darius Walker, Tom Brady Quinn has 4 legitimate playmakers to get the ball to against a weaker then normal Trojan defense. These aren't his only weapons, but they are still more then any other team has thrown at the Trojans this year.
And lastly, the Irish freaking rub some gold off the Dome on campus before every home game, as is tradition for the last 900 years, melt it down and paint it onto their helmets the night before each game. Come on, any team that plays with actual gold on their helmets has to be doing something right.
I don't know if the Irish will actually win this game, but all the pieces are in place, and they certainly have a better chance of doing so then any of the last three Irish teams, which have each lost by exactly 31 points.
Win or Lose, I'll be at a pub bright & early tomorrow for a day full of guiness, and I can't wait. The 3:30 kickoff can't come soon enough.
Wait, what? It's not Thanksgiving weekend?
I swear, Christmas is going to start on July 5th pretty soon. It keeps getting pushed up more & more each year. Hell, we're only two weeks away from the start of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's winter tour, and the start of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, or whatever it's called now-a-days. Christmas has now merged with Fall AND Winter, to join with Spring & Summer as the three seasons of the year.
"What's your favorite season?"
"Summer..."
"Weird, I'm a personal fan of Christmas."
Anyway, USC-ND is this weekend, because every few years, for whatever reason, these two teams play in the middle of October instead of in the last week of the season. I have no complaints. I don't care when they play, just so long as they play.
I was trying to remember the last time I was this pumped up for a sports game. In all my years, I can only think of maybe 7 or 8 games where I was anywhere near as excited for them as I am for tomorrow's game. The last being the Devils-Senators 2003 East Championship Game 7. I didn't even get this excited about any of the Finals Games vs the Ducks, probably because by that point the Devils were the closest thing to a Dynasty hockey had seen since the Oilers, and I never took the Ducks seriously.
But anyway, the point is, I'm pumped for this game. One minute, I think the Irish actually have a chance to beat the #1 Trojans tomorrow. The other minute, I know that's just false hope and that they're going to lose. But either way, I'm excited.
USC has been the #1 team in the country for 25 straight weeks or something like that. What more fitting way then to lose that distinction then to be beaten by their biggest rival, in South Bend, with Touchdown Jesus watching over.
Matt Leinart & Tom Brady Quinn have identical stats this season, with both passing for 1600 yards & 65%. Leinart has 12 TDs & 2 picks, Quinn has 13 TDs & 3 picks.
USC's two RBs are both in the top 10 in the country in rushing for the season. ND's defense is bad, except against the run, where it has been surprisingly effecient all season long.
USC has shown more then a few times this season that it can be beaten. But the teams that USC ended up coming back against & beating weren't as well-off talent-wise as ND is, nor were they as well coached. When watching video over the last two weeks, Charlie Weis, the leprechaun himself, has only showed his players first half film of USC from their games this season. Instead of showing him what the Trojans are capable of when they are on their game, he shows them where they are weak when they are off their game. Weis may be the one mind in college football who can outcoach Pete Carroll right now.
Add to that the fact that Weis, who learned from Parcells & Belicheck, had a bye last week, and has had two weeks to prepare for the Trojans.
In Jeff Samardzija, Matt Stoval, Anthony Fasano & Darius Walker, Tom Brady Quinn has 4 legitimate playmakers to get the ball to against a weaker then normal Trojan defense. These aren't his only weapons, but they are still more then any other team has thrown at the Trojans this year.
And lastly, the Irish freaking rub some gold off the Dome on campus before every home game, as is tradition for the last 900 years, melt it down and paint it onto their helmets the night before each game. Come on, any team that plays with actual gold on their helmets has to be doing something right.
I don't know if the Irish will actually win this game, but all the pieces are in place, and they certainly have a better chance of doing so then any of the last three Irish teams, which have each lost by exactly 31 points.
Win or Lose, I'll be at a pub bright & early tomorrow for a day full of guiness, and I can't wait. The 3:30 kickoff can't come soon enough.
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Wednesday Ramblings
So, after the crazy first three episodes, and the "not-so-revealing" previews of this weeks episode, I was all set to write a good little bit on Lost, tonight's episode, and what I think is going on in that crazy island. (warning: there are no spoilers about lost in the coming paragraphs, and I will eventually get to sports)
But then, tonight's show sucked. OK, it didn't suck, but it was horrible. You knew the show couldn't keep up its rapidfire pace of the first three episodes, and it looks like now the writers are catching up on that, too. So now we're probably going to fall into a stretch like the one we had in episodes 4-9 last season (yea, call me a geek, I know this stuff), where they continually string you along, but don't really tell you anything, and nothing new develops.
Of course, this will all lead up to something huge happening in the two episodes before Christmas, just in time for the show to not put out any episodes for a few weeks (because its the holidays and people don't watch tv then), the show will return crazier then ever for the february sweeps, disappear for the 2nd half of march & the beginning of april, and then return just in time to throw out 5 episodes & another twisted-ass cliffhanger before leaving us to another summer of boredom.
It'll be about that time that I'll swear off this show for the 47th time (tonight was #31, for those keeping score at home), and then anxiously await the DVD release the day after labor day this way I can re-watch all of season 2 before season three starts a few weeks later.
It's a devastating cycle, I love this freakin' show.
On to my thoughts about this show, sports, life & thursdays.
*Semi-lost spoilers: Claire is hot now that she's not pregnant anymore, and she definitely needs more air-time (preferably without the baby in her arms). Shannon is also hot, but has an utterly useless character. They should kill her off & let Rose replace her, and give us some background info on her character and her suddenly white husband.
*That umpire in tonight's White Sox-Angels game deserves to be shot, or fired. You can't call a guy out on strikes twice in a three second span, begin walking away from home plate, notice the batter running towards first, and then say "eh, yea, I guess maybe it did hit the ground, he's safe." And then, when the coach starts arguing with you & you meet with the first base ump to figure out what to do to best save your ass, you can't just exclude the third base umpire.
I'm not saying the Angels were going to win this game, but it should have gone extra innings. And the longer the game went, the better I liked the Angels chances. But regardless of what the outcome would have been, it should not have ended that way. And if the Angels don't win this series, there is going to be a riot in Los Anaheim.
*Thankfully, the Devils return to the ice tomorrow after their 5 day break. I guess Brodeur needed the rest. Hopefully he won't face 35+ shots again tomorrow night. God, I love hockey.
*The Irish-USC game is right around the corner, and I can't tell you how excited I am. Detailed breakdown coming in the next few days, but I'm an eternal optimist when it comes to the Irish. Sure, in a game with two offenses as dangerous as these two are, it comes down to which teams D can step up, and in the end, it'll be USC's D that steps up & wins this game, but still, I'm pumped. I can't wait to get to the bar at 2:30 on saturday, for the 3:30 kickoff, and just drink smithwick's & carbombs for a few hours while watching this bad boy. Mel's, in Brick Town, for anyone who wants to join me.
*Survivor tomorrow night, I know you're excited.
*I really don't want to work tomorrow night. Every Thursday it's the same thing, with the same staff. I really don't mind it at all, it's actually quite enjoyable. But every Wednesday night I bitch about it, and every Thursday while the day is going on, all I want to do is leave. I dunno, maybe like Arthur in Hitchhiker's Guide, I never quite got the hang of Thursdays, but once again I'm not looking forward to it. But grabbing a beer with LBJ afterwards to catch the end of the Rangers-Devils game should be a good time.
But then, tonight's show sucked. OK, it didn't suck, but it was horrible. You knew the show couldn't keep up its rapidfire pace of the first three episodes, and it looks like now the writers are catching up on that, too. So now we're probably going to fall into a stretch like the one we had in episodes 4-9 last season (yea, call me a geek, I know this stuff), where they continually string you along, but don't really tell you anything, and nothing new develops.
Of course, this will all lead up to something huge happening in the two episodes before Christmas, just in time for the show to not put out any episodes for a few weeks (because its the holidays and people don't watch tv then), the show will return crazier then ever for the february sweeps, disappear for the 2nd half of march & the beginning of april, and then return just in time to throw out 5 episodes & another twisted-ass cliffhanger before leaving us to another summer of boredom.
It'll be about that time that I'll swear off this show for the 47th time (tonight was #31, for those keeping score at home), and then anxiously await the DVD release the day after labor day this way I can re-watch all of season 2 before season three starts a few weeks later.
It's a devastating cycle, I love this freakin' show.
On to my thoughts about this show, sports, life & thursdays.
*Semi-lost spoilers: Claire is hot now that she's not pregnant anymore, and she definitely needs more air-time (preferably without the baby in her arms). Shannon is also hot, but has an utterly useless character. They should kill her off & let Rose replace her, and give us some background info on her character and her suddenly white husband.
*That umpire in tonight's White Sox-Angels game deserves to be shot, or fired. You can't call a guy out on strikes twice in a three second span, begin walking away from home plate, notice the batter running towards first, and then say "eh, yea, I guess maybe it did hit the ground, he's safe." And then, when the coach starts arguing with you & you meet with the first base ump to figure out what to do to best save your ass, you can't just exclude the third base umpire.
I'm not saying the Angels were going to win this game, but it should have gone extra innings. And the longer the game went, the better I liked the Angels chances. But regardless of what the outcome would have been, it should not have ended that way. And if the Angels don't win this series, there is going to be a riot in Los Anaheim.
*Thankfully, the Devils return to the ice tomorrow after their 5 day break. I guess Brodeur needed the rest. Hopefully he won't face 35+ shots again tomorrow night. God, I love hockey.
*The Irish-USC game is right around the corner, and I can't tell you how excited I am. Detailed breakdown coming in the next few days, but I'm an eternal optimist when it comes to the Irish. Sure, in a game with two offenses as dangerous as these two are, it comes down to which teams D can step up, and in the end, it'll be USC's D that steps up & wins this game, but still, I'm pumped. I can't wait to get to the bar at 2:30 on saturday, for the 3:30 kickoff, and just drink smithwick's & carbombs for a few hours while watching this bad boy. Mel's, in Brick Town, for anyone who wants to join me.
*Survivor tomorrow night, I know you're excited.
*I really don't want to work tomorrow night. Every Thursday it's the same thing, with the same staff. I really don't mind it at all, it's actually quite enjoyable. But every Wednesday night I bitch about it, and every Thursday while the day is going on, all I want to do is leave. I dunno, maybe like Arthur in Hitchhiker's Guide, I never quite got the hang of Thursdays, but once again I'm not looking forward to it. But grabbing a beer with LBJ afterwards to catch the end of the Rangers-Devils game should be a good time.
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
LCS Previews
Three out of four in the division series, only mistake was I picked the wrong Sox team to just turn it on & sweep the other team. Not bad.
Should be two good series for the league championships, I'm looking forward to them. And I'm sure I'm not the only person to be thankful that we don't have to watch another Yankees-Sox LCS over the next week. New blood is fun.
Anyone who read my LDS Previews knows who I'm going to pick here, but read on anyway...
White Sox vs Angels
The White Sox are rested, the Angels are exhausted.
The White Sox had an easy series, the Angels struggled just to make it out of the first round.
The White Sox are healthy and ready to go, the Angels aren't quite so healthy, and offensively half their players forgot how to hit last round.
The White Sox have had 4 days to break down the Yankees & Angels, ready for whatever gets thrown at them. The Angels have played three ballgames in three timezones in the last 48 hours (counting tonight), having traveled over 5000 miles to do so.
The White Sox have homefield advantage. The Angels don't.
So clearly, the Angels are going to win this series.
They know how to get it done. This team won a World Championship just three years ago. Their coach is far superior to Chicago's (not a knock on Guillen, rather a credit to Scioscia). Their bullpen is still the best in the majors, or at least a case can be made that it is. It's definitely the best bullpen in their series, anyway. And the Angels have the ultimate intangible, a man who can singlehandedly win any game or games if he gets that hot. Vladimir Guerrero. The White Sox are made up of a bunch of players who play great together, and win together. But when things get hairy, and they're in desperate need of a spark on the road, down by a few runs, in the late innings, they don't have anyone like Vlad who will just change an entire series with one swing of a bat.
Vladimir Guerrero can put the Angels on his back & carry them for weeks at a time, as he did last September, in winning the AL MVP award. With his team tired & hurting, and with him being able to smell his first World Series appearance, there's nothing he won't do to get the Angels to the series over these next 7 days.
The White Sox will win tonight, and I wouldn't bet against them winning tomorrow night as well. But as soon as the Angels hit that day of rest on Thursday, this series will permanently change.
Angels in six.
Cardinals vs Astros
A rematch of a great series from last year, you get the feeling this one is going to be even better.
These two teams may not have Carlos Beltran & Scott Rolen as they did a year ago, but they have so much more pitching then they did a year ago.
Last year, Chris Carptener was a #1 pitcher on a team that won with its bats. This year, he is a legitimate Cy Young contender, and a pitcher capable of winning 2 games in a series.
Last year, Roger Clemens revitalized his career, Roy Oswalt continued to progress as one of the greatest young pitchers in baseball today, and Brad Lidge burst onto the scene. This year, Roger Clemens was nothing short of spectacular, Oswalt continued to get better & better, Lidge became a household name & a dominant force, and the Astros got Andy Pettitte back, and all he did was pitch for them in a way he hasn't done in nearly 5 years.
Last year, this series was won at the plate, with the Cardinals just having more firepower. This year, this series is going to be a pitching duel with timely hits being the key factor.
The Cardinals still have to have the edge, just because their offense is better. But a career-year Craig Biggio & suddenly healthy Jeff Bagwell are running out of chances to get into the World Series, and with this staff, this may be their best chance yet.
Cardinals in Seven.
In March, I picked the Angels & the Cardinals as my two league champions. In a week, they will be the two league champions, and you will all be ready to hail me as a genius among mere baseball fans.
Maybe not, but Cardinals-Angels will definitely be a better series the Red Sox-Cardinals was last year.
Should be two good series for the league championships, I'm looking forward to them. And I'm sure I'm not the only person to be thankful that we don't have to watch another Yankees-Sox LCS over the next week. New blood is fun.
Anyone who read my LDS Previews knows who I'm going to pick here, but read on anyway...
White Sox vs Angels
The White Sox are rested, the Angels are exhausted.
The White Sox had an easy series, the Angels struggled just to make it out of the first round.
The White Sox are healthy and ready to go, the Angels aren't quite so healthy, and offensively half their players forgot how to hit last round.
The White Sox have had 4 days to break down the Yankees & Angels, ready for whatever gets thrown at them. The Angels have played three ballgames in three timezones in the last 48 hours (counting tonight), having traveled over 5000 miles to do so.
The White Sox have homefield advantage. The Angels don't.
So clearly, the Angels are going to win this series.
They know how to get it done. This team won a World Championship just three years ago. Their coach is far superior to Chicago's (not a knock on Guillen, rather a credit to Scioscia). Their bullpen is still the best in the majors, or at least a case can be made that it is. It's definitely the best bullpen in their series, anyway. And the Angels have the ultimate intangible, a man who can singlehandedly win any game or games if he gets that hot. Vladimir Guerrero. The White Sox are made up of a bunch of players who play great together, and win together. But when things get hairy, and they're in desperate need of a spark on the road, down by a few runs, in the late innings, they don't have anyone like Vlad who will just change an entire series with one swing of a bat.
Vladimir Guerrero can put the Angels on his back & carry them for weeks at a time, as he did last September, in winning the AL MVP award. With his team tired & hurting, and with him being able to smell his first World Series appearance, there's nothing he won't do to get the Angels to the series over these next 7 days.
The White Sox will win tonight, and I wouldn't bet against them winning tomorrow night as well. But as soon as the Angels hit that day of rest on Thursday, this series will permanently change.
Angels in six.
Cardinals vs Astros
A rematch of a great series from last year, you get the feeling this one is going to be even better.
These two teams may not have Carlos Beltran & Scott Rolen as they did a year ago, but they have so much more pitching then they did a year ago.
Last year, Chris Carptener was a #1 pitcher on a team that won with its bats. This year, he is a legitimate Cy Young contender, and a pitcher capable of winning 2 games in a series.
Last year, Roger Clemens revitalized his career, Roy Oswalt continued to progress as one of the greatest young pitchers in baseball today, and Brad Lidge burst onto the scene. This year, Roger Clemens was nothing short of spectacular, Oswalt continued to get better & better, Lidge became a household name & a dominant force, and the Astros got Andy Pettitte back, and all he did was pitch for them in a way he hasn't done in nearly 5 years.
Last year, this series was won at the plate, with the Cardinals just having more firepower. This year, this series is going to be a pitching duel with timely hits being the key factor.
The Cardinals still have to have the edge, just because their offense is better. But a career-year Craig Biggio & suddenly healthy Jeff Bagwell are running out of chances to get into the World Series, and with this staff, this may be their best chance yet.
Cardinals in Seven.
In March, I picked the Angels & the Cardinals as my two league champions. In a week, they will be the two league champions, and you will all be ready to hail me as a genius among mere baseball fans.
Maybe not, but Cardinals-Angels will definitely be a better series the Red Sox-Cardinals was last year.
Sunday, October 09, 2005
The 80's
With the Giants & Irish both having byes this weekend, and myself already boring people with my insane amounts of hockey talk (it will continue, don't worry), coupled with the fact that my Phils once again failed to make the playoffs, I don't have a lot to talk about.
I mean, don't get me wrong, baseball has been exciting. That Astros-Braves game was ridiculous, and I'm enjoying every bit of this years Yankees. Going down to my Great-Grandfather, a 98 year old diehard Yankee, to watch game 5 tomorrow. But I don't really have anything extensive to say about baseball.
And football was fun this weekend, and I have a lot to say about it. But I'm not really in the mood to, yet. I'll get to that sometime tomorrow or Tuesday.
But I'm bored, and want to do something.
So to commemorate my sisters 20th birthday, herself being a child of the 80s, 1985-style, I present to you the top 80 (in no particular order) "80's songs" of all time.
Why am I doing this? Because I can...
*Video Killed The Radio Star- The Buggles
*Come On Eileen- Dexy's Midnight Runners
*Tempted- Squeeze
*Tainted Love- Soft Cell
*Harden My Heart- Quarterflash
*Karma Chameleon- Culture Club
*Total Eclipse Of The Heart- Bonnie Tyler
*White Wedding- Billy Idol
*Keep On Lovin' You- REO Speedwagon
*Don't Stop Believin'- Journey
*Hit Me With Your Best Shot- Pat Benatar
*Hold On Loosely- .38 Special
*Everybody Wants To Rule The World- Tears for Fears
*The Warrior- Scandal
*Super Freak- Rick James
*Jessie's Girl- Rick Springfield
*I Ran (So Far Away)- Flock of Seagulls
*I Want You To Want Me- Cheap Trick
*Always Something There To Remind Me- Naked Eyes
*I Melt With You- Modern English
*Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)- Eurythmics
*Centerfold- J. Geils Band
*Heartbreaker- Pat Benatar
*We Got The Beat- The Go-Go's
*Heaven Is A Place On Earth- Belinda Carlisle
*Working For The Weekend- Loverboy
*Africa- Toto
*Don't You Want Me- Human League
*Talkin' In Your Sleep- The Romantics
*Whip It- DEVO
*Once In A Lifetime- Talking Heads
*Call Me- Blondie
*Cars- Gary Numan
*Maneater- Hall & Oates
*Da Da Da I Don't Love You You Don't Love Me Aha Aha Aha- Trio
*Hungry Like The Wolf- Duran Duran
*Rock This Town- The Stray Cats
*I Want Candy- Bow Wow Wow
*She Blinded Me With Science- Thomas Dolby
*Our House- Madness
*Girls Just Want To Have Fun- Cyndi Lauper
*In A Big Country- Big Country
*One Thing Leads To Another- The Fixx
*Maniac- Michael Sembello
*Mr. Roboto- Styx
*I'm So Excited- The Pointer Sisters
*Friday, I'm In Love- The Cure
*Back On The Chain Gang- The Pretenders
*Sunglasses At Night- Corey Hart
*Summer Of '69- Bryan Adams
*Missing You- John Waite
*Ghostbusters- Ray Parker, Jr.
*Footloose- Kenny Loggins
*We're Not Gonna Take It- Twisted Sister
*Rock You Like A Hurricane- Scorpion
*Shout- Tears For Fears
*Take On Me- A-ha
*Don't You (Forget About Me)- Simple Minds
*Voices Carry- Til Tuesday
*You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)- Dead Or Alive
*We Built This City- Starship
*Addicted To Love- Robert Palmer
*Broken Wings- Mr. Mister
*Everybody Have Fun Tonight- Wang Chung
*Walk Like An Egyptian- The Bangles
*Walkin On Sunshine- Katrina & The Waves
*Don't Dream It's Over- Crowded House
*If You Leave- Orchestral Manouevres in the Dark (OMD)
*Don't Worry, Be Happy- Bobby McFerrin
*Never Gonna Give You Up- Rick Astley
*Love Shack- The B-52's
*Do You Really Want To Hurt Me- Culture Club
*I'll Take You There- General Public
*Danger Zone- Kenny Loggins
*Can't Fight This Feeling- REO Speedwagon
*Sledgehammer- Peter Gabriel
*True- Spandau Ballet
*I Think We're Alone Now- Tiffany
*What I Am- Edie Brickell/New Bohemians
*Eye Of The Tiger- Survivor
*I Touch Myself- Divinyls
There you have them.
Before you attack me, I realize that most of these songs are bad, or horrible. That's what the 80s were all about, bad music that you love. Or atleast, I love. Maybe I'm just a lunatic.
I mean, don't get me wrong, baseball has been exciting. That Astros-Braves game was ridiculous, and I'm enjoying every bit of this years Yankees. Going down to my Great-Grandfather, a 98 year old diehard Yankee, to watch game 5 tomorrow. But I don't really have anything extensive to say about baseball.
And football was fun this weekend, and I have a lot to say about it. But I'm not really in the mood to, yet. I'll get to that sometime tomorrow or Tuesday.
But I'm bored, and want to do something.
So to commemorate my sisters 20th birthday, herself being a child of the 80s, 1985-style, I present to you the top 80 (in no particular order) "80's songs" of all time.
Why am I doing this? Because I can...
*Video Killed The Radio Star- The Buggles
*Come On Eileen- Dexy's Midnight Runners
*Tempted- Squeeze
*Tainted Love- Soft Cell
*Harden My Heart- Quarterflash
*Karma Chameleon- Culture Club
*Total Eclipse Of The Heart- Bonnie Tyler
*White Wedding- Billy Idol
*Keep On Lovin' You- REO Speedwagon
*Don't Stop Believin'- Journey
*Hit Me With Your Best Shot- Pat Benatar
*Hold On Loosely- .38 Special
*Everybody Wants To Rule The World- Tears for Fears
*The Warrior- Scandal
*Super Freak- Rick James
*Jessie's Girl- Rick Springfield
*I Ran (So Far Away)- Flock of Seagulls
*I Want You To Want Me- Cheap Trick
*Always Something There To Remind Me- Naked Eyes
*I Melt With You- Modern English
*Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)- Eurythmics
*Centerfold- J. Geils Band
*Heartbreaker- Pat Benatar
*We Got The Beat- The Go-Go's
*Heaven Is A Place On Earth- Belinda Carlisle
*Working For The Weekend- Loverboy
*Africa- Toto
*Don't You Want Me- Human League
*Talkin' In Your Sleep- The Romantics
*Whip It- DEVO
*Once In A Lifetime- Talking Heads
*Call Me- Blondie
*Cars- Gary Numan
*Maneater- Hall & Oates
*Da Da Da I Don't Love You You Don't Love Me Aha Aha Aha- Trio
*Hungry Like The Wolf- Duran Duran
*Rock This Town- The Stray Cats
*I Want Candy- Bow Wow Wow
*She Blinded Me With Science- Thomas Dolby
*Our House- Madness
*Girls Just Want To Have Fun- Cyndi Lauper
*In A Big Country- Big Country
*One Thing Leads To Another- The Fixx
*Maniac- Michael Sembello
*Mr. Roboto- Styx
*I'm So Excited- The Pointer Sisters
*Friday, I'm In Love- The Cure
*Back On The Chain Gang- The Pretenders
*Sunglasses At Night- Corey Hart
*Summer Of '69- Bryan Adams
*Missing You- John Waite
*Ghostbusters- Ray Parker, Jr.
*Footloose- Kenny Loggins
*We're Not Gonna Take It- Twisted Sister
*Rock You Like A Hurricane- Scorpion
*Shout- Tears For Fears
*Take On Me- A-ha
*Don't You (Forget About Me)- Simple Minds
*Voices Carry- Til Tuesday
*You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)- Dead Or Alive
*We Built This City- Starship
*Addicted To Love- Robert Palmer
*Broken Wings- Mr. Mister
*Everybody Have Fun Tonight- Wang Chung
*Walk Like An Egyptian- The Bangles
*Walkin On Sunshine- Katrina & The Waves
*Don't Dream It's Over- Crowded House
*If You Leave- Orchestral Manouevres in the Dark (OMD)
*Don't Worry, Be Happy- Bobby McFerrin
*Never Gonna Give You Up- Rick Astley
*Love Shack- The B-52's
*Do You Really Want To Hurt Me- Culture Club
*I'll Take You There- General Public
*Danger Zone- Kenny Loggins
*Can't Fight This Feeling- REO Speedwagon
*Sledgehammer- Peter Gabriel
*True- Spandau Ballet
*I Think We're Alone Now- Tiffany
*What I Am- Edie Brickell/New Bohemians
*Eye Of The Tiger- Survivor
*I Touch Myself- Divinyls
There you have them.
Before you attack me, I realize that most of these songs are bad, or horrible. That's what the 80s were all about, bad music that you love. Or atleast, I love. Maybe I'm just a lunatic.
Saturday, October 08, 2005
Week 5 Picks
Before we get to week 5, a few more thoughts...
-The Devils forgot to show up last night against Philadelphia, and they paid for it. The Flyers are the best team in the east, and if the Devils want to be taken more seriously this year, they have to play them a lot better then that.
-Watching the Red River Shootout at The Cotton Bowl is one of the coolest things ever. It will be a crying shame if the game is moved to a home & home, like most other rivalries, starting in 2008.
-Judd made a big mistake in switching sides on Survivor on Thursday. He believes he's in good with Steph & Jamie, but if Steph learned one thing last season, it's to be loyal. So while the three of them may have something going on, Steph & Jamie are going to choose Raif & Lydia, or at least Raif, over Judd when it comes to decision time.
-Penn St-Ohio St is going to be a ridiculous game tonight, I can't wait for it.
-The NFL & NCAA need to do a better job with their schedule making next year. Scheduling a Giants & Irish bye on the same weekend is killing me. This should never happen again. If it weren't for the fact that the Devs play the Rangers & Flyers this weekend, I might have shot somebody.
On to the picks...
Season: 37-23
Last Week: 12-2
Patriots over Falcons: No matter how bad the Patriots begin to look this year, I can't imagine this team losing two in a row. Tom Brady still has that chip on his shoulder.
Dolphins over Bills: A few months ago, people were wondering if the Bills, Jets & Patriots could all win 10 games & all make the second round of the playoffs. No, we're wondering if this Dolphins team really can win this division. Ricky's back.
Bears over Browns: I like what Romeo Crennel has done with Cleveland, but this Bears defense is too good. This game is going to be ugly. Maybe 7-6 ugly.
Lions over Ravens: Sooner or later this Lions offense is going to explode. It won't be this week, but they should play good enough to put up two touchdowns, which will easily beat Anthony Wright's Ravens.
Packers over Saints: Has an 0-4 team ever won their division before? Because if Brett Favre can get this team to finish 7-5 down the stretch, the Packers can win the Central.
Rams over Seahawks: If the Seahawks gave up 20 points to the Redskins, I'm afraid to see what Marc Bulger & Co. will do to them. Especially in a dome.
Buccaneers over Jets: While I'm not crazy enough to pick the Jets to win tomorrow, I totally wouldn't be surprised to see it happen. Don't ask me why, I just have this feeling.
Texans over Titans: Should be more exciting then the Bears-Browns. Maybe.
Colts over 49ers: The only team in the AFC that can go into Indianapolis and beat the Colts in January is the Patriots. But not the 2005 Patriots. Thanks to the Colts Division I-AA schedule, they're going to have homefield advantange, and they're going to Detroit.
Cowboys over Eagles: Upset special of the week.
Broncos over Redskins: I've said it before, and I'll say it again, the Redskins are a horrible 3-0 team. I'm not saying this team can't somehow go 8-8 or 9-7, or even 10-6, I'm just saying they aren't that good, even if they do it. Good teams don't always win, bad teams don't always lose. And no matter what Washington does this season, they're still a bad team. With that said, I expect this to be the week they start their losing ways, ways that will make them a 6-10 team before all is said & done.
Panthers over Cardinals: I'll no longer feel safe picking this Panthers team at any point this season. Still, they are a much better team then the Cardinals.
Bengals over Jaguars: This will be the Bengals toughest test yet, but if they're offensive line can neutralize Jacksonville's D-Line enough to give Rudi around 3.5 ypc & 20-25 touches, the Bengals will win this game.
Chargers over Steelers: Playing against a crappy Giants D two weeks ago woke up some kind of monster in the Chargers. This team is good enough to just keep winning theirselves right into a first round bye, if they can get thru Pittsburgh first. By the way, over a year later, and I'm still not sold on the Steelers. They're one of those bad teams that wins anyway. Somehow they just win a lot.
-The Devils forgot to show up last night against Philadelphia, and they paid for it. The Flyers are the best team in the east, and if the Devils want to be taken more seriously this year, they have to play them a lot better then that.
-Watching the Red River Shootout at The Cotton Bowl is one of the coolest things ever. It will be a crying shame if the game is moved to a home & home, like most other rivalries, starting in 2008.
-Judd made a big mistake in switching sides on Survivor on Thursday. He believes he's in good with Steph & Jamie, but if Steph learned one thing last season, it's to be loyal. So while the three of them may have something going on, Steph & Jamie are going to choose Raif & Lydia, or at least Raif, over Judd when it comes to decision time.
-Penn St-Ohio St is going to be a ridiculous game tonight, I can't wait for it.
-The NFL & NCAA need to do a better job with their schedule making next year. Scheduling a Giants & Irish bye on the same weekend is killing me. This should never happen again. If it weren't for the fact that the Devs play the Rangers & Flyers this weekend, I might have shot somebody.
On to the picks...
Season: 37-23
Last Week: 12-2
Patriots over Falcons: No matter how bad the Patriots begin to look this year, I can't imagine this team losing two in a row. Tom Brady still has that chip on his shoulder.
Dolphins over Bills: A few months ago, people were wondering if the Bills, Jets & Patriots could all win 10 games & all make the second round of the playoffs. No, we're wondering if this Dolphins team really can win this division. Ricky's back.
Bears over Browns: I like what Romeo Crennel has done with Cleveland, but this Bears defense is too good. This game is going to be ugly. Maybe 7-6 ugly.
Lions over Ravens: Sooner or later this Lions offense is going to explode. It won't be this week, but they should play good enough to put up two touchdowns, which will easily beat Anthony Wright's Ravens.
Packers over Saints: Has an 0-4 team ever won their division before? Because if Brett Favre can get this team to finish 7-5 down the stretch, the Packers can win the Central.
Rams over Seahawks: If the Seahawks gave up 20 points to the Redskins, I'm afraid to see what Marc Bulger & Co. will do to them. Especially in a dome.
Buccaneers over Jets: While I'm not crazy enough to pick the Jets to win tomorrow, I totally wouldn't be surprised to see it happen. Don't ask me why, I just have this feeling.
Texans over Titans: Should be more exciting then the Bears-Browns. Maybe.
Colts over 49ers: The only team in the AFC that can go into Indianapolis and beat the Colts in January is the Patriots. But not the 2005 Patriots. Thanks to the Colts Division I-AA schedule, they're going to have homefield advantange, and they're going to Detroit.
Cowboys over Eagles: Upset special of the week.
Broncos over Redskins: I've said it before, and I'll say it again, the Redskins are a horrible 3-0 team. I'm not saying this team can't somehow go 8-8 or 9-7, or even 10-6, I'm just saying they aren't that good, even if they do it. Good teams don't always win, bad teams don't always lose. And no matter what Washington does this season, they're still a bad team. With that said, I expect this to be the week they start their losing ways, ways that will make them a 6-10 team before all is said & done.
Panthers over Cardinals: I'll no longer feel safe picking this Panthers team at any point this season. Still, they are a much better team then the Cardinals.
Bengals over Jaguars: This will be the Bengals toughest test yet, but if they're offensive line can neutralize Jacksonville's D-Line enough to give Rudi around 3.5 ypc & 20-25 touches, the Bengals will win this game.
Chargers over Steelers: Playing against a crappy Giants D two weeks ago woke up some kind of monster in the Chargers. This team is good enough to just keep winning theirselves right into a first round bye, if they can get thru Pittsburgh first. By the way, over a year later, and I'm still not sold on the Steelers. They're one of those bad teams that wins anyway. Somehow they just win a lot.
Friday, October 07, 2005
quick opening night thoughts
-Martin Brodeur is a God.
-Zach Parise is a stud.
-The Devils are going to be much better then originally thought.
-Sidney Crosby is for real, he's going to be a superstar. But I'd compare him more to Joe Sakic or Mike Modano then I would to Mario Lemieux & Wayne Gretzky.
-To all the disgruntled Caps fans who don't like the national attention Sid the Kid is receiving, and the lack of attention Ovechkin is receiving, you're theories are correct: When I said Sid wouldn't win the Calder Trophy, you're boy was the man I had in mind to take it.
-Flyers Lost :)
-Shootouts are anti-climatic, and a waste of time.
-Holy Penalties.
-God I missed this game.
-Have I mentioned Brodeur is a God?
-Zach Parise is a stud.
-The Devils are going to be much better then originally thought.
-Sidney Crosby is for real, he's going to be a superstar. But I'd compare him more to Joe Sakic or Mike Modano then I would to Mario Lemieux & Wayne Gretzky.
-To all the disgruntled Caps fans who don't like the national attention Sid the Kid is receiving, and the lack of attention Ovechkin is receiving, you're theories are correct: When I said Sid wouldn't win the Calder Trophy, you're boy was the man I had in mind to take it.
-Flyers Lost :)
-Shootouts are anti-climatic, and a waste of time.
-Holy Penalties.
-God I missed this game.
-Have I mentioned Brodeur is a God?
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
The NHL Is Back
11 years ago, in the midst of a great playoff race & home run chase, major league baseball went on strike. The rest of the season, including the World Series, was wiped out. By opening day the next season, everything was resolved, and baseball was back. It's fans, myself included, on the other hand, were not back. Many of us had lost interest in the game, shocked it did what it did. Personally, it wasn't until the Great Home Run Chase of 1998 that I began to get re-interested in baseball.
Why then, on the verge of the first hockey games in 15 months, am I so excited to have hockey back? Why are so many fans excited to have it back? Why do hockey fans not feel betrayed, as baseball fans did 11 years ago? What has hockey done right (nothing) in the last 15 months that makes us all so eager to watch our teams season openers tonight?
For me, the answer is simple: I have no idea.
I'm glad we got that out of the way. Because hockey is indeed back. And I'm beyond excited. There was a major void in my life last winter that the NBA & College B-Ball couldn't replace. A part of me was missing, and now I have it back. Maybe that's why I'm running back to the NHL, so easily willing to forgive & forget. I just missed it, plain & simple.
So now it's back, and it's completely different then anything we've witnessed in the last decade. It's a better game, supposedly. The jury is definitely still out on that. But it is a better game then the NFL, NBA or MLB offers, so at least it's got that going for it.
There are dozens of new rules in place this year. I could take up my time & yours and explain all those rules to you, but if you're reading this, there is one of two things going on. Either 1) you are just as excited for the return of hockey as I am, so you know the new rules, and don't need me to explain them, or 2) you don't care that hockey is back, and therefore don't care about the new rules. And if it's the second option that describes you, chances are you aren't even reading this, and I'm just talking to the "1" folk.
So we'll skip the rules, and just talk about the game. When last we saw, the Lightning & Flames finished a great 7 game series with the Tampa Bay Lightning skating Lord Stanley's Cup. Since then, everything has changed for everyone.
Mark Messier, Scott Stevens, Ron Francis & Al MacInnis, four of the greatest players to ever lace them up have retired, as have dozen of other greats. In three years, these players will head the greatest NHL Hall of Fame class ever, and it will be a grand ceremony to make up for the grand exits all these greats were deprived of.
Nikolai Khabibulin, Jeremy Roenick, Peter Forsberg, Chris Pronger, Scott Niedermayer, Dany Heatley, Teemu Selanne, Paul Kariya, Brett Hull, Eric Lindros, Alexander Mogilny, Marian Hossa, John Leclair, Sergei Gonchar and a slew of other "slightly above average" players all have different mailing addresses.
And the Minnesota Wild have a patch on their jersey's commemorating their "5th" NHL Season, 6 years after they played their first game. Just goes to prove that sports teams will make any change necessary to their jerseys, sweaters, uniforms, whatever, in order to get fans to buy them. It all boils down to money.
And for me, the biggest change is my beloved New Jersey Devils are no longer the power house that they have been for the last decade. This is a completely different team then we last saw. Scott Stevens retired. Scott Niedermayer joined his brother Rob in Anaheim (signing that contract only with the guarantee, in writing, that Rob would be on the team for all four years, as well. Apparently that's the only way Rob can get NHL work, that's how good he is). Patrik Elias got Hep A in Moscow, and is still out indefinitely (supposedly back in November, my money is on February, or October, 2006). Scott Gomez broke his hip playing in Anchorage, although he says he's back to 100%, and has been for awhile. Pat Burns, the coach, has had recurring bouts with cancer, and is no longer behind the bench. Larry Robinson replaces him, oddly enough, since Pat Burns replaced Larry Robinson (basically). So the Devils are no longer a powerhouse, and many people have them struggling to even get into the playoffs. I have so much I can say about the Devils, that I'll save it for another post in a few days, after I get to see them play a few games. But I'll just say this, with the things Brodeur has been doing this preseason (getting around all the new rules put in place to prohibit a goaltender like him from changing a game), this team is still in the class of the eastern conference, and will challenge for the division, the conference, and the cup.
Without further adieu, here are the sharkey's 15 bold predictions for the 2005-2006 season.
15. Sidney Crosby will not win rookie of the year, but he will score 55 points.
14. John Grahame will do better in Tampa Bay then Nikolai Khabibulin does in Chicago.
13. Peter Forsberg & Derian Hatcher will combine to miss at least 45 games for the Flyers.
12. Martin Brodeur will win his 3rd straight Vezina Trophy.
11. Scott Niedermayer will lead all defensemen in scoring, and finish in the Top 10 in scoring in the entire NHL.
10. The Nashville Predators will win their division.
9. The Colorado Avalanche will miss the playoffs.
8. So will Montreal, Buffalo, New York, New York, Washington, Carolina, Florida, Chicago, Columbus, St. Louis, Minnesota, Los Angeles & Phoenix.
7. Todd Bertuzzi will put everything behind him and win the Art Ross Trophy, while his linemate Markus Naslund wins the Rocket Richard & Hart Trophies.
6. The New Jersey Devils & Pittsburgh Penguins will face each other in the first round of the playoffs in the East's 4-5 matchup, and it will go down to 7 games. The Mario Lemieux vs Martin Brodeur battle will go down as one of the best shooters vs goalie matchups in history.
5. The Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Nashville Predators, Calgary Flames & San Jose Sharks will be division champs.
4. The Senators, Flyers, Lightning, Flames & Sharks will be joined by the Devils, Oilers & Canucks in the second round of the playoffs.
3. The Senators, Lightning, Flames & Oilers will face off in the two conference championships.
2. The Calgary Flames will finally bring the Stanley Cup back to Canada after they dispose of Ottawa in 6 games.
1. Scoring will be up less then one goal per game, in comparison with the 2003-2004 season.
Can't wait for tonight.
Why then, on the verge of the first hockey games in 15 months, am I so excited to have hockey back? Why are so many fans excited to have it back? Why do hockey fans not feel betrayed, as baseball fans did 11 years ago? What has hockey done right (nothing) in the last 15 months that makes us all so eager to watch our teams season openers tonight?
For me, the answer is simple: I have no idea.
I'm glad we got that out of the way. Because hockey is indeed back. And I'm beyond excited. There was a major void in my life last winter that the NBA & College B-Ball couldn't replace. A part of me was missing, and now I have it back. Maybe that's why I'm running back to the NHL, so easily willing to forgive & forget. I just missed it, plain & simple.
So now it's back, and it's completely different then anything we've witnessed in the last decade. It's a better game, supposedly. The jury is definitely still out on that. But it is a better game then the NFL, NBA or MLB offers, so at least it's got that going for it.
There are dozens of new rules in place this year. I could take up my time & yours and explain all those rules to you, but if you're reading this, there is one of two things going on. Either 1) you are just as excited for the return of hockey as I am, so you know the new rules, and don't need me to explain them, or 2) you don't care that hockey is back, and therefore don't care about the new rules. And if it's the second option that describes you, chances are you aren't even reading this, and I'm just talking to the "1" folk.
So we'll skip the rules, and just talk about the game. When last we saw, the Lightning & Flames finished a great 7 game series with the Tampa Bay Lightning skating Lord Stanley's Cup. Since then, everything has changed for everyone.
Mark Messier, Scott Stevens, Ron Francis & Al MacInnis, four of the greatest players to ever lace them up have retired, as have dozen of other greats. In three years, these players will head the greatest NHL Hall of Fame class ever, and it will be a grand ceremony to make up for the grand exits all these greats were deprived of.
Nikolai Khabibulin, Jeremy Roenick, Peter Forsberg, Chris Pronger, Scott Niedermayer, Dany Heatley, Teemu Selanne, Paul Kariya, Brett Hull, Eric Lindros, Alexander Mogilny, Marian Hossa, John Leclair, Sergei Gonchar and a slew of other "slightly above average" players all have different mailing addresses.
And the Minnesota Wild have a patch on their jersey's commemorating their "5th" NHL Season, 6 years after they played their first game. Just goes to prove that sports teams will make any change necessary to their jerseys, sweaters, uniforms, whatever, in order to get fans to buy them. It all boils down to money.
And for me, the biggest change is my beloved New Jersey Devils are no longer the power house that they have been for the last decade. This is a completely different team then we last saw. Scott Stevens retired. Scott Niedermayer joined his brother Rob in Anaheim (signing that contract only with the guarantee, in writing, that Rob would be on the team for all four years, as well. Apparently that's the only way Rob can get NHL work, that's how good he is). Patrik Elias got Hep A in Moscow, and is still out indefinitely (supposedly back in November, my money is on February, or October, 2006). Scott Gomez broke his hip playing in Anchorage, although he says he's back to 100%, and has been for awhile. Pat Burns, the coach, has had recurring bouts with cancer, and is no longer behind the bench. Larry Robinson replaces him, oddly enough, since Pat Burns replaced Larry Robinson (basically). So the Devils are no longer a powerhouse, and many people have them struggling to even get into the playoffs. I have so much I can say about the Devils, that I'll save it for another post in a few days, after I get to see them play a few games. But I'll just say this, with the things Brodeur has been doing this preseason (getting around all the new rules put in place to prohibit a goaltender like him from changing a game), this team is still in the class of the eastern conference, and will challenge for the division, the conference, and the cup.
Without further adieu, here are the sharkey's 15 bold predictions for the 2005-2006 season.
15. Sidney Crosby will not win rookie of the year, but he will score 55 points.
14. John Grahame will do better in Tampa Bay then Nikolai Khabibulin does in Chicago.
13. Peter Forsberg & Derian Hatcher will combine to miss at least 45 games for the Flyers.
12. Martin Brodeur will win his 3rd straight Vezina Trophy.
11. Scott Niedermayer will lead all defensemen in scoring, and finish in the Top 10 in scoring in the entire NHL.
10. The Nashville Predators will win their division.
9. The Colorado Avalanche will miss the playoffs.
8. So will Montreal, Buffalo, New York, New York, Washington, Carolina, Florida, Chicago, Columbus, St. Louis, Minnesota, Los Angeles & Phoenix.
7. Todd Bertuzzi will put everything behind him and win the Art Ross Trophy, while his linemate Markus Naslund wins the Rocket Richard & Hart Trophies.
6. The New Jersey Devils & Pittsburgh Penguins will face each other in the first round of the playoffs in the East's 4-5 matchup, and it will go down to 7 games. The Mario Lemieux vs Martin Brodeur battle will go down as one of the best shooters vs goalie matchups in history.
5. The Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Nashville Predators, Calgary Flames & San Jose Sharks will be division champs.
4. The Senators, Flyers, Lightning, Flames & Sharks will be joined by the Devils, Oilers & Canucks in the second round of the playoffs.
3. The Senators, Lightning, Flames & Oilers will face off in the two conference championships.
2. The Calgary Flames will finally bring the Stanley Cup back to Canada after they dispose of Ottawa in 6 games.
1. Scoring will be up less then one goal per game, in comparison with the 2003-2004 season.
Can't wait for tonight.
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Division Series Previews
I'm tired & want to get to bed, so this is going to be short & sweet...
First off, I want to congratulate myself, because I picked 5 of the 8 playoff teams this year. Only picks I got wrong were AL Central (i took Minny), NL East (i took Florida), & NL WC (i took Philly). Still 5 out of 8 is a hall of fame batting average, so I'll pat my own back.
And so we're clear on one thing, way back in March when I didn't have a website like this to document all my crazy predictions, I took the Angels over the Cardinals as my World Series pick. I'm not backing off that now, no way.
Padres vs Cardinals
There are a dozen or so teams who deserve a playoff spot over the San Diego Padres, unfortunately for them, they're at home right now, concentrating on their fantasy football leagues. The Padres may be the worst playoff team of all time, and yet, they are so much better then they played this year. With Jake Peavy, this team could easily win 2 games. That leaves three others, two of which are at home, and are also winnable.
Unfortunately for them, the wild card came out of the central, so they have to play the central champs, the Cardinals, who are the NL's best team, without a doubt. Match this Padres team up against the Braves or the Phillies, and they can win the series. Against the Cardinals, they don't stand much of a chance, as Chris Carpenter neutralizes anything Jake Peavy brings to the table.
Cardinals in four.
Braves vs Astros
This is going to be a great series. There aren't many people who thought either of these teams had a chance to make it to the playoffs this year. But great managing combined with timely pitching & hotshot rookies have lifted both of these teams to contender status, and here they sit against each other for a second straight year.
The Astros big 3 pitchers this year are arguably the greatest 3 pitchers for any one team in any one season ever. With these guys rolling, the astros can win any best of 5 series, against any team in the league. The spacing of days off in this series allows the Astros to move Brandon Backe into their bullpen, which could use the help, and pitch Roger Clemens & Andy Pettite twice in the short series, if necessary.
On the other hand, the Braves don't have the pitching they once did. Interesting decision by Bobby Cox announcing that Tim Hudson would take game one, and John Smoltz game two. Nobody can say anything about Smoltz, not after he came out of the bullpen this spring and immediately tripled his workload, pitching 230 innings. But now you have to wonder, did he push too hard to fast? Is he now worn out? It looks that way, and it seems Bobby Cox thinks so, too. Why else would you put your ace as the #2 starter in the series? Clearly Cox doesn't think Smoltz can pitch twice in 5 games, if necessary, so he sets up Tim Hudson to take the mound in games one & five. If Smoltz really is fading, that's bad news for the Braves. They need him & Hudson to be lights out if they have any chance of winning this series.
Astros in five.
White Sox vs Red Sox
Of the four AL playoff teams, these are easily the worse two. It's a shame that one of these two teams will get to play in the ALCS while one of the yankees & angels will be sitting at home. But, that's the way it has to be, so no point in complaining about it anymore.
The White Sox were a great team, during the first 100 games of the season. But when you limp into the playoffs (nevermind that 3 game season ending sweep) with a final record over your last 55 games that is worse then the Colorado Rockies, things aren't going you're way. Luckily for them, they're facing a team that is playing just as bad, the Red Sox.
The Red Sox had a 4 game division lead on September 9th, and still couldn't hold onto it. Sure, 4 games may not sound like a whole lot, but in 20 games time, to blow a 4 game lead is impressive, in the wrong sort of way. Their bullpen is bad. Their rotation is in shambles. And 6 of their regular batters don't scare anybody.
But they have two things Chicago doesn't... playoff experience, and David Ortiz batting in front of Manny Ramirez. The Red Sox caught a second wind this past weekend, as much as I hate the sound of that. They got into the playoffs, took two of three from the yankees, and because of a wacky tie-break system that no baseball fan even knew about, they got to avoid the Angels in the first round.
I'd look for this team to start rolling asap.
Red Sox in three.
Yankees vs Angels
This is going to be without a doubt the best series of the first round. The Yankees are the hottest team in baseball, but they're still a team surrounded by question marks & fill-ins whose deals with satan are about to expire. But, they are still the Yankees. And the Yankees win in October, it's what they do. Or at least, it's what they did up until November 4th, 2001.
The Angels, on the other hand, have the best player in the league, Vladimir Guerrero (no disrespect to Papi), and they have a true ace in Bartolo Colon for the first time in a long time. Oh yea, and Steve Shields to Francisco Rodriguez is the best 8th-9th combo in all of baseball.
One other thing they have... homefield in this round.
Now, I'm tired, and don't really feel like breaking this entire series down. Plus, I fear if I actually broke it down, I'd find out that realistically there is no way the Yankees lose this series. But if I picked the Yankees, that would be going against my Angels-Cardinals world series prediction, and I can't do that. So as much as it pains me to do this...
Angels in Five.
First off, I want to congratulate myself, because I picked 5 of the 8 playoff teams this year. Only picks I got wrong were AL Central (i took Minny), NL East (i took Florida), & NL WC (i took Philly). Still 5 out of 8 is a hall of fame batting average, so I'll pat my own back.
And so we're clear on one thing, way back in March when I didn't have a website like this to document all my crazy predictions, I took the Angels over the Cardinals as my World Series pick. I'm not backing off that now, no way.
Padres vs Cardinals
There are a dozen or so teams who deserve a playoff spot over the San Diego Padres, unfortunately for them, they're at home right now, concentrating on their fantasy football leagues. The Padres may be the worst playoff team of all time, and yet, they are so much better then they played this year. With Jake Peavy, this team could easily win 2 games. That leaves three others, two of which are at home, and are also winnable.
Unfortunately for them, the wild card came out of the central, so they have to play the central champs, the Cardinals, who are the NL's best team, without a doubt. Match this Padres team up against the Braves or the Phillies, and they can win the series. Against the Cardinals, they don't stand much of a chance, as Chris Carpenter neutralizes anything Jake Peavy brings to the table.
Cardinals in four.
Braves vs Astros
This is going to be a great series. There aren't many people who thought either of these teams had a chance to make it to the playoffs this year. But great managing combined with timely pitching & hotshot rookies have lifted both of these teams to contender status, and here they sit against each other for a second straight year.
The Astros big 3 pitchers this year are arguably the greatest 3 pitchers for any one team in any one season ever. With these guys rolling, the astros can win any best of 5 series, against any team in the league. The spacing of days off in this series allows the Astros to move Brandon Backe into their bullpen, which could use the help, and pitch Roger Clemens & Andy Pettite twice in the short series, if necessary.
On the other hand, the Braves don't have the pitching they once did. Interesting decision by Bobby Cox announcing that Tim Hudson would take game one, and John Smoltz game two. Nobody can say anything about Smoltz, not after he came out of the bullpen this spring and immediately tripled his workload, pitching 230 innings. But now you have to wonder, did he push too hard to fast? Is he now worn out? It looks that way, and it seems Bobby Cox thinks so, too. Why else would you put your ace as the #2 starter in the series? Clearly Cox doesn't think Smoltz can pitch twice in 5 games, if necessary, so he sets up Tim Hudson to take the mound in games one & five. If Smoltz really is fading, that's bad news for the Braves. They need him & Hudson to be lights out if they have any chance of winning this series.
Astros in five.
White Sox vs Red Sox
Of the four AL playoff teams, these are easily the worse two. It's a shame that one of these two teams will get to play in the ALCS while one of the yankees & angels will be sitting at home. But, that's the way it has to be, so no point in complaining about it anymore.
The White Sox were a great team, during the first 100 games of the season. But when you limp into the playoffs (nevermind that 3 game season ending sweep) with a final record over your last 55 games that is worse then the Colorado Rockies, things aren't going you're way. Luckily for them, they're facing a team that is playing just as bad, the Red Sox.
The Red Sox had a 4 game division lead on September 9th, and still couldn't hold onto it. Sure, 4 games may not sound like a whole lot, but in 20 games time, to blow a 4 game lead is impressive, in the wrong sort of way. Their bullpen is bad. Their rotation is in shambles. And 6 of their regular batters don't scare anybody.
But they have two things Chicago doesn't... playoff experience, and David Ortiz batting in front of Manny Ramirez. The Red Sox caught a second wind this past weekend, as much as I hate the sound of that. They got into the playoffs, took two of three from the yankees, and because of a wacky tie-break system that no baseball fan even knew about, they got to avoid the Angels in the first round.
I'd look for this team to start rolling asap.
Red Sox in three.
Yankees vs Angels
This is going to be without a doubt the best series of the first round. The Yankees are the hottest team in baseball, but they're still a team surrounded by question marks & fill-ins whose deals with satan are about to expire. But, they are still the Yankees. And the Yankees win in October, it's what they do. Or at least, it's what they did up until November 4th, 2001.
The Angels, on the other hand, have the best player in the league, Vladimir Guerrero (no disrespect to Papi), and they have a true ace in Bartolo Colon for the first time in a long time. Oh yea, and Steve Shields to Francisco Rodriguez is the best 8th-9th combo in all of baseball.
One other thing they have... homefield in this round.
Now, I'm tired, and don't really feel like breaking this entire series down. Plus, I fear if I actually broke it down, I'd find out that realistically there is no way the Yankees lose this series. But if I picked the Yankees, that would be going against my Angels-Cardinals world series prediction, and I can't do that. So as much as it pains me to do this...
Angels in Five.
Sunday, October 02, 2005
the sharkey has arrived
Yes, it's true, I am a smart enough man to now have my own website. I can't even begin to imagine how jealous all of you are.
Allow me to let you in on a small secret. This isn't a website. I just bought a domain name and forwarded it to a blog. It's cheating, I know. But really, I'm not that smart, so this is all I'm capable of doing. For now.
Someday this will actually be a website. Complete with a blog, of my own. My own blog. And maybe some other stuff. Pictures, I can handle pictures. And other stuff. No idea what else. But if I think of anything, I'll add that as well.
You're probably now beginning to wonder why someone as boring as myself now has their own website, complete with a blog. It's simple, really. Supply & demand. Everyone else is doing it, and people seem to enjoy them. So now I'm going to do one, and you're going to enjoy it.
That, and in another life I always dreamed I was a sports writer. So maybe I'll write some stuff about sports in here, and live out my fantasy. Well, one of my fantasies, anyway. The one that I'm willing to put in type & share with the world.
You see, sports is how this all came to be, anyway. It's now time I introduce you to two people, the first two of many you will learn to know & love in the comings days before I get bored with this site & stop posting.
The first man is a good buddy of mine, Matt Faz. Known him since I was 4, when during our first meeting he tried to run me over with a big wheels. I'm serious. You can't make that sort of thing up, he chased me down on his driveway. We've been best friends ever since. A few months ago he got his own website, www.mattfaz.com. It started out as a joke. But then he got an internship at a sports-radio station, and his site took off. It's not espn.com by any means, but it's still pretty cool, when he updates it. I figured, if he could do a blog about his sports ramblings once a week, so could I.
The second is this kid Weiss. Now, I won't lie, I don't actually know this kid. But I've been in too many fantasy leagues to count over the last 7 or 8 years with him, and thru the AIM (greatest invention ever?), we've become about as good of friends as two people who have never met can become. Anyway, a month or two ago he started his own website, www.coldasweiss.com, which is basically a sports blog. Or, it would be, if he would post more then once a month. But anyway, I got to thinking. If he could get 200 hits within the first 4 hours of his posting a blog, why couldn't I? I mean, he's your typical Philly fan, who thinks he knows everything about the world of sports, but really doesn't know anything about anything outside the city of Philadelphia. Add that to the fact that he can't write for shit, and he takes himself more seriously then the pope, and you've got what adds up to a disaster of a site that for some reason 200 people love.
Yea, I don't get it either, but it works. So I'm trying it. A few disclaimers, first. Weiss actually wants to be a sports-writer, I think. I don't know, I've never talked to him about it. But anyway, he's very serious in what he does. Actually writes out articles, edits them, all that stuff. He's hoping his website will open new doors for him. If you're looking for that at this site, you've come to the wrong place. I'm doing this because I have so much god damn sports (and entertainment) knowledge in my oversized head that I don't know what to do with it anymore. Add to that the amount of time I sit at this laptop not doing anything, and I figure this will give me something to do at night before I go to bed.
So don't expect a great article, or anything resembling an article. Don't expect editing. I'm just going to type what I feel, and then I'll click the bright orange "publish post" button, and everything will be done. I'll never re-read what I wrote, I'm just shooting the shit here.
So that's why I've got a website. Sports. Really, they're all I've got going for me. Work sucks, I hate the industry I'm in, but I have no skills in anything else, so I'm stuck there. Finding a girlfriend is harder then winning the "$5000 a week for life" scratch-off, at least in my case. And as much as I'd like to pretend I can, I can neither sing nor play any musical instrument, so my rock career isn't taking off. So I'm left with sports. Basically the only positive in my life.
So now, as I start yet another paragraph with the word "so", I'm going to bed. But now you know what the point of this disaster is. And maybe tomorrow, you'll be interested enough to check back to read about how great Eli Manning is, or how I just captured my 4th fantasy baseball championship in 5 years, or how the Devils are going to win the 2006 Stanley Cup.
Maybe.
Allow me to let you in on a small secret. This isn't a website. I just bought a domain name and forwarded it to a blog. It's cheating, I know. But really, I'm not that smart, so this is all I'm capable of doing. For now.
Someday this will actually be a website. Complete with a blog, of my own. My own blog. And maybe some other stuff. Pictures, I can handle pictures. And other stuff. No idea what else. But if I think of anything, I'll add that as well.
You're probably now beginning to wonder why someone as boring as myself now has their own website, complete with a blog. It's simple, really. Supply & demand. Everyone else is doing it, and people seem to enjoy them. So now I'm going to do one, and you're going to enjoy it.
That, and in another life I always dreamed I was a sports writer. So maybe I'll write some stuff about sports in here, and live out my fantasy. Well, one of my fantasies, anyway. The one that I'm willing to put in type & share with the world.
You see, sports is how this all came to be, anyway. It's now time I introduce you to two people, the first two of many you will learn to know & love in the comings days before I get bored with this site & stop posting.
The first man is a good buddy of mine, Matt Faz. Known him since I was 4, when during our first meeting he tried to run me over with a big wheels. I'm serious. You can't make that sort of thing up, he chased me down on his driveway. We've been best friends ever since. A few months ago he got his own website, www.mattfaz.com. It started out as a joke. But then he got an internship at a sports-radio station, and his site took off. It's not espn.com by any means, but it's still pretty cool, when he updates it. I figured, if he could do a blog about his sports ramblings once a week, so could I.
The second is this kid Weiss. Now, I won't lie, I don't actually know this kid. But I've been in too many fantasy leagues to count over the last 7 or 8 years with him, and thru the AIM (greatest invention ever?), we've become about as good of friends as two people who have never met can become. Anyway, a month or two ago he started his own website, www.coldasweiss.com, which is basically a sports blog. Or, it would be, if he would post more then once a month. But anyway, I got to thinking. If he could get 200 hits within the first 4 hours of his posting a blog, why couldn't I? I mean, he's your typical Philly fan, who thinks he knows everything about the world of sports, but really doesn't know anything about anything outside the city of Philadelphia. Add that to the fact that he can't write for shit, and he takes himself more seriously then the pope, and you've got what adds up to a disaster of a site that for some reason 200 people love.
Yea, I don't get it either, but it works. So I'm trying it. A few disclaimers, first. Weiss actually wants to be a sports-writer, I think. I don't know, I've never talked to him about it. But anyway, he's very serious in what he does. Actually writes out articles, edits them, all that stuff. He's hoping his website will open new doors for him. If you're looking for that at this site, you've come to the wrong place. I'm doing this because I have so much god damn sports (and entertainment) knowledge in my oversized head that I don't know what to do with it anymore. Add to that the amount of time I sit at this laptop not doing anything, and I figure this will give me something to do at night before I go to bed.
So don't expect a great article, or anything resembling an article. Don't expect editing. I'm just going to type what I feel, and then I'll click the bright orange "publish post" button, and everything will be done. I'll never re-read what I wrote, I'm just shooting the shit here.
So that's why I've got a website. Sports. Really, they're all I've got going for me. Work sucks, I hate the industry I'm in, but I have no skills in anything else, so I'm stuck there. Finding a girlfriend is harder then winning the "$5000 a week for life" scratch-off, at least in my case. And as much as I'd like to pretend I can, I can neither sing nor play any musical instrument, so my rock career isn't taking off. So I'm left with sports. Basically the only positive in my life.
So now, as I start yet another paragraph with the word "so", I'm going to bed. But now you know what the point of this disaster is. And maybe tomorrow, you'll be interested enough to check back to read about how great Eli Manning is, or how I just captured my 4th fantasy baseball championship in 5 years, or how the Devils are going to win the 2006 Stanley Cup.
Maybe.
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