HEADLINES
1) Carmelo Anthony scored 41 points in the Nuggets' road win in Portland moving Denver to 2-0 with win over two Western Conference playoff contenders. Can Carmelo compete with LeBron and Kobe for MVP honors?
Ben: I think he could, but the media won't allow him to win. He plays in a media-lacking area, for a team that is probably 3-5 in the rankings out West. Therefore he won't get the attention Kobe and LeBron will. He team won't do as well as either of the other two teams do, and his offensive numbers won't be as mind-boggling as the other two because he can share the load with Billups and others.
I like 'Melo, and I think he's going to be a great player for a long time, but he won't get a chance to sniff the MVP award for awhile.
Boz: I think that he can compete, but it won't be easy to hang with Kobe and LeBron in stats for 82 games. Carmelo is a great player who doesn't just put up points. He can also get on the boards and rack up his double-double totals for the year. It's crazy to think about how good that draft class was with Carmelo, LeBron and D-Wade all in the top-5 picks. By the end of their careers, the question will be whether or not that was one of the best draft classes of all time.
2) The new Chicago Cubs' owner Tom Ricketts stated in his press conference that the Cubs will win a World Series and end the drought that has lasted since 1908. He just didn't say when. Do you agree?
Ben: Of course I agree. At some point the Cubs will win a World Series, you cannot dispute that. If baseball is played for another, 25,50,100 years, they will win one championship. When, is the big question. I like that Ricketts didn't put a timeline on it. I like that he wasn't forceful in his pursuit of a title -- but I think it was a little vague. Look, I don't want him to be like George Steinbrenner was for all those years in New York, but I do want him to be visible and demand production. This was a step in the right direction.
Boz: Well you have to hope that this awful streak would end eventually so it's not taking too much of a risk by saying that. I'm just hoping that the end of the streak comes sooner than later. I like that a new owner comes in with confidence but that confidence will only get you so far. Now it comes down to Ricketts, along with GM Jim Hendry, bringing in the right pieces and getting rid of the wrong pieces (cough...Milton Bradley...cough). I'm just glad that Ricketts wants to keep Wrigley Field.
3) There is a very exciting weekend on tap in the sports world with the Vikings visiting Lambeau, World Series Game 3 and USC at Oregon. What are you most excited to watch?
Ben: I'll probably go with USC at Oregon. I love college football on Saturday's, it is almost the best day of the week. I like it even more because my brother will be playing a playoff game for high school before this game and it will seamlessly flow into an entire weekend of football. That's what I'm most excited about.
Boz: I would say the Vikings at Packers, but since they play in the same time slot as the Cardinals, our network will be showing the Panthers at Cardinals and I won't get to see how the Packers fans accept Brett Favre's return. Therefore, I'm excited about the World Series. This has been a very good series for the first two games and I only think it'll get better. The series has featured such great pitching and with more starts coming from Sabathia and Lee, this could be a great World Series.
4) SEC officials have stated that they will start fining and suspending coaches who criticize officials in the media. Do you agree with this move?
Ben: No. They made bad calls. EVERYONE IN THE NATION KNOWS IT! Hold them accountable. If you are going to hold the coaches accountable for what they say, and threaten suspension or fines -- you have to do the same for the officials. The SEC must hold them to a standard that says, you have to be unbias and make by-the-book calls.
Look, I agree with Boz that these were not the only plays in the game that cost the teams the upset. And I agree that calls have gone both ways throughout the history of time -- BUT, the evidence is there that these were the wrong decisions, you have to hold the officials accountable. Make them stand trial as well.
Boz: Even though the officials in the SEC have been as bad, if not worse, than MLB umpires in the postseason, I do agree with this statement from the SEC. No matter how bad the refs might be, you can't blast them in the media about favoritism and what not. I can understand the frustration that comes when the outcome of a game against Florida could have been changed with a couple calls going the other way. However, there are more reasons for a loss than just the calls by the official. It's also not the first time officials have made bad calls and I'm sure those coaches that are complaining have had some favorable calls go their way in a win before.
NFL PICK 'EM
Last week Ben: 4-2 Boz: 2-4
Season Ben: 19-18 Boz: 21-16
1) New York Giants (5-2) at Philadelphia (4-2)
Ben: NEW YORK GIANTS. The G-men are too good to lose 3 in a row, and Philly's offense still doesn't look in sync. Brian Westbrook most likely won't play and that hurts their chances.
Boz: NEW YORK GIANTS. I'm not sold on Philadelphia's offense yet. Their third down conversion rate is bad and without the big plays from Jackson last week, they might have lost to the Redskins. Giants play tough on the road and they want to bounce back from a disappointing loss at home.
2) St. Louis (0-7) at Detroit (1-6)
Ben: DETROIT. The first time in nearly 4 weeks since I've been confident in this predicition.
Boz: DETROIT. I said after the Lions beat the Redskins that the Rams would be the Lions' second win of the year and I'm sticking with that.
3) Cleveland (1-6) at Chicago (3-3)
Ben: CHICAGO. If they can't beat Cleveland, just give up on the season.
Boz: CHICAGO. The Bears have lost two in a row and they need this win at home against a weak Browns team.
4) Miami (2-4) at New York Jets (4-3)
Ben: MIAMI DOLPHINS. Surprise pick here, but I think Henne is improving that offense, and Sanchez has taken a step backward. I'll take the Fins in a close one.
Boz: NEW YORK JETS. I really like the Dolphins and their running game. But I have to think that the defensive minded Rex Ryan came up with a better game plan after the Dolphins won in Miami.
5) Denver (6-0) at Baltimore (3-3)
Ben: BALTIMORE. No way the Broncos go cross-country and beat up on the Ravens. I'm pretty sure both teams are coming off the bye-week, so I'll take the rested Ravens to win this one.
Boz: BALTIMORE. I admitted that the Broncos are a good team but I'm STILL not on the bandwagon yet. The Ravens have lost three in a row to tough teams and they need this win. They'll come out ready to play.
6) Minnesota (6-1) at Green Bay (4-2)
Ben: GREEN BAY. Minny hasn't had the bye week yet, they've played several physical games in a row, and it'll finally catch up to them. That and the crowd at Lambeau will probably be in rare form.
Boz: GREEN BAY. The Packers held Adrian Peterson to 2.2 yards per carry the first time they played this season. I think they'll have a better game plan for Brett Favre this time around and they won't let him come into Lambeau and win on his old turf.
7) Atlanta (5-2) at New Orleans (6-0)
Ben: NEW ORLEANS. Drew Bress. Superdome. 'Nuff said.
Boz: NEW ORLEANS. The Falcons can beat the Saints and will later on when they host the Saints. But this time around, it's all Drew Brees and the Saints at home.
HAPPY HOUR
Ben: Happy 9th Anniversary Bob Brenly. On this date in 2000 Brenly signed a three-year, $2 million contract to be named as manager of the Diamondbacks. The former major league catcher replaces Buck Showalter. Brenly went on to win a World Series in 2001 and then be fired 2 years later. For now, he's the color commentator for the Cubs and has a good on-air relationship with Len Casper -- to bad they had to suffer through all 162 games the Cubs played last year. Brenly will be back as top man in the dugout soon enough.
Boz: Happy 60th Birthday to Larry Holmes. The former WBC and IBF world champion had an overall record of 69-6, including 44 KO's. Holmes won his first 48 professional fights, falling one short of Rocky Marciano's streak of 49 when Holmes lost to Michael Spinks in a controversial decision.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Day 39: Cliff Lee, Rock Chalk Jayhawk, Pujols and more
HEADLINES
1) Cliff Lee pitched a complete game, giving up only six hits and no earned runs in the Phillies Game 1 win over the Yankees. How good was Cliff Lee last night and how do the Yankees rebound from the loss?
Ben: He was electic. Cliff Lee is one of those sneaky good pitchers. He's not a flamethrower or have crazy breaking pitches. He just throw to good spots with late movement. He was great last night. I think he's probably been the best pitcher the Phillies have had the last two season.
The Yankees can come out and jump all over Pedro. If he struggles right off the bat, the Phillies will fold. If they can put up 3-5 runs up on Pedro before the 5th or 6th, they are in good shape to get the win.
Boz: Cliff Lee was amazing. This entire postseason Ben and I both have been talking about how good the Yankees line-up is. Well, outside of Derek Jeter going 3-for-4, the Yankees couldn't touch Cliff Lee and he was hitting every one of his spots with every one of his pitches. It'll definitely go down as one of the best game 1 performances on the road in the history of the game.
This is a tough loss for the Yankees because they need to win Sabathia's starts in order win the series. Burnett is unpredictable and with the middle relief issues that they have, they could blow a good start from any pitcher. With the 2-3-2 series set up for the world series, the Yanks need to win one at home or Jimmy Rollins' prediction of five games might turn to four.
2) The Kansas Jayhawks have been named No. 1 in the first AP poll of the season. Do you agree with this?
Ben: I guess. Who knows? They have some great players back from last years team but honestly who could say for sure. UNC, Michigan State, Kentucky could all have better years or been voted #1. I don't really put a lot of stock into it, but I guess I wouldn't be surprised if at the end of the year, they were the best team.
Boz: In my opinion, preseason polls are useless and I think every coach in the land will tell you the same thing. But to answer the question, yes I agree with the Jayhawks being the No. 1 team in the nation to open up the season. They return Sheron Collins and Cole Aldrich and Bill Self always brings in good recruiting classes and he once again has done that this season. However, being named No. 1 in the preseason poll doesn't always mean you finish there. College basketball is a long season.
3) Albert Pujols has stated that he would like to remain with the St. Louis Cardinals for the rest of his career. Is that a good idea?
Ben: Yes. Pujols is the Brett Farve of St. Louis, anything he wants to do, he can. If he ever decided to leave, it would be just as big of a deal as Farve leaving Green Bay.
Boz: It would be a good idea for the Cardinals to keep Pujols in St. Louis for the rest of his career because this is a guy who, at the end of his career, could arguably be one of the best hitters of all time. St. Louis is known as one of the best baseball cities in America and they, for the most part, are always putting competitive teams on the field. The Cardinals fans love Albert Pujols, I should know since I grew up with Cardinals fans surrounding me in my family, and he is in a perfect situation in St. Louis. The only better place to be would be Wrigley Field...think about it Albert!
4) Lifelong Browns fan and season ticket holder Mike Randall, a.k.a. "Dawg Pound Mike", is asking other fans to stay away from the nationall televised Monday Night Football game against the Ravens on November 16, hoping that the empty seats on a nationally televised game will send a message to ownership that the fans are tired of losing. Is this a good idea?
Ben: Not really. I think the owner and GM and coach all know their team is terrible and they have to do better, but I never really felt like these types of demonstrations worked very well for fans in Detroit. I feel like these are publicity stunts to get some fans on TV.
Also, even if they didn't go to this game, the revenue sharing structure and the TV deals, along with general sponsership dollars would far outweigh the loss of money because 10,000 fans didn't show up.
Boz: Absolutely! These fans pay a lot of money to go to these games and they deserve to see their franchise at least try to put a good product on the field and attempt to be a successful team. The Browns have been bad since they returned to Cleveland in 1999. The ownership looks forward to having their team on a national level such as Monday Night Football, and it would look bad if people who bought tickets did not show up to the game and all you have to showcase is an empty stadium. It's not like you can sell their tickets again.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PICK 'EM
Last week Ben: 7-1 Boz: 4-4
Season Ben: 39-16 Boz: 29-26
1) Michigan at Illinois (Saturday, 2:30 p.m.)
Ben: Michigan. Sorry Illinois. The FCS team you beat (Illinois State) doesn't inspire me anymore. You are losers.
Boz: MICHIGAN. Illinois should be fired up for this game at home. But it won't matter because they are terrible and have no quarterback play.
2) No. 12 Penn State at Northwestern (Saturday, 3:30 p.m.)
Ben: PENN STATE. If you want to be a doctor or journalist, go to Northwestern, if you want to win football games go to PENN STATE.
Boz: PENN STATE. I want to pick the upset here because the Wildcats actually aren't bad. But the Nittany Lions showed me something by winning in Ann Arbor last week.
3) No. 22 South Carolina at Tennessee (Saturday, 6:45 p.m.)
Ben: SOUTH CAROLINA. I like Spurrier, and I don't like Kiffin. The offense for SC is better then Tennessee.
Boz: TENNESSEE. This is my upset this week as the Vols use the running game to take care of South Carolina at Rocky Top.
4) No. 25 Mississippi at Auburn (Saturday, 11:20 a.m.)
Ben: AUBURN. Jevan Snead has disappointed me, and I think Auburn has the benefit playing at home. There offense will outscore Ole Miss.
Boz: OLE MISS. Auburn has really struggled since starting with the SEC portion of its schedule. Which shows you that they are not a legit team in the SEC.
5) No. 3 Texas at No. 14 Oklahoma State (Saturday, 7 p.m.)
Ben: OKLAHOMA STATE. Upset alert. Mike Gundy is going to give another "I'M A MAN" speech before the game and get the Cowboys juiced up. That and I think Texas is overrated and Oklahoma State's offense is better.
Boz: TEXAS. The Longhorns gear up for these big games and the Cowboys offense takes a hit without Dez Bryant. They won't be able to put up points against the Texas' defense.
6) No. 5 USC at No. 10 Oregon (Saturday, 7 p.m.)
Ben: USC. They get up for these games. They don't lose nationally televised, big, rivalry, Pac-10 games.
Boz: OREGON. The Ducks are tough at home since Eugene is one of the tougher places to play in college football. This ends the reign for the Trojans on top of the Pac-10.
HAPPY HOUR
Ben: Happy 47th Birthday Danny Tartabull. To tell you the truth, I don't remember much about Tartabull -- but if you know anything about me from reading this blog -- I love funny names. He played mostly for the Mariners, Royals, and Yanks. And also had a brief appearance on Seinfeld. Claim to fame there.
Boz: Happy 28th Birthday to Amanda Beard. Beard has competed in four Olympic games and has captured seven medals. Not only did she capture the gold medal in the 200-meter breaststroke, but she also captured my heart.
1) Cliff Lee pitched a complete game, giving up only six hits and no earned runs in the Phillies Game 1 win over the Yankees. How good was Cliff Lee last night and how do the Yankees rebound from the loss?
Ben: He was electic. Cliff Lee is one of those sneaky good pitchers. He's not a flamethrower or have crazy breaking pitches. He just throw to good spots with late movement. He was great last night. I think he's probably been the best pitcher the Phillies have had the last two season.
The Yankees can come out and jump all over Pedro. If he struggles right off the bat, the Phillies will fold. If they can put up 3-5 runs up on Pedro before the 5th or 6th, they are in good shape to get the win.
Boz: Cliff Lee was amazing. This entire postseason Ben and I both have been talking about how good the Yankees line-up is. Well, outside of Derek Jeter going 3-for-4, the Yankees couldn't touch Cliff Lee and he was hitting every one of his spots with every one of his pitches. It'll definitely go down as one of the best game 1 performances on the road in the history of the game.
This is a tough loss for the Yankees because they need to win Sabathia's starts in order win the series. Burnett is unpredictable and with the middle relief issues that they have, they could blow a good start from any pitcher. With the 2-3-2 series set up for the world series, the Yanks need to win one at home or Jimmy Rollins' prediction of five games might turn to four.
2) The Kansas Jayhawks have been named No. 1 in the first AP poll of the season. Do you agree with this?
Ben: I guess. Who knows? They have some great players back from last years team but honestly who could say for sure. UNC, Michigan State, Kentucky could all have better years or been voted #1. I don't really put a lot of stock into it, but I guess I wouldn't be surprised if at the end of the year, they were the best team.
Boz: In my opinion, preseason polls are useless and I think every coach in the land will tell you the same thing. But to answer the question, yes I agree with the Jayhawks being the No. 1 team in the nation to open up the season. They return Sheron Collins and Cole Aldrich and Bill Self always brings in good recruiting classes and he once again has done that this season. However, being named No. 1 in the preseason poll doesn't always mean you finish there. College basketball is a long season.
3) Albert Pujols has stated that he would like to remain with the St. Louis Cardinals for the rest of his career. Is that a good idea?
Ben: Yes. Pujols is the Brett Farve of St. Louis, anything he wants to do, he can. If he ever decided to leave, it would be just as big of a deal as Farve leaving Green Bay.
Boz: It would be a good idea for the Cardinals to keep Pujols in St. Louis for the rest of his career because this is a guy who, at the end of his career, could arguably be one of the best hitters of all time. St. Louis is known as one of the best baseball cities in America and they, for the most part, are always putting competitive teams on the field. The Cardinals fans love Albert Pujols, I should know since I grew up with Cardinals fans surrounding me in my family, and he is in a perfect situation in St. Louis. The only better place to be would be Wrigley Field...think about it Albert!
4) Lifelong Browns fan and season ticket holder Mike Randall, a.k.a. "Dawg Pound Mike", is asking other fans to stay away from the nationall televised Monday Night Football game against the Ravens on November 16, hoping that the empty seats on a nationally televised game will send a message to ownership that the fans are tired of losing. Is this a good idea?
Ben: Not really. I think the owner and GM and coach all know their team is terrible and they have to do better, but I never really felt like these types of demonstrations worked very well for fans in Detroit. I feel like these are publicity stunts to get some fans on TV.
Also, even if they didn't go to this game, the revenue sharing structure and the TV deals, along with general sponsership dollars would far outweigh the loss of money because 10,000 fans didn't show up.
Boz: Absolutely! These fans pay a lot of money to go to these games and they deserve to see their franchise at least try to put a good product on the field and attempt to be a successful team. The Browns have been bad since they returned to Cleveland in 1999. The ownership looks forward to having their team on a national level such as Monday Night Football, and it would look bad if people who bought tickets did not show up to the game and all you have to showcase is an empty stadium. It's not like you can sell their tickets again.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PICK 'EM
Last week Ben: 7-1 Boz: 4-4
Season Ben: 39-16 Boz: 29-26
1) Michigan at Illinois (Saturday, 2:30 p.m.)
Ben: Michigan. Sorry Illinois. The FCS team you beat (Illinois State) doesn't inspire me anymore. You are losers.
Boz: MICHIGAN. Illinois should be fired up for this game at home. But it won't matter because they are terrible and have no quarterback play.
2) No. 12 Penn State at Northwestern (Saturday, 3:30 p.m.)
Ben: PENN STATE. If you want to be a doctor or journalist, go to Northwestern, if you want to win football games go to PENN STATE.
Boz: PENN STATE. I want to pick the upset here because the Wildcats actually aren't bad. But the Nittany Lions showed me something by winning in Ann Arbor last week.
3) No. 22 South Carolina at Tennessee (Saturday, 6:45 p.m.)
Ben: SOUTH CAROLINA. I like Spurrier, and I don't like Kiffin. The offense for SC is better then Tennessee.
Boz: TENNESSEE. This is my upset this week as the Vols use the running game to take care of South Carolina at Rocky Top.
4) No. 25 Mississippi at Auburn (Saturday, 11:20 a.m.)
Ben: AUBURN. Jevan Snead has disappointed me, and I think Auburn has the benefit playing at home. There offense will outscore Ole Miss.
Boz: OLE MISS. Auburn has really struggled since starting with the SEC portion of its schedule. Which shows you that they are not a legit team in the SEC.
5) No. 3 Texas at No. 14 Oklahoma State (Saturday, 7 p.m.)
Ben: OKLAHOMA STATE. Upset alert. Mike Gundy is going to give another "I'M A MAN" speech before the game and get the Cowboys juiced up. That and I think Texas is overrated and Oklahoma State's offense is better.
Boz: TEXAS. The Longhorns gear up for these big games and the Cowboys offense takes a hit without Dez Bryant. They won't be able to put up points against the Texas' defense.
6) No. 5 USC at No. 10 Oregon (Saturday, 7 p.m.)
Ben: USC. They get up for these games. They don't lose nationally televised, big, rivalry, Pac-10 games.
Boz: OREGON. The Ducks are tough at home since Eugene is one of the tougher places to play in college football. This ends the reign for the Trojans on top of the Pac-10.
HAPPY HOUR
Ben: Happy 47th Birthday Danny Tartabull. To tell you the truth, I don't remember much about Tartabull -- but if you know anything about me from reading this blog -- I love funny names. He played mostly for the Mariners, Royals, and Yanks. And also had a brief appearance on Seinfeld. Claim to fame there.
Boz: Happy 28th Birthday to Amanda Beard. Beard has competed in four Olympic games and has captured seven medals. Not only did she capture the gold medal in the 200-meter breaststroke, but she also captured my heart.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Day 38: Celts and Cavs, Andre, Mr. Larry Johnson and more
HEADLINES
1) The Celtics and the Cavs kicked off the NBA season last night with the Celtics taking a 95-89 win on the road. What did you learn about the first match up of two of the best teams in the East?
Ben: I learned that the Cavs are in trouble defensively. If teams want to sit in the half court offense, then they'll probably be clsoe to a 60 win team this year, but if teams want to get out and run, or run the pick and roll all game -- Cleveland is going to have to win a lot of 115-110 games this year. I don't think they are going to be able to do that.
I also learned that the Celtics will be dangerously close to one injury away from being in trouble throughout the season. Garnett, Allen, Pierce, Rondo, Wallace -- any of those guys go down and the Celtics will be hurting for production.
Boz: I learned a couple things from watching the game last night. First, both teams added other players than the big names that will help the team. For the Cavs, the addition of Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon makes them a much more athletic team and gives them more shooters. For the Celtics, Marquise Daniels gives them a reliable back-up point guard for when Rajon Rando is out of the game.
The second thing that I learned last night is that LeBron James will eventually dislike playing with Shaq at sometime this season. The Cavs are better than 89 points, even playing against the Celtics. Shaq bottles up the middle, which doesn't allow for cutters and drivers to have much success since Shaq, and Shaq's defender, are taking up a ton of space in the paint. He already bottled up a high-scoring Suns offense for the last two seasons and it looked like LeBron had to settle for a lot of outside jumpers last night.
2) In his upcoming book, Andre Agassi admits that he used crystal meth in 1997 and even failed a drug test but lied, saying that he accidently took it to get around the drug test. What do you make of this situation and should it affect Agassi's status as one of the games greats?
Ben: Nope. The year he's admitting to drug use is his worst in his career. And, on top of that, I think Agassi was such a great ambassador throughout his career for the game, he's earned a mistake or two. Granted this is a mistake is serious, and disappointing, but at the end of the day, shouldn't effect the perception of Agassi.
Boz: This is hard for me because Agassi is my favorite tennis player of all-time and, despite this new information, still is. This just shows that no one is perfect and that everyone has their faults and their problems. Despite being a great tennis player, Andre Agassi is a human being and, just like every other human being, makes mistakes. Someone should look into the ATP and why they let Agassi out of that failed drug test so easily.
I firmly believe that this should not change Agassi's status as one of the greatest players of all-time and he should cruise into the Tennis Hall of Fame. If you look at his career, 1997 (the year he admits to using crystal meth) was the worst season of his career. He was injured and only played 24 matches the whole year, while dropping all the way to No. 122 in the rankings. He kicked the drug and bounced back to finish a wonderful career and that's how I'll remember Andre Agassi's playing days.
3) Chiefs running back Larry Johnson has been told to stay away from team activities while the team and the NFL investigate into his use of a gay slur (twice) on his twitter account. What do you make of this situation?
Ben: Get him out of town. Johnson, with the exception of a two year stretch after the Priest Holmes retirement, has been a disappointment. Dick Vermeil called him a baby, said he needed to mature -- well apparently he hasn't matured and needs another lesson. Set him loose.
Boz: It's just another chapter in the downfall of Larry Johnson. He looked like he would be such a promising running back but has just failed to produce (with no help from the offensive line) in the previous couple seasons. Now he's not only using his twitter account to rip into his head coach, but to spit gay slurs at one of his twitter followers. I'm all for the use of twitter by athletes because it is a good way to connect athletes with their fans. However, someone has to teach every single athlete on twitter how to use it properly and what they can and cannot say on the internet. It's almost like teams have to hire on a twitter specialist onto their front office staff just to supervise the player's twitter use. Maybe this time off will help Larry Johnson focus more on football so he can return to somewhat of what he use to be.
4) After Brett Favre said that this year's Vikings team is possible the best team he ever played on, several members of the 1996 Packers team has come out and said there is no way the Vikings are better than the '96 Packers. Who is the better team?
Ben: 1996 Packers. But, what else do you expect Brett to say -- he currently plays for the Vikings, he's going to say the team he's on now is the best team. We just saw this with Richard Seymour. Players suck up to the team they play for in the present and forget how great there teams used to be. '96 Packers were a great football team.
Boz: For now I'll say the 1996 Packers. Look, they won a Super Bowl and it's not gaurenteed that the Vikings will win a Super Bowl just because they have started the season 6-1. If the Vikings win the Super Bowl this season, then it'll become more of a debate. The Packers had the top defense in the league in 1996 and they had a young Brett Favre who was a better quarterback than he is today. The Vikings have a lot more to prove before taking over the '96 Packers.
OVER/UNDER
1) These are the stats for Miles Austin's last two games: 10-250-2 and 6-171-2. Over or under 130 yards receiving for Miles Austin this Sunday against Seattle?
Ben: UNDER. Seattle's secondary isn't bad and those are HUGE numbers to put up 3 weeks in a row. He's got to drop off at some point. He's not Andre Johnson.
Boz: UNDER. That's a lot of yards to put up in three straight games. Austin has been a pleasant surprise for the Cowboys this season, who were looking for a big play threat after getting rid of T.O. Teams are going to start giving him double coverage which brings the yards back down to earth. And for those who are confused, Austin did not go to Monmouth College like Ben and I despite that being what SportsCenter said. He went to Monmouth University.
2) Over or under seven innings pitched for C.C. Sabathia tonight in Game 1 of the World Series?
Ben: OVER. He's a horse and the bullpen is shaky right now.
Boz: OVER. Sabathia is a horse and can pitch as many possible innings that it takes to get the ball straight into the Mariano Rivera's hands. I got Sabathia at 7 1/3 innings before handing off the ball to the Sandman.
3) Oklahoma State wideout Dez Bryant will remain ineligible for the remainder of the season. If Bryant enters the draft, over or under the 10th pick in the draft?
Ben: OVER. NFL personnel people realize what kind of effect a year off can have a player and will not take a chance on a player if they have a bust factor. Sorry, Dez, but Mike Williams and Maurice Clarett have ruined your chances next year.
Boz: UNDER. Bryant still has a ton of talent and will remain in football shape despite not playing the rest of the season. He could still be the top wide receiver taken in the draft and I see him taken anywhere from picks 6-9.
HAPPY HOUR
Ben: Happy 49th Birthday Gerald Perry. The former Cubs hitting coach was let go midseason this year because of poor performance by the Cubs bats. Overall Perry was a good coach and got a raw deal -- but how much to hitting coaches really matter? Really? Adios Gerald, you will probably meet Milton Bradley soon in the unemployment line.
Boz: Happy 60th Birthday to Bruce Jenner. Known as one of the best all-around athletes of all-time, Jenner took gold in the decathalon in the 1976 Montreal games. He is know the proud, or not so proud, step-father to the Kardashian girls and the real father of Brody Jenner... I don't know which one is worse.
1) The Celtics and the Cavs kicked off the NBA season last night with the Celtics taking a 95-89 win on the road. What did you learn about the first match up of two of the best teams in the East?
Ben: I learned that the Cavs are in trouble defensively. If teams want to sit in the half court offense, then they'll probably be clsoe to a 60 win team this year, but if teams want to get out and run, or run the pick and roll all game -- Cleveland is going to have to win a lot of 115-110 games this year. I don't think they are going to be able to do that.
I also learned that the Celtics will be dangerously close to one injury away from being in trouble throughout the season. Garnett, Allen, Pierce, Rondo, Wallace -- any of those guys go down and the Celtics will be hurting for production.
Boz: I learned a couple things from watching the game last night. First, both teams added other players than the big names that will help the team. For the Cavs, the addition of Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon makes them a much more athletic team and gives them more shooters. For the Celtics, Marquise Daniels gives them a reliable back-up point guard for when Rajon Rando is out of the game.
The second thing that I learned last night is that LeBron James will eventually dislike playing with Shaq at sometime this season. The Cavs are better than 89 points, even playing against the Celtics. Shaq bottles up the middle, which doesn't allow for cutters and drivers to have much success since Shaq, and Shaq's defender, are taking up a ton of space in the paint. He already bottled up a high-scoring Suns offense for the last two seasons and it looked like LeBron had to settle for a lot of outside jumpers last night.
2) In his upcoming book, Andre Agassi admits that he used crystal meth in 1997 and even failed a drug test but lied, saying that he accidently took it to get around the drug test. What do you make of this situation and should it affect Agassi's status as one of the games greats?
Ben: Nope. The year he's admitting to drug use is his worst in his career. And, on top of that, I think Agassi was such a great ambassador throughout his career for the game, he's earned a mistake or two. Granted this is a mistake is serious, and disappointing, but at the end of the day, shouldn't effect the perception of Agassi.
Boz: This is hard for me because Agassi is my favorite tennis player of all-time and, despite this new information, still is. This just shows that no one is perfect and that everyone has their faults and their problems. Despite being a great tennis player, Andre Agassi is a human being and, just like every other human being, makes mistakes. Someone should look into the ATP and why they let Agassi out of that failed drug test so easily.
I firmly believe that this should not change Agassi's status as one of the greatest players of all-time and he should cruise into the Tennis Hall of Fame. If you look at his career, 1997 (the year he admits to using crystal meth) was the worst season of his career. He was injured and only played 24 matches the whole year, while dropping all the way to No. 122 in the rankings. He kicked the drug and bounced back to finish a wonderful career and that's how I'll remember Andre Agassi's playing days.
3) Chiefs running back Larry Johnson has been told to stay away from team activities while the team and the NFL investigate into his use of a gay slur (twice) on his twitter account. What do you make of this situation?
Ben: Get him out of town. Johnson, with the exception of a two year stretch after the Priest Holmes retirement, has been a disappointment. Dick Vermeil called him a baby, said he needed to mature -- well apparently he hasn't matured and needs another lesson. Set him loose.
Boz: It's just another chapter in the downfall of Larry Johnson. He looked like he would be such a promising running back but has just failed to produce (with no help from the offensive line) in the previous couple seasons. Now he's not only using his twitter account to rip into his head coach, but to spit gay slurs at one of his twitter followers. I'm all for the use of twitter by athletes because it is a good way to connect athletes with their fans. However, someone has to teach every single athlete on twitter how to use it properly and what they can and cannot say on the internet. It's almost like teams have to hire on a twitter specialist onto their front office staff just to supervise the player's twitter use. Maybe this time off will help Larry Johnson focus more on football so he can return to somewhat of what he use to be.
4) After Brett Favre said that this year's Vikings team is possible the best team he ever played on, several members of the 1996 Packers team has come out and said there is no way the Vikings are better than the '96 Packers. Who is the better team?
Ben: 1996 Packers. But, what else do you expect Brett to say -- he currently plays for the Vikings, he's going to say the team he's on now is the best team. We just saw this with Richard Seymour. Players suck up to the team they play for in the present and forget how great there teams used to be. '96 Packers were a great football team.
Boz: For now I'll say the 1996 Packers. Look, they won a Super Bowl and it's not gaurenteed that the Vikings will win a Super Bowl just because they have started the season 6-1. If the Vikings win the Super Bowl this season, then it'll become more of a debate. The Packers had the top defense in the league in 1996 and they had a young Brett Favre who was a better quarterback than he is today. The Vikings have a lot more to prove before taking over the '96 Packers.
OVER/UNDER
1) These are the stats for Miles Austin's last two games: 10-250-2 and 6-171-2. Over or under 130 yards receiving for Miles Austin this Sunday against Seattle?
Ben: UNDER. Seattle's secondary isn't bad and those are HUGE numbers to put up 3 weeks in a row. He's got to drop off at some point. He's not Andre Johnson.
Boz: UNDER. That's a lot of yards to put up in three straight games. Austin has been a pleasant surprise for the Cowboys this season, who were looking for a big play threat after getting rid of T.O. Teams are going to start giving him double coverage which brings the yards back down to earth. And for those who are confused, Austin did not go to Monmouth College like Ben and I despite that being what SportsCenter said. He went to Monmouth University.
2) Over or under seven innings pitched for C.C. Sabathia tonight in Game 1 of the World Series?
Ben: OVER. He's a horse and the bullpen is shaky right now.
Boz: OVER. Sabathia is a horse and can pitch as many possible innings that it takes to get the ball straight into the Mariano Rivera's hands. I got Sabathia at 7 1/3 innings before handing off the ball to the Sandman.
3) Oklahoma State wideout Dez Bryant will remain ineligible for the remainder of the season. If Bryant enters the draft, over or under the 10th pick in the draft?
Ben: OVER. NFL personnel people realize what kind of effect a year off can have a player and will not take a chance on a player if they have a bust factor. Sorry, Dez, but Mike Williams and Maurice Clarett have ruined your chances next year.
Boz: UNDER. Bryant still has a ton of talent and will remain in football shape despite not playing the rest of the season. He could still be the top wide receiver taken in the draft and I see him taken anywhere from picks 6-9.
HAPPY HOUR
Ben: Happy 49th Birthday Gerald Perry. The former Cubs hitting coach was let go midseason this year because of poor performance by the Cubs bats. Overall Perry was a good coach and got a raw deal -- but how much to hitting coaches really matter? Really? Adios Gerald, you will probably meet Milton Bradley soon in the unemployment line.
Boz: Happy 60th Birthday to Bruce Jenner. Known as one of the best all-around athletes of all-time, Jenner took gold in the decathalon in the 1976 Montreal games. He is know the proud, or not so proud, step-father to the Kardashian girls and the real father of Brody Jenner... I don't know which one is worse.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Day 37: NBA Preview, Vince Young, Clippers Jinx and more
1) With the 2009-10 NBA season opening up tonight give the readers your picks for the teams that you think are going to reach the NBA Finals.
Ben: I'm going to go with the Cavs and Lakers. I want to pick a surprise team like Portland or Utah in the West, but I feel like the Lakers are too strong to allow a mid-level team to sneak through. I think the West is still the superior conference, but I do feel like teams such as the Cavs, Magic, Celtics, and even Toronto to some extent can challenge some of those teams.
Look, Shaq and LeBron together, along with a couple of decent role players that help share the load with those two, get them out of the East, and the Lakers only added talent in Ron Artest so they are the team to beat out West.
Boz: I like the Spurs and the Celtics to make the NBA Finals come June 2010. The Spurs made a big addition when they traded for Richard Jefferson during the offseason and adding RJ to a list of names that already includes Timmy D, Manu, and Tony Parker is big. I also liked the Spurs draft. Every season it seems that the Spurs get a lot out of their no-name draft picks (i.e.- George Hill from IUPUI). However, this season they got a big name in Dejuan Blair who will be a huge piece to this team coming off the bench.
The Celtics also made a splash in the offseason by signing Rasheed Wallace. Not only the 'Sheed give them another offensive weapon to turn to, but he fits the Celtics gameplan defensively as well. He allows the Celtics to take Kendrick Perkins, who has been starting the last couple seasons, and move him to the bench, giving them a deep bench. I also see Rajon Rando having an even bigger season than last year, moving up the list of top point guards in the process.
2) Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams has told Jeff Fisher that he wants Vince Young to be inserted as the starting quarterback Sunday against the Jaguars. Do you agree with Bud Adams?
Ben: Yes. I have been a huge proponent of playing Vince Young since Kerry Collins started to stumble down the stretch of last year. There is one fact about each of these two QB's that sticks with me. First, Vince Young is a winner. He hasn't had a sub-.500 record since they started keeping score when he was younger. He was 8-4 and 10-6 in the NFL, he's won 2 Rose Bowls, along with a National Championship in college, and has always been the go-to player on his teams. Second, Kerry Collins has always been a loser. He has constantly disappointed, since the moment he was drafted in the top 5 out of Penn State. Every team he's been with has got rid of him, he hasn't left anyone. That says something to me.
Play the kid, he's a winner and a playmaker.
Boz: Absolutely. When you've started the season 0-6, you're not going to rebound and make the playoffs. Therefore it's time to start planning for the future and Kerry Collins is not the quarterback of the future. He's a nice quarterback that can help in the short term, but he has never sustained success as a team's starting QB. Therefore, it's time for Vince Young to re-take over the reigns of the Titans. The kid can win football games, it might not be pretty wins with great stats, but he puts up W's on the board. It's time for the Titans to show fans that the psychological stuff that Young was dealing with a year ago is behind him.
3) The Clippers have announced that first overall pick Blake Griffin will miss six weeks with a broken left kneecap. The Clippers haven't had the best of luck with first overall picks with Danny Manning and Michael Olowakandi. Do you believe in the Clippers Jinx?
Ben: Not really. I mean, it is kind of suspicious, but I don't think they are cursed. The Clippers have hurt themselves with the picks of Manning and Olowakandi and Benoit Benjamin -- those guys bombed because they were bad players, not because of some curse. They have been poorly managed, as well as poorly coached -- no curse involved, just a poor organization.
Boz: No. It's only six weeks in a season that is seven months long. Griffin will recover from this injury and come back and still make a bid for the Rookie of the Year award. Not to mention he is only 21 years old and has a long career ahead of him. The Olowakandi pick wasn't part of a curse, it was just awful scouting. You couldn't mis-scout on Blake Griffin and he'll eventually be a all-star calibur player.
4) Charlie Manuel will give the ball to Pedro Martinez for Game 2 of the World Series instead of Cole Hamels. Is this a smart move?
Ben: Yes. Pedro has pitched very well throughout the postseason, and even going back to the regular season, whereas Hamels has began to struggle recently. I think Pedro can help shutdown some of the Yanks (Posada and Jeter especially) and get a solid start for the Phillies in a potentially must-win game for them.
Boz: Yes. Martinez is a veteran and knows how to pitch in high-pressure games. He has proven that he can still pitch in big games since returning to baseball in July. You'd rather save Hamels, who seems mentally and physically inconsistent right now, for Game 3 at home in Philly. I'm very excited to watch Pedro pitch in the Bronx during the postseason again and I don't think the MLB could have scripted this situation any better for ratings.
ODDS
1) What are the odds that Manny Acta will take the Indians to the playoffs next season?
Ben: 0%. Bob Brenly is getting a top job again soon, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was with the Indians. Manny Acta's going to have to wait awhile after his debacle in Washington to get another head job.
Boz: 5%. The Indians are rebuilding for the future after having a firesale last year before the trade deadline. However, the future is not next season. They'll have a lot of young players on the roster and we saw how Acta did with young players when managing for the Nationals. The Indians are a better situation than the Natinals, but any other team in the MLB would be a better situation than the Natinals.
2) What are the odds that Alex Smith will remain the starting quarterback for the 49ers throughout the season?
Ben: 100%. The kid obviously has talent. Let him play under the new regime. Shaun Hill was a scrub for a reason. Rarely is one team's trash another team's treasure - Hill is another example of that. He was decent for a short stretch, but not a long-term answer. Alex Smith could be.
Boz: 80%. It's never a good situation when you go back and forth between two quarterbacks (ask the Browns) so I think it would be wise to stick with Smith. Shaun Hill proved he was a decent quarterback but he not the guy to bet all your marbles on. Smith might not be that guy either, but right now he gives the Niners the best chance to win football games. They might want to look at Jeff Garcia though.
3) What are the odds that LeBron and Shaq each put up double-doubles tonight against the Celtics?
Ben: 100%. They will both go nuts, and LeBron is almost guarenteed to get the double-double and the Celtics have almost no one who can even bang with Shaq down low.
Boz: 95%. It seems like LeBron always has a double-double. Shaq is big enough to where he should be able to get a double-double.
HAPPY HOUR
Ben: Happy 5th Anniversary Steve Williams. Williams, who came up with the 700th home run ball Barry Bonds hit on September 17, 2004 in San Fransisco, sold the ball after a 10-day Overstock.com on-line auction and 240 bids for $804,129. Williams, who came up with the milestone ball in SBC’s left field bleachers announced he was quitting his day job as a broker's assistant, but hadn’t decided what to do with the windfall. I wonder how that's going for Williams -- I'll probably Google him later.
Boz: Happy 25th Birthday Brady Quinn. You might want to ask for money for your birthday since you're going to lose $11 million in bonus money since you'll be spending the rest of the season on the sideline. You should also find a way out of Cleveland so you can show people that you can be successful when surrounded with a real NFL team.
Ben: I'm going to go with the Cavs and Lakers. I want to pick a surprise team like Portland or Utah in the West, but I feel like the Lakers are too strong to allow a mid-level team to sneak through. I think the West is still the superior conference, but I do feel like teams such as the Cavs, Magic, Celtics, and even Toronto to some extent can challenge some of those teams.
Look, Shaq and LeBron together, along with a couple of decent role players that help share the load with those two, get them out of the East, and the Lakers only added talent in Ron Artest so they are the team to beat out West.
Boz: I like the Spurs and the Celtics to make the NBA Finals come June 2010. The Spurs made a big addition when they traded for Richard Jefferson during the offseason and adding RJ to a list of names that already includes Timmy D, Manu, and Tony Parker is big. I also liked the Spurs draft. Every season it seems that the Spurs get a lot out of their no-name draft picks (i.e.- George Hill from IUPUI). However, this season they got a big name in Dejuan Blair who will be a huge piece to this team coming off the bench.
The Celtics also made a splash in the offseason by signing Rasheed Wallace. Not only the 'Sheed give them another offensive weapon to turn to, but he fits the Celtics gameplan defensively as well. He allows the Celtics to take Kendrick Perkins, who has been starting the last couple seasons, and move him to the bench, giving them a deep bench. I also see Rajon Rando having an even bigger season than last year, moving up the list of top point guards in the process.
2) Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams has told Jeff Fisher that he wants Vince Young to be inserted as the starting quarterback Sunday against the Jaguars. Do you agree with Bud Adams?
Ben: Yes. I have been a huge proponent of playing Vince Young since Kerry Collins started to stumble down the stretch of last year. There is one fact about each of these two QB's that sticks with me. First, Vince Young is a winner. He hasn't had a sub-.500 record since they started keeping score when he was younger. He was 8-4 and 10-6 in the NFL, he's won 2 Rose Bowls, along with a National Championship in college, and has always been the go-to player on his teams. Second, Kerry Collins has always been a loser. He has constantly disappointed, since the moment he was drafted in the top 5 out of Penn State. Every team he's been with has got rid of him, he hasn't left anyone. That says something to me.
Play the kid, he's a winner and a playmaker.
Boz: Absolutely. When you've started the season 0-6, you're not going to rebound and make the playoffs. Therefore it's time to start planning for the future and Kerry Collins is not the quarterback of the future. He's a nice quarterback that can help in the short term, but he has never sustained success as a team's starting QB. Therefore, it's time for Vince Young to re-take over the reigns of the Titans. The kid can win football games, it might not be pretty wins with great stats, but he puts up W's on the board. It's time for the Titans to show fans that the psychological stuff that Young was dealing with a year ago is behind him.
3) The Clippers have announced that first overall pick Blake Griffin will miss six weeks with a broken left kneecap. The Clippers haven't had the best of luck with first overall picks with Danny Manning and Michael Olowakandi. Do you believe in the Clippers Jinx?
Ben: Not really. I mean, it is kind of suspicious, but I don't think they are cursed. The Clippers have hurt themselves with the picks of Manning and Olowakandi and Benoit Benjamin -- those guys bombed because they were bad players, not because of some curse. They have been poorly managed, as well as poorly coached -- no curse involved, just a poor organization.
Boz: No. It's only six weeks in a season that is seven months long. Griffin will recover from this injury and come back and still make a bid for the Rookie of the Year award. Not to mention he is only 21 years old and has a long career ahead of him. The Olowakandi pick wasn't part of a curse, it was just awful scouting. You couldn't mis-scout on Blake Griffin and he'll eventually be a all-star calibur player.
4) Charlie Manuel will give the ball to Pedro Martinez for Game 2 of the World Series instead of Cole Hamels. Is this a smart move?
Ben: Yes. Pedro has pitched very well throughout the postseason, and even going back to the regular season, whereas Hamels has began to struggle recently. I think Pedro can help shutdown some of the Yanks (Posada and Jeter especially) and get a solid start for the Phillies in a potentially must-win game for them.
Boz: Yes. Martinez is a veteran and knows how to pitch in high-pressure games. He has proven that he can still pitch in big games since returning to baseball in July. You'd rather save Hamels, who seems mentally and physically inconsistent right now, for Game 3 at home in Philly. I'm very excited to watch Pedro pitch in the Bronx during the postseason again and I don't think the MLB could have scripted this situation any better for ratings.
ODDS
1) What are the odds that Manny Acta will take the Indians to the playoffs next season?
Ben: 0%. Bob Brenly is getting a top job again soon, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was with the Indians. Manny Acta's going to have to wait awhile after his debacle in Washington to get another head job.
Boz: 5%. The Indians are rebuilding for the future after having a firesale last year before the trade deadline. However, the future is not next season. They'll have a lot of young players on the roster and we saw how Acta did with young players when managing for the Nationals. The Indians are a better situation than the Natinals, but any other team in the MLB would be a better situation than the Natinals.
2) What are the odds that Alex Smith will remain the starting quarterback for the 49ers throughout the season?
Ben: 100%. The kid obviously has talent. Let him play under the new regime. Shaun Hill was a scrub for a reason. Rarely is one team's trash another team's treasure - Hill is another example of that. He was decent for a short stretch, but not a long-term answer. Alex Smith could be.
Boz: 80%. It's never a good situation when you go back and forth between two quarterbacks (ask the Browns) so I think it would be wise to stick with Smith. Shaun Hill proved he was a decent quarterback but he not the guy to bet all your marbles on. Smith might not be that guy either, but right now he gives the Niners the best chance to win football games. They might want to look at Jeff Garcia though.
3) What are the odds that LeBron and Shaq each put up double-doubles tonight against the Celtics?
Ben: 100%. They will both go nuts, and LeBron is almost guarenteed to get the double-double and the Celtics have almost no one who can even bang with Shaq down low.
Boz: 95%. It seems like LeBron always has a double-double. Shaq is big enough to where he should be able to get a double-double.
HAPPY HOUR
Ben: Happy 5th Anniversary Steve Williams. Williams, who came up with the 700th home run ball Barry Bonds hit on September 17, 2004 in San Fransisco, sold the ball after a 10-day Overstock.com on-line auction and 240 bids for $804,129. Williams, who came up with the milestone ball in SBC’s left field bleachers announced he was quitting his day job as a broker's assistant, but hadn’t decided what to do with the windfall. I wonder how that's going for Williams -- I'll probably Google him later.
Boz: Happy 25th Birthday Brady Quinn. You might want to ask for money for your birthday since you're going to lose $11 million in bonus money since you'll be spending the rest of the season on the sideline. You should also find a way out of Cleveland so you can show people that you can be successful when surrounded with a real NFL team.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Day 36: World Series, Cardinals, #1 in the Nation and more
HEADLINES
1) Now that the Yankees finished off the Angels in six games, the 2009 World Series is all set up. What is your prediction?
Ben: I'll take the Yankees. They have a solid lineup top-to-bottom with power throughout. Not only that, but they have started to run the basepaths much better this year as well as make productive outs, instead of just slug for the fences during every at bat. Also, there pitching staff is solid. I like the back end of their bullpen more then I like the Phillies back end. It'll be close, but I've got the Yanks ending a "drought".
Boz: I'm taking the Yankees in six games. Both teams have offensive line-ups that every other team in the league would die for so I think the difference comes down to pitching, both starters and bullpen. I like the three-man rotation that Joe Girardi has implemented in the playoffs and it works for the Yankees because C.C. Sabathis is such a workhorse. I think the Yankees' three starters are better than the Phillies' four starters. Throw in one of the best postseason closers of all-time and the Yankees look like they're ready to capture their 27th world series title.
2) For the second straight week, there was a flip-flop in the No. 1 and No. 2 team in the college football AP poll between Florida and Alabama. Who do you have for the No. 1 team in the nation?
Ben: Iowa. The Hawks are AMAZING, and it is scary how clutch they are. Also, that defense, especially Claybourn, are tough. I'd like my Lions to take a few of those guys in the draft next year. But, to truly answer the question, I think Alabama is a better team overall and at the end of the season, I'll take them to get to the title game.
Boz: The Gators are the defending champions and they are this year's No 1 team until someone knocks them off. I don't like looking into how close the games are. To me, a win is a win no matter how many points they win by. Any week any team can win by 30 points or by one point. That was evident this week when Alabama, who had been blowing out most teams, barely escaped Tennessee at home after blocking a last second field goal. I don't look at anything else but wins and the Gators have the biggest win of the season, beating LSU in Baton Rouge. As long as No. 15 is under center for the Gators, they'll be No. 1 in the polls.
3) Tony LaRussa is back for his 15th season with the Cardinals and is returning pitching coach Dave Duncan with him. However, the new edition to the Cardinals coaching staff will be Mark McGwire as the hitting coach. Was this a good move or bad move by Tony LaRussa?
Ben: No. He's never been a coach before, how can you say he's a legit hitting coach. McGwire is trying to get back into baseball to restore his name so he can make the Hall. He's not really proven to be a good hitting coach, and I've never heard anyone from his past say that they learned a lot from playing next to McGwire. I think LaRussa is a great manager -- but I think this is a bad hire.
Boz: I've learned a long time ago to never question any move that Tony LaRussa makes, therefore I'll say that this was a good move. McGwire did hit 583 home runs in his career so you think he has something to teach all those young hitters that the Cardinals have on their roster. However, he only hit above .300 three times in his career so hopefully he can teach the Cardinals hitters how to hit for average rather than just home runs. And hopefully he can keep the Andro and other supplements out of their lockers. I'll still say this is a good move, but a better move would have been just paying Albert Pujols more money to be the first baseman and hitting coach. The man is a machine that hits for power and average and hardly ever strikes out.
4) Jake Delhomme had another poor performance in the Panthers 20-9 loss to the Bills, taking Carolina to 2-4 and wondering whether or not they should bench Delhomme. What do you think the Panthers should do?
Ben: I think they should bench him, but I understand their reluctance to. They don't have anyone else. Delhomme is literally the only professional QB on the roster. I think he's maxed out and will no longer be a productive QB, but he's all they've got, really.
Boz: The Panthers should bench Jake Delhomme. He's done a lot for the Panthers in his time there but it is clear that Delhomme doesn't have the abilities to play quarterback in the NFL anymore. He missed a lot of open receivers in the loss yesterday and he is continuing to throw interceptions. However, the Panthers shouldn't bench him for Matt Moore or A.J. Feeley. I don't believe that either of them are the answer. The answer would be signing Jeff Garcia, which they should have done when the Raiders released him. The Panthers are 2-4 which means they aren't completely out of the hunt for a wild card spot with a lot of football to be played. Garcia has shown that he can take a team to the playoffs. Garcia is the answer.
TOSS-UP
1) Who is the better second-year quarterback? Joe Flacco or Matt Ryan?
Ben: Matt Ryan. Flacco has the benefit of an amazing defense -- while Ryan was able to lead the Falcons without the benefit of the defense. He's also won some games for his team, and I really like Ryan and his potential.
Boz: I'll take Flacco, but barely. I like both quarterbacks and their numbers are quite similar this season with Flacco taking the edge in yards. Even though the Ravens have lost three in a row, the losses have been to three good teams. Flacco has been putting up some big numbers for a Ravens team that has been anemic on the offensive side for the past couple years despite a strong defense.
2) Who is the better ex-Indian pitcher in the World Series? Cliff Lee or C.C. Sabathia?
Ben: Sabathia. C'mon, C.C. is legit and has nasty stuff - while Cliff Lee is just a solid pitcher who hits his spots. Lee is like a mid-30's Tom Glavine -- nothing great, but gets wins. C.C. is lights out.
Boz: Sabathia. Cliff Lee has been very good for the Phillies since they traded for him and he was just want they needed to try to repeat as champions. However, Sabathia's ability to pitch three times in a seven-game series is what sets him apart from Lee.
3) Who is the better NFL quarterback prospect? Colt McCoy or Sam Bradford?
Ben: Bradford. McCoy has run that spread offense his whole career just like Bradford, the only thing is, he's never put up the numbers Bradford has and he's also not as accurate a passer as Bradford. So, while I wouldn't want either - I think Sammy B is the better QB.
Boz: McCoy. The shoulder surgery and the 4-6 months of recovery time doesn't help Bradford's cause. He plays in a very spread offense and this season was suppose to be the season where Bradford showed he could play with a weaker offensive line and have to make throws in pressure. McCoy has a stronger arm and is still successful this season despite having less to work with.
HAPPY HOUR
Ben: Happy 9th Anniversary Rudy Giuliani. The former New York City Mayor thinks it is okay for children to take a day off from school to watch the Yankees' ticker-tape parade. His Honor, believing baseball can be an educational experience, has allowed his own kids, Andrew and Caroline, to miss classes in the past to watch the Bronx Bombers' post-season celebrations. Wow.
Boz: Happy 31st Birthday to Antonio Pierce. After three years with the Washington Redskins, Pierce joined the Giants and since has been named to a Pro Bowl and won a Super Bowl. Pierce is off to another goo start despite a home loss to the Cardinals last night.
1) Now that the Yankees finished off the Angels in six games, the 2009 World Series is all set up. What is your prediction?
Ben: I'll take the Yankees. They have a solid lineup top-to-bottom with power throughout. Not only that, but they have started to run the basepaths much better this year as well as make productive outs, instead of just slug for the fences during every at bat. Also, there pitching staff is solid. I like the back end of their bullpen more then I like the Phillies back end. It'll be close, but I've got the Yanks ending a "drought".
Boz: I'm taking the Yankees in six games. Both teams have offensive line-ups that every other team in the league would die for so I think the difference comes down to pitching, both starters and bullpen. I like the three-man rotation that Joe Girardi has implemented in the playoffs and it works for the Yankees because C.C. Sabathis is such a workhorse. I think the Yankees' three starters are better than the Phillies' four starters. Throw in one of the best postseason closers of all-time and the Yankees look like they're ready to capture their 27th world series title.
2) For the second straight week, there was a flip-flop in the No. 1 and No. 2 team in the college football AP poll between Florida and Alabama. Who do you have for the No. 1 team in the nation?
Ben: Iowa. The Hawks are AMAZING, and it is scary how clutch they are. Also, that defense, especially Claybourn, are tough. I'd like my Lions to take a few of those guys in the draft next year. But, to truly answer the question, I think Alabama is a better team overall and at the end of the season, I'll take them to get to the title game.
Boz: The Gators are the defending champions and they are this year's No 1 team until someone knocks them off. I don't like looking into how close the games are. To me, a win is a win no matter how many points they win by. Any week any team can win by 30 points or by one point. That was evident this week when Alabama, who had been blowing out most teams, barely escaped Tennessee at home after blocking a last second field goal. I don't look at anything else but wins and the Gators have the biggest win of the season, beating LSU in Baton Rouge. As long as No. 15 is under center for the Gators, they'll be No. 1 in the polls.
3) Tony LaRussa is back for his 15th season with the Cardinals and is returning pitching coach Dave Duncan with him. However, the new edition to the Cardinals coaching staff will be Mark McGwire as the hitting coach. Was this a good move or bad move by Tony LaRussa?
Ben: No. He's never been a coach before, how can you say he's a legit hitting coach. McGwire is trying to get back into baseball to restore his name so he can make the Hall. He's not really proven to be a good hitting coach, and I've never heard anyone from his past say that they learned a lot from playing next to McGwire. I think LaRussa is a great manager -- but I think this is a bad hire.
Boz: I've learned a long time ago to never question any move that Tony LaRussa makes, therefore I'll say that this was a good move. McGwire did hit 583 home runs in his career so you think he has something to teach all those young hitters that the Cardinals have on their roster. However, he only hit above .300 three times in his career so hopefully he can teach the Cardinals hitters how to hit for average rather than just home runs. And hopefully he can keep the Andro and other supplements out of their lockers. I'll still say this is a good move, but a better move would have been just paying Albert Pujols more money to be the first baseman and hitting coach. The man is a machine that hits for power and average and hardly ever strikes out.
4) Jake Delhomme had another poor performance in the Panthers 20-9 loss to the Bills, taking Carolina to 2-4 and wondering whether or not they should bench Delhomme. What do you think the Panthers should do?
Ben: I think they should bench him, but I understand their reluctance to. They don't have anyone else. Delhomme is literally the only professional QB on the roster. I think he's maxed out and will no longer be a productive QB, but he's all they've got, really.
Boz: The Panthers should bench Jake Delhomme. He's done a lot for the Panthers in his time there but it is clear that Delhomme doesn't have the abilities to play quarterback in the NFL anymore. He missed a lot of open receivers in the loss yesterday and he is continuing to throw interceptions. However, the Panthers shouldn't bench him for Matt Moore or A.J. Feeley. I don't believe that either of them are the answer. The answer would be signing Jeff Garcia, which they should have done when the Raiders released him. The Panthers are 2-4 which means they aren't completely out of the hunt for a wild card spot with a lot of football to be played. Garcia has shown that he can take a team to the playoffs. Garcia is the answer.
TOSS-UP
1) Who is the better second-year quarterback? Joe Flacco or Matt Ryan?
Ben: Matt Ryan. Flacco has the benefit of an amazing defense -- while Ryan was able to lead the Falcons without the benefit of the defense. He's also won some games for his team, and I really like Ryan and his potential.
Boz: I'll take Flacco, but barely. I like both quarterbacks and their numbers are quite similar this season with Flacco taking the edge in yards. Even though the Ravens have lost three in a row, the losses have been to three good teams. Flacco has been putting up some big numbers for a Ravens team that has been anemic on the offensive side for the past couple years despite a strong defense.
2) Who is the better ex-Indian pitcher in the World Series? Cliff Lee or C.C. Sabathia?
Ben: Sabathia. C'mon, C.C. is legit and has nasty stuff - while Cliff Lee is just a solid pitcher who hits his spots. Lee is like a mid-30's Tom Glavine -- nothing great, but gets wins. C.C. is lights out.
Boz: Sabathia. Cliff Lee has been very good for the Phillies since they traded for him and he was just want they needed to try to repeat as champions. However, Sabathia's ability to pitch three times in a seven-game series is what sets him apart from Lee.
3) Who is the better NFL quarterback prospect? Colt McCoy or Sam Bradford?
Ben: Bradford. McCoy has run that spread offense his whole career just like Bradford, the only thing is, he's never put up the numbers Bradford has and he's also not as accurate a passer as Bradford. So, while I wouldn't want either - I think Sammy B is the better QB.
Boz: McCoy. The shoulder surgery and the 4-6 months of recovery time doesn't help Bradford's cause. He plays in a very spread offense and this season was suppose to be the season where Bradford showed he could play with a weaker offensive line and have to make throws in pressure. McCoy has a stronger arm and is still successful this season despite having less to work with.
HAPPY HOUR
Ben: Happy 9th Anniversary Rudy Giuliani. The former New York City Mayor thinks it is okay for children to take a day off from school to watch the Yankees' ticker-tape parade. His Honor, believing baseball can be an educational experience, has allowed his own kids, Andrew and Caroline, to miss classes in the past to watch the Bronx Bombers' post-season celebrations. Wow.
Boz: Happy 31st Birthday to Antonio Pierce. After three years with the Washington Redskins, Pierce joined the Giants and since has been named to a Pro Bowl and won a Super Bowl. Pierce is off to another goo start despite a home loss to the Cardinals last night.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Day 35: ALCS, Magic v. Isiah, Football in London and more
HEADLINES
1) The Angels pulled out a come-from-behind win against the Yankees to force a Game 6 back in the Bronx. What chance are you giving the Angels to win the series?
Ben: I'll say something around 20-30%. The only reason I give them a fighting chance is because their will-to-win. Most teams I would write them off and start comparing Phillies vs. Yanks, but the Angels just seem to have something going for them and come up with HUGE hits all the time. I don't know if they have the pitching down the stretch to hang with the Yanks, but I'll give them a punchers chance to get this one to 7 and possibly win.
Boz: If today were a Monday and we were playing odds, I would probably give the Angels a 15% chance at coming back and winning the series. Not only are the remaining two games in New York, the Angles have to face Andy Petitte, who is attempting to tie John Smoltz for the most postseason wins all-time, and if they force a Game 7 they would face C.C. Sabathia, who has been lights out this postseason. The Angels are such a scrappy team that I wouldn't be completely shocked to see them pull this off, but the odds are stacked highly against them. I'll keep my fingers crossed.
2) In a new book written by Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, Johnson stated that after he retired from basketball in 1991, Thomas spread rumors that Johnson got his HIV because he was homosexual and that Johnson was the reason Thomas was not on the 1992 Dream Team. Isiah has said he feels blindsinded by the comments. Whose side are you on?
Ben: I'll take Magic's side. Although I do think Thomas has got a bad rap recently by his failed ventures after his playing days. Look Magic had to go through an amazing difficult situation, and had to do it while few people shunned him because of his disease. He has been an great person, and the way he has handled it should be an example of how to represent yourself in difficult times. That is the reason I side with Magic.
Isiah may not have been the first person to say these things about Magic, but he certainly seems to be the most notable. I also feel like Isiah was kept off of the Dream Team because of his personality as it was viewed by the rest of the league -- which was probably slightly egotistical. Like Boz, I won't pretend to know everything about this, but that's my view on the subject from my knowledge so far.
Boz: It's hard to say because we were so young at the time that all of this was going on and this is really the first I've ever heard of a dislike between the two players. I've seen a ton of video of the kiss before the 1988 finals and before the 1992 all-star game. From what I've heard the source that said that Thomas started the rumor was a credible source and that he wasn't the only one. And I've also heard that Magic wasn't the only person that disliked Isiah. So I guess I have to side with Magic on this one, but I don't claim to be the most informed person in the matter.
3) The Patriots and the Bucaneers are set to kick off the NFL's third game in London on Sunday. Are you a fan of playing NFL games across the pond in London?
Ben: No, not really. Does the NFL think they are going to put a permanent team in London, or anywhere in Europe for that matter? That is a total inconvience and really isn't much fun to watch on a consistent basis. So far, every year there has been terrible weather. And while there have been big crowds there during the one game a year trial the NFL is doing -- would they show up 8 games a year? Is it fair to take this home game away from the Bucs or Pats? I say no to both of those question, and I don't think this is a good idea at all. Sure, the idea of expanding is a good one, but there are probably other areas to improve the game before you go looking in other countries for teams.
Boz: I'm undecided. I'm always in favor of globalization in professional sports. What makes me undecided is if London is the right choice for where to globalize the NFL. London is soccer crazy and I don't believe that they want to take to football. I think if the NFL wanted to find a market across the pond it would more likely be in Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland. That's where a majority of the NFL Europa teams were located because there was an audience there. However, the first two games in London drew a big crowd, but I'd like to see if they can sustain it.
4) Back here in the states there is a lesser known football game taking place, but just as much importance to us here at The Sports Desk. Tonight on the gridiron as the Orion Chargers (Ben's high school) and Princeton Tigers (Boz's high school) square off at Bryant Field in the wonderful town of Princeton, IL. Who do you got in this high school battle?
Ben: Da Chargers! C'mon, you got Ted Leuck roaming the field, there is no way the Tigers stand a chance. I mean he's a starter at Center, Cornerback (that's right), holder, gunner, and special teams ace. That, my friends, is a deadly combination. That, and the Chargers throw the ball quite a bit, and even if they are a little undersized, they make up for it in clutch plays -- as evidenced by their close wins throughout the season.
All of that -- and my brother playing for the O-town gang -- I'll take the Chargers in a minor upset.
Boz: T-I-G-E-R-S. It's not easy for visiting teams to come into the Jungle and have to deal with the Blue Rush. If it were the same teams from when we were in high school, I have no doubt that the Tigers would come away with an easy victory led by the play of offensive lineman/middle linebacker Timothy James Scruggs and quarterback/safety Brian Stetson (went to Augustana with Ben). However, what little I've heard about the Tiger football team lately is not positive and I can't say that I know one player on the current roster since I am seven years removed from high school. But I'll still take the Blue and Silver because my older sister is the pom coach and if there is a Bouslog involved, it's always a good thing.
NFL PICK 'EM
Last week Ben: 4-2 Boz: 2-4
Season Ben: 15-16 Boz: 19-12
1) Minnesota (6-0) at Pittsburgh (4-2)
Ben: PITTSBURGH. It's at Hienz Field, and at some point Brett Farve will let his team down. I can't seem them continuing this trend, and I think we saw it last week against the Ravens that the Vikings are vulnerable to a phyiscal team on both sides of the ball. I'll take the Steelers in a close one.
Boz: PITTSBURGH. I know the Vikings are good, but I still haven't jumped on the bandwagon of putting them in the Super Bowl quite yet. This is a tough road test for the Vikings, something they haven't had yet. This one brings them back down to earth.
2) San Francisco (3-2) at Houston (3-3)
Ben: I want to take Houston, but I'm going with SAN FRANCISCO. Frank Gore is back, Micheal Crabtree is going to start, and they are coming off the bye where teams have an amazing winning percentage -- Houston continues to go up and down and loses a tough one.
Boz: SAN FRANCISCO. The Texans are so inconsistent and you never know what team will show up. They're offense is amazing but will the Niner defense can keep them in check and will be looking from a rebound after the Atlanta game. Plus Frank Gore is back and Michael Crabtree is making his debut.
3) Atlanta (4-1) at Dallas (3-2)
Ben: DALLAS. Again, I'll take the team coming off the bye and the Cowboys have the added bonus of playing at home. I like Matt Ryan and the Falcons, but this week, they stumble on the road.
Boz: ATLANTA. The Falcons really impressed me in their win against the Bears. Dallas hasn't impressed me at all this season and their defense won't be able to contain the the Atlanta offense.
4) Chicago (3-2) at Cincinnati (4-2)
Ben: CINCINNATI. The Bengals are a good team and have a great QB with very good weapons. There defense has stepped it up lately and I think they'll continue that this weekend. The Bears are close to being a contender, but they just seem too inconsistent, wtih too many mistake on offense for me to think they can compete all season.
Boz: CHICAGO. I gotta take the Bears. Plus, the Bengals showed me that they aren't perfect last week.
5) New Orleans (5-0) at Miami (2-3)
Ben: NEW ORLEANS. Drew Brees is unstoppable and that offense is fun to watch.
Boz: NEW ORLEANS. I like the Dolphins under Chad Henne and I think they'll compete for a playoff spot in the AFC. However, they can't compete with the Saints.
6) Arizona (3-2) at New York Giants (5-1)
Ben: NEW YORK GIANTS. The Cards suck when they come cross-country and that continues against a more talented and phyiscal football team in the Giants.
Boz: NEW YORK. The Cardinals can't defend against the pass and the Giants can really pass the ball with Manning and his selection of wide receivers.
HAPPY HOUR
Ben: Happy 34th Birthday Keith Van Horn and Happy 47th Birthday Doug Flutie. Both players were great college players that were solid, if unspectacular, professionals. Flutie was somehow successful as a 5'4" 124 pound QB, while Van Horn was possibly the least athletic swingman to ever play in the NBA. Both guys got it done and had long professional careers, so a congrats there. Enjoy retirement fellas'.
Boz: Happy 69th Birthday to Pele! Pele is the all-time leading scorer in Brazilian soccer history and helped guide them to three World Cup titles. He is arguably one of the best soccer players of all-time. He tried to make soccer famous in the states when he signed with the New York Cosmos. He has to very excited that his home country of Brazil will be hosting the 2016 Olympics.
1) The Angels pulled out a come-from-behind win against the Yankees to force a Game 6 back in the Bronx. What chance are you giving the Angels to win the series?
Ben: I'll say something around 20-30%. The only reason I give them a fighting chance is because their will-to-win. Most teams I would write them off and start comparing Phillies vs. Yanks, but the Angels just seem to have something going for them and come up with HUGE hits all the time. I don't know if they have the pitching down the stretch to hang with the Yanks, but I'll give them a punchers chance to get this one to 7 and possibly win.
Boz: If today were a Monday and we were playing odds, I would probably give the Angels a 15% chance at coming back and winning the series. Not only are the remaining two games in New York, the Angles have to face Andy Petitte, who is attempting to tie John Smoltz for the most postseason wins all-time, and if they force a Game 7 they would face C.C. Sabathia, who has been lights out this postseason. The Angels are such a scrappy team that I wouldn't be completely shocked to see them pull this off, but the odds are stacked highly against them. I'll keep my fingers crossed.
2) In a new book written by Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, Johnson stated that after he retired from basketball in 1991, Thomas spread rumors that Johnson got his HIV because he was homosexual and that Johnson was the reason Thomas was not on the 1992 Dream Team. Isiah has said he feels blindsinded by the comments. Whose side are you on?
Ben: I'll take Magic's side. Although I do think Thomas has got a bad rap recently by his failed ventures after his playing days. Look Magic had to go through an amazing difficult situation, and had to do it while few people shunned him because of his disease. He has been an great person, and the way he has handled it should be an example of how to represent yourself in difficult times. That is the reason I side with Magic.
Isiah may not have been the first person to say these things about Magic, but he certainly seems to be the most notable. I also feel like Isiah was kept off of the Dream Team because of his personality as it was viewed by the rest of the league -- which was probably slightly egotistical. Like Boz, I won't pretend to know everything about this, but that's my view on the subject from my knowledge so far.
Boz: It's hard to say because we were so young at the time that all of this was going on and this is really the first I've ever heard of a dislike between the two players. I've seen a ton of video of the kiss before the 1988 finals and before the 1992 all-star game. From what I've heard the source that said that Thomas started the rumor was a credible source and that he wasn't the only one. And I've also heard that Magic wasn't the only person that disliked Isiah. So I guess I have to side with Magic on this one, but I don't claim to be the most informed person in the matter.
3) The Patriots and the Bucaneers are set to kick off the NFL's third game in London on Sunday. Are you a fan of playing NFL games across the pond in London?
Ben: No, not really. Does the NFL think they are going to put a permanent team in London, or anywhere in Europe for that matter? That is a total inconvience and really isn't much fun to watch on a consistent basis. So far, every year there has been terrible weather. And while there have been big crowds there during the one game a year trial the NFL is doing -- would they show up 8 games a year? Is it fair to take this home game away from the Bucs or Pats? I say no to both of those question, and I don't think this is a good idea at all. Sure, the idea of expanding is a good one, but there are probably other areas to improve the game before you go looking in other countries for teams.
Boz: I'm undecided. I'm always in favor of globalization in professional sports. What makes me undecided is if London is the right choice for where to globalize the NFL. London is soccer crazy and I don't believe that they want to take to football. I think if the NFL wanted to find a market across the pond it would more likely be in Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland. That's where a majority of the NFL Europa teams were located because there was an audience there. However, the first two games in London drew a big crowd, but I'd like to see if they can sustain it.
4) Back here in the states there is a lesser known football game taking place, but just as much importance to us here at The Sports Desk. Tonight on the gridiron as the Orion Chargers (Ben's high school) and Princeton Tigers (Boz's high school) square off at Bryant Field in the wonderful town of Princeton, IL. Who do you got in this high school battle?
Ben: Da Chargers! C'mon, you got Ted Leuck roaming the field, there is no way the Tigers stand a chance. I mean he's a starter at Center, Cornerback (that's right), holder, gunner, and special teams ace. That, my friends, is a deadly combination. That, and the Chargers throw the ball quite a bit, and even if they are a little undersized, they make up for it in clutch plays -- as evidenced by their close wins throughout the season.
All of that -- and my brother playing for the O-town gang -- I'll take the Chargers in a minor upset.
Boz: T-I-G-E-R-S. It's not easy for visiting teams to come into the Jungle and have to deal with the Blue Rush. If it were the same teams from when we were in high school, I have no doubt that the Tigers would come away with an easy victory led by the play of offensive lineman/middle linebacker Timothy James Scruggs and quarterback/safety Brian Stetson (went to Augustana with Ben). However, what little I've heard about the Tiger football team lately is not positive and I can't say that I know one player on the current roster since I am seven years removed from high school. But I'll still take the Blue and Silver because my older sister is the pom coach and if there is a Bouslog involved, it's always a good thing.
NFL PICK 'EM
Last week Ben: 4-2 Boz: 2-4
Season Ben: 15-16 Boz: 19-12
1) Minnesota (6-0) at Pittsburgh (4-2)
Ben: PITTSBURGH. It's at Hienz Field, and at some point Brett Farve will let his team down. I can't seem them continuing this trend, and I think we saw it last week against the Ravens that the Vikings are vulnerable to a phyiscal team on both sides of the ball. I'll take the Steelers in a close one.
Boz: PITTSBURGH. I know the Vikings are good, but I still haven't jumped on the bandwagon of putting them in the Super Bowl quite yet. This is a tough road test for the Vikings, something they haven't had yet. This one brings them back down to earth.
2) San Francisco (3-2) at Houston (3-3)
Ben: I want to take Houston, but I'm going with SAN FRANCISCO. Frank Gore is back, Micheal Crabtree is going to start, and they are coming off the bye where teams have an amazing winning percentage -- Houston continues to go up and down and loses a tough one.
Boz: SAN FRANCISCO. The Texans are so inconsistent and you never know what team will show up. They're offense is amazing but will the Niner defense can keep them in check and will be looking from a rebound after the Atlanta game. Plus Frank Gore is back and Michael Crabtree is making his debut.
3) Atlanta (4-1) at Dallas (3-2)
Ben: DALLAS. Again, I'll take the team coming off the bye and the Cowboys have the added bonus of playing at home. I like Matt Ryan and the Falcons, but this week, they stumble on the road.
Boz: ATLANTA. The Falcons really impressed me in their win against the Bears. Dallas hasn't impressed me at all this season and their defense won't be able to contain the the Atlanta offense.
4) Chicago (3-2) at Cincinnati (4-2)
Ben: CINCINNATI. The Bengals are a good team and have a great QB with very good weapons. There defense has stepped it up lately and I think they'll continue that this weekend. The Bears are close to being a contender, but they just seem too inconsistent, wtih too many mistake on offense for me to think they can compete all season.
Boz: CHICAGO. I gotta take the Bears. Plus, the Bengals showed me that they aren't perfect last week.
5) New Orleans (5-0) at Miami (2-3)
Ben: NEW ORLEANS. Drew Brees is unstoppable and that offense is fun to watch.
Boz: NEW ORLEANS. I like the Dolphins under Chad Henne and I think they'll compete for a playoff spot in the AFC. However, they can't compete with the Saints.
6) Arizona (3-2) at New York Giants (5-1)
Ben: NEW YORK GIANTS. The Cards suck when they come cross-country and that continues against a more talented and phyiscal football team in the Giants.
Boz: NEW YORK. The Cardinals can't defend against the pass and the Giants can really pass the ball with Manning and his selection of wide receivers.
HAPPY HOUR
Ben: Happy 34th Birthday Keith Van Horn and Happy 47th Birthday Doug Flutie. Both players were great college players that were solid, if unspectacular, professionals. Flutie was somehow successful as a 5'4" 124 pound QB, while Van Horn was possibly the least athletic swingman to ever play in the NBA. Both guys got it done and had long professional careers, so a congrats there. Enjoy retirement fellas'.
Boz: Happy 69th Birthday to Pele! Pele is the all-time leading scorer in Brazilian soccer history and helped guide them to three World Cup titles. He is arguably one of the best soccer players of all-time. He tried to make soccer famous in the states when he signed with the New York Cosmos. He has to very excited that his home country of Brazil will be hosting the 2016 Olympics.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Day 34: ALCS, The Raiders, Cedric Benson and more
HEADLINES
1) The Phillies finished off the Dodgers in convincing fashion last night and advanced to their second straight World Series. Who do the Phillies match up against best between the Yankees and the Angels?
Ben: Both teams. The Phillies have a fantastic team that is going to be tough to beat in a 7-game series. 2 stud pitchers, with a couple good ones. They have a S-T-A-C-K-E-D lineup with great hitters 1-8. I think, honestly, both the Angels or Yankees will struggle to contain the lineup. With that being said, I think the Yanks could give them equal trouble if the Bronx Bombers would make the World Series.
Boz: Regardless of who they match up against, it appears they are going to get the Yankees whether or not they like it or not. However, they match up against the Angles better primarily because no team wants to face the Yankees offense, especially when you have a questionable bullpen. The power of the Phillies line-up could have overpowered the quick, station-to-station offense of the Angels. However, it appears to be the Yanks taking the AL and we're looking toward to a world series full of heavy hitters. It should be a good one.
2) Before beating the Eagles at home, many called the Raiders the worst team in the NFL. Now they're 2-4 and Richard Seymour has guarenteed that the Raiders will make the playoffs. Do you agree with Seymour or was he just too excited about the win over the Eagles?
Ben: YOU DIDN'T EVEN WANT PLAY THERE SEYMOUR. If they were this close to the playoffs when you were traded there, you wouldn't have felt like it was a slap in the face - like you orginially said. There is no way, aside from the Raiders and Patroits trading everyone in their organizations before the season is over, that Oakland makes the playoffs.
Boz: Seymour might have been too excited about narrowly escaping with a win over a poor performing Eagles team. I don't want to disappoint Raider Nation, but Oakland is not going to make the playoffs. Maybe Seymour should have started by making a gaurentee on whether or not Tom Cable will be charged with assault or not. This might have been the worst gaurentee ever made. The franchise is in shambles. Their quarterback can't even complete half of his passes, their running back is injured, and the receiver they took with the seventh pick in the draft has two receptions ALL SEASON. They still have another game with the Chargers and Broncos, Bengals, Ravens, Jets, and they have to hit the road to Pittsburgh and Dallas. That's at least another six losses, putting them at 10 for the season. Playoffs? We're talking about playoffs? Hell, they're not even going to win five games!
3) Cedric Benson is making claims that the Chicago Bears attempted to blackball Benson by saying negative things to other teams inquiring about signing Benson after the Bears released him in June of 2008. It took four months for a team to sign Benson and the Bears deny any blackballing. Whose side are you on?
Ben: Probably Benson's. I don't necessarily agree that he was worth picking up right after his release, so I think that contributes to the four month gap, but I do believe the Bears made him look worse then he actually was.
Benson was a disappointment and never proved that he was worth the draft pick the Bears used for him - but he had potential and definately was better then they were claiming when he left Chicago. He might have been bad in Chicago, but they said he was barely even a football player -- that's not true.
Boz: I'm siding with the Bears. Benson said that the Bears would tell other teams that he didn't work hard on and off the field, that he was a prima donna and that he wasn't focused. Look, I watched nearly every game that Benson played in a Bears uniform and if the Bears did say those things about Benson, I can attest to every thing they said. He was lazy, didn't work hard and he absolutely a prima donna. I'm glad that he found new life in Cincinnati, but he wasn't welcomed in Chicago.
4) The University of Central Florida has a six-year, $30 million contract with adidas to be the official athletic supplier. In the contract, all players and coaches must wear adidas footwear and apparell. However, freshman Marcus Jordan wants to wear his father's Air Jordans because it has special meaning to his family. What should UCF do?
Ben: Let him wear the shoes. Actually, they should have just let him wear the shoes and not told anyone to see how long it took for Adidas to figure out the issue. Seriously, how many UCF games are being telecast? How many games is an Adidas rep going to be at the game? I would think they would have had a chance at getting through the contract that way.
Let the kids wear what they want, just make sure Adidas is easily seen throughout the UCF athletic center.
Boz: They should honor their contract with Adidas. Look, it's basketball shoes. Just basketball shoes. I understand that Marcus wants to wear Jordan shoes because the brand helped pay the bills and put food on the table when he was growing up. I just don't see needing to make a big deal about what shoes he is going to wear for the next four years. I know that the UCF athletic department is attempting to work out a unique situation, but in my opinion, they should honor their contract and tell Marcus he needs to wear Adidas. What's next? Are they going to make a unique Nike jersey that just Marcus will wear?
COLLEGE PICK 'EM
Last week Ben: 6-2 Boz: 3-5
Season: Ben: 32-15 Boz: 25-22
1) Illinois at Purdue (Saturday, 11 a.m.)
Ben: ILLINOIS. I can't believe I'm doing this -- and truly, don't even know why.
Boz: PURDUE. Look, I'm still an Illinois fan. But if you lose to Indiana, then I have to stop picking you to win. I'm in a big enough hole behind Ben already as it is.
2) Boston College at Notre Dame (Saturday, 2:30 p.m.)
Ben: NOTRE DAME. The Irish have a legit offense that is going to produce plenty of NFL talent. BC is in transition, and won't be able to keep up with the Irish in South Bend.
Boz: NOTRE DAME. The Fighting Irish are actually a pretty good team this year. They showed that by playing with a very talented USC team. They have a shot at winning out the rest of the season and it starts on Saturday.
3) Florida State at North Carolina (Thursday, 7 p.m.)
Ben: FLORIDA STATE. I'm really surprised the Seminoles have struggled this much, and still think their defense will keep them in enough games. The question will be if Jimbo Fisher shows he's worth the successor-in-waiting status FSU has given him.
Boz: NORTH CAROLINA. I like the Tar Heels at home, especially with the Seminoles reeling a bit. Butch Davis brings home a win for UNC.
4) No. 3 Texas at Missouri (Saturday, 7 p.m.)
Ben: TEXAS. No chance for the Tigers. Texas is too good on both sides of the ball. Mizzou might be able to hang in there for awhile, but in the end, the Longhorns get the W.
Boz: TEXAS. I know the Longhorns' offense doesn't look as good as last season, but their defense is. Plus Missouri is fading fast as it gets later in the season. McCoy has a big day as the Longhorns leave Missouri with a win.
5) No. 7 Iowa at Michigan State (Saturday, 6 p.m.)
Ben: IOWA. I'm not picking against the Hawks until a bowl game.
Boz: IOWA. This won't be an easy win on the road for the Hawkeyes. The Wolverines couldn't win in East Lansing. However, the difference is Iowa has a better defense and picks up a big road win to remain undefeated.
6) Oklahoma at No. 25 Kansas (Saturday, 2:30 p.m.)
Ben: OKLAHOMA. OU has lost 3 games by a total of 7 points. They are a fantastic football team, but have lost games because they haven't had their #1 QB. I'll take the rest of the OU football team against the rest of the KU football team.
Boz: KANSAS. Landry Jones isn't a bad quarterback but he can't fill the holes in the offense like Sam Bradford could. The Jayhakws win a close one at home.
7) No. 13 Penn State at Michigan (Saturday, 2:30 p.m.)
Ben: MICHIGAN. I don't know why, but Tate Forcier and Rich Rodriquez have me believing. I'll take Big Blue at home, over a surprisingly quiet Penn State team the last few weeks.
Boz: MICHIGAN. This will be my upset pick this week. It's tough to win in the Big House and Forcier will lead the offense over an inconsistent Penn State offense.
8) No. 8 TCU at No. 16 BYU (Saturday, 6:30 p.m.)
Ben: TCU. The Horned Frogs are a solid team, especially on D. BYU has already laid an egg once this season, and I think they'll do it again against a difficult conference opponent.
Boz: BYU. This could be TCU's chance to make a bid for a BCS Bowl. If they lose the game, then their hopes are over. BYU wouldn't mind running the table and maybe taking an outside chance at a BCS Bowl. Max Hall leads the way.
HAPPY HOUR
Ben: Happy 2nd Anniversary Tony LaRussa. On this date in 2007 you signed a 2 year contract extension to stay with the Cardinals through this season. You've constantly helped get talent-deprived teams to perform way above expectations. Again, this season, you got a young, seemingly pitcher lacking team to the playoffs. Although, you're run in St. Louis might be over, it'd be tough to match your accomplishments since you been in the STL.
Boz: Happy 27th Birthday Robinson Cano. Apparently umpire Tim McClelland decided to give you an early birthday present by calling you safe at third base when you were clearly tagged out when off the base, but slipped your foot on after being tagged. It had to be an early birthday present because there is no other reason why McClelland would miss that call.
1) The Phillies finished off the Dodgers in convincing fashion last night and advanced to their second straight World Series. Who do the Phillies match up against best between the Yankees and the Angels?
Ben: Both teams. The Phillies have a fantastic team that is going to be tough to beat in a 7-game series. 2 stud pitchers, with a couple good ones. They have a S-T-A-C-K-E-D lineup with great hitters 1-8. I think, honestly, both the Angels or Yankees will struggle to contain the lineup. With that being said, I think the Yanks could give them equal trouble if the Bronx Bombers would make the World Series.
Boz: Regardless of who they match up against, it appears they are going to get the Yankees whether or not they like it or not. However, they match up against the Angles better primarily because no team wants to face the Yankees offense, especially when you have a questionable bullpen. The power of the Phillies line-up could have overpowered the quick, station-to-station offense of the Angels. However, it appears to be the Yanks taking the AL and we're looking toward to a world series full of heavy hitters. It should be a good one.
2) Before beating the Eagles at home, many called the Raiders the worst team in the NFL. Now they're 2-4 and Richard Seymour has guarenteed that the Raiders will make the playoffs. Do you agree with Seymour or was he just too excited about the win over the Eagles?
Ben: YOU DIDN'T EVEN WANT PLAY THERE SEYMOUR. If they were this close to the playoffs when you were traded there, you wouldn't have felt like it was a slap in the face - like you orginially said. There is no way, aside from the Raiders and Patroits trading everyone in their organizations before the season is over, that Oakland makes the playoffs.
Boz: Seymour might have been too excited about narrowly escaping with a win over a poor performing Eagles team. I don't want to disappoint Raider Nation, but Oakland is not going to make the playoffs. Maybe Seymour should have started by making a gaurentee on whether or not Tom Cable will be charged with assault or not. This might have been the worst gaurentee ever made. The franchise is in shambles. Their quarterback can't even complete half of his passes, their running back is injured, and the receiver they took with the seventh pick in the draft has two receptions ALL SEASON. They still have another game with the Chargers and Broncos, Bengals, Ravens, Jets, and they have to hit the road to Pittsburgh and Dallas. That's at least another six losses, putting them at 10 for the season. Playoffs? We're talking about playoffs? Hell, they're not even going to win five games!
3) Cedric Benson is making claims that the Chicago Bears attempted to blackball Benson by saying negative things to other teams inquiring about signing Benson after the Bears released him in June of 2008. It took four months for a team to sign Benson and the Bears deny any blackballing. Whose side are you on?
Ben: Probably Benson's. I don't necessarily agree that he was worth picking up right after his release, so I think that contributes to the four month gap, but I do believe the Bears made him look worse then he actually was.
Benson was a disappointment and never proved that he was worth the draft pick the Bears used for him - but he had potential and definately was better then they were claiming when he left Chicago. He might have been bad in Chicago, but they said he was barely even a football player -- that's not true.
Boz: I'm siding with the Bears. Benson said that the Bears would tell other teams that he didn't work hard on and off the field, that he was a prima donna and that he wasn't focused. Look, I watched nearly every game that Benson played in a Bears uniform and if the Bears did say those things about Benson, I can attest to every thing they said. He was lazy, didn't work hard and he absolutely a prima donna. I'm glad that he found new life in Cincinnati, but he wasn't welcomed in Chicago.
4) The University of Central Florida has a six-year, $30 million contract with adidas to be the official athletic supplier. In the contract, all players and coaches must wear adidas footwear and apparell. However, freshman Marcus Jordan wants to wear his father's Air Jordans because it has special meaning to his family. What should UCF do?
Ben: Let him wear the shoes. Actually, they should have just let him wear the shoes and not told anyone to see how long it took for Adidas to figure out the issue. Seriously, how many UCF games are being telecast? How many games is an Adidas rep going to be at the game? I would think they would have had a chance at getting through the contract that way.
Let the kids wear what they want, just make sure Adidas is easily seen throughout the UCF athletic center.
Boz: They should honor their contract with Adidas. Look, it's basketball shoes. Just basketball shoes. I understand that Marcus wants to wear Jordan shoes because the brand helped pay the bills and put food on the table when he was growing up. I just don't see needing to make a big deal about what shoes he is going to wear for the next four years. I know that the UCF athletic department is attempting to work out a unique situation, but in my opinion, they should honor their contract and tell Marcus he needs to wear Adidas. What's next? Are they going to make a unique Nike jersey that just Marcus will wear?
COLLEGE PICK 'EM
Last week Ben: 6-2 Boz: 3-5
Season: Ben: 32-15 Boz: 25-22
1) Illinois at Purdue (Saturday, 11 a.m.)
Ben: ILLINOIS. I can't believe I'm doing this -- and truly, don't even know why.
Boz: PURDUE. Look, I'm still an Illinois fan. But if you lose to Indiana, then I have to stop picking you to win. I'm in a big enough hole behind Ben already as it is.
2) Boston College at Notre Dame (Saturday, 2:30 p.m.)
Ben: NOTRE DAME. The Irish have a legit offense that is going to produce plenty of NFL talent. BC is in transition, and won't be able to keep up with the Irish in South Bend.
Boz: NOTRE DAME. The Fighting Irish are actually a pretty good team this year. They showed that by playing with a very talented USC team. They have a shot at winning out the rest of the season and it starts on Saturday.
3) Florida State at North Carolina (Thursday, 7 p.m.)
Ben: FLORIDA STATE. I'm really surprised the Seminoles have struggled this much, and still think their defense will keep them in enough games. The question will be if Jimbo Fisher shows he's worth the successor-in-waiting status FSU has given him.
Boz: NORTH CAROLINA. I like the Tar Heels at home, especially with the Seminoles reeling a bit. Butch Davis brings home a win for UNC.
4) No. 3 Texas at Missouri (Saturday, 7 p.m.)
Ben: TEXAS. No chance for the Tigers. Texas is too good on both sides of the ball. Mizzou might be able to hang in there for awhile, but in the end, the Longhorns get the W.
Boz: TEXAS. I know the Longhorns' offense doesn't look as good as last season, but their defense is. Plus Missouri is fading fast as it gets later in the season. McCoy has a big day as the Longhorns leave Missouri with a win.
5) No. 7 Iowa at Michigan State (Saturday, 6 p.m.)
Ben: IOWA. I'm not picking against the Hawks until a bowl game.
Boz: IOWA. This won't be an easy win on the road for the Hawkeyes. The Wolverines couldn't win in East Lansing. However, the difference is Iowa has a better defense and picks up a big road win to remain undefeated.
6) Oklahoma at No. 25 Kansas (Saturday, 2:30 p.m.)
Ben: OKLAHOMA. OU has lost 3 games by a total of 7 points. They are a fantastic football team, but have lost games because they haven't had their #1 QB. I'll take the rest of the OU football team against the rest of the KU football team.
Boz: KANSAS. Landry Jones isn't a bad quarterback but he can't fill the holes in the offense like Sam Bradford could. The Jayhakws win a close one at home.
7) No. 13 Penn State at Michigan (Saturday, 2:30 p.m.)
Ben: MICHIGAN. I don't know why, but Tate Forcier and Rich Rodriquez have me believing. I'll take Big Blue at home, over a surprisingly quiet Penn State team the last few weeks.
Boz: MICHIGAN. This will be my upset pick this week. It's tough to win in the Big House and Forcier will lead the offense over an inconsistent Penn State offense.
8) No. 8 TCU at No. 16 BYU (Saturday, 6:30 p.m.)
Ben: TCU. The Horned Frogs are a solid team, especially on D. BYU has already laid an egg once this season, and I think they'll do it again against a difficult conference opponent.
Boz: BYU. This could be TCU's chance to make a bid for a BCS Bowl. If they lose the game, then their hopes are over. BYU wouldn't mind running the table and maybe taking an outside chance at a BCS Bowl. Max Hall leads the way.
HAPPY HOUR
Ben: Happy 2nd Anniversary Tony LaRussa. On this date in 2007 you signed a 2 year contract extension to stay with the Cardinals through this season. You've constantly helped get talent-deprived teams to perform way above expectations. Again, this season, you got a young, seemingly pitcher lacking team to the playoffs. Although, you're run in St. Louis might be over, it'd be tough to match your accomplishments since you been in the STL.
Boz: Happy 27th Birthday Robinson Cano. Apparently umpire Tim McClelland decided to give you an early birthday present by calling you safe at third base when you were clearly tagged out when off the base, but slipped your foot on after being tagged. It had to be an early birthday present because there is no other reason why McClelland would miss that call.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Day 33: Sam Bradford, MLB Umpires, Jeff Fisher and more
HEADLINES
1) After Sam Bradford reinjured his shoulder early in the loss to Texas, would you advise Bradford to head to the NFL following the season or return for his senior season?
Ben: I would say get outta Dodge (or Norman). Unless he really feels like college is the place for him, I'd say get out and head for open waters. Even if his draft stock has fallen, he's safer to head to the NFL -- possibly to a better team where he wouldn't be rushed into action. I think college is great, and I typically would recommend going back to just about everyone -- but not Bradford. He's seen firsthand what some situations can do to your professional career, and I'd say, move up the ladder.
Boz: I would advise Bradford to return for his senior season, but it is still a difficult decision. Bradford would have been the top pick in the last draft but decided to return to school and now he has had two shoulder injuries. But that is the reason why I am suggesting heading back to school. NFL teams are going to be weary to take a quarterback who has had two shoulder injuries in one season and coming back for another year gives Bradford the chance to prove that he is healthy and can still play the quarterback position at a high level. I think that if he goes to the draft this season, he slides to the middle to late first round in a quarterback heavy draft and costs himself possible $10-15 million. He can regain that money and draft status by playing his senior season and playing well.
2) After blowing three more calls in last night's Yankees/Angels game, MLB umpires have been under a lot of scrutiny this postseason, bringing up the topic of instant replay in professional baseball. What is your take on the situation?
Ben: I don't think you could ever clearly implement only computer/instant reply being involved in baseball on everything, but I do think it should be used to a greater extent it currently is. The Angels were HOSED in this game, and should have had the option to review the call. Umpires/Referees aren't perfect, and it's time for the leagues to stop acting like they are.
Boz: There have been some of the worst calls I've ever seen during this postseason and all three from last night, along with the "foul" ball off the bat of Joe Mauer, were atrocious. In the pick off play at second, the umpire was looking right at the tag, but yet missed the call. In the leaving early call, the umpire never looked at Swisher leaving the bag, but yet made the call that he left early anyways. And the play where the Angels catcher tagged out both Cano and Posada and only one was called out, is the worst call that I've ever seen in all of my years of watching baseball. Therefore, the scrutiny that the umpires are taking this postseason is well deserved.
I'm in favor of instant replay in baseball and I think that there is a way that it can be implemented without slowing down the game tremendously. An extra umpire up in the booths that could look at those plays last night and determine in 20 seconds that the calls were wrong and radio down to the umpires on the field to change the call in an additional 10 seconds. The game wouldn't be delayed that much at all.
3) At a charity event in Nashville, Jeff Fisher was introducing Tony Dungy and took off his shirt to reveil a Peyton Manning jersey and stated, "I just wanted to be a winner." With the current state of the Titans, was this a smart move?
Ben: OK, everyone calm down. It was a joke, and if you can't laugh at yourself, especially at a relaxed, fun event, what's the point. The team has been bad, have Titans fans not noticed? They haven't won a game, have Titans fans not noticed?
My team, the Detroit Lions, went winless for the entire season last year and what helps you get through stuff like that is being able to laugh at it. Any fan who got upset should realize, you don't play for the Titans, and you should relax.
Boz: I'm sure that it doesn't please a lot of Titans fans to see Jeff Fisher wearing a Colts jersey and making those statements. However, Fisher wasn't in the wrong here. He was at a charity event and was just having a little fun while introducing a good friend in Tony Dungy. I'm sure that he isn't worried about his job security because if the Titans were to fire him, there would be ten other teams waiting in line to give Jeff Fisher a job offer. I'm alright with what Fisher did, it shows the Titans players that despite an 0-6 start and getting beat 59-0 in their last game, that their head coach is not panicking.
4) Controversial Dallas Mavericks' owner Mark Cuban has stated that he is in support of medical steroids as long as they are administered under a doctor's supervision and as long as they are used to aid athletes in recovering from injuries and there are no long-term affects. Cuban added that he knows that science is not at that point yet, but if it gets to the point, he supports it. Do you agree with Cuban?
Ben: Yes. Cuban is a smart guy and this makes sense. My fiance' dad has had health issues that have been improved from the use of steriods and I am thankful for the progress it is allowed him to make. Obviously, not all steroid use is good, but I believe it can be used in a positive environment.
Boz: Surpisingly, yes. While steroids are a extremely touch subject, Cuban said all the right things in this case. He wanted them to be used ONLY to help athletes recover from an injury, ONLY if they were administered under a doctor's supervision, and ONLY if there were no long-term effects. Professional sports are professional athletes' careers and anything that can help them prolong their career and even help keep their career, I'm in favor for as long as it does not effect their health. Steroids are used for many other medical reasons and when the advancement comes, I would be alright for it to be used to help athletes recover from injuries.
OVER/UNDER
1) Stene Smith has complained about his role in the Panthers offense and has yet to catch a touchdown this season. Over or under six touchdowns for Steve Smith this season?
Ben: UNDER. Delhomme is bad, and Smith can't get the ball if his QB could find the laces of the football with two hands and a map.
Boz: I'm going to say under...barely. Jake Delhomme has been a good quarterback in the NFL for many years. However, Jake Delhomme is no longer a good quarterback in the NFL. The Panthers are committed to being a run-first offense and without another good wide receiver, defenses are doubling Smith on almost every single play. All of those equations equal up to not a lot of touchdowns. I'll predict five touchdowns max for Smith.
2) Greg Oden sat out of the Trail Blazers' preseason loss against Utah with a bruised thigh. Over or under 65 games played for Oden this season?
Ben: UNDER. He's never been entirely healthy since his senior year of high school. The guy is too big to stay healthy.
Boz: Under. He missed what would have been his entire rookie season and only played in 61 games during his real rookie season. Those bigger guys (i.e.- Oden, Bogut, Yao) all suffer from injuries during each season. It seems like those bigger bodies just can't hold up for an entire season. Until I see Oden play at least 70-75 games during a season, I'll always take the under.
3) After being the Titans 59-0 on Sunday, the Patriots play the Bucaneers in London. Over or under 40 point win for the Patriots in London?
Ben: UNDER. Those games overseas are always sloppy, and I doubt the Patroits are able to get that offense powered up in time to rout the Bucs too. I think we'll likely see 27-3 or 35-7.
Boz: Under. Games like the Patriots/Titans game on Sunday don't happen that often in the NFL. Despite there being quite a bit of bad teams in the NFL this season, they are still usually more competitive than 59-0.
HAPPY HOUR
Ben: Happy 102nd Birthday Jimmy Foxx. The proflic hitter from way back when was a scary opponent for pitchers. I don't see how you can't like Foxx, he hit 500 homers, his nickname was The Beast, and he had two X's in his name, something I thought only pornstars did. Props to Jimmy.
Boz: Happy 50th Birthday to George Bell. After nine years with the Toranto Blue Jays, Bell spent a year with the Chicago Cubs before being traded to the White Sox for Sammy Sosa, which is what he is most known for today. However, Bell hit 265 home runs and 1,002 RBIs in his career and was named the 1987 AL MVP.
1) After Sam Bradford reinjured his shoulder early in the loss to Texas, would you advise Bradford to head to the NFL following the season or return for his senior season?
Ben: I would say get outta Dodge (or Norman). Unless he really feels like college is the place for him, I'd say get out and head for open waters. Even if his draft stock has fallen, he's safer to head to the NFL -- possibly to a better team where he wouldn't be rushed into action. I think college is great, and I typically would recommend going back to just about everyone -- but not Bradford. He's seen firsthand what some situations can do to your professional career, and I'd say, move up the ladder.
Boz: I would advise Bradford to return for his senior season, but it is still a difficult decision. Bradford would have been the top pick in the last draft but decided to return to school and now he has had two shoulder injuries. But that is the reason why I am suggesting heading back to school. NFL teams are going to be weary to take a quarterback who has had two shoulder injuries in one season and coming back for another year gives Bradford the chance to prove that he is healthy and can still play the quarterback position at a high level. I think that if he goes to the draft this season, he slides to the middle to late first round in a quarterback heavy draft and costs himself possible $10-15 million. He can regain that money and draft status by playing his senior season and playing well.
2) After blowing three more calls in last night's Yankees/Angels game, MLB umpires have been under a lot of scrutiny this postseason, bringing up the topic of instant replay in professional baseball. What is your take on the situation?
Ben: I don't think you could ever clearly implement only computer/instant reply being involved in baseball on everything, but I do think it should be used to a greater extent it currently is. The Angels were HOSED in this game, and should have had the option to review the call. Umpires/Referees aren't perfect, and it's time for the leagues to stop acting like they are.
Boz: There have been some of the worst calls I've ever seen during this postseason and all three from last night, along with the "foul" ball off the bat of Joe Mauer, were atrocious. In the pick off play at second, the umpire was looking right at the tag, but yet missed the call. In the leaving early call, the umpire never looked at Swisher leaving the bag, but yet made the call that he left early anyways. And the play where the Angels catcher tagged out both Cano and Posada and only one was called out, is the worst call that I've ever seen in all of my years of watching baseball. Therefore, the scrutiny that the umpires are taking this postseason is well deserved.
I'm in favor of instant replay in baseball and I think that there is a way that it can be implemented without slowing down the game tremendously. An extra umpire up in the booths that could look at those plays last night and determine in 20 seconds that the calls were wrong and radio down to the umpires on the field to change the call in an additional 10 seconds. The game wouldn't be delayed that much at all.
3) At a charity event in Nashville, Jeff Fisher was introducing Tony Dungy and took off his shirt to reveil a Peyton Manning jersey and stated, "I just wanted to be a winner." With the current state of the Titans, was this a smart move?
Ben: OK, everyone calm down. It was a joke, and if you can't laugh at yourself, especially at a relaxed, fun event, what's the point. The team has been bad, have Titans fans not noticed? They haven't won a game, have Titans fans not noticed?
My team, the Detroit Lions, went winless for the entire season last year and what helps you get through stuff like that is being able to laugh at it. Any fan who got upset should realize, you don't play for the Titans, and you should relax.
Boz: I'm sure that it doesn't please a lot of Titans fans to see Jeff Fisher wearing a Colts jersey and making those statements. However, Fisher wasn't in the wrong here. He was at a charity event and was just having a little fun while introducing a good friend in Tony Dungy. I'm sure that he isn't worried about his job security because if the Titans were to fire him, there would be ten other teams waiting in line to give Jeff Fisher a job offer. I'm alright with what Fisher did, it shows the Titans players that despite an 0-6 start and getting beat 59-0 in their last game, that their head coach is not panicking.
4) Controversial Dallas Mavericks' owner Mark Cuban has stated that he is in support of medical steroids as long as they are administered under a doctor's supervision and as long as they are used to aid athletes in recovering from injuries and there are no long-term affects. Cuban added that he knows that science is not at that point yet, but if it gets to the point, he supports it. Do you agree with Cuban?
Ben: Yes. Cuban is a smart guy and this makes sense. My fiance' dad has had health issues that have been improved from the use of steriods and I am thankful for the progress it is allowed him to make. Obviously, not all steroid use is good, but I believe it can be used in a positive environment.
Boz: Surpisingly, yes. While steroids are a extremely touch subject, Cuban said all the right things in this case. He wanted them to be used ONLY to help athletes recover from an injury, ONLY if they were administered under a doctor's supervision, and ONLY if there were no long-term effects. Professional sports are professional athletes' careers and anything that can help them prolong their career and even help keep their career, I'm in favor for as long as it does not effect their health. Steroids are used for many other medical reasons and when the advancement comes, I would be alright for it to be used to help athletes recover from injuries.
OVER/UNDER
1) Stene Smith has complained about his role in the Panthers offense and has yet to catch a touchdown this season. Over or under six touchdowns for Steve Smith this season?
Ben: UNDER. Delhomme is bad, and Smith can't get the ball if his QB could find the laces of the football with two hands and a map.
Boz: I'm going to say under...barely. Jake Delhomme has been a good quarterback in the NFL for many years. However, Jake Delhomme is no longer a good quarterback in the NFL. The Panthers are committed to being a run-first offense and without another good wide receiver, defenses are doubling Smith on almost every single play. All of those equations equal up to not a lot of touchdowns. I'll predict five touchdowns max for Smith.
2) Greg Oden sat out of the Trail Blazers' preseason loss against Utah with a bruised thigh. Over or under 65 games played for Oden this season?
Ben: UNDER. He's never been entirely healthy since his senior year of high school. The guy is too big to stay healthy.
Boz: Under. He missed what would have been his entire rookie season and only played in 61 games during his real rookie season. Those bigger guys (i.e.- Oden, Bogut, Yao) all suffer from injuries during each season. It seems like those bigger bodies just can't hold up for an entire season. Until I see Oden play at least 70-75 games during a season, I'll always take the under.
3) After being the Titans 59-0 on Sunday, the Patriots play the Bucaneers in London. Over or under 40 point win for the Patriots in London?
Ben: UNDER. Those games overseas are always sloppy, and I doubt the Patroits are able to get that offense powered up in time to rout the Bucs too. I think we'll likely see 27-3 or 35-7.
Boz: Under. Games like the Patriots/Titans game on Sunday don't happen that often in the NFL. Despite there being quite a bit of bad teams in the NFL this season, they are still usually more competitive than 59-0.
HAPPY HOUR
Ben: Happy 102nd Birthday Jimmy Foxx. The proflic hitter from way back when was a scary opponent for pitchers. I don't see how you can't like Foxx, he hit 500 homers, his nickname was The Beast, and he had two X's in his name, something I thought only pornstars did. Props to Jimmy.
Boz: Happy 50th Birthday to George Bell. After nine years with the Toranto Blue Jays, Bell spent a year with the Chicago Cubs before being traded to the White Sox for Sammy Sosa, which is what he is most known for today. However, Bell hit 265 home runs and 1,002 RBIs in his career and was named the 1987 AL MVP.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Day 32: Crabtree, Broncos, Chris Chelios and more
HEADLINES
1) The San Francisco 49ers have stated that rookie wide receiver Michael Crabtree will start in his NFL debut against the Houston Texans? Are the 49ers throwing Crabtree too much into the fire too soon?
Ben: I would say so. The guy just signed to the team two weeks ago and even if he was studying his playbook (doubt it!) he's going to be behind in conditioning and experience. Why rush him out there? I think Crabtree is a gifted player that will probably produce right away, but to get him performing to the level you'd like/expect I think a couple more weeks of seasoning on the practice field would do a lot of good.
Boz: No. He's most likely the most talented wide receiver that the 49ers have on their roster despite never playing a game yet in the NFL and missing all of training camp. The Niners need to be able to pack more punch in their offense and not just rely on Frank Gore 100%. Crabtree gives them a little more punch to pack with a deep threat for Shaun Hill. Braylon Edwards showed that a wide receiver can go to a team, barely know the playbook, and still run 70% of most routes that he needs to run. I know that Edwards is a veteran and Crabtree is a rookie, but Crabtree has had three weeks now and I see him making an impact on the 49ers offense.
2) Despite the non-belief from Ben and I, the Broncos beat the Chargers and moved to 6-0 on the season. Are you ready to call the Broncos legit? And if so, are they the best in the AFC?
Ben: Begrudgingly I'll admit they are a good football team. I will not say they are best in the AFC. There is a host of teams that are just as good, if not better then the Broncos, and while I think they might be a force to be reckoned with down the line, I do not think you can call them the class of the conference just yet.
Boz: We've done a lot of knocking on Josh McDaniels, Kyle Orton and the rest of the Broncos on this blog, but I'm ready to say that the Broncos are in fact a legit football team. Before last night I always made the argument that they were only winning with defense and that it wouldn't hold up for the remainder of the season. I also said that their tough opponents were all played at home. Well, last night they put up 34 points and won on the road at San Diego. Their special teams were hitting on all levels and Orton threw for 229 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
However, they are not the best team in the AFC. The Colts are a better team and also 5-0. With Peyton Manning playing as well as ever before, their a tough team to beat. Despite the 4-2 record and losing to the Broncos in Denver, it looks like the Patriots are on their way back to old form and will be a better team than the Broncos in a couple weeks. The Broncos are playing well, but I'm still not ready to crown them the toast of the AFC.
3) 47-year old Chris Chelios has signed a contract to play hockey for the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. Would you rather see one of the greatest American-born hockey players retire or play minor league hockey?
Ben: C'mon Chris, hang 'em up. Look, I understand the thrill of the game and the love of the game make you want to come back every year -- but you aren't productive anymore. There's a reason you were on the bench almost all of last year. Time to retire bud.
Boz: I want to see him to ride off into the sunset and retire from hockey. I don't consider myself to be a huge hockey buff, but Chelios is one of my favorite hockey players from my day, especially when he was with the Blackhawks. I have to imagine this is similar to when Sammy Sosa or Rickey Henderson try to sign a minor-league contact in hopes of impressing enough people to make it back to the majors. Sometimes these veterans hang on to the sport too long and are usually better off just retiring.
4) The Phillies stole Game 4 away from the Dodgers to take a 3-1 lead in the NLCS. Are you ready to pronounce the series dead for the Dodgers?
Ben: Yes. The Dodgers don't have the horses to hang with that lineup.
Boz: The Dodgers aren't dead yet, but they're on life support. If they win tomorrow night with Vincente Padilla on the mound (who has looked good this postseason) then they've taken the home field advantage back from the Phillies and move back to Los Angeles to play the final games of the series. They've got a lot of work to do and not many teams come back from down 3-1 in a league championship series. The Dodgers have been a comeback team all season long and have always seemed to make the impossible possible during games this season. They've dug themselves a pretty big hole after blowing the game last night, this time it's most likely too big.
TOSS-UP
1) Whose walk-off last night was more impressive? Phillies or Angels?
Ben: ANGELS. Just to hang in there with the Yanks and then come through in front of the home town fans -- that's big.
Boz: PHILLIES. They were down to their last out and had their lead off hitter Jimmy Rollins up against one of the best closers in the league in Jonathon Broxton, who can reach triple digits on the radar guns. Rollins, who had struggled this season, seemed to be sitting on the fastball from Broxton and brought both the tying and game-winning run home by depositing a ball into the right-field gap and quite possible a dagger in the heart of the Dodgers.
2) What's more depressing? The Lions losing 16 games in one season or the Rams losing 16 straight games over a span of two seasons?
Ben: PUSH. They are the same -- it is equally depressing. 16 games in a row is 16 games in a row.
Boz: LIONS. The Lions last season and the current Rams team are both pathetic. However, the Lions became the first team to record an 0-16 record, which sports enthusiasts will never forget. The Rams could win one game this season and no one will remember in 10 years that they lost 16 straight games over two seasons. However, the Rams look like they could join the Lions with an 0-16 record this season.
3) Who is going to throw more interceptions this season? Matthew Stafford or Mark Sanchez?
Ben: SANCHEZ. Stafford has improved since the beginning of the season and Sanchez has regressed -- at least on paper.
Boz: SANCHEZ. I'm going with the Sanchize for two reasons: (1) I'm unsure of when Stafford is going to return from his injury he suffered against the Bears and (2) it seems that teams are catching on to Sanchez's tendencies as he has thrown eight interceptions in his last three games.
HAPPY HOUR
Ben: Happy 40th Birthday Herman Moore. One of my all-time favorite Lions had a stretch of very productive years in the mid-90's and help a mediocre Lions team reach the playoffs several years during that run. Thanks for the memories Herman, please help this current team while you can!
Boz: Happy 38th Birthday to Eddie Jones. After a stellar career at Temple, he was drafted by the Lakers in 1994 and spent five season before going the the Hornets, the the Heat, then to seveal teams for one-year stints. One of the best three-point shooters of his time, Jones was a career 37.3% three-point shooter.
1) The San Francisco 49ers have stated that rookie wide receiver Michael Crabtree will start in his NFL debut against the Houston Texans? Are the 49ers throwing Crabtree too much into the fire too soon?
Ben: I would say so. The guy just signed to the team two weeks ago and even if he was studying his playbook (doubt it!) he's going to be behind in conditioning and experience. Why rush him out there? I think Crabtree is a gifted player that will probably produce right away, but to get him performing to the level you'd like/expect I think a couple more weeks of seasoning on the practice field would do a lot of good.
Boz: No. He's most likely the most talented wide receiver that the 49ers have on their roster despite never playing a game yet in the NFL and missing all of training camp. The Niners need to be able to pack more punch in their offense and not just rely on Frank Gore 100%. Crabtree gives them a little more punch to pack with a deep threat for Shaun Hill. Braylon Edwards showed that a wide receiver can go to a team, barely know the playbook, and still run 70% of most routes that he needs to run. I know that Edwards is a veteran and Crabtree is a rookie, but Crabtree has had three weeks now and I see him making an impact on the 49ers offense.
2) Despite the non-belief from Ben and I, the Broncos beat the Chargers and moved to 6-0 on the season. Are you ready to call the Broncos legit? And if so, are they the best in the AFC?
Ben: Begrudgingly I'll admit they are a good football team. I will not say they are best in the AFC. There is a host of teams that are just as good, if not better then the Broncos, and while I think they might be a force to be reckoned with down the line, I do not think you can call them the class of the conference just yet.
Boz: We've done a lot of knocking on Josh McDaniels, Kyle Orton and the rest of the Broncos on this blog, but I'm ready to say that the Broncos are in fact a legit football team. Before last night I always made the argument that they were only winning with defense and that it wouldn't hold up for the remainder of the season. I also said that their tough opponents were all played at home. Well, last night they put up 34 points and won on the road at San Diego. Their special teams were hitting on all levels and Orton threw for 229 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
However, they are not the best team in the AFC. The Colts are a better team and also 5-0. With Peyton Manning playing as well as ever before, their a tough team to beat. Despite the 4-2 record and losing to the Broncos in Denver, it looks like the Patriots are on their way back to old form and will be a better team than the Broncos in a couple weeks. The Broncos are playing well, but I'm still not ready to crown them the toast of the AFC.
3) 47-year old Chris Chelios has signed a contract to play hockey for the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. Would you rather see one of the greatest American-born hockey players retire or play minor league hockey?
Ben: C'mon Chris, hang 'em up. Look, I understand the thrill of the game and the love of the game make you want to come back every year -- but you aren't productive anymore. There's a reason you were on the bench almost all of last year. Time to retire bud.
Boz: I want to see him to ride off into the sunset and retire from hockey. I don't consider myself to be a huge hockey buff, but Chelios is one of my favorite hockey players from my day, especially when he was with the Blackhawks. I have to imagine this is similar to when Sammy Sosa or Rickey Henderson try to sign a minor-league contact in hopes of impressing enough people to make it back to the majors. Sometimes these veterans hang on to the sport too long and are usually better off just retiring.
4) The Phillies stole Game 4 away from the Dodgers to take a 3-1 lead in the NLCS. Are you ready to pronounce the series dead for the Dodgers?
Ben: Yes. The Dodgers don't have the horses to hang with that lineup.
Boz: The Dodgers aren't dead yet, but they're on life support. If they win tomorrow night with Vincente Padilla on the mound (who has looked good this postseason) then they've taken the home field advantage back from the Phillies and move back to Los Angeles to play the final games of the series. They've got a lot of work to do and not many teams come back from down 3-1 in a league championship series. The Dodgers have been a comeback team all season long and have always seemed to make the impossible possible during games this season. They've dug themselves a pretty big hole after blowing the game last night, this time it's most likely too big.
TOSS-UP
1) Whose walk-off last night was more impressive? Phillies or Angels?
Ben: ANGELS. Just to hang in there with the Yanks and then come through in front of the home town fans -- that's big.
Boz: PHILLIES. They were down to their last out and had their lead off hitter Jimmy Rollins up against one of the best closers in the league in Jonathon Broxton, who can reach triple digits on the radar guns. Rollins, who had struggled this season, seemed to be sitting on the fastball from Broxton and brought both the tying and game-winning run home by depositing a ball into the right-field gap and quite possible a dagger in the heart of the Dodgers.
2) What's more depressing? The Lions losing 16 games in one season or the Rams losing 16 straight games over a span of two seasons?
Ben: PUSH. They are the same -- it is equally depressing. 16 games in a row is 16 games in a row.
Boz: LIONS. The Lions last season and the current Rams team are both pathetic. However, the Lions became the first team to record an 0-16 record, which sports enthusiasts will never forget. The Rams could win one game this season and no one will remember in 10 years that they lost 16 straight games over two seasons. However, the Rams look like they could join the Lions with an 0-16 record this season.
3) Who is going to throw more interceptions this season? Matthew Stafford or Mark Sanchez?
Ben: SANCHEZ. Stafford has improved since the beginning of the season and Sanchez has regressed -- at least on paper.
Boz: SANCHEZ. I'm going with the Sanchize for two reasons: (1) I'm unsure of when Stafford is going to return from his injury he suffered against the Bears and (2) it seems that teams are catching on to Sanchez's tendencies as he has thrown eight interceptions in his last three games.
HAPPY HOUR
Ben: Happy 40th Birthday Herman Moore. One of my all-time favorite Lions had a stretch of very productive years in the mid-90's and help a mediocre Lions team reach the playoffs several years during that run. Thanks for the memories Herman, please help this current team while you can!
Boz: Happy 38th Birthday to Eddie Jones. After a stellar career at Temple, he was drafted by the Lakers in 1994 and spent five season before going the the Hornets, the the Heat, then to seveal teams for one-year stints. One of the best three-point shooters of his time, Jones was a career 37.3% three-point shooter.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Day 31: NFL's undefeateds, MLB playoffs, BCS Standings and more
HEADLINES
1) After Sunday's NFL games, four teams remain undefeated with the Broncos still playing tonight. Who do you think is the best team in the NFL.
Ben: I'm going to say, as much as it pains me to say this, the Minnesota Vikings. I just think that the quarterback position is all they've lacked the last few years and with their offense in pretty good shape, they are a difficult team to beat. They might not always blow teams out, but they certainly seem to have a decided advantage throughout the game. Obviously the Saints and Colts are close contenders because of their quarterback play as well, but I just think the Vikings have a more complete team then either of those two.
The Broncos aren't even in the discussion, they've gotten by on solid defense, and luck -- no way that continues throughout the whole season.
Boz: I'll go with the New Orleans Saints. I think that the New York Giants are one of the top five defenses (and teams) in the league and the Saints scored 48 points against them. The Saints have the best offense in the league by leaps and bounds and they've shown that they have a strong defense to go along with it. I really like what Sean Payton is doing with the Saints and Drew Brees is making average wide receivers (Lance Moore and Robert Meachem) look like studs. Going undefeated throughout the season is not going to happen but they'll win 13 or 14 games, most likely not dropping a game in the Superdome all season.
2) The Yankees have jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the ALCS while the Phillies took a 2-1 advantage over the Dodgers after an 11-0 win. Are you ready to pronounce any of these series over?
Ben: Not really. Especially with the Angels heading back west. I think that they'll have a decided advantage back home, and they probably should've won one of those games in New York anyway. The Dodgers I think can climb out of the hole they are in because the Phillies rotation is only 3 deep, I don't think they can keep the Dodgers at bay in Game 4, and I wouldn't be surprised if both series were 2-2 when they played game 5.
Boz: No. I actually think that the Dodgers are going to win Game 4 tonight with Randy Wolf on the mound. Wolf is strong against left-handed hitting and will do a good job with Rollins, Utley, Howard and Ibanez. On the other hand, Blanton has struggled against the Dodger line-up which leads to the Dodgers evening the series tonight and making it a best-of-three series.
Despite the Yankees getting a 2-0 lead, I'm not ready to pronounce the series over until the Yankees win a game on the road. The Yankees are still set for the three-man rotation which could tire later on in the series. I think the Angles offense will revitalize at home. Plus, you never count out a team with a rally monkey.
3) The first BCS Standings came out on Sunday. Do you have any problems with the first poll?
Ben: Surprisingly, no. I'm satisfied with the way teams are ranked thus far, and while I have a problem with the BCS as a whole, I think so far, they've got it right. I'm glad Boise State, TCU, and Iowa all got their due, and I think it's fairly obvious that at this point, Alabama and Flordia are the two best teams in the nation. I'm going to be disappointed when one of them has to lose in the SEC championship game and that team won't get a rematch for the national title, but in the meantime, I'm happy with the rankings.
The time will come though, when those rankings disappoint, frustrate, and alienate the entire country.
Boz: This could be the first time I've ever said this but I'm actually ok with the first BCS poll. I actually like it more than the AP poll right now. I'm shocked that in the AP poll, Oklahoma stayed in the poll at No. 25 with three losses just because they stayed in the game with Texas. I don't see anything in the first BCS poll that I would argue with. With that being said, it is the first BCS poll of the year and I'm sure more arguments will come as the year goes on and we get closer to bowl games.
4) After the Redskins lost to yet another winless team, Jim Zorn has relinquished play calling duties to Sherman Lewis, who was previously serving as offensive consultant. Will this move finally turn around the Redskins offense?
Ben: Nope. They are bad, and it is really, really impressive that they've won 2 games. They've played 6 winless teams in 6 weeks, and are 2-4 -- that's sad. I'm actually surprised Zorn is still employed today, and I don't think anyone can help this team. It is the Titantic, and only 1/3 of the people aboard are going to survive.
Boz: No. Absolutely not. It doesn't matter who is calling the plays if you don't have the players to execute the plays. They don't have a quarterback to throw the ball and they don't have any playmakers at the wide receiver position. Clinton Portis is decent at the running back position, but without an offensive line, a decent running back looks like a poor running back. You can't point the finger of blame directly at Jim Zorn. Fingers have to be pointed at the owner for not bringing in the right players and at the players for not executing on the field. Giving the play calling duties to the offensive consultant won't change a whole lot. He's been the offensive consultant for the past two weeks but the Redskins only put up six points yesterday. Where's the consulting in that?
ODDS
1) Mark Sanchez threw for just 119 yards and five inteceptions in the Jets 16-13 loss to Buffalo to move to 3-3 after starting out the season 3-0. What are the odds that the Jets will make the playoffs?
Ben: I'll say 40%. I think Sanchez was a nice story at the beginning, but he's going something that teams are catching up on and it's hurting the Jets. Their defense is fantastic, but a rookie quarterback is going to play like a rookie most times, and Sanchez is just hitting a tough patch. Hopefully, for Jets fans' it's short-lived.
Boz: 0%. It's amazing how fast the Jets have fallen in the last three weeks after being tabbed as the Super Bowl favorites after a 3-0 start. They have a tough defense and a good running game, but if Sanchez continues to not take care of the football, they won't win nine games. They definitely won't win the division over the Patriots and there are too many tough teams in the AFC that will force the Jets to win 10 games to get a wild card spot. It won't happen.
2) Alex Rodriguez hit a big home run in the bottom of the 11th with the Yankees down a run and the Bronx Bombers would eventually win in the 13th inning. What are the odds that A-Rod is named ALCS MVP?
Ben: 37%. I'm not sure the Yanks even win the series, so how can I give A-Rod a high chance of winning the MVP?
Boz: 70%. If the Yankees win in four games, then he's the MVP. However, I don' think it'll end in four games, meaning that A-Rod will have to do a little more to be named MVP. If Sabathia wins another game in dominant fashion, then Sabathis would be a serious contender to steal the MVP award away from A-Rod.
3) With a big road win at Wisconsin, Iowa remained undefeated and on top of the Big Ten standings. What are the odds that Iowa wins the Big Ten?
Ben: 100%. Basically they've already earned a split, with the major test coming against OSU, which already has a Big Ten loss. Since the Big Ten does not have a tiebreaker, they would just be Co-Champions. Iowa is impressive this year, and my foot is firmly placed in my mouth for doubting their abilities at the beginning of the season.
Boz: 85%. Their only test reamaining is November 14 at Ohio State. Which looks like less of a test after Purdue took care of the Buckeyes on Saturday. However, the Horseshoe is still a tough place to play. But if the Hawkeyes can beat Penn State in Happy Valley, they can beat Ohio State in the Horseshoe. The real question will be if Iowa goes undefeated, do they deserve a shot at the national title? An issue that I'm sure this blog will cover in the future.
HAPPY HOUR
Ben: Happy 9th Anniversary Dusty Baker. On this date in 2000 you signed a 2 year extension with the Giants, becoming the second highest-paid manager in the majors. Since that date, you've been with the Giants, Cubs, ESPN, and Reds, ruined one pitchers arm (Mark Prior), nearly ruined another (Kerry Wood), and the ruling is still out on the third arm in danger of being destroyed (Edinson Volquez). Congrats -- quite an accomplishment.
Boz: Happy 133rd Birthday to Mordecai "3 Finger" Brown. After a farm-machinery accident when he was younger, Brown lost parts of two fingers on his right hand. Despite the injury, Brown won 239 games in his career and had a career 2.06 ERA. He was inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1949 and was a member of the 1907 and 1908 Chicago Cubs World Series Champs.
1) After Sunday's NFL games, four teams remain undefeated with the Broncos still playing tonight. Who do you think is the best team in the NFL.
Ben: I'm going to say, as much as it pains me to say this, the Minnesota Vikings. I just think that the quarterback position is all they've lacked the last few years and with their offense in pretty good shape, they are a difficult team to beat. They might not always blow teams out, but they certainly seem to have a decided advantage throughout the game. Obviously the Saints and Colts are close contenders because of their quarterback play as well, but I just think the Vikings have a more complete team then either of those two.
The Broncos aren't even in the discussion, they've gotten by on solid defense, and luck -- no way that continues throughout the whole season.
Boz: I'll go with the New Orleans Saints. I think that the New York Giants are one of the top five defenses (and teams) in the league and the Saints scored 48 points against them. The Saints have the best offense in the league by leaps and bounds and they've shown that they have a strong defense to go along with it. I really like what Sean Payton is doing with the Saints and Drew Brees is making average wide receivers (Lance Moore and Robert Meachem) look like studs. Going undefeated throughout the season is not going to happen but they'll win 13 or 14 games, most likely not dropping a game in the Superdome all season.
2) The Yankees have jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the ALCS while the Phillies took a 2-1 advantage over the Dodgers after an 11-0 win. Are you ready to pronounce any of these series over?
Ben: Not really. Especially with the Angels heading back west. I think that they'll have a decided advantage back home, and they probably should've won one of those games in New York anyway. The Dodgers I think can climb out of the hole they are in because the Phillies rotation is only 3 deep, I don't think they can keep the Dodgers at bay in Game 4, and I wouldn't be surprised if both series were 2-2 when they played game 5.
Boz: No. I actually think that the Dodgers are going to win Game 4 tonight with Randy Wolf on the mound. Wolf is strong against left-handed hitting and will do a good job with Rollins, Utley, Howard and Ibanez. On the other hand, Blanton has struggled against the Dodger line-up which leads to the Dodgers evening the series tonight and making it a best-of-three series.
Despite the Yankees getting a 2-0 lead, I'm not ready to pronounce the series over until the Yankees win a game on the road. The Yankees are still set for the three-man rotation which could tire later on in the series. I think the Angles offense will revitalize at home. Plus, you never count out a team with a rally monkey.
3) The first BCS Standings came out on Sunday. Do you have any problems with the first poll?
Ben: Surprisingly, no. I'm satisfied with the way teams are ranked thus far, and while I have a problem with the BCS as a whole, I think so far, they've got it right. I'm glad Boise State, TCU, and Iowa all got their due, and I think it's fairly obvious that at this point, Alabama and Flordia are the two best teams in the nation. I'm going to be disappointed when one of them has to lose in the SEC championship game and that team won't get a rematch for the national title, but in the meantime, I'm happy with the rankings.
The time will come though, when those rankings disappoint, frustrate, and alienate the entire country.
Boz: This could be the first time I've ever said this but I'm actually ok with the first BCS poll. I actually like it more than the AP poll right now. I'm shocked that in the AP poll, Oklahoma stayed in the poll at No. 25 with three losses just because they stayed in the game with Texas. I don't see anything in the first BCS poll that I would argue with. With that being said, it is the first BCS poll of the year and I'm sure more arguments will come as the year goes on and we get closer to bowl games.
4) After the Redskins lost to yet another winless team, Jim Zorn has relinquished play calling duties to Sherman Lewis, who was previously serving as offensive consultant. Will this move finally turn around the Redskins offense?
Ben: Nope. They are bad, and it is really, really impressive that they've won 2 games. They've played 6 winless teams in 6 weeks, and are 2-4 -- that's sad. I'm actually surprised Zorn is still employed today, and I don't think anyone can help this team. It is the Titantic, and only 1/3 of the people aboard are going to survive.
Boz: No. Absolutely not. It doesn't matter who is calling the plays if you don't have the players to execute the plays. They don't have a quarterback to throw the ball and they don't have any playmakers at the wide receiver position. Clinton Portis is decent at the running back position, but without an offensive line, a decent running back looks like a poor running back. You can't point the finger of blame directly at Jim Zorn. Fingers have to be pointed at the owner for not bringing in the right players and at the players for not executing on the field. Giving the play calling duties to the offensive consultant won't change a whole lot. He's been the offensive consultant for the past two weeks but the Redskins only put up six points yesterday. Where's the consulting in that?
ODDS
1) Mark Sanchez threw for just 119 yards and five inteceptions in the Jets 16-13 loss to Buffalo to move to 3-3 after starting out the season 3-0. What are the odds that the Jets will make the playoffs?
Ben: I'll say 40%. I think Sanchez was a nice story at the beginning, but he's going something that teams are catching up on and it's hurting the Jets. Their defense is fantastic, but a rookie quarterback is going to play like a rookie most times, and Sanchez is just hitting a tough patch. Hopefully, for Jets fans' it's short-lived.
Boz: 0%. It's amazing how fast the Jets have fallen in the last three weeks after being tabbed as the Super Bowl favorites after a 3-0 start. They have a tough defense and a good running game, but if Sanchez continues to not take care of the football, they won't win nine games. They definitely won't win the division over the Patriots and there are too many tough teams in the AFC that will force the Jets to win 10 games to get a wild card spot. It won't happen.
2) Alex Rodriguez hit a big home run in the bottom of the 11th with the Yankees down a run and the Bronx Bombers would eventually win in the 13th inning. What are the odds that A-Rod is named ALCS MVP?
Ben: 37%. I'm not sure the Yanks even win the series, so how can I give A-Rod a high chance of winning the MVP?
Boz: 70%. If the Yankees win in four games, then he's the MVP. However, I don' think it'll end in four games, meaning that A-Rod will have to do a little more to be named MVP. If Sabathia wins another game in dominant fashion, then Sabathis would be a serious contender to steal the MVP award away from A-Rod.
3) With a big road win at Wisconsin, Iowa remained undefeated and on top of the Big Ten standings. What are the odds that Iowa wins the Big Ten?
Ben: 100%. Basically they've already earned a split, with the major test coming against OSU, which already has a Big Ten loss. Since the Big Ten does not have a tiebreaker, they would just be Co-Champions. Iowa is impressive this year, and my foot is firmly placed in my mouth for doubting their abilities at the beginning of the season.
Boz: 85%. Their only test reamaining is November 14 at Ohio State. Which looks like less of a test after Purdue took care of the Buckeyes on Saturday. However, the Horseshoe is still a tough place to play. But if the Hawkeyes can beat Penn State in Happy Valley, they can beat Ohio State in the Horseshoe. The real question will be if Iowa goes undefeated, do they deserve a shot at the national title? An issue that I'm sure this blog will cover in the future.
HAPPY HOUR
Ben: Happy 9th Anniversary Dusty Baker. On this date in 2000 you signed a 2 year extension with the Giants, becoming the second highest-paid manager in the majors. Since that date, you've been with the Giants, Cubs, ESPN, and Reds, ruined one pitchers arm (Mark Prior), nearly ruined another (Kerry Wood), and the ruling is still out on the third arm in danger of being destroyed (Edinson Volquez). Congrats -- quite an accomplishment.
Boz: Happy 133rd Birthday to Mordecai "3 Finger" Brown. After a farm-machinery accident when he was younger, Brown lost parts of two fingers on his right hand. Despite the injury, Brown won 239 games in his career and had a career 2.06 ERA. He was inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1949 and was a member of the 1907 and 1908 Chicago Cubs World Series Champs.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Day 30: John Riggins, NLCS Game 1, Sunday picks and more
HEADLINES
1) Former Redskins running back John Riggins created a video ripping into current Redskins head coach Jim Zorn and posted the video onto his own youtube account? Are you alright with this?
Ben: Not at all. All that tough running must have done some brain damage to Riggins. I agree with Boz here, who does Riggins think he is? What does he know about coaching? Seriously, he was a running back for some good Redskins teams back in the day -- but the NFL has changed quite a bit since then. Look, I don't think Zorn has done all that great of a job either, but I think Riggins went a little over the top.
I could have my own video that says that Riggins doesn't know anything about being a running back because of 4 bad games strung together in the beginning stages of his NFL career, like when he averaged 54 yards per game his rookie season. C'mon Riggs, let's be grown ups about this. You have no say on the head coaching change, stop acting like you get to swing a big bat at headquarters.
Boz: No. Who the hell does John Riggins think he is? I don't care if he is a Hall of Famer. He's only making the situation worse in Washington by doing stupid things like this. Does he think he has his own television show on youtube or what? A lot of people are saying that they should just fire Jim Zorn because the situation is becoming a distraction inside the locker room. Well John Riggins, along with former quarterback Sonny Jurgensen, are making it a distraction. Both old guys need to shut up and just let the guy try to coach. If he fails and is fired, I want Riggins to get hired as head coach so he can fail and Jim Zorn can post a youtube video about how much Riggins sucks as a head coach.
2) The Phillies pulled out an 8-6 win in Game 1 of the NLCS against the Dodgers. With Game 2 tonight, what did you learn after Game 1?
Ben: I learned it's going to be an interesting series, and that Manny Rameriz is still one of the best right-handed hitters of all time. When you need a hit, Manny is your guy. The man cannot be phased - he just can't be. A decent pitch, low out of the zone, and Manny hits it 345 feet to left center. Is he for real?
And Brad Lidge was far from electric last night, and allowed two runners to get on, and at least one ball to be hit hard. Boz, the jury is still out on his condition.
Boz: I learned that Ben was wrong and I was right about Phillies closer Brad Lidge. When the closer controversary between Lidge and Ryan Madsen first started, Ben (and many, many others) wanted Madsen in the closer role. I stated that Lidge should stay in there because he is playoff tested and could come up big in postseason play (if you don't believe me see Day 14). So now here we are just one game into the NLCS and Lidge already has three saves in the playoffs. Have all of them been pretty saves...no, but they are saves none the less.
3) Midnight Madness kicks off tonight for most college basketball teams and I love that we are finally talking college basketball. Who is your preseason favorite to win it all in Indianapolis 2010?
Ben: I'm going to throw out the usual suspects, UNC, Kansas, and Duke. But, my surprise teams are going to be two teams from opposite areas. I'll take UCLA to be a minor surprise team at the top, and Louisville to compete for a Final Four spot. I think both schools have great head coaches, and typically have been able to recruit good athletes. I also think those two conferences, Pac-10 and Big East are two of the top 3 conferences in the nation. Look out for the Bruins and Cardinals late in March.
Boz: I like to think that Kansas because they have experience in both the post and in the backcourt. However, I'm going with Kentucky. Calipari brought in one of the best recruiting classes since the Fab 5 and even though they'll be young, Calipari knows how to get the best out of those very talented younger players (i.e.- Derrick Rose). The only hope is that he brought in all of those top recruits legally, which hasn't always been the case at his previous two schools.
4) Ravens middle linebacker Ray Lewis was fined $25,000 for his hit late in the game on Chad Ochocinco. Did the punishment fit the crime?
Ben: Sure. If you are going to fine players for pulling the jersey, or face-masks, then you have to fine him substainally for this hit. Ray Lewis hits like a runaway train, and Chad Ochocinco can attest to that. A defenseless player is about the only fine recently that I will completely stand behind, and therefore Lewis deserves to write that check to charity.
Ben: I guess so. You could tell that the hit was intentional and the video obviously shows Lewis lunging toward Ochocinco. The problem is that $25,000 for Ray Lewis is pocket change and most likely won't prevent him from laying out a wide receiver coming across the middle again. What I think is ironic is that this hit happened the very next week after Lewis was very public about his opinions on the league's rules protecting the quarterback.
NFL PICK 'EM
Last week Ben: 2-4 Boz: 3-3
Season Ben: 11-14 Boz: 17-8
1) New York Giants (5-0) at New Orleans (4-0)
Ben: NEW ORLEANS. They are coming off the bye week, and teams that have 2 weeks to prepare for an opponent have a big advantage. I'll take Drew Brees at home.
Boz: NEW ORLEANS. I know that the Giants are a tough road team, but Drew Brees has a very strong record in the Superdome. The Saints showed that they have a strong defense to match the offense. This is going to be a great game but I got the Saints in a close but high scoring game.
2) Baltimore (3-2) at Minnesota (5-0)
Ben: MINNESOTA. Brett Farve, Adrian Peterson, and that defense are going to make it tough on the Ravens. That, in addition to a difficult environment at the Hubert Humpherey Metrodome, will make this a Vikings victory to make it 6-0.
Boz: BALTIMORE. I like the Ravens and I think they have suffered two tough losses in as many weeks to good teams. The Vikings are another good team but the Ravens won't make it 3-0. It's a road game but I like the Ravens offense as the two defenses already match up even.
3) Detroit (1-4) at Green Bay (2-2)
Ben: DETROIT. I can't stop picking them. This ends a 18 year losing streak in Green Bay.
Boz: GREEN BAY. I believe Daunte Culpepper is starting at quarterback. Not that it matters in this one.
4) Arizona (2-2) at Seattle (2-3)
Ben: ARIZONA. They are the more talented team, and will start get things rolling with last weeks big win over Houston. I think Kurt Warner gets hot this week.
Boz: SEATTLE. The Cardinals need to start running the ball and become a more balanced offense before they can think about repeating as NFC Champs. I liked how Seattle looked at home last week with Hasselback back and see it happening again this week.
5) Chicago (3-1) at Atlanta (3-1)
Ben: ATLANTA. Is this even a question? Did anyone else see what they did to the 49ers last week in San Fran? Atlanta takes it to the Bears this week.
Boz: CHICAGO. I think the Bears can go into Atlanta and beat the Falcons, but I am more hoping that the Bears go into Atlanta and beat the Falcons.
6) Denver (5-0) at San Diego (2-2)
Ben: SAN DIEGO. The Chargers are always the best .500 team in the NFL. Every year. This game will end the cinderalla story that is Josh McDaniels and the Denver Broncos. Things start going the other way after this week.
Boz: SAN DIEGO. I'm still not on the Broncos bandwagon. Yes, they are tough team but all of their big wins have come at home. They'll be tested on the road against the Chargers.
HAPPY HOUR
Ben: Happy 68th Birthday Tim McCarver. The Phillies and Mets catcher from way back when was a pretty good catcher and had a solid career. Now he is an average announcer that I can't stand at some points during broadcasts. I will give him a shout out though, because he has his moments where he provides real insight -- and he was a pretty good player.
Boz: Happy 37th Birthday to Kordell Stewart! Slash's best years at quarterback came in college at Colorado where he is most known for the hail mary pass in 1994 to beat Michigan, 27-26. His best years were in Pittsburgh where he was used as a receiver before being handed the reigns at quarterback for a short period of time. He also started at quarterback at Chicago before being benched for Chris Chandler. His 38 rushing touchdowns are second most in histrory for a quarterback, behind only Steve Young. With the new UFL forming, Slash still won't be playing quarterback, but instead will be a sideline reporter.
1) Former Redskins running back John Riggins created a video ripping into current Redskins head coach Jim Zorn and posted the video onto his own youtube account? Are you alright with this?
Ben: Not at all. All that tough running must have done some brain damage to Riggins. I agree with Boz here, who does Riggins think he is? What does he know about coaching? Seriously, he was a running back for some good Redskins teams back in the day -- but the NFL has changed quite a bit since then. Look, I don't think Zorn has done all that great of a job either, but I think Riggins went a little over the top.
I could have my own video that says that Riggins doesn't know anything about being a running back because of 4 bad games strung together in the beginning stages of his NFL career, like when he averaged 54 yards per game his rookie season. C'mon Riggs, let's be grown ups about this. You have no say on the head coaching change, stop acting like you get to swing a big bat at headquarters.
Boz: No. Who the hell does John Riggins think he is? I don't care if he is a Hall of Famer. He's only making the situation worse in Washington by doing stupid things like this. Does he think he has his own television show on youtube or what? A lot of people are saying that they should just fire Jim Zorn because the situation is becoming a distraction inside the locker room. Well John Riggins, along with former quarterback Sonny Jurgensen, are making it a distraction. Both old guys need to shut up and just let the guy try to coach. If he fails and is fired, I want Riggins to get hired as head coach so he can fail and Jim Zorn can post a youtube video about how much Riggins sucks as a head coach.
2) The Phillies pulled out an 8-6 win in Game 1 of the NLCS against the Dodgers. With Game 2 tonight, what did you learn after Game 1?
Ben: I learned it's going to be an interesting series, and that Manny Rameriz is still one of the best right-handed hitters of all time. When you need a hit, Manny is your guy. The man cannot be phased - he just can't be. A decent pitch, low out of the zone, and Manny hits it 345 feet to left center. Is he for real?
And Brad Lidge was far from electric last night, and allowed two runners to get on, and at least one ball to be hit hard. Boz, the jury is still out on his condition.
Boz: I learned that Ben was wrong and I was right about Phillies closer Brad Lidge. When the closer controversary between Lidge and Ryan Madsen first started, Ben (and many, many others) wanted Madsen in the closer role. I stated that Lidge should stay in there because he is playoff tested and could come up big in postseason play (if you don't believe me see Day 14). So now here we are just one game into the NLCS and Lidge already has three saves in the playoffs. Have all of them been pretty saves...no, but they are saves none the less.
3) Midnight Madness kicks off tonight for most college basketball teams and I love that we are finally talking college basketball. Who is your preseason favorite to win it all in Indianapolis 2010?
Ben: I'm going to throw out the usual suspects, UNC, Kansas, and Duke. But, my surprise teams are going to be two teams from opposite areas. I'll take UCLA to be a minor surprise team at the top, and Louisville to compete for a Final Four spot. I think both schools have great head coaches, and typically have been able to recruit good athletes. I also think those two conferences, Pac-10 and Big East are two of the top 3 conferences in the nation. Look out for the Bruins and Cardinals late in March.
Boz: I like to think that Kansas because they have experience in both the post and in the backcourt. However, I'm going with Kentucky. Calipari brought in one of the best recruiting classes since the Fab 5 and even though they'll be young, Calipari knows how to get the best out of those very talented younger players (i.e.- Derrick Rose). The only hope is that he brought in all of those top recruits legally, which hasn't always been the case at his previous two schools.
4) Ravens middle linebacker Ray Lewis was fined $25,000 for his hit late in the game on Chad Ochocinco. Did the punishment fit the crime?
Ben: Sure. If you are going to fine players for pulling the jersey, or face-masks, then you have to fine him substainally for this hit. Ray Lewis hits like a runaway train, and Chad Ochocinco can attest to that. A defenseless player is about the only fine recently that I will completely stand behind, and therefore Lewis deserves to write that check to charity.
Ben: I guess so. You could tell that the hit was intentional and the video obviously shows Lewis lunging toward Ochocinco. The problem is that $25,000 for Ray Lewis is pocket change and most likely won't prevent him from laying out a wide receiver coming across the middle again. What I think is ironic is that this hit happened the very next week after Lewis was very public about his opinions on the league's rules protecting the quarterback.
NFL PICK 'EM
Last week Ben: 2-4 Boz: 3-3
Season Ben: 11-14 Boz: 17-8
1) New York Giants (5-0) at New Orleans (4-0)
Ben: NEW ORLEANS. They are coming off the bye week, and teams that have 2 weeks to prepare for an opponent have a big advantage. I'll take Drew Brees at home.
Boz: NEW ORLEANS. I know that the Giants are a tough road team, but Drew Brees has a very strong record in the Superdome. The Saints showed that they have a strong defense to match the offense. This is going to be a great game but I got the Saints in a close but high scoring game.
2) Baltimore (3-2) at Minnesota (5-0)
Ben: MINNESOTA. Brett Farve, Adrian Peterson, and that defense are going to make it tough on the Ravens. That, in addition to a difficult environment at the Hubert Humpherey Metrodome, will make this a Vikings victory to make it 6-0.
Boz: BALTIMORE. I like the Ravens and I think they have suffered two tough losses in as many weeks to good teams. The Vikings are another good team but the Ravens won't make it 3-0. It's a road game but I like the Ravens offense as the two defenses already match up even.
3) Detroit (1-4) at Green Bay (2-2)
Ben: DETROIT. I can't stop picking them. This ends a 18 year losing streak in Green Bay.
Boz: GREEN BAY. I believe Daunte Culpepper is starting at quarterback. Not that it matters in this one.
4) Arizona (2-2) at Seattle (2-3)
Ben: ARIZONA. They are the more talented team, and will start get things rolling with last weeks big win over Houston. I think Kurt Warner gets hot this week.
Boz: SEATTLE. The Cardinals need to start running the ball and become a more balanced offense before they can think about repeating as NFC Champs. I liked how Seattle looked at home last week with Hasselback back and see it happening again this week.
5) Chicago (3-1) at Atlanta (3-1)
Ben: ATLANTA. Is this even a question? Did anyone else see what they did to the 49ers last week in San Fran? Atlanta takes it to the Bears this week.
Boz: CHICAGO. I think the Bears can go into Atlanta and beat the Falcons, but I am more hoping that the Bears go into Atlanta and beat the Falcons.
6) Denver (5-0) at San Diego (2-2)
Ben: SAN DIEGO. The Chargers are always the best .500 team in the NFL. Every year. This game will end the cinderalla story that is Josh McDaniels and the Denver Broncos. Things start going the other way after this week.
Boz: SAN DIEGO. I'm still not on the Broncos bandwagon. Yes, they are tough team but all of their big wins have come at home. They'll be tested on the road against the Chargers.
HAPPY HOUR
Ben: Happy 68th Birthday Tim McCarver. The Phillies and Mets catcher from way back when was a pretty good catcher and had a solid career. Now he is an average announcer that I can't stand at some points during broadcasts. I will give him a shout out though, because he has his moments where he provides real insight -- and he was a pretty good player.
Boz: Happy 37th Birthday to Kordell Stewart! Slash's best years at quarterback came in college at Colorado where he is most known for the hail mary pass in 1994 to beat Michigan, 27-26. His best years were in Pittsburgh where he was used as a receiver before being handed the reigns at quarterback for a short period of time. He also started at quarterback at Chicago before being benched for Chris Chandler. His 38 rushing touchdowns are second most in histrory for a quarterback, behind only Steve Young. With the new UFL forming, Slash still won't be playing quarterback, but instead will be a sideline reporter.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Day 29: Boise State, Clayton Kershaw, Michael Vick and more
HEADLINES
1) Boise State barely escaped Tulsa last night, pulling out a 28-21 win on the road. If Boise State goes undefeated, should they play in the national championship game despite struggling against Tulsa?
Ben: It depends on what the rest of the top teams do. I will say this, if they are undefeated, they should play in a higher bowl then USC. If you are going to use the logic that because they didn't play anyone they can't play in the national title game, then teams that lose to unranked teams should be immediately eliminated. The Gators should have been eliminated last year or USC this year because they've lost to unranked teams. Boise State beats teams they are suppose to and some teams they aren't (ie Ducks and Sooners). I'm a fan of giving the underdog a chance, and I think Boise State can perform when given the chance. If things fall right, they could get in the title game -- but guys like Boz won't allow that to happen voting-wise.
Boz: No. The rest of their schedule is very weak. They needed to crush Tulsa just like Oklahoma did earlier this month. I still think they get a BCS bowl game, but their national championship hopes are out of the question. I understand that the game was on the road and it's hard to blow everybody out every game, but all of those one loss teams are going to be building their resume by beating stronger teams. I like Boise State and I feel bad that they can go undefeated and not get a championship bid, but I agree with the situation.
2) Joe Torre has named Clayton Kershaw as the starter for game one of the NLCS against the Philadelphia Phillies, making him the third youngest pitcher to start game one. Is this a good move?
Ben: Yes. The Dodgers don't have a true ace, even though Chad Billingsly was strong for about 3 or 4 months of the season. I think Kershaw was pitching the best late in the season, and I think his stuff is pretty solid. Another thing is that he pitched the best during the NLDS and the Dodgers bullpen is strong, so even if he does get into trouble, they can dig themselves out.
Boz: Yes. He is their best strarting pitcher so therefore he should start game one and get the most starts during the series. Yes, he is young, but I believe that he can perform during pressure situations. He won the division-clinching game against the Rockies in the final regular-season series of the game. He's a tough left-handed pitcher who could shut down the strong left-handed bats in the Phillies line-up. He matched Adam Wainwright pitch-for-pitch in the NLDS, showing that he has really matured throughout the season.
3) A Bay area pit bull advocacy group says that the Eagles stated that Michael Vick would decline their invitation to visit eight of his former pit bulls when the Eagles visit the Raiders this Sunday? If you were Vick, would you visit the pit bulls?
Ben: No. The only thing this can do is give photo ops to groups that want to make a mockery of Vick. Look, I like the idea that Vick is rehabilitated and think that if things were ideal Vick should probably stop and visit -- but there are plenty of groups that have used Vick as a launching pad to more publicity and I don't think we need anyone parading around Eagles headquarters with recent Vick photos around pitbulls.
Boz: Yes. I think that this would show people that Vick has changed and it would be an opportunity for him to show that he is sympathetic for his past actions. Apparently, the pit bull advocacy group had set it up for Vick to view the dogs from behind a glass, therefore not violating his parole. If I were Vick, I would feel that this would go along with his plan to show people a new Michael Vick. I worry that the Eagles are not allowing him this opportunity because they don't want a distraction during the season. This is something that Vick needs to do. Go see the dogs, shed some tears and change peoples perception of Michael Vick.
4) A day after Redskins owner Dan Snyder said he would like Jon Gruden to be his next coach, Redskins players have asked the fron office to back head coach Jim Zorn for the rest of the season. What do you think of the head coaching situation?
Ben: Everything Dan Snyder has done is helping break down the Redskins franchise. Why would you say that? Seriously. How does that help your situation? If you want Gruden, then fire Zorn and try to hire Gruden. Don't play this game that "I want a different guy, but I've got to pay this guy I've currently got, so I'm going to make his life miserable for the next few months until the only thing I can do is fire him". I don't think Snyder is helping his team at all, and it only stunts the growth of the team in general.
Boz: I know that the Redskins are very successful this season with a 2-3 record and losses to both the Lions and the Panthers. However, it seems that Zorn still has the support and respect of his players, which goes a long way with head coaches. In my opinion, coaches need to go when they lose that respect and support. If the players are happy with Zorn, then he should stay throughout the season. He'll be gone after the end of the season, but I agree with the players and think that he should get the support of front office as well for now. However, my tone could change if he loses at home this Sunday against the Chiefs.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PICK 'EM
Last week Ben: 2-4 Boz: 5-1
Season Ben: 26-13 Boz: 22-17
1) Illinois at Indiana (Saturday, 6 p.m.)
Ben: ILLINOIS. I've got to believe that the Fighting Illini put up a little bit of a fight this season.
Boz: ILLINOIS. There is probably only two teams worse than Illinois in the Big Ten. Indiana is one of them.
2) Missouri at No. 16 Oklahoma State (Saturday, 8:15 p.m.)
Ben: OKLAHOMA STATE. The Cowboys have an explosive offense and Missouri is still developing talent that has lapses in concentration. Ok State rolls in this one.
Boz: OKLAHOMA STATE. Missouri is just too much of a finese team and they don't have enough defense to stop the Cowboys.
3) No. 8 Cincinnati at No. 21 South Florida (Thursday, 6:30 p.m.)
Ben: CINCINNATI. The Bearcats defense is good, and they are a sneaky talented team. I'll take the Bearcats on the road tonight.
Boz: SOUTH FLORIDA. The Bulls looked real good in their win over Florida State in Tallahassee. The home team seems to always win these Thursday night Big East match-ups.
4) No. 11 Iowa at Wisconsin (Saturday, 11 a.m.)
Ben: IOWA. The Hawkeyes have impressed me throughout the season and I think they walk into Camp Randall and shut the Badgers up. The defense is fantastic and they're only going to run into problems down the line against the Buckeyes.
Boz: WISCONSIN. Iowa showed some weaknesses last week against Michigan and Camp Randall is a real tough place to play at. I got the Badgers in a close one.
5) No. 6 USC at No. 25 Notre Dame (Saturday, 2:30 p.m.)
Ben: USC. C'mon, really? The Trojans OWN the Irish lately, and I can't believe that changes this year.
Boz: NOTRE DAME. I'm taking a risk here with the Irish because USC has the better defense. I'm hoping that Jimmy Clausen and the offense will outscore freshman QB Matt Barkley.
6) No. 4 Virginia Tech at No. 19 Georgia Tech (Saturday, 5 p.m.)
Ben: VIRGINIA TECH. The Hokies and Beamer-ball are legit. That early season stumble against 'Bama is a tough loss, but at least they've learned and grown from that. GT's offense is tough to stop, although it is boring to watch, but the Hokies can handle it.
Boz: VIRGINIA TECH. I'm slowly but surely become a believer of the Hokies. This will be a tough one on the road, but the Hokies defense brings home a win.
7) No. 20 Oklahoma at No. 3 Texas (Saturday, 11 a.m.)
Ben: TEXAS. I'll take the Longhorns because they have a more consistent team. I'm not 100% sure who has the better quarterback, but I think the Longhorns have a better team. It'll be a good one, but Mack Brown pulls it out.
Boz: TEXAS. The Longhorns are the better team offensively and defensively. Plus, I think Colt McCoy wants revenge after not getting to the championship game and losing out on the Heismann to Sam Bradford despite beating Oklahoma during the regular season.
8) No. 22 South Carolina at No. 2 Alabama (Saturday, 6:45 p.m.)
Ben: ALABAMA. Spurrier is a great coach, but Nick Saban gets better talent and I think that's the best thing a college coach can do, is get great talent. Saban gets 'Bama through a tough game against the Gamecocks.
Boz: ALABAMA. I like what Spurrier has the Gamecocks doing this season but they are no where near the level of the Crimson Tide. The Alabama defense is just too tough and I can't wait for the 'Bama/Florida matchup later on this season.
HAPPY HOUR
Ben: Happy 37th Birthday Fred Hoiberg. The "Mayor of Ames" was a fantastic guard for the Cyclones and made a small impact with my Indiana Pacers. Essentially, he was a career bench player with mediocre numbers, but I always remember him, and that's special. Plus, how awesome is that nickname?
Boz: Happy 21st Anniversary to Kirk Gibson. On this day in 1988, an injured Gibson hit a two-out, two-run pinch-hit home run off of Dennis Eckersley in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series for a 4-3 Dodgers win. Gibson hobbled around the base paths with his fist in the air, accompanied by Vin Scully's famous call of "I can't believe what I just saw!"
1) Boise State barely escaped Tulsa last night, pulling out a 28-21 win on the road. If Boise State goes undefeated, should they play in the national championship game despite struggling against Tulsa?
Ben: It depends on what the rest of the top teams do. I will say this, if they are undefeated, they should play in a higher bowl then USC. If you are going to use the logic that because they didn't play anyone they can't play in the national title game, then teams that lose to unranked teams should be immediately eliminated. The Gators should have been eliminated last year or USC this year because they've lost to unranked teams. Boise State beats teams they are suppose to and some teams they aren't (ie Ducks and Sooners). I'm a fan of giving the underdog a chance, and I think Boise State can perform when given the chance. If things fall right, they could get in the title game -- but guys like Boz won't allow that to happen voting-wise.
Boz: No. The rest of their schedule is very weak. They needed to crush Tulsa just like Oklahoma did earlier this month. I still think they get a BCS bowl game, but their national championship hopes are out of the question. I understand that the game was on the road and it's hard to blow everybody out every game, but all of those one loss teams are going to be building their resume by beating stronger teams. I like Boise State and I feel bad that they can go undefeated and not get a championship bid, but I agree with the situation.
2) Joe Torre has named Clayton Kershaw as the starter for game one of the NLCS against the Philadelphia Phillies, making him the third youngest pitcher to start game one. Is this a good move?
Ben: Yes. The Dodgers don't have a true ace, even though Chad Billingsly was strong for about 3 or 4 months of the season. I think Kershaw was pitching the best late in the season, and I think his stuff is pretty solid. Another thing is that he pitched the best during the NLDS and the Dodgers bullpen is strong, so even if he does get into trouble, they can dig themselves out.
Boz: Yes. He is their best strarting pitcher so therefore he should start game one and get the most starts during the series. Yes, he is young, but I believe that he can perform during pressure situations. He won the division-clinching game against the Rockies in the final regular-season series of the game. He's a tough left-handed pitcher who could shut down the strong left-handed bats in the Phillies line-up. He matched Adam Wainwright pitch-for-pitch in the NLDS, showing that he has really matured throughout the season.
3) A Bay area pit bull advocacy group says that the Eagles stated that Michael Vick would decline their invitation to visit eight of his former pit bulls when the Eagles visit the Raiders this Sunday? If you were Vick, would you visit the pit bulls?
Ben: No. The only thing this can do is give photo ops to groups that want to make a mockery of Vick. Look, I like the idea that Vick is rehabilitated and think that if things were ideal Vick should probably stop and visit -- but there are plenty of groups that have used Vick as a launching pad to more publicity and I don't think we need anyone parading around Eagles headquarters with recent Vick photos around pitbulls.
Boz: Yes. I think that this would show people that Vick has changed and it would be an opportunity for him to show that he is sympathetic for his past actions. Apparently, the pit bull advocacy group had set it up for Vick to view the dogs from behind a glass, therefore not violating his parole. If I were Vick, I would feel that this would go along with his plan to show people a new Michael Vick. I worry that the Eagles are not allowing him this opportunity because they don't want a distraction during the season. This is something that Vick needs to do. Go see the dogs, shed some tears and change peoples perception of Michael Vick.
4) A day after Redskins owner Dan Snyder said he would like Jon Gruden to be his next coach, Redskins players have asked the fron office to back head coach Jim Zorn for the rest of the season. What do you think of the head coaching situation?
Ben: Everything Dan Snyder has done is helping break down the Redskins franchise. Why would you say that? Seriously. How does that help your situation? If you want Gruden, then fire Zorn and try to hire Gruden. Don't play this game that "I want a different guy, but I've got to pay this guy I've currently got, so I'm going to make his life miserable for the next few months until the only thing I can do is fire him". I don't think Snyder is helping his team at all, and it only stunts the growth of the team in general.
Boz: I know that the Redskins are very successful this season with a 2-3 record and losses to both the Lions and the Panthers. However, it seems that Zorn still has the support and respect of his players, which goes a long way with head coaches. In my opinion, coaches need to go when they lose that respect and support. If the players are happy with Zorn, then he should stay throughout the season. He'll be gone after the end of the season, but I agree with the players and think that he should get the support of front office as well for now. However, my tone could change if he loses at home this Sunday against the Chiefs.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PICK 'EM
Last week Ben: 2-4 Boz: 5-1
Season Ben: 26-13 Boz: 22-17
1) Illinois at Indiana (Saturday, 6 p.m.)
Ben: ILLINOIS. I've got to believe that the Fighting Illini put up a little bit of a fight this season.
Boz: ILLINOIS. There is probably only two teams worse than Illinois in the Big Ten. Indiana is one of them.
2) Missouri at No. 16 Oklahoma State (Saturday, 8:15 p.m.)
Ben: OKLAHOMA STATE. The Cowboys have an explosive offense and Missouri is still developing talent that has lapses in concentration. Ok State rolls in this one.
Boz: OKLAHOMA STATE. Missouri is just too much of a finese team and they don't have enough defense to stop the Cowboys.
3) No. 8 Cincinnati at No. 21 South Florida (Thursday, 6:30 p.m.)
Ben: CINCINNATI. The Bearcats defense is good, and they are a sneaky talented team. I'll take the Bearcats on the road tonight.
Boz: SOUTH FLORIDA. The Bulls looked real good in their win over Florida State in Tallahassee. The home team seems to always win these Thursday night Big East match-ups.
4) No. 11 Iowa at Wisconsin (Saturday, 11 a.m.)
Ben: IOWA. The Hawkeyes have impressed me throughout the season and I think they walk into Camp Randall and shut the Badgers up. The defense is fantastic and they're only going to run into problems down the line against the Buckeyes.
Boz: WISCONSIN. Iowa showed some weaknesses last week against Michigan and Camp Randall is a real tough place to play at. I got the Badgers in a close one.
5) No. 6 USC at No. 25 Notre Dame (Saturday, 2:30 p.m.)
Ben: USC. C'mon, really? The Trojans OWN the Irish lately, and I can't believe that changes this year.
Boz: NOTRE DAME. I'm taking a risk here with the Irish because USC has the better defense. I'm hoping that Jimmy Clausen and the offense will outscore freshman QB Matt Barkley.
6) No. 4 Virginia Tech at No. 19 Georgia Tech (Saturday, 5 p.m.)
Ben: VIRGINIA TECH. The Hokies and Beamer-ball are legit. That early season stumble against 'Bama is a tough loss, but at least they've learned and grown from that. GT's offense is tough to stop, although it is boring to watch, but the Hokies can handle it.
Boz: VIRGINIA TECH. I'm slowly but surely become a believer of the Hokies. This will be a tough one on the road, but the Hokies defense brings home a win.
7) No. 20 Oklahoma at No. 3 Texas (Saturday, 11 a.m.)
Ben: TEXAS. I'll take the Longhorns because they have a more consistent team. I'm not 100% sure who has the better quarterback, but I think the Longhorns have a better team. It'll be a good one, but Mack Brown pulls it out.
Boz: TEXAS. The Longhorns are the better team offensively and defensively. Plus, I think Colt McCoy wants revenge after not getting to the championship game and losing out on the Heismann to Sam Bradford despite beating Oklahoma during the regular season.
8) No. 22 South Carolina at No. 2 Alabama (Saturday, 6:45 p.m.)
Ben: ALABAMA. Spurrier is a great coach, but Nick Saban gets better talent and I think that's the best thing a college coach can do, is get great talent. Saban gets 'Bama through a tough game against the Gamecocks.
Boz: ALABAMA. I like what Spurrier has the Gamecocks doing this season but they are no where near the level of the Crimson Tide. The Alabama defense is just too tough and I can't wait for the 'Bama/Florida matchup later on this season.
HAPPY HOUR
Ben: Happy 37th Birthday Fred Hoiberg. The "Mayor of Ames" was a fantastic guard for the Cyclones and made a small impact with my Indiana Pacers. Essentially, he was a career bench player with mediocre numbers, but I always remember him, and that's special. Plus, how awesome is that nickname?
Boz: Happy 21st Anniversary to Kirk Gibson. On this day in 1988, an injured Gibson hit a two-out, two-run pinch-hit home run off of Dennis Eckersley in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series for a 4-3 Dodgers win. Gibson hobbled around the base paths with his fist in the air, accompanied by Vin Scully's famous call of "I can't believe what I just saw!"
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