Friday, November 27, 2009

Halladay Trade in the Making

As all 3 of us know, the Red Sox and the Yankees (who will get as much praise as a Sox fan can give them, by me saluting 99 year-old recently retired Yankees PA announcer Bob Sheppard, who in his first game, introduced 8 Hall-of-Famers, and Dom Dimaggio as his first introduction) are in a competition to acquire Roy Halladay from the Blue Jays.

As half of my avid two readers know (thanks to one not showing up on Thanksgiving, even though he said he would...*jackass*...and we bought you a card.) Alex Gonzalez was recently signed to a short-term deal by the very same team shopping for Halladay. Now in my non-expert, very biased opinion, this is an extension of the trade for Halladay, who I believe the Red Sox will get. (Part of this is bias, the other part is believing, even though they are Canadian, the Jays can't be stupid enough to dig that big a grave for everyone in the division by letting the Yankees have Halladay, along with Sabathia and Burnett)

Anyway, I believe the Gonzalez signing was part of the awaiting acquisition of Halladay. Earlier this season the Red Sox wanted Halladay, but were not willing to give what the Jays wanted. Obviously Buchholz is/will be involved, and others too. The Red Sox could not reach a deal with Gonzalez, and he looked good in his second stint in Boston. Maybe the Sox really didn't want to sign him, or maybe they told him to sign with Toronto, who knows? I truly believe that this was the first step in Halladay's one-way ticket to Fenway Park.






Also, To the Thanksgiving skipping jackass:

As I discussed with Uncle Richard, and you would know if you showed up, I was watching my favorite morning show, Mike and Mike, and they were discussing the NL Cy Young voting. One voter didn't vote for Carpenter at all, and gave Javier Vazquez a third place vote. This, the two Mike's said, was because the voter was making his decision based on metrics, such as WAR and VORP. So I hope your happy, jackass, because one writer in Seattle is listening to you.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Ah, Football at it's finest

Quick Update:

Went to the Patriots game yesterday, won 59-0

Had a JV game today against Springfield, won 57-0

Two games, 24 hours, 116-0

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Sign of the Apocalypse

Well the world of sports is offering us an Apocalypse that might just be the real Apocalypse and not a phony one...let's check things out:

In the world of Baseball, in a freaky turn of events, the Angels swept the Red Sox out of the playoffs, or for that matter the Angels beat the Red Sox in a series, or for that matter, the Angels won a game against the Red Sox in the playoffs!

In Hockey, the Bruins actually have a losing record, and just last night the Calgary Flames came back from a 5-0 deficit to win in overtime!!

And since the NBA is starting up soon, lets go there. Rasheed Wallace think the Celtics could break the Bulls record of 72 wins!!!

And finally to the NFL, where the Patriots are only 3-2, Tom Brady has less than 10 Touchdown passes 5 weeks in, and the Broncos decided it was necessary to bring back the most hideous uniforms in Sports history!!!! Oh yeah, and they're also 5-0.

So as you can see here, the world of sports has correctly indicated the end is soon to come.

And for further proof, the Nation is actually talking about US Soccer and its chances in the 2010 World Cup.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

2009 NFL Predictions: Bigger, Better, Uncensored

I sit down this morning to discuss what really matters in life: football. Good, hard core, football. And I am writing this with the utmost distaste for football at this very moment. Let's set things straight, I hate football, I can't stand it, but I love it. Last night I traveled to the other end of the state where our team would play in St. Albans. Three hours. A game we dominated. Up 8-0 in the fourth quarter (courtesy bad snap for a safety, and a touchdown with a bad kick). They're kicker proceeded to make a 30 yard field goal that would have been good from the 45 yard line (could we protest he was on juice, HGH maybe? After all, we were practically in Canada...)and then returned a punt to the 11 yard line, and then scored with ten, yes ten seconds left to win 10-8. I really thought there were thoughts of suicide on the bus on the ride home. I got home at 2 in the morning, and I am now sick and hating almost-Canadians. Anyway back to what matters, my NFL 2009 predictions, which I hope hole up better than my baseball ones...

Let's do this division by division, a quick summary, and a prediction for the winner, followed up by playoff picks.

AFC East: Well, this division threw a curve ball last year. The awful Dolphins suddenly became good, and the Patriots missed out on the playoffs at 11-5...still not over that...Expect the Jets to drop off, and the Bills to still be bad. I pick the Patriots, too much offensive fire power.

AFC North: A very strong division, and probably the premier of the NFL. Expect low scoring in division games because of the great defense. How can you go against Pittsburgh though?

AFC South: The Titans ended up being the best regular season team in the NFL last year, but don't expect as much this year with the loss of Pro Bowl Defensive Tackle Albert Haynseworth, among other things. The Colts will win the division under Jim Caldwell in his first year of coaching the team.

AFC West: Weak division, period. If you can't predict who wins this division you have a problem. It's the Chargers, in case you didn't know.

Seeding for Playoffs in AFC:
1)New England. You just can't pick against them with a decent D, and the best offense arguably ever.
2)Pittsburgh. A strong team in title defense with solid players on both sides, and it earns them a bye week.
3)San Diego. The six easy in division games give them a record that puts them ahead of the Colts
4)Indianapolis. Barely scrape through the division, but still, they're in.
5)Miami. A year for defensive coordinators to figure out the Wildcat offense loses the division for them, but still earn a Wild Card Berth.
6)Houston. The Texans are a team that have steadily improved since their inception, and have enough this year to make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

Now to the NFC:

NFC East: This division is always strong, and there never seems to be an awful team...generally **cough cough, Redskins**. The main things to watch are Michael Vick and what is his role with the Eagles, and what can Tony Romo do with the loss of Terrell Owens. If I had to choose, I like the Eagles, but that isn't a confident pick.

NFC North: Ahhh, He's baaaaack. That's right, it's BRETT FAVRE!!! YAYYYY who hasn't gotten sick of him playing, honestly. Boring division, possibly a race between Chicago and Minnesota. Unfortunately, Favre leads a team to a division title, the Vikings will win this division.

NFC South: Well, generally it's the team that finishes last leapfrogs to first, but not this year. Matty Ice leads the Falcons to his first division title.

NFC West: The shocker Cardinals made it to the Super Bowl last year, but in recent history the loser of the Super Bowl normally doesn't make it back to the playoffs, but it's the NFC West, and anything can happen. I like the Seahawks, but it could be the Cardinals.

Playoffs Seedings for NFC:
1)Atlanta, the only reason is because the other three divisions are competitive, or suck.
2)Minnesota, Brett Favre, Adrien Peterson, and a good D earns the bye week
3)Seattle, if they win the division, this is where they stand.
4)Philadelphia, too tough a division to finish anywhere else except the last divisional slot.
5)New Orleans, Drew Brees is a passing god, and leads the team to a record better than even Seattle.
6)New York Giants, come on, its a good team, how can you pick against them, but it will be close with Chicago.


Now to my playoff picks:
AFC Wild Card Round:
6)Houston at 3)San Diego: San Diego chokes in the playoffs, period. Houston wins in postseason debut.
5)Miami at 4)Indianapolis: You just can't pick against Peyton Manning early in the playoffs.

NFC Wild Card Round:
6)New York Giants at 3)Seattle: The Seahawks just aren't a playoff team. New York wins.
5)New Orleans at 4)Philadelphia: Tough call, but I don't think the Eagles have what it takes here.

AFC Divisional Round:
6)Houston at 1)New England: Let's be hones, Cinderella, it's midnight, New England is just too good, and Houston plays in a dome, January weather is sucky. New England wins big.
4)Indianapolis at 2)Pittsburgh: Indy has nothing left in the tank after a long season. They really aren't that good anyway, making it this far was a lie. Steelers advance.

NFC Divisional Round:
6)New York Giants at 1)Atlanta: A great quarterback showdown. It comes down to overtime, and Matt Ryan leads his team down the field for the win.
5)New Orleans at 2)Minnesota: This could be a game for the ages. Honestly, I don't know who would win, but I don't think Favre will be healthy, or have enough energy to pull it out.

AFC Championship Game:
2)Pittsburgh at 1)New England: These teams meet in this game for the third time in less than ten years. Pittsburgh has a great defense, but the Patriots line is extraordinary, and in the end that combined with a great receiving core, leads the Patriots to their fifth Super Bowl in less than ten years. Patriots win by 3.

NFC Championship Game:
5)New Orleans at 1)Atlanta: Another great game featuring amazing quarterbacks. The postseason is full of them. Since I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place on this one, I have to go with Atlanta because Matt Ryan is from BC. Atlanta by 4.

Super Bowl XLIV:
In a rare event, it is a battle of the top seeded teams. The Atlanta Falcons going up against The New England Patriots at Dolphins Stadium on February 7, 2010 with Jim Nantz and Phil Simms calling the game on CBS. (Yes all of this was just looked up on Wikipedia.) Let's be totally honest here, if it does get to this point, experience gets it done. The Patriots win Number 4, 31-17.

So what have we learned?
Well, I am a little biased when it comes to sports.
Also, I have way to much spare time on my hands.
This Postseason is sure to be full of great games with amazing signal callers.
And finally, I, as well as everyone else, do not care about the Pro Bowl, even though it's not in Hawai'i this year, which honestly, makes it less interesting.

Those are my picks, hold me to them

Monday, August 3, 2009

A Salute To A Great Career with the Red Sox

Some people were thrilled this past Friday when the Red Sox picked up Victor Martinez. I was among those people. Victor Martinez is an investment that will lead the Red Sox to the divisional crown. However people weren't thrilled with trading away Brian Pryce, Nick Hagadone (the best last name in history as far as I am concerned), and the ever awesome Justin Masterson. Here is my salute to Justin in a mediocre paragraph.

Justin, it's been a great ride. You never really did anything exceptional, but who doesn't love a guy that reminds you vividly of Brian Scalabrine. Tall, and white, all I could think about was Scals as you stepped on the mound. Also, I give a tip of the hat to you for the shaved head and high red socks. Come on, who doesn't love the high socks. But a wag of the finger goes out to you for wearing that hideous teal polo shirt in the dugout the game after you got traded. Probably the worst shirt I've ever seen. Done.

If you thought that was the whole blog, you are simply crazy. Sure everyone loved him, but nobody cares that he is gone. The true pain is watching the long tenured, forever loved Adam LaRoche. We will forever remember you, and you will always hold a special place in our hearts. You were here for a week, and hit one home run. We can never forget how great a player and teammate you were. I sit here typing this blog, crying to REO Speedwagon's "Keep on Lovin' You", thinking about the great times you gave us in a Sox uniform. You were by far the hardest player to accept gone on that July afternoon. None of us will ever forget that great goatee, or Don Orsillo mispronouncing your last name every single time. So here is to you, a great career in Boston, and an extrodinary person.

Monday, July 27, 2009

Off the Beaten Track: A Blog not About Sports

Well, I faced the pain of back to school shopping yesterday, and while nothing great was picked out for me i did get a purple, black, and white tie. Also, a middle-aged gay guy measured me for a dress shirt. I know, I know, my life is more exciting than yours, but just to prove a point, I am saving my best bargain for later.

I also managed to get a t-shirt, some athletic shorts, khakis, and a polo. Along with this was some undershirts, and yes SILK boxers. It feels like your crotch is in heaven. But still, the best if yet to come.

After a quick browse through the school supplies section I came across the electronic area....are you ready?

I first walked past a DVD rack, and was thrilled to see the movie: 'Troy'. Now if you are not familiar with this movie (which would be ludicris), or prefer movies that showcase dinosaurs with rocket launchers, let me give you a synopsis of this movie. First of all, it has Brad Pitt, Orlando Bloom, and Eric Bana, and the ever hot Diane Kruger. It is a 2 and a half hour movie showcasing the Trojan War and is probably one of the most epic movies ever. Great acting, great action, great drama. Five dollars. The movie was bought faster than you can say "done".

Next I walked past a rack full of CD's of the great musician, Michael Jackson. All of his best albums. I don't need to explain what 'Thriller' has become, but it was only 10 dollars. I snatched it before anyone could.

So there you have it, one of the top 5 movies of all time, and the top album of all time are now in my house for $15 dollars. I know, I know, I'm a bargain shopper, but please hold your applause

Sunday, July 19, 2009

The Most Important, Impossible Thing To Know For The MLB Second Half

I don't want to take the time to write a real blog, and it was painful to see how abysmal I was doing with my pre-season picks, so I will just leave you with the best realistic trade move there is:

The Mariners are contenders, but the only way to make it in is winning the AL West. Their hitting is fairly solid, and so is their defense (I have seen them play in person). All they have for starting pitching is Felix Hernandez. They need a second starter. Listen to me Mariners GM, who will be unnamed due to my lack of baseball knowledge outside of the AL East, FIND A WAY TO PICK UP ROY HALLADAY BECAUSE HE WON'T STAY IN THE AL EAST!

Smart? Yes. Possible? No shot in hell

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Change We Must Invest In

I propose a change in the All-Star voting system for Major League Baseball. Polls close tomorrow and I looked at the paper today to see the standings. The list is dominated by Red Sox, Yankees, and Rays. This is a great representation of the AL East, the problem is the fan voting.

Sure players like Youkilis, Texiara, Pedroia, Bay, and Longoria deserve to be there, but all it is is a popularity contest. You want incontrovertible truth? Each team gets one player for each position for voting (three for outfield, and pitchers are different). The Red Sox have been largely troubled at shortstop this year. Things have been turning around as Nick Green is proving to be a player you can win a World Series, and Lugo is finally rising to full potential. However, the shortstop choice for the Red Sox on the ballot is Jed Lowrie.

Jed Lowrie, who has spent most of his time on the DL, and the Minors is the Red Sox choice. These are his stats: 5 games, 18 at bats, and one hit. Two walks, and 8 strikeouts. His Batting Average stands at .056 along with his slugging, and his on base is .150. What does this add up to? Fifth place out of 14 shortstop choices for the All-Star Game. Sure he has to make up 300,000 or so votes in a little over 24 hours to make it, but he still has over 700,000. I'm furious. If this is the America that I am being forced to live in, I don't want to live anymore.

Sure fifth place means nothing, but this is a ridiculous moment in Major Leage Baseball history. I propose that we change the All-Star voting style to a choice by the Baseball Writers of America, the same people that choose the Hall of Famers and whichever players get the most votes, they go to the All-Star Game. Another idea is to eliminate it as a whole, keep the Home Run Derby (which only makes sense to take place in Yankee--I'm sorry, The New Yankee Stadium) and have four players from each league. Whichever player wins, his league gets Home Field Advantage in the World Series. Or we could be lame, eliminate everything, and just go back to Best Record. But come on, chicks always have, still do, and always will, dig the long ball

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Skill Or Competitive Idiots.

This blog holds a special place in my heart, so I appreciate comments in advance (hint hint). Today I was playing on PartyPoker.net (yes I know, a 15 year old playing poker against more skilled people all around the world.) and entered a tournament. It was just a play money tournament, nothing with real chips (for I would be out a fairly big amount of money right now.) The buy in was a measly 33 "chips". At three o'clock it began.

I played for one hour, two, and I was working my way towards a full three. The tournament started with 1340 players, and at this point it was down to ten. I, a 15 year old boy taking on people from all over, managed to make a final table. Naturally, I was excited, but in second place I wanted more. In a hand that would put me around a million chips and only 600K behind the leader(this guy was cruising), I had two pair. A fellow finalist went all in with 250K. I naturally called, and a river card gave him a straight. I was crippled down to 700K. The next hand i hit trip nines on the flop. After the turn my opponent went all in with 400K, and had two pair Queens and nines. The river came....a queen. Now I was down to 300K, and a very grim outlook (Multiple "you got screwed" comments flowed in).

I fought and crawled and worked it down to nine, then eight, seven, six, five, four. Back I was with around 700K. Then there was three, and shortly after two. I was in the final two, but a 5:2 chip underdog. I would eventually lose to the guy that led most of the tournament, but I got thinking. 'How do I manage to finish ahead of 1338 other people in second.' I barely play poker.

Is this my calling, or just luck from other idiots. Most likely a combination of skill and stupidity from others did it, but nonetheless I was proud to say I was runner up in a tournament of around 1450 people. Say what you want but I still think that it is impressive.



Side Note: My father's best ever finish in a tournament was 3rd.


After word: I understand this is more of a memior than a blog, but I was really proud of this and wanted to share it.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Phil Mickelson: No boom to this bust

As Lefty gets set to tee of as Bethpage Black in about a half an hour for the 109th US Open, I started to think "What's the big deal about this guy?" Now I understand everyone wants him to win because his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, and that is understandable, but Mickelson really isn't that good. I may not follow golf as much as the next guy, but I always know stats before I talk trash about somebody. That is what this blog is about, ragging on Phil.

This is Phil Mickelson's 17th year on the tour. In the PGA there is four majors a year, The Masters, The British Open, The PGA Championship, and of course The US Open. If you do the simple math that is 68 majors since Phil Mickelson has emerged on the tour. Now you can disregard any times he was injured or just didn't participate, which to the best of my knowledge is little to none. How many of these has he, won you ask? Three.

Three!? Tres!? Trois!? Drei!?

That is it. In 68 events, he has only managed to win three of them. So what is so great about him? Now I'm not one of the guys who criticizes everyone that isn't Tiger, but I personally don't like Phil, and these stats show that he really isn't a good golfer. I mean, look at the stats. Three divided by 68 is just over four percent. Four percent of the time Phil will win a Major. You have to wait 25 events, or six and a quarter years, to see him win a Major. Okay you say, but Majors are more difficult, what about regular events?

The PGA season consists of 48 events. Let's do the math here 48 times 17 equals 816 events since Phil "stormed" onto the tour. Now granted he didn't enter every single one, so let's say Phil has been in 750 events in his life. He has only won 36 of them. Yah, only 36 of around 750. That is just under five percent of the tournaments he has been in. So basically, twice a year Phil wins an event. That is pretty sad for someone who is supposedly one of the greatest. Some say he could be just as good as Tiger, well let's compare.

This is Tiger's fourteenth year on the tour, and he has won 14 majors. Easy enough, one major a year compared to Phil's once every six plus. Since Tiger has been on the tour there has been 672 events roughly. Looking at last year's injury plus other non entered tournaments and such, let's say he has been in 600 events. He has won 91 of them. That is around 15% of lifetime tournaments won. Three times better than Phil. And yes I will give a slight BOTD based on Tiger being the greatest all time.

So looking at the stats, it's pretty obvious that Phil isn't as good as he is cracked up to be. Yes I will give him the sympathy cheer this weekend at Bethpage Black, but let's face it, he won't win. As a matter of face, he probably won't make the cut. And even if he does win by some fluke, we won't see it again until 2015 at the British. So good luck Phil, but readers (my uncle and cousin) don't expect anything to flashy out of Lefty.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

What My Life Has Come To

Me and three friends recently entered a fundraising wiffle ball tournament for my school's nordic ski team. The cost for a team was $40 dollars, so naturally each person paid ten. Also on Friday, my school has a half day and then a "Spring Fling" that has many "fun" activities. This also has a wiffle ball tournament, but this one is free.

That is fine, everyone loves a good game of wiffle ball. However, I took it way to far. I hate myself for working over an hour on stratagies for these very wiffle ball games...

Hey, consider the Spring Fling a practice. If I spend ten bucks, I want to win.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Laurence Maroney: the Carl Pavano of Football

Where do I start. I love Laurence Maroney. He is a great runner. He has moves, and he can break tackles. I thought this kid was going to be big when the Pats drafted him #24 overall in 2006. As it turns out, he has been a bust. Well, not completly.

When he is available, the Patriots are just as good running as passing. He completes the Patriots versatile backfield. But the bottom line is, he just can't stay healthy. Every year it seems that something is wrong. He gets injured, and stays on the IR.

Maybe he could go somwhere else after this year, stay healthy, and be the next LT. But right now, it is not going to happen. Defenses blitz the Patrioits expecting the pass, and he always seems to get the ball, and go down. The kid has a bright future, but I just can't see it in Foxboro.

It pains me to say this (mainly because I spent $70 on an authentic Maroney Jersey from Christmas money.), but it is time he leaves. The Patriots are fine passing. Expect at least 45 TD's from Brady if he can stay healthy. After all, he is throwing to three Pro-Bowl caliber Recievers in Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and Joey Galloway, not to mention Ben Watson and Kevin Faulk who will grind it out for 10 on any screen play. Sammy Morris can pound the ball in and can pick up huge gains. Fred Taylor does not need an explanation. Kevin Faulk covers the passing plays, and 3rd and 2 situations (if he isn't stoned). Even Brady can sneak for the first on 3rd or 4th and short. So what do you need Maroney for?

Nothing. So long Laurence, don't let the door hit you on the way out.




Post thought: Why do the first rounders become busts (not including Jerod Mayo), and the Late rounders are the Pro Bowl players?

Friday, May 22, 2009

The Vick Chronicles

After a weeks grounding, I want to get back in the swing of things on this blog. As most everyone knows by know, Michael Vick was released from a federal prison Wednesday, and now must serve two months house confinement in Virginia. He will work part time in a construction business (talk about a wierd employee-employer relationship).

After his home confinement, he will learn whether he is to rejoin the NFL or not. Ah, sweet justice. A man serves two years for brutally harming dogs, and will be reinstated, while Caleb Campell, a linebacker from Army, is currently fighting for our country, and will likely not be able to be stable enough to play for the Lions when he returns from the Middle East (hey, people are traumatized by the Lions playing for them anyway).

I despise Michael Vick as a human being. As a football player, there is very few better. Don't get me wrong. What he did is wrong. There is no way around it, no silver lining. He is a felon by all means of the word. I'm no PETA freak, but please Commish, just say no to him. It is never going to happen. There is simply no justice in the world. The NFL wants ratings, and Vick will get them it, felon or not. Simply no justice.

The other thing that worries me is the possibility of him becoming a Patriot. Don't shoot this down. He is the kind of guy on the field that the Pats want. They were interested in Steve Slaton for the much popular Wildcat offense, and this guy is ten times better than Slaton will ever be. The Patriots can handle any disciplinary cause. Corey Dillon, Randy Moss. In fact, the city of Boston has that effect. Stephon Marbury. You could bring Sean Avery to the Bruins (God forbid), and he would clean his act up right away.

I would hate to see Vick donning a Pat Patriot helmet this year (yes, the Pats are one of eight AFC teams wearing throwbacks this year). However, here is the thing: he is what Bob Kraft needs right now. The passing game will only work for so long. Bellichek could straighten him out in one day. But the idea of Michael Vick in a Patriots uniform, well that just makes me dog gone sick.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Really Boston, Really?!

As I sat watching the Bruins-Hurricanes game 5 last night, I realized the game was over at 3-0 and was losing interest. In the middle of the 2nd period my interest was waning, knowing that the Bruins were going to stay alive and force a game 6. I started juggling between a close Red Sox game, a close Celtics game, and a blowout of a hockey game. While on the Versus network I heard something in the background of the garden that I couldn't believe.

I heard it again and almost threw something. You possibly may have heard it too. It goes like this..."B-B-B-Benny and the Jets......Benny! Benny!" Really?!??!?!!? In the most barbaric of sports we have a song playing sung by arguably the gayest singer of the 20th century.

I have no problem with gay people. I really don't. My old principal was gay, and he was the greatest person I knew in the world. But at a hockey game? Really? Did this slip by somebody? Was it a bet? Different songs are always played during stoppages, and most are hard rock. Dropkick Murphy's, AC/DC, Aerosmith,......and Elton John?? Really????

I started thinking of what was the motive behind this. The Bruins don't have a player named Ben, so what the hell? Did they think a little Elton John would be uplifting? Don't get me wrong, I like Elton John's music, as a matter of fact Levon is one of my favorite songs, but how did this happen? Elton John doesn't get anyone pumped.

Then I started thinking about the people who would be pissed about this. Well the game was on Versus, a nationaly broadcasted channel. This means that people in Carolina are hearing this. Let's be honest, the South hasn't been real accepting of the whole gay thing. As if it wasn't bad enough that there team was playing awful this game, they have to listen to a guy who they probably are not real tolerant of. Somewhere in Raliegh, cars are still being turned over and lit on fire.

Who the hell was behind this?? Honestly, how did this happen? I guess it is all part of this accepting "Philladelphia Freedom" society. I'm preplexed and all I can ask is "What the hell, Boston?"

Thursday, April 30, 2009

NHL Conference Semi Finals

Rapidly rising as one of my favorite sports, I sit here to discuss the Conference Semis, or the Quarterfinals. Many people don't care about hockey, that's fine, you don't have to. However, people throw it on the chopping block before giving it a chance. I've watched on TV, and attended a game, each of the four major sporting events. Hockey is by far, the best for both of these. Even if you are sitting at home, you feel the energy in the building. I'm not saying hockey is my favorite sport, because it's not, but it is on a rapid rise. Just give it a chance, look to see if there are any games in your network. Let's break down these games.


Western Conference:

(2) Detroit vs. (8) Anaheim

Detroit is experienced. So is Anaheim. These teams have combined for the last two Stanley Cups. Expect a game or two go into overtime. I think penalties late will be a teams downfall. The teams have good defenses, but not great offense, which would look like a highly defensive series. However, both goalies have been struggling as of late. It could be a high scoring series, or a low one. Bottom Line, the Red Wings are too good, winning in six.

(3) Vancouver vs. (4) Chicago

Can you hear it? Me neither. This serious doesn't look to exciting, even though it might be a long one. Chicago wants a championship, they don't seem to get them anymore, after all, the Cubs seem hopeless, the Bears don't look great, and the Bulls face elimination tonight. I honestly find this the least interesting of the four series. The team with home ice is going to be thankful for it in the end. Bottom Line, the Canucks get lucky for the home ice, win in seven.

Eastern Conference

(2) Washington vs. (4) Pittsburgh

Great series. Period. It is always exciting to see Ovechking, Crosby, and Malkin go at it. This is going to be a highly offensive series. This will be the best of the bunch. Washington will have a lot of fire power after rebounding from what looked like a dismal end to a great season, being down 3-1 to the Rangers. Pittsburgh took care of Philly handily, even though it went six. The rest should be key for the Penguins. Bottom Line, Penguins take it in six.

(1) Boston vs. (6) Carolina

The series I will pay most attention to, solely because I'm a Bruins fan. In all honesty, it will be pretty boring. The Bruins were 4-0-0 against the Canes. They outscored them 4 1/2 to 1 1/2 goals a game in the regular season. The Bruins have the penalty kill going for them. Tim Thomas is on fire, and Carolina is lucky to be alive. Offensive fire power is sure to happen between Krejci, Kessel, and Ryder. I would love to take them in a sweep, but it is a little to bias. Bottom Line, the Bruins are rolling on all cylinders, and roll into the Conference Finals, winning in five games.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Baseball Picks (Made late March, published late April...)

As I sat down and made my MLB predictions for the '09 season, I thought to my self "Self, these better live up to your prediction of the Rays making the playoffs this year." So far they have, my surprise teams are off to well, surprising starts. My dissapointments...well that is dissapointing to me. Let's start with the division breakdown.

American League:

East:

I like Boston to sneek out of this division, in a close four way battle. In the end, the experience, power, and pitching are what will get the Sox through in my opinion (and a little bias.) Then I see the Yankees and the Rays to both be one game back when it is all said and done. Surprisingly, the Blue Jays will finish only six games back (this is holding up well so far). And then the Orioles are just going to be the Orioles.

Central:

Cleveland seemed like a good choice to me in this below average division. It took some guesswork to try and predict this one. Cleveland has been there, and I think this is a good year for them. Then the Twinkies are my second place team, followed by a distant Chicago and Detroit respectively. Finally the Royals finish last...again.

West:

A division that looks to be more promising than in years past, I still think the Angels will come out on top, and take the Best Record in the AL. Then Oakland behind a solid team will be close runner-ups in the division, which may go down to the last day. Texas finishes third, and the Mariners are last again.

National League:

East:

You never know what's gonna happen in this division that use to be dominated by the Braves. This year I like them to win the division behind Cy Young candidate Derek Lowe. The Mets finish second, narrowly missing the playoffs again. Philly comes off the World Series with a dissapointing year. The Nats move up to fourth, and a pick that isn't looking good right now, the Marlins finish last.

Central:

The Cubbies take the division for another year. Then my surprise team, the Pittsburgh Pirates end up second in the six team division. St. Louis and Milwaukee end up in the middle of the group. The Reds loss of Adam Dunn will hurt them, and they end up fifth in the divisional race. Houston rounds out the group.

West:

On to the NL West where anything can happen. Here I like Manny and the Dodgers to win the divisional crown. The Diamondbacks finish second, closely followed by the Fathers. The Rockies, just two years removed from an NL Crown, finish forth, and the Giants go dead last in a terrible division.

Now to my superlatives:

In the American League, I like the Angels to get the best record. The Wild Card goes to the Yankees in a one game playoff over the Rays. My Surprise Team is the Toronto Blue Jays, coincedentally off to a great start. The Dissapointment is the Chicago White Sox. In the National League, the Braves take the Best Record. My Wild Card, also my Surprise Team, is the Pittsburgh Pirates out of the NL Central. The Dissapointment is the Phillies after winning the World Series. The American League wins the All-Star Game again, and the World Series home field, eight to five.

Playoffs:

American League Divisional Series

The Angels survive a scare from the Yankees and win in five.
The Sox win the '07 ALCS rematch over the Indians in four games.

American League Championship Series

The Angels finally get over the hump against the Red Sox, winning four games to two.

National League Divisional Series

Atlanta ends the feel-good story of Pittsburgh three games to one.
The Cubs sweep Manny and the Dodgers.
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National League Championship Series

The Cubs advance to the World Series, winning in six games over the Braves.

World Series

The Angels win for the second time this decade, beating the crestfallen Cubs in six games, in the Windy City. Vladimir Guerrero takes home MVP honors.

Those are my picks, hold me to them. Check out my cousin Mike's picks and other odd blogs at "The Leprechauns Must Pay For Our Sins"