2009 drew quite a buzz for Monarchs football. Its September, its time to get gassed up about Monarch Football again.
ODU has a young team coming back. Not graduating any players, this year there will bring plenty of familiar faces. But there will be a few newcomers who will be expected to make an immediate impact. Old Dominion was one of the schools to benefit from Hofstra University’s struggles. Hofstra’s football program couldn’t survive solely from Marques Colston hype alone. They folded, and Old Dominion reaped the benefits. The Monarchs landed a couple of defensive prospects with plenty of upside including D-Lineman Deron Mayo. Younger brother to Jarod Mayo of the New England Patriots, Deron is a Junior who managed 33 tackles while starting in only 5 games with Hofstra. Deron is expected to play a big role in tightening up Bobby Wilder’s “bend but not break” Defensive Line. Remember that Monmouth game? Yea, the one where David Sinici ran for over 200 yards and 2 TDs? This is a revamped Defensive Line that should make a huge difference in the Old Dominion defense. The D, or lack thereof, was the by far Old Dominion’s biggest problem. The two losses came from the two teams who could move the ball at will. And with the schedule getting more and more difficult with each year, the Monarchs Defense needs to rise to the challenge and step up their game. These transfers along with another year of the team maturing and getting stronger will hopefully help remedy that. Here’s the big ticket… Quarterback Dominique Blackman, is a transfer from the University of Washington. Blackman was towards the bottom of the totem pole of QB’s in Washington and due to his size(6′5″, 250lbs) the Huskies coaching staff asked Blackman to try to move to the Tight End position. Blackman decided he’s better off just playing Quarterback somewhere else, and we couldn’t be happier to have him here at Old Dominion. The guy is a monster, he’s got Linebacker size and a cannon for an arm. I’ve been watching video of this kid’s game and he’s the real deal. Kid? This is a god damn MAN. 6′5″, 250lbs., refuses to go down with an arm tackle, or even a solo tackle for that matter. In the footage he’s throwing the ball with accuracy, 50+ yards in the air, while on the run. He shows some mobility in the pocket, and even breaks for a few long runs. Blackman was ranked the #27 pro-style QB in the nation coming out of high school by Rivals.com, and was rated the #112 overall prospect by PrepStar. Like I said, he’s the real deal, and the first high profile prospect to come play at Old Dominion.
All this talk about the new kid on campus… Don’t we already have a Quarterback? Thomas DeMarco was the clear cut MVP for the Monarchs last season. He’s got two years of eligibility left, while Blackman has three, so obviously the Monarchs are set at the QB position for a while. But are we in a Quarterback controversy here? I think it has to be DeMarco’s job to lose. He played so well last season, running the offense, being a vocal leader, and leading the team to a 9-2 first season record. How can you even think about taking that guy out of the starting lineup? He ran such an efficient offense that demanded top play from the Quarterback position and he more than answered the call. But Blackman’s 3,700+yards and 35TDs last year at Junior College demand a consideration for the job. He made it to a BCS school for a reason, he has the tools and is prepared to play. With offers from other BCS schools, Colorado and Kentucky, he did not transfer to Old Dominion to sit on the bench. This is what Blackman said in an interview on the second day of practice “I didn’t throw an incompletion the whole damn day, and the first day, I threw one incompletion. I haven’t turned the ball over. I’m the only quarterback that hasn’t thrown an interception. … I’m just trying to do what I need to do to play. I don’t want to think about redshirting. I don’t want to think about anything but playing, because that’s what I came here to do, play.” I like that attitude and I like a competition for any starting job, but I am not a fan of a two Quarterback system. It just never seems to work. But maybe with these two more than capable QBs it can be done? When asked about Dominique’s playing time Coach Wilder had this to say, “Dominique’s going to play for us in the fall. He’s not going to sit. I don’t know specifically what his job will be, and figuring that out is our major challenge as coaches. But with a talented player like that, we need to get him on the field. There are different ways to do that.” I don’t even know what that means. Two QBs? Send Blackman into a pass catching formation? Put DeMarco in a Half Back situation? Who knows? I guess we’ll see this weekend. But in the long run, I think DeMarco will be out sooner than his full eligibility.
Get fired up, the season is only days away. The level of play is getting better and better each week. There’s no excuse to see empty seats at Foreman Field. Get out to the games and have fun.
Check out Big Blue getting some love as one of the best mascots in college sports…
One pitch at a time, summer is drawing to a close and fall is elbowing its way through the door, ready to heap dead leaves upon our doorsteps and misery upon our non-playoff teams and their fans. Each passing day brings the post-season picture another step into focus. Some teams will slip into oblivion, and some will rise to the challenge. Some, like the Rangers, need only to work out the kinks and align their rotation, having practically clinched already. Still, no lead is completely safe. Just ask the 2007 Mets, who famously blew a 7 game lead with only 17 games left to play, missing a playoff spot on the final day of the season. Yes, the stretch run is upon us. We’re halfway through August, and before we jump feet-first into football, let’s take a moment to check in on the tight races around the majors.
AL EAST
Why the Yankees will win: The defending World Champs have got it all. They feature a deep rotation, a rounded lineup, a capable bullpen and a name-filled bench. This may be one of their last chances to win with the famous “Core 4” of Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettite and Mo Rivera. Jeter is a free agent this winter, and while it may be a stretch to imagine him walking, there is uncertainty around Pettite returning, as well as Posada’s ability to play for a whole season. They’re going to go for it all, and with a rabid fan base behind them anything is possible.
Why the Rays will win: Pitching, pitching, pitching. The Rays’ rotation is young and they are dealing. They have enough depth to make sure their recent injuries have no ill effect. Jeremy Hellickson looks like he’s here to stay, and he could be just the late-season boost they need. David Price is looming as the clear favorite to win the CY Young Award. Matt Garza threw a no-hitter, the first in team history. Their bullpen has appeared unhittable at times, with Benoit, Balfour and Wheeler forming a strong late-inning bridge to ultra-filthy closer Raphael Soriano, who has been a revelation. If Carl Crawford can stay hot, Carlos Pena can continue hitting bombs despite a diminutive batting average, and Evan Longoria can rediscover his 2009 stroke, they could score just enough to take the division.
Final Verdict: The Rays finish the season with 6 games againstthe Mariners and Orioles and then one final make-up game in Kansas City against a team that will already have taxis waiting outside the clubhouse to take them to the offseason. If the Rays can take 3 of 4 or sweep the Yankees in New York, then go on a tear at home during the last week, while the Yanks play the pesky Blue Jays and the vindictive Red Sox, they may be able to take it. But that’s not going to happen. The Rays simply will not score the runs needed to top the Big Applers, who have scored more runs than any other team. The Yankees pitching is nearly as good as the Rays and their hitting is vastly superior. They’re not going to look back. The Yankees will win the AL East.
AL CENTRAL
Why the Twins will win: Under the firm tutelage of Ron Gardenhire, the Twins are leading the majors in hitting while playing their inaugural season at beautiful Target Field. They have perennial stars Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau, unexpected hero Delmon Young, and plenty of reliable veteran bats like Orlando Hudson and Jim Thome. Francisco Liriano has returned to his once-promising form, and Carl Pavano has come out of nowhere to rank among the AL leaders in wins and ERA. With Kevin Slowey fresh off a no-hit bid and youngster Brian Duensing turning heads, the presumed ace of the staff going into the season, Scott Baker, has been pushed into the background. That is a good problem to have, as the Twinkies are finding out.
Why the White Sox will win: Left for dead by the end of May, the White Sox never gave up and while the Tigers started strong then fizzled, the Sox find themselves within striking distance of first. With an offense featuring hitters like Paul Konerko, Carlos Quentin and Alex Rios, the White Sox can definitely put up some runs. The rotation top 3 of John Danks, Gavin Floyd and Mark Buerhle is formidable. Losing Jake Peavy hurt but they pulled off a deal for the young but well-traveled flamethrower Edwin Jackson. With their acceptable pitching and potentially potent offense they could prove to be a real thorn in the side of Minnesota.
Final Verdict: Hands down, the Twins take this division. It’s been a nice surprise to have Freddy Garcia pitching decently, but the Twins have better starting pitching, a better lineup and most importantly, a superior bullpen. The Twins lost their best two relievers for the entire season, with Joe Nathan and Pat Neshek going down, and they barely missed a beat, shrewdly scooping closer Matt Capps from the Nats. This team is locked in and determined, and the White Sox simply have too much dead weight on their active roster. A.J. Pierzynski, Mark Kotsay, Mark Teahan, Scott Linebrink. Bobby Jenks, Jayson Nix and Andruw Jones have all been stricken with a case of “Not-Getting-It-Done-itis.” It might be time for the Ozzies to cut bait, but they’ve lasted this long so they may be charmed. Count on seeing Minnesota in the 2010 post season.
AL WEST
Final Verdict: It’s not really necessary to comment on this. The Rangers will win the division handily.
NL EAST
Why the Braves will win: There are several reasons the Braves can start printing playoff tickets. Their rotation is simply superb. Jair Jurrjens has been dominant since returning from injury. Tim Hudson has been as good as he ever was in Oakland and Tommy Hanson has continued to show why he’s one of the top young pitchers in the game. Longtime innings-eater Derek Lowe is also in the mix and having a better season than last year. The Braves offense has been just enough to get it done, with Troy Glaus putting up solid production despite a poor average and poor fielding, Brian McCann having one of his trademark robust seasons at the plate and youngster Jason Heyward in the conversation for Rookie of the Year. Injuries are a part of the game, and the Braves have not been immune to the bug, losing top hitter Martin Prado as well as former face-of-the-franchise Larry Jones. They have not let these setbacks ruin their winning ways, and with a top bullpen anchored by the suddenly resurgent Billy Wagner, the Braves are planning to “Win one for the Gipper” during Bobby Cox’s farewell tour.
Why the Phillies will win: Playing in a packed house every night in front of energized fans will go a long way towards helping a team gain some swagger and some momentum, and anyone who has watched this version of the Phillies would admit that they have been lacking both. Perhaps getting back their two best hitters, Ryan Howard and Chase Utley will jumpstart the offense, but since they weren’t really hitting like they have in the past, it remains to be seen how they’ll perform upon returning. Raul Ibanez has aged rapidly, Shane Victorino has been exposed as a mediocre player, and Jayson Werth shook off a slow start to finally start producing in his walk year. But there’s reason to believe that the offense can start producing runs and if that happens, combined with the electric top of the rotation (featuring the peerless one, Roy Halladay, and the still-excellent Roy Oswalt) then the Braves are going to have to turn it up a notch to keep these guys off their backs.
Final Verdict: This could come down to the wire but the Atlanta Braves will be the NL East champs. The Phillies rotation is better at the top, but inconsistent “fashion model” Cole Hamels, trainwreck Joe Blanton and laughable Kyle Kendrick rank well below the Braves arms. In the bullpen, the Braves have a murderer’s row of strike-throwing bulldogs while the Phils have… uh… hmm… oh!… No… well, uh, Jose Contreras has been pretty ok as a mop-up guy/ fill-in jack of all trades! Combine this with an upcoming strenuous west coast road trip that the Braves have already completed and you’ve got yourself a second place team. Bobby Cox won 14 in a row, and he’ll win one more on the strength of his pitching, which will be good enough to hold off the Phil’s offense. One potential landmine is the annual “Why isn’t Billy Wagner Contributing When We Need Him?” Homecoming, however should this happen I’m sure Bobby has a back-up plan.
NL CENTRAL
Why the Reds will win: Dusty Baker has got his Red Stockings playing at a high level, with unexpected contributions from a vast array of players. This team has the grittiness needed to compete. Their rotation, initially seen as a strength, turned into a pumpkin with another bad season from Aaron Harang as well as a lengthy injury to last year’s surprise Edinson Volquez. This led to discoveries such as Mike Leake, who skipped the minor leagues, as well as Travis Wood who has been dominant in a handful of starts since his promotion, turning the rotation back into a strength, with the young guys joining up with Bronson Arroyo and Johnny Cueto. Brandon Phillips and Joey Votto are leading the offensive charge, and Scott Rolen has been a huge boost for the team both on the field and in the dugout. He should be firmly in the running for Comeback Player of the Year. Always a veteran’s manager, Baker has allowed Orlando Cabrera to take a leadership role in the infield, while getting production from his bench guys like Miguel Cairo and Lance Nix. The bullpen has used Nick Masset and the legendary Arthur Rhodes as an effective set-up team to top closer Francisco Cordero. The Reds are having a magical season, and it remains to be seen if that magic is going to run out.
Why the Cardinals will win: The Obvious Argument of the Year Award goes to this write up, for mentioning that Albert Pujols is the best hitter in the game and pointing out that he’s only just now beginning to really heat up. That’s bad news for everyone left on St. Louis’ schedule. Add to the mix two of the best pitchers in the game in Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright, and three of the top 25 players are on Tony LaRussa’s squad. Don’t forget Colorado import Matt Holliday as well as breakout youngster Colby Rasmus and hot rookie John Jay. The Redbirds are fresh off a sweep against the Reds in Cincinnati and they made an undercover coup by snatching Jake Westbrook from the Indians at the trade deadline to complement surprising Jaime Garcia and resurgent retread Jeff Suppan.
Final Verdict: Neither team has been that consistent thus far, but the Cardinals will be the ones to wear the NL Central crown this year. Having Carpenter and Wainwright pitching 40% of your remaining games goes a long way in calming nerves down the stretch. Dusty’s bunch plays hard but they can’t beat the Cardinals head-to-head and they can’t match the giant cogs in that lineup, named Pujols and Holliday. Tony has enough supporting cast this year even with super-utility man Felipe Lopez forced to play third base every day. Mike Leake is already showing some wear, and the much-ballyhooed Aroldis Chapman is still doing the Wild Thing in Louisville. The Cards have the pedigree and the players to take the division down and the Reds will be left to scramble for a wild card spot.
NL WEST
Why the Padres will win: The team has almost as good a winning percentage on the road as they do at home. The offense has been improved with the additions of Miguel Tejada and Ryan Ludwick, and Will Venable has shown some pop and some speed, although he joins a too-large portion of the roster in the sub .230 catergory. Adrian Gonzalez, still plugging away in a lineup with little protection, is having another good year, although a bit tame for him. Blame it on Petco’s spacious dimensions all you want, but the Padres pitching has been lights-out this season. The key to the Padres success has been their intense bullpen, holding leads for their just-good-enough rotation. They have shown the ability to win on the road, and it seems that no matter who they bring in from the 7th inning on, they get the job done.
Why the Giants will win: Buster Posey is the best hitter the Giants have had since the Divine Mr. B. He is the real deal, and with Pat “the (incredibly streaky) Bat” Burrell suddenly contributing in the lineup, as well as the Duke of Swat himself Aubrey Huff, the Giants’ tepid offense is mildly better than we’re used to seeing. If Pablo Sandoval can remove himself from the side of the milk carton, Freddy Sanchez can get hot and Juan Uribe keeps putting up his unexpectedly good production both at the plate and in the field, Bruce Bochy’s squad could be in business. The strength of this team is the pitching of course, led by Tim Lincecum (having a subpar season – for him), Matt Cain, fire-baller Jonathan Sanchez and the $127 million man himself Barry Zito. Quite the impressive rotation, but can the offense keep up?
Final Verdict: This one should be close but the Padres will hold off the Giants and go wire to wire in the West. Neither offense is that impressive, and while the Giants have the potential to score more runs, I don’t think it will be enough to make a difference. Adding Ludwick to that lineup is going to pay off, as well as having another professional hitter (Tejada) in the mix. Even if Sandoval starts mashing, the divide between the bullpens is significant. Jeremy Affeldt, Guillermo Mota and company are decent but Luke Gregerson, Edward Mujica and Mike Adams have combined for 157.2 innings and issued only 28 total walks while striking out 177 (that’s better than a 6:1 K/BB ratio!). That’s not even mentioning closer Heath Bell, who is just plain unhittable. The rotation isn’t particularly impressive in SoCo, but it’s good enough to get the game to the pen. The Friars will represent the NL West in the playoffs this season.
AL Wild Card
The Rays will have no trouble locking this up. Sorry Boston fans, but I just don’t see them getting back into this race. Josh Beckett has not looked good since returning from injury, with the exception of one start, and the injuries to Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia have been devastating. Daisuke Matsuzaka has been a phenomenal bust, and John Lackey has been a grave disappointment. Without Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz, the Sawx would be way further back in the standings, but they won’t be moving up. The only impressive hitter has been Adrian Beltre, and the nightmare continues with J.D. Drew in the lineup, and big acquisition Victor Martinez doing nothing. At least Boston fans can look forward to a retooling of the team next season when some burdensome contracts will be off the books, a luxury that fans of other disappointing teams (the Mets or Cubs, for example) do not have. The Rays will face the better record between the Twins and Rangers in the first round of the playoffs.
NL Wild Card
If these predictions stand true, that leaves the Phillies, Giants and Reds fighting for the wild card spot. On the strength of their top 2 pitchers and their revitalized offense with Ryno and Chutley back in the fold, the Phillies will emerge as the NL wild card representative. They will face the San Diego Padres in the first round of the playoffs.
Braves’ star Chipper Jones tore his ACL fielding a ground ball earlier this week, ending his season prematurely. Jones has had plenty of injury problems over his career but they seem to be piling up lately to a point where retirement from baseball seems very likely. He’s had two consecutive seasons cut short by injury and has said on record that he’d consider retirement with another down year. Chipper has missed 20 games this season and is batting near a career low .265. On top of that, the only big league Manager he’s ever known, Bobby Cox, is also leaving the game this year. All signs point to Chipper Jones hanging up the cleats and possibly heading into the Hitting Coach game. If there’s anyone in the Braves’ organization that knows hitting, it is Larry Chipper Jones. I was under the impression that it was common knowledge, fact not up for debate that Chipper Jones is an all time great. Apparently not the case.
This morning I saw a poll suggesting that Jones does not deserve to be named to the Hall Of Fame on the first ballot. No one in their right mind would argue that he doesn’t belong in the Hall Of Fame, but the idea that he doesn’t get in on the first ballot is ridiculous to me. Let me start my argument by letting you know that I’m a Phillies fan, there are very few teams that I dislike more than the Atlanta Braves. But I can not say with a straight face that Chipper Jones isn’t among the best baseball players of his era.
Against the advice of manager Bobby Cox, who wanted pitcher Todd Van Poppel, the Braves took Chipper Jones with the #1 overall pick in the 1990 baseball draft out of high school(Van Poppel had a brief stint in the bigs and was forgettable at best). Chipper busted into the league in ‘95 with a very strong rookie season, only to be topped by pitching phenom Hideo Nomo for the Rookie of the Year title. Chipper Jones was a major player in the 90’s/2000’s Braves NL East Dynasty. This team won 14 consecutive division titles. Taking his team to the playoffs every year for the first 11 years of his career, he only won 1 World Series title. Honestly, I think that’s the only knock you can have on the guy, his teams couldn’t get it done in the playoffs. But that said, he’s a career .288 postseason hitter with 13 home runs and 47 runs batted in, not shabby numbers.
Chipper Jones is one of the great switch hitters in baseball history. He is the only switch hitter to hit over 400 home runs while keeping a career batting average over .300. Not Eddie Murray, not Mickey Mantle or Pete Rose. Chipper was the only player that could crush the ball while keeping his average up on both sides of the plate. He’s hit over .300 in 10 seasons. Batting average can become a forgotten stat in the day of the long ball, it seems like if you can hit 40 home runs its OK to have an average of only .250. But The Chipper stayed on the bases as well as hitting the ball out of the park. In 1999 Chipper won the National League MVP for batting .319, hitting 45 home runs and driving in 110 runs. He won consecutive Silver Slugger awards in ‘99 and 2000 for having the highest batting average of any Third-baseman in baseball, and in 2008 Chipper won his first batting title with a .364 batting average.
In the big money era of baseball, free agency, and bad attitudes it is rare for a top player to stay with one team his entire career. Chipper has played 17 years wearing the Braves’ tomahawk across his chest. I respect that. He’s never big in the media, he’s never flashy or taking the spotlight. He just plays the game and plays it well. Chipper has switched positions 3 times to benefit the team and make room for other players to come in, he’s played Shortstop, Third-base and Left Field. He’s been the backbone of the Braves’ batting order for almost as long as I’ve been a fan of the game.
I think Jones gives off a really white trash vibe, but I feel like I can’t end this without letting you know that Chip also knows how to stay classy. His wife divorced him after finding out that he had an affair with a Hooters waitress and had a child with her. The child named Shea, after Shea Stadium. Home of the New York Mets where he’s had the most success on the field. He’s destroyed the Mets over his career. Even saying “Mets fans should just go home and put on Yankees stuff.” in an interview. He’s obviously pretty awesome. So I urge you, baseball writers of America, vote Chipper Jones into the Hall of Fame on his first ballot, he deserves it. And we could see an induction class featuring Ken Griffey Jr., Pedro Martinez and The Chipper. Make it happen. Vote Chip.
ATTN: Readers. This is an open forum. This site has too much traffic to have such little comment interaction. Please, feel free to voice your opinions and comment. Thanks for reading.
Welcome back. Thanks for coming back and reading after our brief hiatus. I’ve been gassed up on football since the Lingerie Bowl was over and today Vegas posted the NFL’s total wins lines, so I’ve got the itch and I’m feeling inspired to write about it. A few of these lines just jump off the page for being retarded but there’s a few sneaky Vegas lines that look attractive but are a little sketchy when you break em down.
Cleveland Browns- 5 1/2- Sorry Jason, not yet. Be patient, the Browns will turn it around. Its just going to take some time and a much softer schedule. The Browns play in what is probably the toughest division in football, joining the Ravens, Bengals and Steelers in the AFC North. That’s 6 guaranteed losses just in divisional play. As well as that beast division, the Browns have to play the NFC South and AFC East. The Browns would be extremely fortunate to crawl out with 3 wins there, but I’d bet just 2(Bills, Bucs). And to round it out they have the Chiefs and Jagz as their non-divisional games. That’s a tough road for most teams, especially the Browns. I’ll be generous and say 5 wins. I’d like to see them succeed, but it won’t be this year. Take the under.
Green Bay Packers- 9 1/2- Aaron Rodgers. Nuff said. Outside of their division the Packers drew a very manageable schedule. They’ve got a hand full of tough match-ups with the Vikings and the Bears, the Patriots and Jets both on the road, and the NFC East’s Cowboys. But other than those few the Packers should breeze through their season. They should win a few of their tougher games even. I’ll put them at 11-5, possibly even a 12-4 mark. But all that matters is more than 9 wins and the Packers should definitely manage that. Take the Over.
New Orleans Saints- 10 1/2- This is the easiest bet here. The defending champion Saints have the 5th easiest schedule in the NFL. How is that even possible? They play in a mediocre division, where their only real competition is the Falcons. They also take on the NFC West and AFC North. The 49ers, Ravens, Steelers and Bengals are the only challengers there. There’s some good QB match-ups when Drew Brees meets Brett Favre and Tony Romo for the Saints’ non-divisional games. So doing a little bit of math we see that Saints may lose 4 games and the over is the bet to make here.
Indianapolis Colts- 11- The Colts’ have a few tough games, but as Peyton Manning has proven year in and year out, the Colts are to be favored in every game they play. There is a 5 week string in November where they play 4 non-divisional playoff teams(Bengals, @Patriots, Chargers, Cowboys) and then the Titans on the road. Caldwell’s Colts will surely drop a few games throughout the year, but 11 wins is a gimmie for the team who’s won 12 or more games for 4 straight seasons. I’m putting them at 12-4 with a random stumble along the way. But your money is safe, take the over.
Philadelphia Eagles- 8 1/2- No way. No way this team wins more than 8 games. The Eagles have to play the best two divisions in the NFC(NFC East and NFC North) and a pretty solid AFC South. They could only come out of that with only 3 or 4 wins. Their two non-divisional games are the Falcons and 49ers. This is a pretty hard schedule for a good team, and this Eagles squad is gonna have to show me something. I’ve got em being lucky to win 6 games. Unproven QB, unproven RB, average D. They do have an exciting receiving core that could add a spark. Kolb is gonna have to prove it before I believe this is a 9 win team. Take the under.
Minnesota Vikings- 8 1/2- I don’t know why these odds makers are scared to put big numbers by these perennial playoff teams. I think in this case, it may be because “Who knows if Favre is coming back???!!!??? Oh my God!!!!“. He’s coming back, we all know it. That being said, the Vikings have a difficult first half. Playing on the road against the Saints, Jets, Packers and Patriots, with home games sprinkled in against the Dolphins and Cowboys. Lets say just for argument’s sake they only win 2 of those games, if Brett Favre makes it through that stretch alive 9 wins should be achievable. If they split with the Bears, beat the Redskins, and Eagles, sweep the Lions, hammer the downward spiraling Cardinals, and stomp the Bills that’s 7 wins alone. So they should manage a couple more wins through the season. I’ve got em at 10, maybe 11 wins. I’ll admit this is largely based on Favre’s health, but he is the Iron Man. Take the over.
Kansas City Chiefs- 6 1/2- I wish I could explain it, but I like the Chiefs here. I don’t know why, but I believe they have been improving and can win a few games. Arrowhead Stadium is widely considered the biggest home field advantage in all of football, that and some good young talent is what’s got me going KC here. They can split with the Raiders and Broncos, beat the Browns Rams and Seahawks, there’s 5 wins. Then we’ve got win-able games hosting the 49ers, Cardinals and Jagz. This one may be a stretch but I like it. They only play 3 playoff teams. Take the over.
San Diego Chargers- 11- The Chargers play in what is probably the weakest NFL division which gives them the 3rd easiest schedule in the league. They don’t even face a true competitor until week 7. They are also one of the leagues best teams, with this soft of a schedule there is 14 win potential here. They lost LT, who cares? Jackson is suspended a few games, who cares? Easy bet, take the over.
New England Patriots- 9 1/2- This is one of those sketchy ones. 10 wins doesn’t seem like a lot for Brady and co. but when you look at the 6th most difficult schedule in football it comes into prospective. There’s questions about these guys falling off, being too old, not being able to hang with their quickly improving division, and when you throw in the Bengals, Vikings, Steelers, Ravens, Packers, Chargers and Colts it makes you realize how tough it’s going to be for this team to come out with more than 9 W’s. It very well could happen, but they’re gonna have to muscle up for this one, 2010 looks to be a great challenge for the Patriots. I’m not touching this one.
Pittsburgh Steelers- 8 1/2- We’ve got an average schedule here, a tough division and a few random big tickets mixed in. 9 wins doesn’t seem like much for the always dangerous Steelers, but remember Ben Rapistburger is suspended for the first 4 weeks, leaving a heavy load on their running attack and defense. They could go 1-3 through week 4 with their only sure bet being against the Bucs. This team gets banged up pretty frequently and certainly lost some respect among the tops in the NFL last year. I’m really curious to see how 2010 is going to go for these guys. We’ll see. Let me also add this, Ben “raped” a chick that looks just like him, his decision making is suspect at best.
The National Football League has unveiled its 2000-2009 All Decade Team. At first glance Jason and I had a few gripes, but after a little research and numbers crunching I think the Hall of Fame Voters Committee hit the nail on the head.
Quarterbacks: Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.
Get out of here if you’ve got an argument with this. The man with the most Super Bowl wins and the man with every record and stat known to man. no brainer, Brady and Manning are the shoe-ins.
Running Backs: Shaun Alexander, LaDainian Tomlinson, Edgerrin James and Jamal Lewis.
Now here’s one of the few positions that we raised an eyebrow to. Only LT jumps off the page as a dominant RB over the decade, but Jamal Lewis? Shaun Alexander? The Edge? Didn’t these dudes only do it big for a couple of seasons then fall into obscurity? Not so fast…
Jamal Lewis may be the most deserving guy in this pack. Lewis came into the league in 2000, and spent the entire 2001 season in prison. So if you take his drug dealing out of the question and go by the numbers, Jamal Lewis rushed for over 1,000-yards 7 out of the 9 seasons he played, and in 2003 rushed for over 2,ooo-yards averaging 129 yards per game. Lewis finished the decade with over 10,000-yards on the ground in only 9 seasons, a Super Bowl win, and a 2,000-yard season. That’s a great resume for a 10 year span.
Edgerrin James, even as a Colts fan I thought this was a bit of a stretch. But his numbers certainly give him the credentials to be on this list. Edge rushed for over 1,000-yards 6 times, averaging over 1,500-yards per season from 2000-2007 and only playing in all 16 games in 4 of those 7 seasons. Edgerrin was also a very accomplished receiver catching over 50 passes 5 times in the decade.
Shaun Alexander, possibly the least deserving of the group. But I will say he still does deserve to be mentioned here. Shaun was definitely the guy who just dominated for a couple years and just disappeared. Alexander gained 9,453-yards in his 9 year career. He broke the NFL single season touchdowns record for a running back with 27 scores, only to be broken the following year by LaDainian Tomlinson. But after his record setting 2005 season Alexander never played another full season, never broke the 1,000-yard plateau and couldn’t find a job as an NFL running back last season. Shaun Alexander had 5 great seasons and kind of just fell off the face of the earth.
Wide Receivers: Marvin Harrison, Torry Holt, Terrell Owens, Randy Moss.
The only question I had here was Torry Holt. A member of “The Greatest Show on Turf”, those early 2000’s St. Louis Rams teams that scored points at will. I don’t know why I questioned this, Holt’s stats are ridiculous. Over 12,000-receiving yards in the decade, averaged over 90 catches a year from 2000-2007, great hands and just a big time deep threat. Torry Holt is a great receiver, not an all-time great but certainly among the best in the decade. I can’t find anyone to replace him on the list.
Tight End: Antonio Gates, Tony Gonzalez.
Again, no contest. These two are all-time greats, revolutionized the position and made the Tight End more than just an extra blocker or dump off target. These two may be the most deserving and easiest picks on the list.
Offensive Line: Walter Jones, Johnathon Ogden, Orlando Pace, Willy Roaf, Larry Allen, Alan Faneca, Steve Hutchinson, Will Shields, Olin Kreutz, Kevin Mawaet
I won’t really go into the O-Line cause that’s kind of a tough position to break down and argue. These are all perennial Pro Bowlers and Hall of Fame lineman.
Defensive Ends: Dwight Freeney, Michael Strahan, Julius Peppers, Jason Taylor.
Just like for Edgerrin James, as a Colts fan I felt it a little odd that Freeney made this list. But upon further review he is very deserving. Breaking into the NFL in 2002, Dwight has made a name for himself as one of the elite pass rushers averaging 10.5 sacks a year and making 5 Pro Bowls in his 8 year career.
The other three are shoe-in’s who I assumed would have much better stats than Freeney, but that’s not really the case. All four Ends are relatively evenly matched and if anything Strahan just had 3 MONSTER seasons and kind of fell off. But you can’t argue the leader of those great Giants’ defenses and the single season sacks record holder doesn’t belong.
Defensive Tackles: La’Roi Glover, Warren Sapp, Richard Seymour, Kevin Williams.
Easily the most controversial list here… Richard Seymour only played Tackle for 2 seasons before moving to Defensive End when the Patriots changed to a 3-4 defense in 2003, how is he here as a DT? And no Vince Wilfork? No Shaun Rodgers? Rodgers has about 100 more tackles than Glover and Wilfork about 100 more than Williams. I guess this is another tough position to judge talent and dominance but those 2 names jumped out at me when I think of D Tackles and I was surprised to not see them on the list.
Linebackers: Derrick Brooks, Ray Lewis, Joey Porter, Zach Thomas, Brian Urlacher, DeMarcus Ware.
I was really surprised to see Thomas and Urlacher on this list. Zach Thomas played for a long time, has over 1,700 tackles and 17 interceptions. But only 20 sacks. Urlacher has 17 interceptions, 37 sacks and over 700 tackles in just 8 seasons. I really tried to find a Linebacker out there to replace these two but I couldn’t. Their numbers hold up.
Saftey: Brian Dawkins, Troy Polamalu, Ed Reed, Darren Sharper.
If anything Polamalu’s age and injuries could keep him off this list, but if you can find another Saftey to replace him go ahead and do it. There isn’t one. This is an easy position to fill for an All Decade team. Reed, Dawkins and Sharper have been holding it down forever and Polamalu plays the position so wildly that he deserves his spot.
Cornerback: Ronde Barber, Champ Bailey, Charles Woodson, Ty Law.
I’ll say Bailey and Woodson are two of the best Corners of all-time. Barber and Law are definitely in the conversation. Another no brainer. The Young guys Revis and Asomugha are in the same league as these guys but they just need to do it for a few more years before they can take anything away from this list.
Kicker: David Akers, Adam Vinatieri.
Akers doesn’t have that high of a percentage when compared to Vanderjagt but he has more points and Vanderjagt didn’t even do kickoffs, so I can’t put Vandy ahead of Akers. and Vinatieri has 4 Super Bowl wins and is known around the world as the most clutch kicker in NFL history, so I’d say he belongs.
Punter: Shane Lechler, Brian Moorman.
Who cares?
Punt Returner: Dante Hall, Devin Hester.
Yea, no contest. Dante Hall, “The X Factor” made returning HUGE in his days. Hester made himself a household name by returning kicks for the Bears and turned himself from a mediocre Defensive Back to a legitimate Wide Receiver based off his kick return ability.
Kickoff Returner: Josh Cribbs, Dante Hall.
Cribbs has set the all-time returns touchdown mark in just a few seasons and again, Dante Hall…. he’s the X factor.
I think they got it almost 100% right with this list. These players are the cream of the crop of this decade and belong on this list. I thought we had a couple of impostors here, but after further review these guys earned their spots.
So after last weeks horrible display of football, aside from the Cards/Packers game, I am definitely looking forward to this weeks line up. Vegas has put 3 of the 4 games at at least a 7 point spread, yet each game could very easily go either way.
Arizona at New Orleans (-7) 57.5 points
57.5 points!? The number seems high, but when you look how great these offenses are, as well as how poorly these defenses have played, perhaps it isn’t so unrealistic. Both teams are led by their future Hall of Fame quarterbacks. Arizona has the emotional edge, coming off their close win against Green Bay. They streaked through the playoffs last year, surprising everyone but themselves, and can do some damage if their defense shows up. New Orleans has the home field edge and also has more offensive weapons. They need to keep the Cardinal offense off the field, which may be a problem with their quick strike ability. I’m expecting a big day from the Saints run game. The Cardinals were destroyed last week in the secondary and can’t afford to give up those looks against the Saints. Arizona will over compensate to prevent the pass, which will open up lanes for Pierre Thomas to burst through. Saints win, beat the spread, but the Cardinals keep the game watchable. Take the Under
Baltimore at Indianapolis (-7) 44 points
We all know the Ravens are getting older on defense. Apparently, the Ravens don’t realize this. They again stunned the world last week with a beatdown AT New England, something that almost never happens. This is what the Ravens do though. The team is built for playoff football: a tough physical defense and a hard-nosed running attack. Last year they were in the same position. They took out the East Division winner and went on to face (and take down) the #1 seed Tennessee Titans. Should the Colts be concerned? Probably not. They have faired quite well against the Ravens in the playoffs, posting a 7-0 all-time record. The Colts also held the trio of Rice, McGahee, and McClain to under 100 yards rushing in their meeting week 11. If the Colts can duplicate that sort of performance defensively, they should have no worries. However, the Colts tend to keep games within reach for their opponents. Colts win, Ravens cover the spread. Take the Under.
Dallas at Minnesota (-3) 46
Dallas has been on a mission as of late trying to prove everyone that they in fact can win when it matters. So far, they have done a stand up job. Congrats on winning a playoff game. Now they get to play the most complete team in the NFL. This is why the Vikings went and got Brett Favre: to win in the playoffs. They had the defense and the running game. Now they have the leader to take them to the big game. He’ll lead a balanced attack against a Cowboy defense who was solid against the run during the season but was ranked 20th in passing yards against. We all know Peterson is capable of making the best run D look bad. The Vikings defense will also cause problems by applying pressure from all angles. Antoine Winfield is going to be the difference maker. Vikings win, beat the spread. Take the Over.
New York at San Diego (-8) 42
This game is all about two people: Philip Rivers and Mark Sanchez. Will Sanchez keep his team out of harms way and play mistake free? Can Rivers keep his team playing at the high level they have been all season? Rex Ryan has convinced his team that they are the team to beat. That’s quite a feet, as they are the “worst” team remaining in the playoffs. But he expects his team to perform at a high level. Last season with the Ravens, he was a game away from the Super Bowl using the same formula of solid run game and defense, even with a rookie quarterback. He is not intimidated, and neither is his team. Enter the Chargers. Riding an 11 game win streak, they have been the hottest team in the NFL. Rivers is the driving force on the team. A very emotional leader, he sometimes gets himself in trouble running his mouth on the sidelines. But his game has been there to back up all the smack talk. The danger in an 11 game win streak is that it eventually will come to an end. Couple that with a first round bye, Rivers will need his fiery side to get his team running on all cylinders. Chargers win, Jets cover the spread. Take the Over.
Mark McGwire finally gets it off his chest. Today Big Mac came clean and admitted that he used steroids throughout his career and in his home run record setting season in 1998. I guess it’s been looming. We all knew he did it, we all knew he was avoiding it. When the St. Louis Cardinals hired Mac on as their new hitting coach this year we thought it just may come out, and today was the day. In a prepared statement McGwire admitted to using steroids off and on for about 10 years, claiming that he used the drugs to recover from injury quicker and get back on the field. Much like Andy Pettitte’s excuse.
I always had a soft spot for The Big Mac. I think most baseball fans my age could relate to this. The man saved baseball. When the players came back from the 1994 strike, the fans didn’t get the memo. Parks were deserted across the country. Mark McGwire’s home run race with fellow outed steroid user Slammin Sammy Sosa brought the attention back to the game. Fans packed in by the thousands to see these two freaks blast 500 footers by the dozen. That’s what we wanted to see. We all know now, looking back, it was pretty obvious what was going on. They weren’t fooling anyone. We just didn’t care. So are they really the bad guys? We loved it at the time. But it just became too much. When steroids became a widespread epidemic it changed the game, in my eyes for the worse. Sure people dig the long ball, and attendances were booming. But I’m a baseball fan. I love the game, I respect the game, and I can’t condone cheating. There were no more great pitchers, tiny guys got bloated and started jacking 40+ homers a year. It wasn’t the same game. It’s kind of sad when you think about it, what could have been the best baseball story ever turned out to be a sham.
So this is the final nail in Mark McGwire’s Hall Of Fame hopes. If there was ever a shot that he’d get in down the road, it’s certainly gone now. No admitted steroid user belongs in Cooperstown. No way. I almost feel bad for the guy. He was the face of baseball for a decade. We loved him. We were blind, dumb, or naive to think he wasn’t using any drugs. We let it slide. We took him for all he was worth, chewed him up, and spit him out. Made a villain of him. Granted, he did it. He broke the rules, and now he has to live with the consequences. But the man kept baseball afloat until we could find a new hero in Alex Rodriguez, and look how great that turned out…
I’ll curse any proven or admitted user of a performance enhancing drug, but I will always have a place in my heart for what Mark McGwire did in the late 90s. He brought the fans back to the parks. He became somewhat of a martyr for us, for baseball, for the fans, and baseball is indebted to him for that.
We may have seen our last 300 game winner. “The Big Unit”, Randy Johnson, retired from baseball yesterday. Ending a 22 year career, 46 year old Johnson leaves us as the best left handed pitcher of all time.
When Nolan Ryan retired in 1993, it took no time at all for the void to be filled as a tall, lanky, unhittable, flame thrower. Intimidating as hell, 6-foot-10, untamed mullet hair, crazy 80’s mustache, Randy Johnson stares in for the sign from his catcher, but we all no whats coming, and there’s nothing you can do about it. You can’t hit it. Before you know it a fastball that’s been consistently clocked at 100 miles per hour is in the catcher’s mit and you’re headed back to the dugout.
In the new age of baseball, I really don’t think we’ll ever see a pitcher compile anywhere near the achievements that The Big Unit has put together. I really think he is the last of the breed. The old school, hard nosed, hard working pitcher. Baseball has changed, maybe for the worse? Players are coddled, babied to a point where they don’t even have the opportunity to put together numbers that rival Johnson’s. How many current pitchers that just throw smoke, pitch after pitch, are going to be able to pitch into their mid 40s and actually hold their own? I don’t see any out there.
Randy Johnson dominated batters his entire career. He dominated both the American and National Leagues, winning at least one of his 5 Cy Young awards in each league. Johnson is a 9 time strike outs leader, second all time and the total strike outs leader for 2 separate decades even. Leading through both the 90s and 2000s, proving that he was blowing away batters over his entire career. A 10 time all star, I can’t understand how its only 10 really. He should’ve been a 15 time all star, there is no prolonged stretch of time where he wasn’t among the best pitchers in baseball. In 2002, Johnson won the pitching Triple Crown leading the National League in wins, earned run average and strikeouts.
Johnson leaves the game where he left behind so many great moments. The exploding bird, throwing at John Kruk’s head in the 93 all star game, the great Mariners teams of the 90s, the 2001 World Series when he earned 3 wins and pitched in relief in game 7 on no rest, and the most important of all: winning his 300th game. That 300th win was a thing of beauty. On the road facing the Nationals, the home fans were actually rooting against their Nats. Hearing “300!” chanted throughout the entire game and the standing ovation Johnson received was a true class moment in baseball that I won’t forget.
I think the most impressive part Randy Johnson’s career has been is the time period he worked in. It’s no secret that the past 20 years were marred by the use of steroids. But somehow that had no effect on Johnson’s ability to strike out batters with ease. It didn’t matter how jacked you were. You can’t hit what you can’t see. And Randy Johnson just reached back and threw it right past you. Never fearing any hitter, never backing down, always going for the throat. He’s the last of a breed. We won’t see another Randy Johnson.
Every season around weeks 15-17 there are teams who choose to rest their starters for the playoff run. Why shouldn’t they? Their spots in the post season are secured. Why would they risk the chance of injury or waste their time game planning on an irrelevant opponent? It’s the intelligent thing to do. After all, the goal is to get to the post season and win the Super Bowl. I’m predicting in the next couple years, we will see teams not even show up for that one last game at Buffalo or Oakland.
Ok, so maybe that is a bit much. Well…… is it?
Jim Caldwell essentially waived the white flag when his team was ahead by 5 points because they had already locked up home field throughout the playoffs. The game meant nothing to him. Nothing to play for. The only reason Caldwell suited up his players and put them out on the field is because he had to. Or did he? Technically, teams can forfeit if they so choose. “A forfeit occurs only when a game is not played because of the failure or refusal of one team to participate. In that event, the other team, if ready and willing to play, is the winner by a score of 2-0.” (check it out here: http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/emergencies) All the Jets had to do was show up in Indy, suit up, and say they were ready.
So why play? Why even suit up? The Patriots lost their most reliable offensive weapon, Wes Welker, yesterday in a meaningless game due to injury. There was really no reason for him, or any of their key players, to be on the field. And now he’ll be on the sidelines for when his team needs him the most. Sure, his injury could have happened week 7. It could have happened on the first play in their first playoff game (ala Palmer in ‘07). But it didn’t. It happened the last week of the regular season after Welker worked his ass off to lead the league in receptions and take second in yards. He even missed two games to injury early on. His role is to take a beating over the middle of the field week in and week out. He should have been the first on the team to rest. I suppose he will get plenty now.
But I bet Welker wanted to play. I bet every player on the Colts wanted to play instead of getting yanked out of the game. I would wager every starter in the NFL wants to play every second of every game, no matter what scenario. And as much as I want to watch them play every snap of every game, because I HATE lame ass games that have players not even trying in them, I can’t blame coaches and owners for wanting to pull their players.
So for about a week now we’ve heard so much about this Roy Halladay/Cliff Lee deal. I don’t see what’s so hard to get here. The controversy is the Phillies are trading away Cliff Lee, their best pitcher by far from last season, unhittable, great personality, fan favorite, Cy Young winner, etc… I could go on about how great Cliff Lee is. But this isn’t just about Cliff Lee. This is about the Philadelphia Phillies now and their future, and I support the move.
The Phillies just completed a very complicated trade with the Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays. Sending 3 of their top prospects to Toronto landing the Phils pitching stud Roy Halladay. GREAT! The Phillies not only have what is arguably the most dangerous batting order in baseball, but now TWO Cy Young winning starting pitchers… Not so fast. These 3 minor leaguers they just sent to Canada were highly touted talents, the future of the ball club. To re-coop that hit Philadelphia sent Cliff Lee to Seattle for their 3 top prospects, a monster outfielder and their 2 top pitching hopefuls. But why not keep Lee AND Halladay? It’s simple, MONEY. Roy Halladay just signed a 3 year, $60-million contract extension, which is much less than he would have earned on an open free agent market. Halladay took less money to play for a winning team with a shot at a championship, I love that. But with the Phillies resigning all their young talent the past few years their pay roll has been skyrocketing. Cliff Lee is a free agent after next season, and he’s already been saying how he wants a new contract comparable to CC Sabathia’s long term $100-million deal. The Phillies were in no way, shape or form ever entertaining the idea of giving a 33 year old pitcher who’s 2 years removed from a season ending surgery that type of money or length to his contract. So rather than keeping Lee and adding Halladay, they thought it’d be wiser to trade Lee to replenish the farm system.
Now I’m not entirely in love with the idea. I think the current Phillies roster is loaded with young stars and they aren’t starving for prospects because they don’t have many players on their way out. What good are a bunch of minor leaguers when the big club is packed with youth who are all under contract for a few years each? I think the best thing the Phils could have done is keep Lee with Halladay and make a huge run at another World Series Championship. But I do think they upgraded in the trade. Tons of media are questioning if the Phillies got better at all with this trade, really? Really?! Roy Halladay, ever heard of him? He’s only been one of the best pitchers in all of baseball for about 10 years now. A shoe-in Hall of Famer, Cy Young winner, career 3.43 earned run average. Need I go on? Yea, Cliff Lee was great last year, but Roy Halladay has been great his entire career. They’re very similar pitchers in my opinion. Everything Lee has been made famous for the past 2 years, Halladay has been doing forever. They’re the same age, both have overpowering stuff, ground ball pitchers(which is a big deal playing in Philly’s small Citizens Bank Park), they’re both innings eaters, both boast low ERA’s and high strike out totals. But the thing is Halladay does everything Lee does just a little better and is a more proven pitcher by far. Like I said, they’re the same age, but Halladay has been in the bigs 4 seasons longer, has 60 more wins, Halladay has had 7 seasons with a sub 3.50 ERA, Lee has done it twice. Roy Halladay has three 200 strike out seasons, Cliff Lee has never gotten to 200. Halladay has 49 complete games, the most of any active pitcher, and three times more than Cliff Lee, this is a very easy thing to over look, but in Philly, with a shaky bullpen, this is huge. Roy Halladay is just a career elite pitcher and while Cliff Lee has been big as of late, he is just not on the level that Halladay is.
Like Lee, I could go on about how great Roy Halladay is. So do I think the Phillies improved? Yes. Cliff Lee is great, he dominated the last two seasons. But he is not Roy Halladay, who has dominated the last decade. Every Phillies fan would have loved to see both pitchers in the red pin stripes, but the Phillies’ brass opted to get something in return for Lee rather than let him walk away into free agency. The Phillies are still the best team in the National League and are still in every way World Series contenders.
I think Jones gives off a really white trash vibe, but I feel like I can’t end this without letting you know that Chip also knows how to stay classy. His wife divorced him after finding out that he had an affair with a Hooters waitress and had a child with her. The child named Shea, after Shea Stadium. Home of the New York Mets where he’s had the most success on the field. He’s destroyed the Mets over his career. Even saying “Mets fans should just go home and put on Yankees stuff.” in an interview. He’s obviously pretty awesome. So I urge you, baseball writers of America, vote Chipper Jones into the Hall of Fame on his first ballot, he deserves it. And we could see an induction class featuring Ken Griffey Jr., Pedro Martinez and The Chipper. Make it happen. Vote Chip.
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