The NFL has reinstated the very troubled WR Chris Henry today, but also suspended him for the first four games. The Bengals already have stated that they will not take him back, which is a great move because they have had nothing but off the field problems. I know he is a great talent, but I don't see any team taking a chance on him. He has had a terrible record which includes being suspended for 8 games in 2007, punching a University of Cincinnati student (charges were dropped), and if the Bengals won't even take him back you know he is a bad dude. Just another thug that is a great waste of talent...
According to WCVB's Mike Lynch, the Red Sox players had a vote last night. The question was: Should Manny Ramirez be traded. The vote was an overwhelming 24 to 1 that yes he should be traded. The lone dissenter was Manny's longtime friend and part-time spokesman David Ortiz. The Sox players told Red Sox management about their vote.
This puts a new perspective on things. The Sox players wanted him gone... badly. This means that even though the Sox are still paying Manny, had to send Hansen and Moss to Pittsburgh, and only got one player in return; this was a NECESARRY deal.
I am so happy that this Manny fiasco is over, but at the same time I am sad to see my favorite Red Sox player of all-time head out of town. It had to be done, and they got a very good player in Jason Bay, but it hurts me that Manny will most likely be remember for his shenanigans and not his play. What he should've been remembered for is .315 BA, 274 HRs, 868 RBIs, 2 World Series rings and seemingly endless entertainment. Now if the Red Sox season falls apart he will be remembered as they guy who ruined the 2008 season, and possibly the chance at back-to-back championships.
Now that he is gone lets focus on Jason Bay. He is having as good, or better year than Manny Ramirez. Bay is batting .282 BA with 22 HRs and 68 RBIs. Now he will be in a better lineup, so that batting average and RBIs should improve. He also has a far superior glove, so the only question that really remains is if he will be able to handle the pressure of playing in Boston. If he can then we got one hell of a player for the rest of this year and all of 2009. We'll have to wait and see, but hopefully this injects some life into this team.
Ok here is ESPN's article, "Manny Ramirez's stormy relationship with the Boston Red Sox appears to be over. A baseball source has confirmed Ramirez has been traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers, ESPN.com has learned. Jason Bay is going to Boston as part of the deal, Jayson Stark reported. And the Pittsburgh Pirates get four minor leaguers as part of the three-way deal. Andy LaRoche, Bryan Morris, Brandon Moss and Craig Hansen will go to Pittsburgh, ESPN.com has learned."
Whatever, I wanted Bay from the beginning and now we got him. Manny will be Torre's problem now. Jason Bay is a solid player and has as many homeruns as Manny this year. The only thing I am worried about is if he has an off year like he did last year, and will he be able to handle the Boston pressure.
People are already saying that the Red Sox gave up too much for Bay, but I believe it needed to be done. Manny was going to be gone in two months anyways, so at least they got Bay for him. Although I believe Manny's defense was overlooked, Bay is a great defensive player and will only make 3.5 million dollars next year. I really have a lot of faith in Bay and believe he will thrive in Boston.
The Dodgers got a huge bat that they needed in Manny Ramirez. Manny will help that anemic Dodgers offense. Although Manny's numbers have been declining past the year he is better than Juan Pierre and Andruw Jones.
It is funny Coco Crisp is still on the team and Manny isn't.
Why the hell am I doing previews for the two conferences I hate? Next year, I'm doing the ACC and SEC. I call it. They're mine. I'll do the Big XII too. BOOMER SOONER!
1. Southern Cal I love calling USC Southern Cal. When Cal beat then #1 USC a few seasons ago, Pete Carroll issued a statement to the media that his team was never to be called "Southern Cal" again. Southern Cal lost 10 players to the NFL, but they reload better than anyone in the country. Their defense was one of the best in the nations last year, and should be just as impressive in '08. Under center, Mark Sanchez replaces JD Booty. But if Sanchez struggles, Arkansas transfer Mitch Mustain is right there to take snaps. USC is probably the most talented team in college football. Their coach sucks, and they have a knack for losing a game they should win (See: Stanford). But they have the hottest cheerleaders in the country.
2. Arizona State ASU was 117th in sacks allowed per game in 2007. They gave up over 4 per contest and it's what prevented them from winning the Pac-10, or even winning their bowl game. QB Rudy Carpenter threw for 3,202 yards and 25 TDs last year, despite being sacked 54 times. They have some holes in the defensive secondary that need to be filled in the pass-happy Pac-10. ASU plays USC on the road on October 11th. They also host Georgia on September 20th.
3. Oregon When Dennis Dixon went down, so did the Ducks, losing their last 3 regular season games. But they rebounded with Justin Roper to crush South Florida in the Sun Bowl 56-21. The Ducks also lost RB Jonathan Stewart. His replacement-to-be had off-season surgery, so juco transfer LaGarrette Blount will take most of the carries. Oregon has a strong defense and will contend for the Pac-10 title, but will fall short.
4. Oregon State The Beavers had a great run game on both sides of the ball last year. But they lost RB Yvenson Bernard (110+ yards per game), and their rush defense has lost some strength. WR James Rodgers ran for 586 yards last year, pretty much always on reverses. The Beavers have playmakers, but also have big time liabilities at quarterback. Sean Canfield and Lyle Moevao combined for 11 TDs and 21 INTs last year. Oregon State also lost all 4 of its starting defensive linemen.
5. UCLA UCLA had two QBs vying for the starting job in '08. Patrick Cowan tore his ACL. Then Ben Olson broke his foot. Olson will be back for the start of the season. The Bruins have a strong front 7 on defense, but lost all 4 starting DBs. New head coach Rick Neuheisel, and offensive coordinator Norm Chow hope to bring some new life to the team. But against quality teams with good offensive and defensive lines, they're almost assured to lose.
The rest (alphabetical)...
Arizona At the end of last season, the Wildcats put up points like it was going out of style. QB Willie Tuitima (3,683 yards), returns to lead the offense, and he has 4 of his 5 returning offensive linemen to protect him. But Arizona lacks a significant rushing threat. They averaged 76.8 yards per game last year, which is bad, even in a pass-crazy offense. The offense will be a strength, but the defense needs to fill some major holes. I'd take the over in any game involving Arizona.
California The Golden Bears have an experienced defense with a solid linebacking corps. They'll even implement some 3-4 defensive formations this season to exploit their linebackers' strengths. Their defensive secondary, however, isn't as impressive. And their offense is nowhere near good. They'll have a QB controversy if Nate Longshore struggles, which he probably will. No player on the 2008 roster caught more than 5 passes in 2007.
Stanford The Cardinal is the only team in the Pac-10 I like. They had a decent season (for them) last year with 3 conference wins (1 over Cal, 1 over USC). The goal for Stanford is to make a Bowl game, and they just might do it. They have 9 returning defensive starters, but their '07 defense was 9th in the conference. The offensive line has experience, but the "skill" positions are desperately lacking in that category. Their biggest strength: the 2nd best mascot in the country behind WKU's red blob:
Washington Qb Jake Locker ran for 986 yards and threw for over 2,000 in his freshman year. He'll have some inexperienced skill players around him, but does a guy like this need much help? Yes! He threw 15 picks to go with his 14 TDs. But he will have a good offensive line in front of him. Unfortunately for the Huskies, their defense is atrocious, which is death in the high flying Pac-10.
Washington State I'll give credit to Washington State for doing what USC refused to do last year: play Hawaii. But that's about all Wazzou deserves credit for. They actually had the 28th best offense in terms of yardage last year, but only scored 25.7 points per game (73rd in the country). New coach Paul Wulff is installing a no-huddle spread offense, and if the Cougars reduce their turnovers, they'll score lots of points. BUT, their defense allowed 418 yards per game last year, and 8 of their starters are back. They need to hammer out their defensive problems if they want to make a Bowl game.
The Rays are going to acquire right-handed hitting outfielder Jason Bay for prospects including shortstop Reid Brignac and right-hander Jeff Niemann, according to MLB.com.
Fuck. This means two things, 1. Manny isn't going anywhere, 2. The Rays are serious, and just got a lot better offensively. Reid Brignac is a good SS prospect and Jeff Nieman is a pitcher who will be in the Pirates Rotation immediately.
Manny continues to bitch and moan about his horrible life.
"The Red Sox don't deserve a player like me. During my years here, I've seen how they have mistreated other great players when they didn't want them to try to turn the fans against them.
"The Red Sox did the same with guys like Nomar Garciaparra and Pedro Martinez, and now they do the same with me. Their goal is to paint me as the bad guy. I love Boston fans, but the Red Sox don't deserve me. I'm not talking about money. Mental peace has no price, and I don't have peace here."
The Red Sox never did anything to paint Pedro as a bad guy. And by the time Nomar was traded, he had already done more damage to his image in Boston than the team could ever hope to achieve on its own.
But Manny is right, the Boston Red Sox and Boston fans DON'T deserve a player like him. We don't deserve someone who keeps the bat on their shoulder in Yankee Stadium. We don't deserve someone who cries after being paid $150,000,000 by the team. We don't deserve someone who takes long stretches of games off because they simply don't feel like playing.
We deserve better.
There's a rumor circulating that the Red Sox are close to a three way deal that would send Jason Bay to Boston. That would be more than agreeable for me. Bay is signed until 2009, and is making $3.5M this season. He's got 22 HRs and 64 RBI (Manny has 20 and 68). Bay turns 30 in September, and is a potential long term replacement for Manny in left field. This would be a sensational deal if it gets done.
The Packers offered Brett Favre $20 million to stay retired for 10 years.
I love it. I think that Brett Favre doesn't even deserve to get that. If I were the Packers I would tell Brett the only way he can play for us is if he plays for a dollar a game. With this whole Favre stuff I would almost want to pay his $20 million over the 10 years for him to go away.
Red Sox say that there's 50 - 50 chance the Red Sox will be involved in a 3 way deal with the Pirates and the Marlins and get the Sox get Jason Bay and the Marlins get Manny.
I like it. I have grown tired of Manny's antics, and Bay is a younger replacement. I'm not sure if Bay will ever be as good as Manny but Bay's a worthy outfielder. Manny is being a dick and I don't like how he handles these situations. I find it humorous that no Sox players defend him, not even Ortiz. There's a chance we may be able to get the Marlins number 1 prospect in the deal too, which is sweet, because the Marlins produce only great players.
This morning ESPN is reporting that Ken Griffey Jr. is being traded to the Chicago White Sox from the Cincinnati Reds. The trade has to be approved by Griffey due to his no trade clause in his contract. We don't know who the White Sox are shipping to get Griffey back.
Even though I don't know who the White Sox got rid of to get Jr. I think this is a terrific move. I love Ken Griffey Jr. and will love to see him more on a regular basis. The White Sox now will have a pretty dangerous heart in the line up with Dye, Quinten, and now Griffey.
Not only did the Red Sox get blown out tonight with their ace on the hill, but Manny once again shot off his mouth. Before the game Manny stated that the Red Sox do not deserve a player like him, and that he just wants to leave and be in peace. I really never thought that Manny would leave, but after today I really think the Sox are going to deal him. The sad thing is I don't think the Sox are going to get much value from any trade, because teams know they are desperate. Well the trade deadline is tomorrow, so we will have more on that then. Now back to the game...
Josh Beckett got crushed, as the Angels swept the Sox tonight. Beckett went 5 1/3 innings allowing 8 runs on 11 hits with 8 Ks. Josh has just not looked the same as he did last year, but I still think he will turn it on. Still, it make you think about how he came into camp out of shape. The only bright spot for the Sox was a 2 run HR by Coco Crisp, but it was out shined by the Angels 16 hits. I can't really get into this game anymore, since I am really focused on the Manny situation. All I have to say is thank God they have the day off tomorrow.
I am now going to break down the Big 12. I hate this conference as much as The Captain hates the Big 10. I hate Texas, I hate Oklahoma, and the rest of the teams. Although it is a tough conference, it could not compete with the SEC.
1. Oklahoma: This is the obvious choice this year. Sam Bradford is a great quarterback and will continue to prosper for the Sooners. Even with the departures of Allen Patrick and Malcolm Kelly, I believe there is enough firepower in Bob Stoops systen to make up for it. Junior running back Chris Brown and sophomore DeMarco Murray are set to take the place of Patrick for this years 1,200 yard rusher. I believe Chris Brown will win the competition due to the fact every Chris Brown does well in college.
2. Missouri I like Mizzou a lot and I like Quarterback Chase Daniels even more. Last year with mediocre wide receivers Daniels was able to put up 4,306 yards and 33 touchdowns through the air. I believe Chase will be able to put them in Big 12 championship contention.
3. Texas Colt McCoy not only has a great name but has a great team around him. After a break out freshman year Colt plateaued last year. Even with the departure of Jamaal Charles, Texas will be a very dangerous team. Chris Ogbannaya is to take over Charles place and run hard.
4. Kansas State I know people probably have them ranked much lower, but it is my break down and I put them here for a reason. Josh Freeman is the best quarterback in this conference and even though he lost his top target Jordy Nelson, he will be able to recover with up in comer Deon Murphy. I not only expect Josh to put up great numbers for K-State but be in contention for the Heisman.
5. Kansas After a ridiculous year last year with getting to the number 1 spot in the BCS and finishing 7 at the end of the year, I expect somewhat of a drop off this year. Todd Reesing who is the sole reason that Kansas was a good offensive team last year and although he didn't put up numbers that will jump out at you he will not lose you a game.
6. Texas Tech Graham Harrell is back and ready to air it out for his second consecutive season. Last season, Harrell set an NCAA record with 48 touchdown passes and became just the sixth major-college player to throw for 5,000 yards in a season. Texas Tech will win just because they put an absurd amount of points on the board.
7. Oklahoma State Strong run game keeps them in mediocrity 8. Colorado Ditto 9. Texas A & M 10. Nebraska 11. Baylor 12. Iowa State
ESPN is reporting "Green Bay Packers president Mark Murphy traveled to Mississippi to meet with quarterback Brett Favre and his agent James "Bus" Cook on Wednesday, in an apparent attempt to talk Favre out of reporting to camp later this week."
This is not going to work. We all know Favre is coming back, and the Packers can't fold now and make him their starting QB, so they need to bite the bullet and cut him. Obviously the best scenario (other than him staying retired) is to be able to trade him, but the more they wait, the worse this situation is going to get. Packer nation seems to want Favre back, but the front office needs to take notice that the longer they wait to make a move, the harder it will be for Aaron Rodgers. No matter what this is going to be a very long season for the Packers, and it is all because their former hero ruined this organization (and maybe Rodgers career)
“New York has acquired catcher Ivan Rodriguez from the Tigers on Wednesday for right-handed pitcher Kyle Farnsworth the reliever played for the Tigers in 2005.” (ESPN)
This trade bamboozles me. Pudge was finally starting to heat up after a dreadful first half, and the Tigers send him to the Yankees for an average relief arm. Granted the Tigers bullpen is in disarray and they definitely need more depth in that department, but why trade Pudge to a team that Detroit may have to face in October? Rodrgiuez’s batting average is approaching .300 and has been on fire the month of July. I suppose with Pudge’s contract ending after this season, the Tigers figured it would be best to get something for him.
This trade puts New York right back into the playoff picture that they were never really out of, stay with me here. Even in late May and early June when the Yankees were 10 games out of first place, you knew that by August they would find themselves right where they needed to be. If nothing else, this trade should turn your focus to the Red Sox, who have made no moves and have stumbled out of the all-star break losing 6 of their last 10 games. The A.L. East race is heating up, and the Yankees have made sure we don’t count them out.
Gambling Tim Donaghy got sentenced yesterday to 15 months in prison.
I think that is a great deal for Donaghy, kind of makes me want start a gambling ring that destroys the NBA. The reason he got such a short sentence is because he gave up names to the FBI. This also mean he probably has 15 months to live as well.
Yesterday night Ron Artest got traded to the Rockets for first-round pick in 2009, newly drafted Rockets rookie Donte Greene, Kings alumnus Bobby Jackson (contract reasons)
I love this move, I was kind of hoping when the Celtics had their MLE they might sign and trade for him. The Rockets need a third option behind T-Mac and Yao Ming and now they do. He has been on really good behavior the past couple of years and if he keeps it up he will be able to thrive in the Rockets system.
For the Kings, they got two first round picks, Bob's boy Green and a first round pick next year. For a rebuilding team that is exactly when you need.
I hate the BigTen. I hate it because I don't like the Midwest. I hate Michigan. I hate Ohio State. And the state of Wisconsin sucks. And most of all, I hate people who can't count. And if you don't hate the BigTen, just realize it's the biggest supporter of the BCS system, and the biggest fighter of a playoff.
I think the BigTen is a bit overrated. They were 3-5 in Bowl games last year. Then again, the BCS decided to put Illinois into the Rose Bowl to face USC, which was a complete joke.
Let's get to the teams...
1. Ohio State One of the favorites to win a national title, as always. OSU is usually ballsy enough to schedule a big non-conference game and this year is not different. They play USC on the road. But they never play more than one quality team. Their other non-conference opponents are Ohio, Youngstown State, and Troy. The Buckeyes have 9 returning offensive starters, and a loaded defense. They'll go 11-1 and make the national championship game... unfortunately.
2. Wisconsin The Badgers are solid, but I don't know why anyone considers them to be close to a top ten team in the country. They have Zach Brown and Lance Smith at QB, but neither has significant experience, nor does either one stand out. PJ Hill rushed for 1200+ yards last year and is the main reason Wisconsin will end up in the Rose Bowl. Actually, the main reason is that the rest of the BigTen blows.
3. Illinois Without Rashard Mendenhall, the Fighting Illini become one of those teams that drifts into and out of the top 20 from week to week. Juice Williams returns at QB, but his 13 TDs and 12 INTs are a cause for concern. They've got a solid and deep defensive line, but elsewhere their defense is missing that little extra something that makes a unit great. Missouri will avenge their BCS snub on August 30th when they destroy Illinois.
4. Penn State There's always a great deal of optimism surrounding Penn State, and that's why I hate them. Although the Nittany Lions have some promising players like RB Evan Royster (6.3 yards per carry in limited time last year), there are too many questions that will go unanswered (like who will be QB, what kind of offense will the team have, etc.). Like Illinois, they'll drift in and out of the top 20 all season.
5. Michigan No I-AA teams on Michigan's schedule this year. Michigan will be utilizing a speedier spread offense, which may work out in 2009 or 2010, but will be funny to watch in 2008. Only 3 returning starters for the Michigan offense, none of whom are significant. On the other side of the coin, the defense returns 8 starters, including all 4 linemen. So they'll be in a lot of games, but their offense will struggle to capitalize on the opportunities their defense creates for them. It will be a frustrating season for Wolverine fans, which makes me very happy.
6. Purdue The only BigTen team I like. QB Curtis Painter returns to lead the offense. He threw for 3,846 yards and 29 TDs in 2007. But he'll miss Dorian Bryant and Dustin Keller, his top two receivers from last year. The offensive line will also struggle, and the defense won't do much to impress. But they'll have a solid season and make a bowl game.
7. Michigan State RB Javon Ringer will be the star of the MSU offense. He ran for 1,484 yards and 6 TDs last year. Jehuu Caulcrick got the goal line carries, but he's gone. But QB Brian Hoyer has a problem: he threw 20 TDs last year, but 14 of them were to players who are now in the NFL (Devin Thomas and Kellen Davis). The Spartan defense is slightly above average. It won't win games on its own, but it won't lose games on its own either. MSU will be a fun team to watch in '08 because they'll be capable of stealing a few games here and there.
8. Iowa The Hawkeyes averaged a pitiful 18.5 points per game on offense last year, and things won't be much better in 2008. The offensive line allowed 46 sacks in 2007, but maybe returning most of the starters will help minimize that problem. The defense lost its best players from last year. So basically, a team that was 6-6 (4-4 conference) got a little bit worse.
9. Northwestern They'll probably finish higher than 9th in the BigTen standings. They return 15 starters from a 6-6 team, but they're still Northwestern. Their players go to class, so they're not competitive.
10. Minnesota Minnesota has 15 returning starters, but I don't know if that's much of a good thing for a 1-11 team to do.
11. Indiana The battle for 11th place in the BigTen will be more dramatic than the battle for 1st. But I think Indiana wins out.
Ricky Davis signed a very James Posey esk contract with the Clippers, 2 years, 4.7 million dollars with a player option after the first year.
Ricky could be a very underrated signing. He is only 28 and can still score, last year he averaged 13 points off the bench for the Heat. With him coming off the bench for the Clips that pretty much solidifies the second unit. The team isnt looking bad with the two Davis', Camby, Thornton, Kaman, and Mobley.
Today Emeka Okafor signed a 6 year, 72 million dollar extension with the Charlotte Bobcats.
I am surprised the former first round pick was signed for such a low amount. 12 million dollars is a lot but for a double double center, I feel it is a relatively cheap move. Now that Sam Vincent is out for the Bobcats, lets see if Okafor will finally live up to his hype.
ESPN Insider reports, "ESPN's Enrique Rojas writes that the Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros have had conversations about shortstop Miguel Tejada. Rojas' sources indicate that the talks have just started. Tejada told ESPN in a phone interview, "I feel good in Houston, but I wouldn't be afraid to accept the challenge of playing in Boston."
Well I would absolutely love that if that happened. Miguel Tejada is my favorite SS in the league and would make the sometime stalled Red Sox lineup that much more dangerous. I would easily give up Lowrie and Masterson for him. I don't care if Tejada is 78, the guy can still rake.
Year in and year out the SEC has been the best conference in college football. People can bring up the Pac 10 B.S. however, SEC is where real college football is played. Every single week any team can beat anyone and this year will be no different.
1. Georgia Bulldogs The reason I am picking Georgia is because they are simply the most complete team in the SEC. They finished 11-2 in a very tough SEC last year and have most of their playmakers back for this year. Matt Stafford is my favorite quarterback in this conference, and I believe he has the most potential to be a successful NFL star. Knowshon Moreno is also the real deal at runningback. In his first year he finished with 1,334 and 14 TDs last year and expect nothing less than 1,700 yards and 20 tds.
2. Florida Gators I hate to admit it because I despise Florida, however, any team with Tim Tebow on it is an extremely dangerous team. The guy is the ultimate threat passing and rushing. OK that is all the good things I can say about Florida. I hate the Gators.
O.K. I have spent the past 30 minutes figuring out who is the rest. So here it is: 3. LSU: I am moving to New Orleans so I will be rooting for them. However, with the loss of Perrilouix(?) I don't like their chances. 4. Tennessee: Jonathan Crompton takes over for Erik Ainge, I have faith in him and runningback Arian Foster is a force. 5. Auburn: Too much competition for the RB position, and QB position. Too much uncertainty in those two spots is never a good thing. 6. South Carolina: Steve Spurrier has slowly put this team together. 7. Miss State 8. Arkansas 9. Alabama 10. Kentucky 11. Vandy 12. Ole Miss
I am officially sick of Manny Ramirez. I used to hate Manny back in the day, but his laid back atmosphere got to me, because I could relate. For the past 15 years, (or that's what it seems like) there has always been an incident when Manny has asked to be traded, put on waivers, or something like that. This year I am kind of sick of Manny being Manny. It seems like he has changed a little bit, first the fight with Youk, then pushing a 60 year old guy to the ground, and now him saying he would not veto a trade if the Sox decided to get rid of him. I am tired of it. I'm not saying that every Red Sox player has team loyalty but it is quite apparent that all Manny cares about is his giant salary. I also know Manny may be the best Red Sox hitter (other than Grandslam Mirabelli)I have seen in my life. But I say ship him out when he is still productive and get some good young arm, or a great outfield prospect.
From our up and coming writer William Topham: Once again Manny being Manny bull shit is headlining in the sports world. It's clear the ego of Manny is taking over the Sox club house and sucking the life out of the team like a tick. To put it bluntly he's being a prick once again. He's got one thing right enough is enough. What I don't think he is right about is that the Sox need Manny, regardless of what everyone thinks. I for one am a realist and realize that he is an absolute beast, but he's not what he once was. From 2001 threw 2006 he averaged 39 homers, 119 RBI, and a .317 batting average. In the past few years he's lost some of that production and has increasing become more and more of a pain in the ass. Of course many people wont agree with my stance on Manny being a dueche bag because he has entertained to the point of capturing the hearts of Boston's faithful. Quite honestly I'm sick of the shit, and, personally, the ownership need's set an example with Manny Ramirez, and a lesson to the rest of the league and trade his ass. Of course everyone will object saying that no team could possibly come close to giving the Sox the equivalent of what is Manny Ramirez or that the Red Sox will go no where without him. But sometimes an organization needs to cut its losses and move on, such as the case with the Red Sox of 2008. For an organization to go out of its way to accommodate one player the way in which the Red Sox have done in the past 6 years and still have countlessly been shited on by his immature nature is remarkable. There's no doubt that he was a key part of bring two Championships to Boston, but if it wasn't for the pitching staff's they wouldn't have went as far, and accomplished as much as they did. There's is little doubt that once again, that this team will go as far as their pitching will take them. So I conclude with some possible Manny deals that would help the team this season, without the prospects in which the club desires.
1. Trade him to the ATL and get Tex and McCann-Tek isn't going to be around forever. 2. Trade him to Colorado and get Fuentes and Holliday filling both the needs to bolster the bullpen and provide the right handed power bat that the line up needs. 3. Trade him the Philli and get Burrell and some young players, maybe the Flyin' Hawaiian
The Packers are doing the right thing in making it known that Aaron Rodgers is the number 1 QB. It is great that they are not giving into the Brett Favre hooplah(?). People are already talking about Rodgers being a bust and hasn't played a game. I will be very surprised if Rodgers throws less than 3,000 yards and 20 Tds.
I know it is kind of old..... but fuck Favre! I hope that douche doesn't ever play a down of football again.
According to ESPN: Devin Hester signed a 4 year deal worth at least $30 million, of which $15 million is guaranteed.
Good for the Bears locking up a kick returner, but not drafting a credible quarterback. It is good to know where their priorities are. Also, good for Hester for cashing in on only really being a kick returner. Now hopefully he can afford some pants that fit him. Not those flood pants seen above.
“The Chicago Cubs called up right-hander Jeff Samardzija from Triple-A Iowa on Friday after placing closer Kerry Wood on the disabled list with a blister on his right index finger.” (ESPN)
Former Notre Dame receiver Jeff “the shark” Samardzija is being brought up from AAA Iowa to fill the open roster spot made available when the cubbies placed Kerry Wood on the DL. Samardzija has been effective at the Triple-A level as a starter, but will be in the bullpen for the time being.
I am pumped the Cubs made this move. I love Notre Dame, and love everything about this guy. He could have been a first round pick in the 2006 NFL draft, instead decides to sign a baseball contract with the Cubs.
It is about god damn time my Dukies get some mother fucking respect around these parts. Since 1984/1985 the Blue Devils took home the top prize in ESPN's most prestigious progams. See Story Here.
Throughout the past 25 years, Duke has maintained the cleanest, most successful program in D1 Hoops. They never stooped to the levels of UNC, UCLA, Kansas or Kentucky. They held their admission standards high and never darkened the program in search of more wins.
Thank you, ESPN.
1. DUKE BLUE DEVILS, ACC Positives (with overall ranking): • 21 conference titles (11 regular-season, 10 tourney): T-1st (with Arizona) • 21 20-win seasons: T-3rd • 8 30-win seasons: T-1st (with Kansas) • 23 NCAA tournament berths: T-2nd • 10 No. 1 seeds: 1st • 17 Sweet 16s: 1st • 10 Final Fours: 1st • 3 national championships (1991, 1992, 2001): 1st • 69 NCAA tournament wins: 1st • 12 first team All-Americans: 1st • 25 All-Americans: 1st • 11 NBA top-10 picks: T-1st (with North Carolina) Negatives: 1 losing season (13-18 in 1994-95) Total points: 538 (84 points more than No. 2 UNC) Did you know? By any measure of success, Duke is king of the hill in college basketball in the 64-team era of the NCAA tournament. Besides the three national titles, Duke is No. 1 among all basketball programs with 69 NCAA tournament wins, 12 first team All-Americans, 11 top-10 NBA picks, 10 No. 1 seeds and seven title game appearances. An easy selection in any format for No. 1.
The Bruins waived veteran winger Glen Murray, the first step to cutting him loose by buying him out. The move freed up significant cap space to retain defenseman Dennis Wideman.
Murray only scored 17 goals last year, a far cry from the production expected from him. Murray was one of the very few full-time Bruins who had fewer assists (13) than goals. He had no goals, and no assists in the playoff series against Montreal, and was -3.
First Brandon Jennings, now Josh Childress. According to ESPN Josh Childress a free agent from Atlanta has bounced across the seas after signing a 3 year, 20 million dollar deal with Greece.
My opinion is good for him. I don't really care for Josh Childress and his ridiculous shot, but I hope this does not start a trend. NBA Commissioner must be shitting himself after two players have vouched to play overseas rather than sticking in America.
In the first major conference breakdown I am going to start with the Big East. I will start off with my opinion of who I believe will be the contenders then go on from there.
1. West Virginia Seems like the obvious choice here. Even with the loss of Head Coach Rich Rodriguez and star running back Steve Slaton, I believe West Virginia has the best chance to run away with this conference. Coach Bill Stewart says that he is going to make quarterback Pat White more into a passer and not be so reliant on the option and running game.
QB I don't need to say much here. Pat White is a hell of a college quarterback and will continue to dominate this year both in the air and on the ground. In every year playing Pat has increased his yardage, completion percentage, and TDs and last year decreased his interceptions from 7 to 4. Also, this quarterback is not a one trick pony and has also increased his rushing yards every year as well. Last year he rushed for 1335 yards and 14 tds. I expect both rushing and passing will increase this year.
RB Noel Devine is going to be the successor to Steve Slaton. Not only does he have a great name he ran for 627 yards with an 8.1 yards per carry. And in his third game played he ran for 136 yards on only 5 carries. I believe he will be the next great West Virginia running back. They also have Zach Hulse (5-10, 200), FCS transfer Mark Rodgers (5-8, 180) and prep-schooler Terrence Kerns (6-1, 225), if academically eligible.
Anyways I don't feel like breaking down everything so I will just do an overall: West Virginia should win this conference easily but does have tough games at Colorado, then home games against Rutgers and Auburn. If they stumble at all against those teams they will just be another underachieving West Virginia team.
2. Pitt: I am in love with runningback LeSean McCoy and it is not just the fact he has 4 capitol letters in his name. I believe he will be the next great runningback and maybe will be better then Ray Rice and Steve Slaton. Look for around 1,800 yards on the ground and 600 yards in the air. With a bad Big East he will be enough to threaten some teams.
3. Rutgers: After losing Ray Rice, all eyes will be on Mike Teel. Mike Teel will be the best passing quarterback in the Big East. Even with an injured thumb Teel was able to put up 3,147 and 20 Tds. With Tiquan Underwood (6-2, 180) and junior Kenny Britt (6-4, 205) both coming back after putting up 1,000 yards last year, I expect nothing less then 3,800 yards and 27 Tds.
4. South Florida: South Florida was an anomaly last year and as much as like the heart of Matt Grothe, I don't believe he will be able to do it again. Grothe put up 2670 yards in the air and 872 yards on the ground. I think he will be about the same but he can't do it alone and doesn't have any prolific play makers to go to on his team.
5. UConn: After a fluke shared Big East title, UConn lost their leading wide receiver Terrence Jeffers to Vanderbilt. But they do have Tyler Lorenzen, Jared Lorenzen's kid brother and he is also huge 6-5, 240.
And the rest: 6. Louisville: No Brian Brohm, big problem. has 6 wins maybe.
7. Cincinnati: NCAA screwed Ben Mauk out of a 6th season thus screwing Cincy out of any chance to win.
IndyCar racer Danica Patrick arguing with the only other female driver on the circuit, Milka Duno. Danica is kind of a whiny bitch, which fits with most IndyCar drivers. In some ways, I think Milka is hotter.
A real fight would have been nice. That's just another reason why NASCAR is better than IndyCar. Take this example from 2002 when Kevin Harvick jumped over a car to fight Greg Biffle.
I also wish Danica and Milka got as close to kissing as Harvick and Biffle.
The Sox are 36-11 (.766) in Fenway Park and 21-32 (.396) on the road. They score 5.62 runs per game at home, but only 4.32 on the road. But the big problem isn't the hitting. Fenway Park is friendly to offense, so scoring fewer runs on the road is understandable. But the pitching is considerably weaker on the road as well.
The Sox have a 3.35 team ERA in Fenway Park, but on the road their team ERA is 4.34. They allow 3.72 runs at home, and 4.55 on the road. So the Sox score 1.3 fewer runs per game on the road, and allow 0.8 more runs.
Why is this? At this point in the season, such trends go beyond coincidence.
Here are the Sox pitchers (and their ERA's) who perform much better in Fenway than on the road.
Player:
Home:
Away:
Buchholz
2.42
8.49
Lester
2.93
3.92
Papelbon
1.17
4.08
Wakefield
3.04
4.04
Masterson
3.26
4.18
Here are the Sox hitters (along with their averages) who perform significantly better at home than away.
Player:
Home:
Away:
Crisp
.300
.216
Varitek
.259
.181
Ortiz
.295
.221
Lugo
.305
.233
Ellsbury
.300
.238
These trends aren't team wide. Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka, and Dustin Pedroia have all done better on the road. Mike Lowell, Kevin Youkilis, JD Drew, and Manny Ramirez have consistently performed the same both home and away.
The pitching trends are understandable. Buchholz, Lester, and Masterson are all young players. None of them have much experience pitching on the road in the Majors. Most of the time they're going to a ballpark they've never even been to, let alone pitched in. There's no routine built up, no comfort level.
With the offensive players, that could also explain Ellsbury's lagging performance on the road. He even gets caught stealing more on the road (5 times) than at home (1 time).
But what about Crisp, Lugo, and Varitek? Well there's no mystery behind these guys. They just aren't very good hitters. It's not that they have trouble on the road, it's that Fenway Park makes it seem as though they're good hitters. Furthermore, Lugo, Crisp, Varitek, and Ellsbury often bat in order (7-8-9-1), which makes things even easier on opposing pitchers on the road.
Unfortunately, there isn't too much that can be done about this. Varitek is showing no signs of improvement. And by now it's become clear that Crisp and Lugo are mediocre to below average hitters. Hopefully the younger pitchers and Ellsbury will gain some confidence on the road. And perhaps the returning David Ortiz will improve his road performance.
Today it was announced that Eddie House and Tony Allen have both been signed to 2 year deals with the Celtics.
Fucking right. While Gabe Pruitt is coming along, the C's need Eddie and Tony off the bench. They both play their roles well; Eddie being able to drop those clutch shots, and Tony with his consistent defensive ability. DP has been reppin Tony Allen for a couple of years now, and i think this year will be a break out year for him. These two guys were intricate pieces of the championships squad and i couldnt be happier to see them locked up for a couple more years.
Ehhh, I kinda hate it. It doesn't sound right to me. I feel like when the Celtics play the Thunder, I won't be able to take them seriously. They better have really cool uniforms to overcome the terrible name.
Last night The Boston Celtics won an ESPY for the best team. Beating out the Red Sox, NY Giants, Tennessee Vols, and Kansas. I don't know if anyone cares too much about the ESPYs but Ray Allen did say, "It feels good to win again in LA again." which I think is pretty funny. I do believe they were the best team from start to finish.
Introducing the first picture why not? I have no idea what would make this situation come true, but I am glad it did. This is a picture of Clippers guard Baron Davis and Suns guard Steve Nash riding a two person bicycle dressed ridiculous. I think it is probably for one of Baron Davis' movies, but I am praying they are just doing it for fun.
Many retirements have been overlooked this year, like Trent Dilfer, Warren Sapp, Brett Favre, but I did not let this one slip through the cracks. My hero Hideo Nomo retired this weekend after having a great career and having the first successful career for a Japanese born player. Nomo opened up the doors for many of our Japanese born players today like Ichiro Suzuki, Hideki Matsui, and Fukadome. Even Hall of Famer Tom Lasorda, who managed the Dodgers in 1995 said "Hideo Nomo was a trailblazer," and "He represented himself and his country to the highest degree of class, dignity and character. I am so proud of all he did for Japanese players."Not only is one of the 4 players ever to throw a no hitter in both the Al and the NL. Nomo finished with a Nomo finished 123-109 with a 4.24 ERA and led the league in strike outs 4 years including once with the Red Sox. And is 1 out of the 2 Red Sox jerseys I own. (other being Doug Mirabelli's)
ESPN "The Redskins acquired Jason Taylor from the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins will receive a second-round pick in 2009 and a sixth-rounder in 2010."
After their defensive end Phillip Daniels got injured for the season the Redskins made a quick move to pick up a pro bowl defensive end. I love the move for all parties. Taylor went to a play-off team, the Dolphins got something for Taylor, and the Redskins got a stud defensive lineman. I don't think Taylor will put the Redskins over the top, but he is an improvement over Phillip Daniels.
Well I knew the Phillys would make a move, and I really like what they did here. Blanton is a guy who goes deep into games and in the weaker NL could be a very effective pitcher. I know what you're thinking...BMack what the hell are you talking about this guy is 5-12 with a 4.96 ERA. Well guys if you know baseball at all you would know Philly scores a lot of runs, and most pitchers that go to the NL are much better pitchers (sometimes even drop a point in his ERA). Philly sent minor leaguers Josh Outman (AA), Adrian Cardenas(A), and Matt Spencer (A). I know nothing about any of those players, but at least this will help Philly's rotation problems.
1. Virginia Tech:
