Felt like making this:
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Soccer in the USA
Yesterday at around 10am the USA wrote the story to one of the greatest days in our soccer team's history. After being absolutely screwed out of a goal for the second time in a week the US came from the ashes to beat Algeria in the 91st minute and win their group in the World Cup. It was amazing, it was unlikely, it was a story book finish to group play and I think I've seen the clip 50 times since it happened.
Oh you haven't seen it?
Where the F have you been
Amazing. The announcer from ESPN said it perfectly, "Dempsey has been denied again, and wait, Donovan, USA a GOLDEN GOAL, and surely you couldn't have written a better script than this."
Can we please get these guys over here for other sports. I think them adding in lines like "surely he won't be waking up for tea in the morning" into Ray Lewis killing some QB would really put a nice spin on it, maybe I'm crazy, but I don't think I'm alone.
Regardless, to the main point here...
Soccer's popularity is not going to change in America because of this win. Stop acting like this is some defining moment in the sports history in the US. America invented the modern forms of basketball, baseball and football...nothing will take their place.
What happened when David Beckham joined the Galaxy? Oh, soccer's going to take off in America! What happened next? They realized he wasn't bringing as much money as they thought he would and they shipped him off to AC Milan to mess up his leg...yeah, that went well.
Soccer has a much deeper root in America than most people think. The reason the sport suffers is in junior high school and high school when the three-four sport athlete's need to choose between soccer/baseball/football/basketball. Sadly, it becomes a money driven decision by parents as to which sport his/her child has a better chance to get a scholarship from for college. Not to mention, the basketball/football teams get all the glory in high school, not the soccer team. (In 90% of the High School's in America)
Until soccer has the backing of America's youth to stick with it and create a world class group of soccer players to grow the following in the US, it will stay in the same spot it is, #5 behind the rapidly growing NHL following.
Is this the first time American sports fans have broken out in the National Anthem?:
Algerian's are woman beaters: http://g.sports.yahoo.com/soccer/world-cup/news/algeria-star-slaps-female-reporter--fbintl_ro-algeria062310.html
Props to the Big Lead for all of this info: (http://thebiglead.com/index.php/2010/06/23/how-many-times-will-you-watch-video-of-landon-donovans-game-winning-goal-vs-algeria/)
Oh you haven't seen it?
Where the F have you been
Amazing. The announcer from ESPN said it perfectly, "Dempsey has been denied again, and wait, Donovan, USA a GOLDEN GOAL, and surely you couldn't have written a better script than this."
Can we please get these guys over here for other sports. I think them adding in lines like "surely he won't be waking up for tea in the morning" into Ray Lewis killing some QB would really put a nice spin on it, maybe I'm crazy, but I don't think I'm alone.
Regardless, to the main point here...
Soccer's popularity is not going to change in America because of this win. Stop acting like this is some defining moment in the sports history in the US. America invented the modern forms of basketball, baseball and football...nothing will take their place.
What happened when David Beckham joined the Galaxy? Oh, soccer's going to take off in America! What happened next? They realized he wasn't bringing as much money as they thought he would and they shipped him off to AC Milan to mess up his leg...yeah, that went well.
Soccer has a much deeper root in America than most people think. The reason the sport suffers is in junior high school and high school when the three-four sport athlete's need to choose between soccer/baseball/football/basketball. Sadly, it becomes a money driven decision by parents as to which sport his/her child has a better chance to get a scholarship from for college. Not to mention, the basketball/football teams get all the glory in high school, not the soccer team. (In 90% of the High School's in America)
Until soccer has the backing of America's youth to stick with it and create a world class group of soccer players to grow the following in the US, it will stay in the same spot it is, #5 behind the rapidly growing NHL following.
Is this the first time American sports fans have broken out in the National Anthem?:
Algerian's are woman beaters: http://g.sports.yahoo.com/soccer/world-cup/news/algeria-star-slaps-female-reporter--fbintl_ro-algeria062310.html
Props to the Big Lead for all of this info: (http://thebiglead.com/index.php/2010/06/23/how-many-times-will-you-watch-video-of-landon-donovans-game-winning-goal-vs-algeria/)
Thursday, April 8, 2010
AL Central
White Sox:
Whenever I talk about the White Sox, I usually find myself coming to three conclusions...how I would pay over $400 to punch A.J. Pierzynski in the face but I wish he was the catcher for my team, how I think Ozzie Guillen is the craziest, and one of the best, managers in baseball or how Frank Thomas is the only power batter of his era who didn't take steroids.
How how can you blame me for picking this team to be first, this team literally has everything you need for a championship club:
Solid bullpen, check. Veteran leadership, check. That one asshole player who constantly is constantly being a distraction (AJ), check. A pissed off Venezuelan for a manager, check. Ok, enough with this retarded check thing...they also have some really solid young players up the middle in Beckham and Ramirez and oh yeah, 4 really good starters...if they don't make some noise in October I'm going to be VERY surprised.
Off Season: Juan Pierre, Mark Teahen, Omar Vizquel, Andruw Jones, J.J. Putz, Mark Kotsay (Jermaine Dye, Chris Getz)
Ozzie said "Jermaine Dye sucks, give me someone who's not a piece of shit" Ken Williams said, how about Juan Pierre? Ozzie said "Bobby Jenks is a fat piece of shit, we need help" Ken Williams said here's J.J. Putz and use Matt Thornton. (he looks like the Putz from 08 with a nasty splitter returning in Spring) Ozzie said "give me some old ass players to talk to in the dugout while my team is kicking ass" so they signed Andruw Jones who has lost a ton of weight and killed it during Spring Training. Then Ozzie got drunk with his fellow Venezuelan Omar Vizquel and told him to join the team. Overall, a very solid job by Kenny Williams.
Pitching: Buerhle, Danks, Peavy, Gavin Floyd, Freddy Garcia
I know you just though "Freddy Garcia blows, they're not that good"...I understand that, but Aaron Poreda is going to come up anyways so stop questioning my un-intelligent and credulous banter.
Buerhle is an inning monster who gives you a solid outing EVERY time out. He pitched a perfect game last year, was one batter away from a perfect game two years ago, the guys a beast. Danks and Floyd are kind of hit or miss (Danks is a little better in my eyes) but they were both double digit winners last year with around 150 strikeouts. Obviously, Peavy is the big wild card here. He was out for a significant amount of time last year with a non-pitching injury (tore a tendon in his ankle) and looks to be completely healthy at the start of this year. He's only 28 and also only a few years removed from a Cy Young in San Diego. If he puts together a productive year, there's no way this team doesn't win the Central, he's that much of a difference maker.
Overall Pitching: B+ with A upside
Defense:
Chicago was already pretty solid defensively, but they got even better when they lost Jermaine Dye (I can't put into words how bad he was in right field...oh wait, Vlad Guerrero) and added Juan Pierre and Andruw Jones and let's not forget Alex Rios late last year. They moved Gordon Beckham over to second to become even faster and more athletic up the middle and added Mark Teahen/Omar Vizquel at third who both play above average defense.
Overall Defense: A-
Offense:
Me gusta Juan Pierre at lead off, I think Beckham is a young mini-Chase Utley, Quentin and Konerko smash baseballs like porn stars and me likes a CF with some potential for a 20-20 season in Rios. Anytime you have the ability to put up 5-6 runs a night and you have veterans mixed with very talented young players, you're going to win and do well in the playoffs, watch out.
I'm going to make a very bold prediction and say Andruw Jones is going to have a 20 HR season with an avg. over 280 this year, he will turn the White Sox OF into a platoon and possibly turn Quentin into a DH by the end of the season...
Overall Offense: A-
Twins:
Off Season: Jim Thome, Orlando Hudson, Carl Pavano (Orlando Cabrera, Carlos Gomez)
Hey Minnesota, GET EXCITED for 2010! We really focused on improving our team by signing the three least impressive free agents available! Renew your season tickets today!
So happy I'm not a Twins fan.
Probably the un-sexiest signings in the history of baseball. I would venture to say Orlando Cabrera the players they lost were better than what they pulled in.
Pitching:
Scott Baker, Kevin Slowey, Carl Pavano, Nick Blackburn, Francisco Liriano
I'll give the Twinkies credit, their pitchers are pretty good. They pound the strike zone and they're all pretty young and reliable. The only thing that bugs me is they don't have stuff. I like pitchers who walk up to the mound and Roger Dorn it..."I'm gonna strike that mother f'er out." Liriano is the only guy who can do that this year so I guess I don't know I guess I'm just not impressed. I feel like the reason this team can never make it over the hump is that if a team can hit well, they can beat them. There in lies a major problem if you ask me.
I know everyone is making a big stink about Joe Nathan being a HUGE difference in the division, but I don't think anyone knows what they're talking about. I think Jon Rauch is going to be fine as the closer, Nathan was a stud don't get me wrong...but I don't think it's going to make a difference in the Twins winning or losing the division. Their bullpen is pretty solid but
Overall Pitching: B
Defense:
It's always bad if the middle of your infield is either A) old or B) unathletic and guess what JJ Hardy "is a little whiny piece of of shit." - Ozzie Guillen. Ok, he didn't say that...but I can see him saying that and then punching him in the face. Besides that, Orlando Hudson has been getting the senior special at McDonald's for 5 years and he plays shuffle board with my grandma. Sounds like fun Minnesota, have fun with that.
Overall Defense: B
Offense:
These dudes hit harder than Charlie Sheen. They can mash from top to bottom: the M&M brothers, Michael Cuddyer, Jason Kubel can all hit 25+ homers and Delmon Young and JJ Hardy are both good for around 20. If Delmon Young shows up this year and show anywhere near what his potential is this team could Texas Rangers themselves through their schedule, just overpowering other teams.
Overall Offense: A
Tigers:
Off Season: Austin Jackson, Jose Valverde, Gerald Laird, Adam Everett, Johnny Damon, Max Sherzer, Scot Sizemore, Phil Coke (Edwin Jackson, Curtis Granderson, Placido Polanco, Fernando Rodney, Brandon Lyon)
Sizemore isn't really this year, but it's the first year he will make an impact so whatever, he's new.
They had a big hole to fill with Granderson leaving town and did a good job of filling it with the combination of Austin Jackson & Johnny Damon. Sherzer and Edwin Jackson are basically on par, so no big change there besides the fact that I think they both suck. Phil Coke is going to be a big bullpen upgrade as they lost Brandon Lyon and Fernando Rodney this off season.
Pitching:
Verlander, Porcello, Scherzer, Bonderman, Willis
Justin Verlander is one of the best pitchers in baseball and is a beast in eating innings up for your pen, outside him and Porcello, they could suck a golf ball through a water hose. People don't understand that Porcello has only been legally allowed to drink for four months. He's young, he's got the stuff and he's going to be a solid #2 for the next 5-10 years...but look outside of that.
Scherzer is Jekyll and Hyde, he has filthy stuff, but he has no control. His avg. line from last year went something like 9 hits, 4 runs, 4 walks, 9 K's. So one outing he will be good, then the next two he sucks...I guess on the bright side he's better than Dontrelle Willis. Bonderman has pitched 81 innings in the last two seasons. Yeah, that's looking good. They will have a good opportunity to win half of their games with pitching...not good.
Overall Pitching: B-
Defense:
The Tigers are old crafty vets in the field. Guillen will hold down the hot corner quite well for celebrating the big 5-0 with Magglio Ordonez last month. Adam Everett and and Sizemore are a solid defense up the middle along with Austin Jackson in the CF spot.
Overall Defense: B
Offense:
Theoretically if Magglio Ordonez gets his head out of his ass (.300, 20+ HR, 90+rbi's), they should be a pretty solid offensive club. Austin Jackson is going to be a really good lead off man if he can learn to be more patient, Johnny Damon can be a solid lead off or #2, Cabrera is a beast, Ordonez/Guillen are both old but still dangerous hitters. If you add in Sizemore living up to his potential and the predictable Brandon Inge HR streak, this team can hit and hit well.
Overall offense: B
Team's outlook: Everything looks good until Miguel Cabrera loses interest 10 games into the season and takes a 2 month bender to Vegas, offensive slump for 152 games ensues.
These are going to get progressively smaller as the teams get less and less interesting...
Royals:
Off Season: Rick Ankiel, Chris Getz, Scott Posednik
Nothing like an old guy, a guy who only steals and an old pitcher with a cannon as an arm and a bat with a hole in it to get you excited, HERE WE GO ROYALS HERE WE GO!
Pitching:
Greinke = Buzzsaw
Gil Meche = One hit wonder
Rest of staff = bag of burning crap on doorstep as good as -->
Overall Pitching: C +
Defense:
Worse than the Indians but better than my little league team.
Overall Defense: C +
Offense:
They, like most seasons, will get off to a hot start, courtesy of Jose Guillen.
This should be notified by someone as the Jose Guillen effect. Monthly splits in 2008 (his best season) May/June: .325 avg, .900 OPS, 6 HR's, 20+ rbis EVERY OTHER MONTH: .250 avg, .600 OPS, 3 HR's, 10 rbi's.
Theeeeen they will tail off into the Abyss like they always do unless the following players surprise everyone: Alberto Callaspo, Scott Posednik, Chris Getz, David DeJesus, Jose Guillen
My guess is Callaspo shows up, Getz surprises a lot of people and so does David DeJesus.
Overall Offense: B -
Indians:
Off Season: Russell Branyan, Justin Masterson ( )
Wow, Russell Branyan!
Pitching:
Jake Westbrook, Fausto Carmona, Justin Masterson, David Huff, Mitch Talbot
Who the fuck are David Huff and Mitch Talbot? Enough said..
Overall Pitching: D
Defense:
Well their defense is better than their offense...
I mean, they can't be that bad, Grady Sizemore and Michael Brantley are in the OF...and Asdrubal Cabrera is a really good SS.
Overall Defense: B
Offense:
Things to look forward to: Shin Soo Choo hitting 20 HR, stealing 20 bases and playing some Chinese techno every time he walks up to the plate. Grady Sizemore disappointing the city of Cleveland again and being traded. Travis Hafner coming up to the plate with his jock strap on outside of his pants. Ryan Garko realizing they are holding back on his plate appearances because Rachel Phelps took over the team.
Overall Offense: C +
Whenever I talk about the White Sox, I usually find myself coming to three conclusions...how I would pay over $400 to punch A.J. Pierzynski in the face but I wish he was the catcher for my team, how I think Ozzie Guillen is the craziest, and one of the best, managers in baseball or how Frank Thomas is the only power batter of his era who didn't take steroids.
How how can you blame me for picking this team to be first, this team literally has everything you need for a championship club:
Solid bullpen, check. Veteran leadership, check. That one asshole player who constantly is constantly being a distraction (AJ), check. A pissed off Venezuelan for a manager, check. Ok, enough with this retarded check thing...they also have some really solid young players up the middle in Beckham and Ramirez and oh yeah, 4 really good starters...if they don't make some noise in October I'm going to be VERY surprised.
Off Season: Juan Pierre, Mark Teahen, Omar Vizquel, Andruw Jones, J.J. Putz, Mark Kotsay (Jermaine Dye, Chris Getz)
Ozzie said "Jermaine Dye sucks, give me someone who's not a piece of shit" Ken Williams said, how about Juan Pierre? Ozzie said "Bobby Jenks is a fat piece of shit, we need help" Ken Williams said here's J.J. Putz and use Matt Thornton. (he looks like the Putz from 08 with a nasty splitter returning in Spring) Ozzie said "give me some old ass players to talk to in the dugout while my team is kicking ass" so they signed Andruw Jones who has lost a ton of weight and killed it during Spring Training. Then Ozzie got drunk with his fellow Venezuelan Omar Vizquel and told him to join the team. Overall, a very solid job by Kenny Williams.
Pitching: Buerhle, Danks, Peavy, Gavin Floyd, Freddy Garcia
I know you just though "Freddy Garcia blows, they're not that good"...I understand that, but Aaron Poreda is going to come up anyways so stop questioning my un-intelligent and credulous banter.
Buerhle is an inning monster who gives you a solid outing EVERY time out. He pitched a perfect game last year, was one batter away from a perfect game two years ago, the guys a beast. Danks and Floyd are kind of hit or miss (Danks is a little better in my eyes) but they were both double digit winners last year with around 150 strikeouts. Obviously, Peavy is the big wild card here. He was out for a significant amount of time last year with a non-pitching injury (tore a tendon in his ankle) and looks to be completely healthy at the start of this year. He's only 28 and also only a few years removed from a Cy Young in San Diego. If he puts together a productive year, there's no way this team doesn't win the Central, he's that much of a difference maker.
Overall Pitching: B+ with A upside
Defense:
Chicago was already pretty solid defensively, but they got even better when they lost Jermaine Dye (I can't put into words how bad he was in right field...oh wait, Vlad Guerrero) and added Juan Pierre and Andruw Jones and let's not forget Alex Rios late last year. They moved Gordon Beckham over to second to become even faster and more athletic up the middle and added Mark Teahen/Omar Vizquel at third who both play above average defense.
Overall Defense: A-
Offense:
Me gusta Juan Pierre at lead off, I think Beckham is a young mini-Chase Utley, Quentin and Konerko smash baseballs like porn stars and me likes a CF with some potential for a 20-20 season in Rios. Anytime you have the ability to put up 5-6 runs a night and you have veterans mixed with very talented young players, you're going to win and do well in the playoffs, watch out.
I'm going to make a very bold prediction and say Andruw Jones is going to have a 20 HR season with an avg. over 280 this year, he will turn the White Sox OF into a platoon and possibly turn Quentin into a DH by the end of the season...
Overall Offense: A-
Twins:
Off Season: Jim Thome, Orlando Hudson, Carl Pavano (Orlando Cabrera, Carlos Gomez)
Hey Minnesota, GET EXCITED for 2010! We really focused on improving our team by signing the three least impressive free agents available! Renew your season tickets today!
So happy I'm not a Twins fan.
Probably the un-sexiest signings in the history of baseball. I would venture to say Orlando Cabrera the players they lost were better than what they pulled in.
Pitching:
Scott Baker, Kevin Slowey, Carl Pavano, Nick Blackburn, Francisco Liriano
I'll give the Twinkies credit, their pitchers are pretty good. They pound the strike zone and they're all pretty young and reliable. The only thing that bugs me is they don't have stuff. I like pitchers who walk up to the mound and Roger Dorn it..."I'm gonna strike that mother f'er out." Liriano is the only guy who can do that this year so I guess I don't know I guess I'm just not impressed. I feel like the reason this team can never make it over the hump is that if a team can hit well, they can beat them. There in lies a major problem if you ask me.
I know everyone is making a big stink about Joe Nathan being a HUGE difference in the division, but I don't think anyone knows what they're talking about. I think Jon Rauch is going to be fine as the closer, Nathan was a stud don't get me wrong...but I don't think it's going to make a difference in the Twins winning or losing the division. Their bullpen is pretty solid but
Overall Pitching: B
Defense:
It's always bad if the middle of your infield is either A) old or B) unathletic and guess what JJ Hardy "is a little whiny piece of of shit." - Ozzie Guillen. Ok, he didn't say that...but I can see him saying that and then punching him in the face. Besides that, Orlando Hudson has been getting the senior special at McDonald's for 5 years and he plays shuffle board with my grandma. Sounds like fun Minnesota, have fun with that.
Overall Defense: B
Offense:
These dudes hit harder than Charlie Sheen. They can mash from top to bottom: the M&M brothers, Michael Cuddyer, Jason Kubel can all hit 25+ homers and Delmon Young and JJ Hardy are both good for around 20. If Delmon Young shows up this year and show anywhere near what his potential is this team could Texas Rangers themselves through their schedule, just overpowering other teams.
Overall Offense: A
Tigers:
Off Season: Austin Jackson, Jose Valverde, Gerald Laird, Adam Everett, Johnny Damon, Max Sherzer, Scot Sizemore, Phil Coke (Edwin Jackson, Curtis Granderson, Placido Polanco, Fernando Rodney, Brandon Lyon)
Sizemore isn't really this year, but it's the first year he will make an impact so whatever, he's new.
They had a big hole to fill with Granderson leaving town and did a good job of filling it with the combination of Austin Jackson & Johnny Damon. Sherzer and Edwin Jackson are basically on par, so no big change there besides the fact that I think they both suck. Phil Coke is going to be a big bullpen upgrade as they lost Brandon Lyon and Fernando Rodney this off season.
Pitching:
Verlander, Porcello, Scherzer, Bonderman, Willis
Justin Verlander is one of the best pitchers in baseball and is a beast in eating innings up for your pen, outside him and Porcello, they could suck a golf ball through a water hose. People don't understand that Porcello has only been legally allowed to drink for four months. He's young, he's got the stuff and he's going to be a solid #2 for the next 5-10 years...but look outside of that.
Scherzer is Jekyll and Hyde, he has filthy stuff, but he has no control. His avg. line from last year went something like 9 hits, 4 runs, 4 walks, 9 K's. So one outing he will be good, then the next two he sucks...I guess on the bright side he's better than Dontrelle Willis. Bonderman has pitched 81 innings in the last two seasons. Yeah, that's looking good. They will have a good opportunity to win half of their games with pitching...not good.
Overall Pitching: B-
Defense:
The Tigers are old crafty vets in the field. Guillen will hold down the hot corner quite well for celebrating the big 5-0 with Magglio Ordonez last month. Adam Everett and and Sizemore are a solid defense up the middle along with Austin Jackson in the CF spot.
Overall Defense: B
Offense:
Theoretically if Magglio Ordonez gets his head out of his ass (.300, 20+ HR, 90+rbi's), they should be a pretty solid offensive club. Austin Jackson is going to be a really good lead off man if he can learn to be more patient, Johnny Damon can be a solid lead off or #2, Cabrera is a beast, Ordonez/Guillen are both old but still dangerous hitters. If you add in Sizemore living up to his potential and the predictable Brandon Inge HR streak, this team can hit and hit well.
Overall offense: B
Team's outlook: Everything looks good until Miguel Cabrera loses interest 10 games into the season and takes a 2 month bender to Vegas, offensive slump for 152 games ensues.
These are going to get progressively smaller as the teams get less and less interesting...
Royals:
Off Season: Rick Ankiel, Chris Getz, Scott Posednik
Nothing like an old guy, a guy who only steals and an old pitcher with a cannon as an arm and a bat with a hole in it to get you excited, HERE WE GO ROYALS HERE WE GO!
Pitching:
Greinke = Buzzsaw
Gil Meche = One hit wonder
Rest of staff = bag of burning crap on doorstep as good as -->
Overall Pitching: C +
Defense:
Worse than the Indians but better than my little league team.
Overall Defense: C +
Offense:
They, like most seasons, will get off to a hot start, courtesy of Jose Guillen.
This should be notified by someone as the Jose Guillen effect. Monthly splits in 2008 (his best season) May/June: .325 avg, .900 OPS, 6 HR's, 20+ rbis EVERY OTHER MONTH: .250 avg, .600 OPS, 3 HR's, 10 rbi's.
Theeeeen they will tail off into the Abyss like they always do unless the following players surprise everyone: Alberto Callaspo, Scott Posednik, Chris Getz, David DeJesus, Jose Guillen
My guess is Callaspo shows up, Getz surprises a lot of people and so does David DeJesus.
Overall Offense: B -
Indians:
Off Season: Russell Branyan, Justin Masterson ( )
Wow, Russell Branyan!
Pitching:
Jake Westbrook, Fausto Carmona, Justin Masterson, David Huff, Mitch Talbot
Who the fuck are David Huff and Mitch Talbot? Enough said..
Overall Pitching: D
Defense:
Well their defense is better than their offense...
I mean, they can't be that bad, Grady Sizemore and Michael Brantley are in the OF...and Asdrubal Cabrera is a really good SS.
Overall Defense: B
Offense:
Things to look forward to: Shin Soo Choo hitting 20 HR, stealing 20 bases and playing some Chinese techno every time he walks up to the plate. Grady Sizemore disappointing the city of Cleveland again and being traded. Travis Hafner coming up to the plate with his jock strap on outside of his pants. Ryan Garko realizing they are holding back on his plate appearances because Rachel Phelps took over the team.
Overall Offense: C +
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
AL West Prediction
Before we get into the baseball division predictions, let's take a few minutes of time to devote to Arnold Schwarzenegger...I give you his 160 best quotes:
So, being an Angels fan, this is going to be tough to be unbiased, but I will do my best. Sports Illustrated picked the Angels to win, about half of ESPN picked the Mariners, I've heard of a lot of people picking the Rangers because of their offense...and all of them could be right, the division is that close.
Angels:
Let's be honest, we got raped this off season. We lost our #1 starter, lost our lead off man, lost one of our more dependable relievers in Darren Oliver and oh yeah, Vlad Guerrero left town too.
Picture yourself as a GM, would you resign a 31 year old John Lackey who has started 08 and 09 on the DL? You would? Would you sign him to a 5-year $83 million dollar contract? If you would...you better be from Boston or NY...good decision to not resign from my prospective.
To quickly go over all of the other losses, Darren Oliver is 95...Vlad the impaler is WAY past his prime and it was very evident last year and Chone Figgins signed a $45 million dollar contract in his 32 year of life...no thank you.
That being the case, the Angels did the best they could to refill thos holes without spending eleventy-billion dollars
- They signed an aging lizard in Hideki Matsui
- Signed Joel Pineiro (whoopdy friggin-do)
- Got Fernando Rodney to take over as closer once Fuentes starts blowing saves in week 3.
- They paid to have Gary "The Black Plague" Matthews Jr. leave the clubhouse
All in all, this team...believe it or not...isn't much worse off than they were last year.
Pitching:
Weaver, Saunders, Ervin Santana, Joel Pineiro, Scott Kazmir
It's THE deepest 5 man rotation out there...all of these pitchers aren't outstanding, but they are all good solid pitchers, who can pitch deep into games and have the ability to win a lot of games...which is hard to say for most teams.
Defense:
Chone's departure opened up a spot for the up and coming Brandon Wood who is a gold glove caliber 3rd baseman already. His only issue is that he strikes out pretty much every time he's up to bat. Vlad hasn't played defense in a couple of years so no change there.
Offense:
Here's where it gets interesting...
Chone's departure opened up a spot for the under-appreciated Erick Aybar who is an on base machine and should be just fine swiping bags up top. The addition of Hideki Matsui, if he stays healthy, could add some major power to the Angels lineup. We're talking a 3,4,5,6 who could ALL hit 20-25 HR's and that is always a dangerous thing to have. Overall I think they are actually a better team offensively.
The Angels will win close to 90 games this year because of the depth of their pitching rotation and the managing of Mike Scoscia. That's always good enough to win the division.
Rangers:
Off season: Added Rich Harden, Vlad Guerrero, Darren Oliver
They did a great job of securing some bullpen help and getting a big name pitcher to come in and get 5 innings of work for them every outing. Like I said, I don't think Vlad helps them a ton, but he's good for 100 games at DH, hitting around .285 and hitting maybe 20 HR's.
This team is young, they are fast, they are solid defensively and my god can they hit when they are on.
Pitching:
Their glaring weakness is the starting pitching on this team.
Rich Harden, Scott Feldman, Tommy Hunter, Matt Harrison, Colby Lewis
Thank god they have a very solid bullpen or they would have to slug their way through the year (which they could do)
If Harden can stay healthy, they have one really good pitcher. Then they have two decent pitchers and two crappy pitchers. I just can't see them being very competitive until they get two of their young pitchers up and starting (which could happen this yr btw). This is going to be the key to this team and I don't think it's a good thing.
Defense:
Incredibly solid. Great up the middle, really fast outfielders with cannons and Micheal Young is a SS playing 3rd...
Offense:
They are potentially one of the scariest offensive teams in the majors. Borbon, Kinsler, Josh Hamilton, Vlad, Cruz, Michael Young, Chris Davis, Elvis Andrus...top to bottom every player can hit, most with power. The scary thing is their weakest bat, Chris Davis, has a STUD triple A player behind him in Justin Smoak ready to come up whenever he can get a chance.
I think this teams pitching loses them a lot of games this year, but I think they put up 85 wins, just enough for second place.
Mariners:
The Mariners were BUSY this off season...Figgins, Cliff Lee, Jack Wilson, Bradley
They definitely improved their pitching, drastically improved their defense but did basically nothing for their offensive woes.
Pitching:
One of the best one two combo's in all of baseball with king Felix and Cliff Lee taking the mound and one of the better bullpens in the AL West.
Ryan Rowland-Smith is an up and coming youngster who could add some major depth to their rotation and help them immensely in the long run.
Defense:
The best defense in the AL West.
Offense:
They are horrible, there's just no way around it. Their most potent hitter outside of Jose Lopez is an aging Ichiro Suzuki, then either Milton Bradley or Ken Griffey Jr...What THE fuck. Casey Kotchman is hitting 3rd in their lineup for god sakes. Good luck scoring 7 runs, ever. You can't win with two good hitters, you just can't.
These guys are so bad offensively I can't see them winning much more than 80 games. That being said, 35 of those wins will come straight from Felix and Cliff Lee. Good enough for 3rd in my book.
Athletics:
Off Season: Kevin Kouzmanoff, Ben Sheets
They are the dumb asses that signed Ben Sheets, for an UNHEARD of 10 million dollars, good signing Billy Beane, what the f are you smoking lately?
Pitching:
Young STUDS. Brett Anderson, Ben Sheets, Justin Dousche bag, Gio Gonzalez, Dallas Braden
All of them have MAJOR potential. Brett had his coming out party last year, Ben and Justin are both coming off of major surgery so that should be interesting. Gio has filthy stuff, but he's very inconsistent.
Basically their whole year is riding on their #2 and #3 staying healthy...not a good feeling if they are both coming off of Tommy John.
Defense:
They're pretty good...um, yeah nothin else.
Offense:
Well, they're better than Seatle...but that's obviously not saying much. Kurt Suzuki is a masher and Rajai Davis is a speedy stud, other than that they are just mediocre.
These guys are probably good for 70 wins because they're #2 and #3 are both not going to make it through the year unscathed. If they do, watch out...this team could Seattle Mariner their way into third place, but they aren't doing any better.
We're going to be doing breakdowns of every division from here on out so keep posted.
So, being an Angels fan, this is going to be tough to be unbiased, but I will do my best. Sports Illustrated picked the Angels to win, about half of ESPN picked the Mariners, I've heard of a lot of people picking the Rangers because of their offense...and all of them could be right, the division is that close.
Angels:
Let's be honest, we got raped this off season. We lost our #1 starter, lost our lead off man, lost one of our more dependable relievers in Darren Oliver and oh yeah, Vlad Guerrero left town too.
Picture yourself as a GM, would you resign a 31 year old John Lackey who has started 08 and 09 on the DL? You would? Would you sign him to a 5-year $83 million dollar contract? If you would...you better be from Boston or NY...good decision to not resign from my prospective.
To quickly go over all of the other losses, Darren Oliver is 95...Vlad the impaler is WAY past his prime and it was very evident last year and Chone Figgins signed a $45 million dollar contract in his 32 year of life...no thank you.
That being the case, the Angels did the best they could to refill thos holes without spending eleventy-billion dollars
- They signed an aging lizard in Hideki Matsui
- Signed Joel Pineiro (whoopdy friggin-do)
- Got Fernando Rodney to take over as closer once Fuentes starts blowing saves in week 3.
- They paid to have Gary "The Black Plague" Matthews Jr. leave the clubhouse
All in all, this team...believe it or not...isn't much worse off than they were last year.
Pitching:
Weaver, Saunders, Ervin Santana, Joel Pineiro, Scott Kazmir
It's THE deepest 5 man rotation out there...all of these pitchers aren't outstanding, but they are all good solid pitchers, who can pitch deep into games and have the ability to win a lot of games...which is hard to say for most teams.
Defense:
Chone's departure opened up a spot for the up and coming Brandon Wood who is a gold glove caliber 3rd baseman already. His only issue is that he strikes out pretty much every time he's up to bat. Vlad hasn't played defense in a couple of years so no change there.
Offense:
Here's where it gets interesting...
Chone's departure opened up a spot for the under-appreciated Erick Aybar who is an on base machine and should be just fine swiping bags up top. The addition of Hideki Matsui, if he stays healthy, could add some major power to the Angels lineup. We're talking a 3,4,5,6 who could ALL hit 20-25 HR's and that is always a dangerous thing to have. Overall I think they are actually a better team offensively.
The Angels will win close to 90 games this year because of the depth of their pitching rotation and the managing of Mike Scoscia. That's always good enough to win the division.
Rangers:
Off season: Added Rich Harden, Vlad Guerrero, Darren Oliver
They did a great job of securing some bullpen help and getting a big name pitcher to come in and get 5 innings of work for them every outing. Like I said, I don't think Vlad helps them a ton, but he's good for 100 games at DH, hitting around .285 and hitting maybe 20 HR's.
This team is young, they are fast, they are solid defensively and my god can they hit when they are on.
Pitching:
Their glaring weakness is the starting pitching on this team.
Rich Harden, Scott Feldman, Tommy Hunter, Matt Harrison, Colby Lewis
Thank god they have a very solid bullpen or they would have to slug their way through the year (which they could do)
If Harden can stay healthy, they have one really good pitcher. Then they have two decent pitchers and two crappy pitchers. I just can't see them being very competitive until they get two of their young pitchers up and starting (which could happen this yr btw). This is going to be the key to this team and I don't think it's a good thing.
Defense:
Incredibly solid. Great up the middle, really fast outfielders with cannons and Micheal Young is a SS playing 3rd...
Offense:
They are potentially one of the scariest offensive teams in the majors. Borbon, Kinsler, Josh Hamilton, Vlad, Cruz, Michael Young, Chris Davis, Elvis Andrus...top to bottom every player can hit, most with power. The scary thing is their weakest bat, Chris Davis, has a STUD triple A player behind him in Justin Smoak ready to come up whenever he can get a chance.
I think this teams pitching loses them a lot of games this year, but I think they put up 85 wins, just enough for second place.
Mariners:
The Mariners were BUSY this off season...Figgins, Cliff Lee, Jack Wilson, Bradley
They definitely improved their pitching, drastically improved their defense but did basically nothing for their offensive woes.
Pitching:
One of the best one two combo's in all of baseball with king Felix and Cliff Lee taking the mound and one of the better bullpens in the AL West.
Ryan Rowland-Smith is an up and coming youngster who could add some major depth to their rotation and help them immensely in the long run.
Defense:
The best defense in the AL West.
Offense:
They are horrible, there's just no way around it. Their most potent hitter outside of Jose Lopez is an aging Ichiro Suzuki, then either Milton Bradley or Ken Griffey Jr...What THE fuck. Casey Kotchman is hitting 3rd in their lineup for god sakes. Good luck scoring 7 runs, ever. You can't win with two good hitters, you just can't.
These guys are so bad offensively I can't see them winning much more than 80 games. That being said, 35 of those wins will come straight from Felix and Cliff Lee. Good enough for 3rd in my book.
Athletics:
Off Season: Kevin Kouzmanoff, Ben Sheets
They are the dumb asses that signed Ben Sheets, for an UNHEARD of 10 million dollars, good signing Billy Beane, what the f are you smoking lately?
Pitching:
Young STUDS. Brett Anderson, Ben Sheets, Justin Dousche bag, Gio Gonzalez, Dallas Braden
All of them have MAJOR potential. Brett had his coming out party last year, Ben and Justin are both coming off of major surgery so that should be interesting. Gio has filthy stuff, but he's very inconsistent.
Basically their whole year is riding on their #2 and #3 staying healthy...not a good feeling if they are both coming off of Tommy John.
Defense:
They're pretty good...um, yeah nothin else.
Offense:
Well, they're better than Seatle...but that's obviously not saying much. Kurt Suzuki is a masher and Rajai Davis is a speedy stud, other than that they are just mediocre.
These guys are probably good for 70 wins because they're #2 and #3 are both not going to make it through the year unscathed. If they do, watch out...this team could Seattle Mariner their way into third place, but they aren't doing any better.
We're going to be doing breakdowns of every division from here on out so keep posted.
Dear No-one
It's officially the most exciting time of the year...and possibly my life.
Baseball season just started, the Blackhawks just clinched the Central division, the Cubs still suck and the Eagles just traded our starting quarterback to our division rival...
This means, the 3rd nipple is out of retirement
I'm back mother F'ers
Get ready.
Baseball season just started, the Blackhawks just clinched the Central division, the Cubs still suck and the Eagles just traded our starting quarterback to our division rival...
This means, the 3rd nipple is out of retirement
I'm back mother F'ers
Get ready.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
What is America coming to?
I don't know if you like Mayo, I don't know if you like mustard, I don't even know if you like ketchup or BBQ sauce, but I do know one thing...we're all about done with these god damn Miracle Whip commercials.
I mean, do you seriously enjoy these things? "We are Miracle Whip and we will not back down?" That is the dumbest advertising line I think I have ever heard in my life. It makes you wonder what question they're answering.
So you figure they were sitting in a board room and the dialogue went something like this:
Consultant: "I don't know if you've realized, but America is getting smarter about what they eat."
Miracle Whip: "Wait what? America has been eating McDonald's and cramming Ho Ho's down their throats for over 100 years, what makes you think they're going to stop eating mayonnaise."
Consultant: "The Biggest Loser, Alli, gym memberships are up, a ridiculous push to add fiber to everything (which make you shit a lot and feel more full), etc., etc."
Miracle Whip: "Well what can we do, our product is a mayo substitute which is not as fattening, but is still basically lard..."
Consultant: "Well you could bend over and say your product makes life better or (lights get dim) you could...NOT BACK DOWN!"
What the hell does this whole commercial even mean? "We will not disappear in the background?"
It means "we're a shitty, unhealthy product and we're going to tell you."
While I'm at it...what the hell is the deal with the Levi's commercials? Did they hire the same agency?
Check it:
I don't really know where I'm going with this...i guess I just think these commercials blow...so yeah....these commercials blow
I mean, do you seriously enjoy these things? "We are Miracle Whip and we will not back down?" That is the dumbest advertising line I think I have ever heard in my life. It makes you wonder what question they're answering.
So you figure they were sitting in a board room and the dialogue went something like this:
Consultant: "I don't know if you've realized, but America is getting smarter about what they eat."
Miracle Whip: "Wait what? America has been eating McDonald's and cramming Ho Ho's down their throats for over 100 years, what makes you think they're going to stop eating mayonnaise."
Consultant: "The Biggest Loser, Alli, gym memberships are up, a ridiculous push to add fiber to everything (which make you shit a lot and feel more full), etc., etc."
Miracle Whip: "Well what can we do, our product is a mayo substitute which is not as fattening, but is still basically lard..."
Consultant: "Well you could bend over and say your product makes life better or (lights get dim) you could...NOT BACK DOWN!"
What the hell does this whole commercial even mean? "We will not disappear in the background?"
It means "we're a shitty, unhealthy product and we're going to tell you."
While I'm at it...what the hell is the deal with the Levi's commercials? Did they hire the same agency?
Check it:
I don't really know where I'm going with this...i guess I just think these commercials blow...so yeah....these commercials blow
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Oh That's Predicatble, Write a WS Post....
So I am stuck in the Minneapolis airport and I figured I would pass on the normal time-wasting activities of reading US Weekly and Danielle Steele novels to actually do something productive and write a post since I've been absent for just about four months (minus that Dez Bryant column which, for the record, I still think is ridiculous).
So now that my beloved Angels have been ousted by A-Roid and the funky bunch, they have the pleasure of meeting the phitin' phils; probably the one team anyone thought could even come close to beating them from the NL. The Phillies aren't the same team they were last year, they are A LOT better...however, so are the Yankees so let's get down to business.
So now that my beloved Angels have been ousted by A-Roid and the funky bunch, they have the pleasure of meeting the phitin' phils; probably the one team anyone thought could even come close to beating them from the NL. The Phillies aren't the same team they were last year, they are A LOT better...however, so are the Yankees so let's get down to business.
I'm going to approach this like so: Strengths? Weaknesses? Who do they need to control from the other team to win?
Let's start with my old hometown Phillies:
Philadelphia -
Strength:
Hitting - They have arguably the most potent 1-6 in the game: Rollins, Victorino, Utley, Howard, Ibanez, Werth. You have speed, you have average, you have power; it’s all any manager can hope for at the top of his lineup. Although I completely disagree with the fact that Rollins is the leadoff man, you have to love the stealing ability at the top of their lineup followed by three guys who hit the ball long and hard. (Danielle Steele must be rubbing off…I mean…shit)
SIDE RANT
(Rollins is a HORRIBLE lead off man. He refuses to focus on getting ON BASE, which is essentially his only job. He’s too cocky and wants the stats, so he goes about trying to rip the ball all the time which is not what you want. Trust me, I’ve seen him refuse to bunt over runners on base with one out for the sake that he has an opportunity for an RBI, it’s stupid. If you ask me, Victorino should be lead off and Jimmy should hit second, Shane will embrace his roll because he’s a team player and Jimmy will be Jimmy…only with Victorino ready to steal second. Not to mention it would make it next to impossible to get a double play in the first.)
Bullpen – No, I’m not talking about Brad Lidge; I’m talking about everyone else in there. JA Happ should arguably be starting games but has worked the pen before, Chan Ho Park apparently is pitching like he’s fresh off the boat from Japan, Durbin is an incredibly solid middle man into the ninth and Madson is….well, what else can you say about a guy who takes over for the best closer in baseball last year and dominates? This is their strategic advantage over the Yankees and I think it’s going to be the reason that they beat the Yankees. The bullpen is like the O-line in football, underpaid and over-worked and under-appreciated.
Who they need to stop –
Mark Teixiera. Why not Alex? The answer is Godzirra. (Hideki Matsui) If you don’t get Mark out you have to face Alex with a runner on. If you get Tex out, you walk A-Rod and get the luxury of facing an old POS Godzirra, who needs walkers to get to first. It boggles my mind why he is even in the lineup. Why the hell wouldn’t you put Gardner in the number one slot and Jeter in the two and see what happens? Hideki is old, showing it and out of pity, he is still in the starting lineup. Outside of the ever so occasional Robinson Cano or Melky Cabrera hot streak, no one on this team scares me more than Tex, and that’s only because it forces you to pitch to the most synthetically enhanced player in baseball.
Yankees –
Strengths –
Starting Pitching – C.C. (The Hamburglar http://3rdnip.blogspot.com/2008/11/big-time-baseball-free-agents.html ) is a great left-handed pitcher, AJ is an eratic but occasionally good right-handed pitcher and Andy Pettite is an average left hander who has the best pick-off move in the game. Why is this important? It limits the potential impact of the speed at the top of the Phillies lineup. The Angels only had two stolen bases against them and they are one of the best teams in the league at it…I know what you’re thinking and it had NOTHING to do with George Posada.
Alex Rodriguez - I can't explain how locked in this guy was during the ALCS, stay away from him.
Mariano Rivera - You better make your run for the lead before the ninth because this guy is THE BEST post season closer in the history of the game, I don't care what anyone else says. It's like he's immune to pressure, no that's not right...he thrives on it. I hate the Ya
Bullpen - Obviously this is referring to everyone besides Mariano. Personally I think Joe
The Phillies are winning this World Series. I really don't see how they can lose outside of Johnny Damon and Robinson Cano having a monster series. The Phillies have better pitching, better bating, better defense an better fans. New York has a bigger payroll, a more expensive stadium, less talent and no drive.
Everyone and their mom has been touting the
Let's start with my old hometown Phillies:
Philadelphia -
Strength:
Hitting - They have arguably the most potent 1-6 in the game: Rollins, Victorino, Utley, Howard, Ibanez, Werth. You have speed, you have average, you have power; it’s all any manager can hope for at the top of his lineup. Although I completely disagree with the fact that Rollins is the leadoff man, you have to love the stealing ability at the top of their lineup followed by three guys who hit the ball long and hard. (Danielle Steele must be rubbing off…I mean…shit)SIDE RANT
(Rollins is a HORRIBLE lead off man. He refuses to focus on getting ON BASE, which is essentially his only job. He’s too cocky and wants the stats, so he goes about trying to rip the ball all the time which is not what you want. Trust me, I’ve seen him refuse to bunt over runners on base with one out for the sake that he has an opportunity for an RBI, it’s stupid. If you ask me, Victorino should be lead off and Jimmy should hit second, Shane will embrace his roll because he’s a team player and Jimmy will be Jimmy…only with Victorino ready to steal second. Not to mention it would make it next to impossible to get a double play in the first.)
Bullpen – No, I’m not talking about Brad Lidge; I’m talking about everyone else in there. JA Happ should arguably be starting games but has worked the pen before, Chan Ho Park apparently is pitching like he’s fresh off the boat from Japan, Durbin is an incredibly solid middle man into the ninth and Madson is….well, what else can you say about a guy who takes over for the best closer in baseball last year and dominates? This is their strategic advantage over the Yankees and I think it’s going to be the reason that they beat the Yankees. The bullpen is like the O-line in football, underpaid and over-worked and under-appreciated.
Weakness -
Starting Pitching - This is pathetic because their Starting pitching is as good, if not better, as the Yankees. But Cole Hamels is the key to this whole series. Cliff Lee is a baller, he will pitch lights out like he has been all season since he joined the Phils. Who knows how Pedro is going to do in NY? I think everyone agrees the he is just as likely to get rocked for 7 runs as he is to pitch a gem. The big game is going to be when Cole Hamels pitches in Citizens. Is he going to be the stud from last years post season or is he going to be the inconsistent pitcher he has been during the regular season this year. He had his highest regular season ERA of his career this year and at times he was incredibly erratic. If he pitches well, the Phillies could win this series 4-1, if he doesn't the series could be 2-1 in favor of NY and who knows what happens. It's not a huge weakness but JA Happ could be a huge game 6 starter for them if need be...you heard it hear first.
Who they need to stop –
Mark Teixiera. Why not Alex? The answer is Godzirra. (Hideki Matsui) If you don’t get Mark out you have to face Alex with a runner on. If you get Tex out, you walk A-Rod and get the luxury of facing an old POS Godzirra, who needs walkers to get to first. It boggles my mind why he is even in the lineup. Why the hell wouldn’t you put Gardner in the number one slot and Jeter in the two and see what happens? Hideki is old, showing it and out of pity, he is still in the starting lineup. Outside of the ever so occasional Robinson Cano or Melky Cabrera hot streak, no one on this team scares me more than Tex, and that’s only because it forces you to pitch to the most synthetically enhanced player in baseball.
Yankees –
Strengths –
Starting Pitching – C.C. (The Hamburglar http://3rdnip.blogspot.com/2008/11/big-time-baseball-free-agents.html ) is a great left-handed pitcher, AJ is an eratic but occasionally good right-handed pitcher and Andy Pettite is an average left hander who has the best pick-off move in the game. Why is this important? It limits the potential impact of the speed at the top of the Phillies lineup. The Angels only had two stolen bases against them and they are one of the best teams in the league at it…I know what you’re thinking and it had NOTHING to do with George Posada.
Alex Rodriguez - I can't explain how locked in this guy was during the ALCS, stay away from him.
Mariano Rivera - You better make your run for the lead before the ninth because this guy is THE BEST post season closer in the history of the game, I don't care what anyone else says. It's like he's immune to pressure, no that's not right...he thrives on it. I hate the Ya
nkees just as much as the next person, but you have to respect how good this guy is at 65.
Weaknesses -
Everyone in their lineup besides Jeter, Tex and A-Roid - How intimidating is this lineup: Johnny Damon, Jorge Posada, Hideki Matsui, Melky Cabrera, Nick Swisher. HAHA, how pathetic. I'd be surprised if all of those guys combined could consistently get 5 hits a game.
Everyone in their lineup besides Jeter, Tex and A-Roid - How intimidating is this lineup: Johnny Damon, Jorge Posada, Hideki Matsui, Melky Cabrera, Nick Swisher. HAHA, how pathetic. I'd be surprised if all of those guys combined could consistently get 5 hits a game.
Bullpen - Obviously this is referring to everyone besides Mariano. Personally I think Joe Girardi just manages them horribly, but either way...they suck. All they have to do is pass the ball of after an inning or two from CC to Mariano and they can't do it. I think the Steinbrenner's are trying to show the Yankee fan bas that Joba and Phil Hughes were not complete wastes of
talent so they continually put them in the game in clutch to prove it. The only problem is they both seem to buckle under pressure. Joba is like a caveman, I can see him wandering around a cave saying "JOBA PITCH FAST," because all he does is pitch 97 mph. Phil has some good stuff, he has the making of a good setup man, but he gets in trouble with his breaking balls to easily and batters sit on his fastball and eat him for dinner. Coke and Demaso Marte suck, so I'm not even going to include them in the conversation.
Who Do They Need To Stop -
Who Do They Need To Stop -
Cole Hamels - They need to get jacked up and Tyson the shit out of him.
What people don't understand is that Cole Hamels is the love of Philadelphia. The fan base saw him come into his own during the world series run last year and fell in love with him. Cliff may be the #1 but Cole is the home grown product ( I know he's from San Diego, but he came up in their system). Knock him out and you deflate the city, which is going to have a lot more of an impact than people think. Philadelphians are crazy sports fans, I was there last year when they won and they were jumping on top of buses after a game 2 win. They love their Phitin' Phils and they love to win.
What's the Final Verdict?
What people don't understand is that Cole Hamels is the love of Philadelphia. The fan base saw him come into his own during the world series run last year and fell in love with him. Cliff may be the #1 but Cole is the home grown product ( I know he's from San Diego, but he came up in their system). Knock him out and you deflate the city, which is going to have a lot more of an impact than people think. Philadelphians are crazy sports fans, I was there last year when they won and they were jumping on top of buses after a game 2 win. They love their Phitin' Phils and they love to win.
What's the Final Verdict?
The Phillies are winning this World Series. I really don't see how they can lose outside of Johnny Damon and Robinson Cano having a monster series. The Phillies have better pitching, better bating, better defense an better fans. New York has a bigger payroll, a more expensive stadium, less talent and no drive.
Everyone and their mom has been touting the
Yankees as the best team in the majors since the 90's, well guess what...the Phillies read the paper too. Philadelphia is a MUCH better hitting team with Raul Ibanez in left (not to mention better defense), they're a MUCH better pitching staff with Cliff Lee as their number one, and by the way they have a rookie 12 game winner in their bullpen, a 3-time Cy Young winner starting game 3 and two guys who can setup the closer (whether that be Madson or Lidge). The Phillies are already better on paper, but they also have something that New York will never understand, heart.
Not to mention the best mascot in baseball.
Not to mention the best mascot in baseball.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Dez Bryant?
I'm sitting hear looking at the TV reading about the recent news that Dez Bryant is out for THE YEAR for lying to NCAA officials...I can't comprehend how my head hasn't exploded from all of the ridiculousness.
For those of you who don't know:
Dez Bryant had dinner with Deion Sanders (who was undoubtedly recruiting him for his next Under Armour combine commercial...dousche) and was questioned about the dinner from the NCAA.
(which by the way IS NOT against the rules because he paid for his meal)
He said he didn't have dinner with him.
They knew he did.
They called him out on lying, yes I said lying, and promptly suspended him for the entire year.
AM I THE ONLY ONE THAT THINKS THIS IS INSANE???He didn't do anything wrong, well yes he lied, but come on....WWJD?
If Jesus was the best wide receiver in the country...for a top ten team, with a guaranteed $20+ million in the NFL next year, who's trying to not break any rules to affect his teams performance let alone his draft stock...he would have lied too. I don't care what commandment number it is, he would have lied.
The NCAA rule book is so loose and broadly punishable that if Jesus was at BYU, because obviously Mormon's are right, he walked down the sidewalk and campus and brushed arms with Drew Rosenhaus I wouldn't be surprised if he was banned from the NCAA for life.
How could you blame anyone for lying about it, you make it so hard for collegiate athletes to live a normal life, I'm surprised all of them aren't doing post-game interviews with their helmet on because of social-anxiety disorders.
Regardless of the fact that Dez Bryant and Jesus would be right for lying, the punishment they laid out is SO ridiculous it's not even funny. The kid lied...I get it...slap him on the wrist, MAYBE, suspend him for a game or two but that's it...
A WHOLE SEASON??? Let's see what you've done over a lie about a LEGAL dinner with Primetime
1 - You've potentially yanked $15 million out of this kids pocket for lying about something that didn't even break the NCAA rule book.
2 - You also devastate one of the better teams in the Big 12.
3 - Zac Robinson is royally screwed now as far as a possibility of getting drafted in the second round. His two receivers who jump in are a TRUE freshman and a second year guy who hasn't done crap because Pettigrew was there last year and got all of the looks outside of Bryant.
4 - You deflate an entire campus who has been waiting the last few years for their school to finally be in the powerhouse of Big 12 football
This over something that didn't even break a rule? I've heard of sending a message guys, but give me a freaking break.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
"It's Only Business..."
It's something players are conditionally trained to say when reporters ask them about a teammate leaving for another franchise. Maybe it's something players say to help them get over the fact that a team they have played 12 underpaid seasons for just let them get signed by a lesser team for a small amount of money.
This is a subject that I have been thinking about for a few weeks now because of how the Eagles handled the Brian Dawkins situation.
I'm a part of the fan base that can't possibly understand how Brian Dawkins isn't worth 3 million a year for 3-4 more years, given our team is 30 million under the cap, his deteriorating football skills yet unbelievable inspirational leadership skills. I'm not going to lie, it's been tough, I've never had to deal with something like this before.
Let me explain what I'm talking about...this film is my favorite clip on youtube. I watch it at least twice a week for some reason or another. It explains so much about why Philly loves him, and who he is as a football player.
"When he's not on the field, we definitely miss a beat" - Sheldon Brown
"He's helped so many young players develop." - Sheldon Brown
"Whatever we need, you be that thang. You be that leader that I know you will be. That heart, in that chest, be that tonight." - Brian Dawkins (with Quentin Mikell in his arms, after getting injured)
"I'm like Michael Jackson before he went crazy...I'll be there." - Brian Dawkins
This clip explains in PERFECT English (favorite clip is at 4:07) why Brian Dawkins is worth 3 million a year. He is worth 5 million a year. He has been a Pro-Bowl safety for 11 seasons and was awarded player of the month last December during one of the most important months in a football teams season, and he's (excuse me Brian) bat shit crazy with a Christian mouth.
This is a subject that I have been thinking about for a few weeks now because of how the Eagles handled the Brian Dawkins situation.
I'm a part of the fan base that can't possibly understand how Brian Dawkins isn't worth 3 million a year for 3-4 more years, given our team is 30 million under the cap, his deteriorating football skills yet unbelievable inspirational leadership skills. I'm not going to lie, it's been tough, I've never had to deal with something like this before.
Let me explain what I'm talking about...this film is my favorite clip on youtube. I watch it at least twice a week for some reason or another. It explains so much about why Philly loves him, and who he is as a football player.
"When he's not on the field, we definitely miss a beat" - Sheldon Brown
"He's helped so many young players develop." - Sheldon Brown
"Whatever we need, you be that thang. You be that leader that I know you will be. That heart, in that chest, be that tonight." - Brian Dawkins (with Quentin Mikell in his arms, after getting injured)
"I'm like Michael Jackson before he went crazy...I'll be there." - Brian Dawkins
This clip explains in PERFECT English (favorite clip is at 4:07) why Brian Dawkins is worth 3 million a year. He is worth 5 million a year. He has been a Pro-Bowl safety for 11 seasons and was awarded player of the month last December during one of the most important months in a football teams season, and he's (excuse me Brian) bat shit crazy with a Christian mouth.
EVERYONE in Philly has been, for lack of a phrase that correctly describes their attitude, utterly disgusted, with the way Jeffrey Lurie and Andy Reid handled the contract situation of Brian Dawkins. He has taken less money from the Eagles when he knows his market value is more. He has given every ounce of effort he has on every play for 12 seasons. He, has earned the respect of questionably the toughest sports town in all
of America, because of how he plays and how he handles himself. But he's 35, so who cares?
Listen to how much Brian cared...he couldn't even finish this interview...
Brian Dawkins Comcast Interview
Is it the right philosophy to let go of your older players?
The answer is: "It depends"
Every team uses "it's only business" in contract talks with older players. However, two teams in the NFL have been using it as a team philosophy for 20 years, both of them happen to be in Pennsylvania; one team does it the right way, and one team does it the wrong way, let's take a look at both of them.
The Steelers are the first franchise to use this philosophy . They are notorious for not paying big time contracts, but they choose them wisely. They look at players who they feel are at the peak of their career (Alan Faneca, Larry Foote to be recent) and they let them go elsewhere, if they believe they have someone else that can perform.
The thing with the Steelers is they sign important leaders to long term contracts. When they saw what Troy Polomalu could do to a football game, they signed him to a monster 5 year $40 million contract. When they saw what Big Ben could do, they awarded him with a 8 year $102 million deal. Who are the leaders in that locker room? Probably Big Ben and James Harrison, but Troy leas with his play. Oh yeah, they signed Harrison to a $51 million extension. Makes sense right? Sign your leaders to big contracts, sign your role players to fitting contracts or let them go and have a young player fill in...
The Eagles are different, they don't resign their veterans. Their locker room knows all about how their franchise works...On my way to work this morning, former Eagle Jeremiah Trotter was joking about the current Sheldon Brown situation on 950 ESPN...I can't make this crap up:
Trotter: "Man, this ain't new, everyone in that locker room knows what is goin on. Sheldon was boys with Dawk, he knows he's 30, he wants to know what his future on the team is."
Host: "What d'ya mean?"
Trotter: "It was an on-going joke every year in the Eagles locker room that if you were over 30, you better watch yo butt. I would look over at Donovan and say 'Hey ain't you 29? You better start throwin it deep if you want a job next year.' I'd follow that with a jab at West gettin' a little old....we all joked about it to make it easier to focus on football but it was always in the back of your mind."
When I was driving down the road this morning I was laughing. Laughing at the fact that A) Trotter just said that B) this was a well known thing in the Eagles locker room C) that Andy hasn't done shit about it, and D) that it is affecting our current players willingness to play for our team.
Sheldon Brown isn't stupid. He knows he is 30 years old. He knows Asante Samuel (28) was signed last season to a 6 year deal. He knows the Eagles traded Lito Sheppard after he complained about not being the #1 corner. He wants out of this regime, he wants out of the "it's only business," mentality.
The Eagles are different than the Steelers in the fact that they don't look at the off-field credentials of a player.
During an interview with Brian Dawkins, the local hero stated that:
"Jeff and Andy simply stated that 'this is how much we see you worth, given your age and the years left in you on the field.'"
"They didn't see any value in the fact that I wanted to finish my career as an Eagle. All they cared about was the financial responsibility to the club."
"I love Philly, I never wanted to leave. I wanted to end my career here."
So did we, and you should have.
Listen to how much Brian cared...he couldn't even finish this interview...
Brian Dawkins Comcast Interview
Is it the right philosophy to let go of your older players?
The answer is: "It depends"
Every team uses "it's only business" in contract talks with older players. However, two teams in the NFL have been using it as a team philosophy for 20 years, both of them happen to be in Pennsylvania; one team does it the right way, and one team does it the wrong way, let's take a look at both of them.
The Steelers are the first franchise to use this philosophy . They are notorious for not paying big time contracts, but they choose them wisely. They look at players who they feel are at the peak of their career (Alan Faneca, Larry Foote to be recent) and they let them go elsewhere, if they believe they have someone else that can perform.
The thing with the Steelers is they sign important leaders to long term contracts. When they saw what Troy Polomalu could do to a football game, they signed him to a monster 5 year $40 million contract. When they saw what Big Ben could do, they awarded him with a 8 year $102 million deal. Who are the leaders in that locker room? Probably Big Ben and James Harrison, but Troy leas with his play. Oh yeah, they signed Harrison to a $51 million extension. Makes sense right? Sign your leaders to big contracts, sign your role players to fitting contracts or let them go and have a young player fill in...The Eagles are different, they don't resign their veterans. Their locker room knows all about how their franchise works...On my way to work this morning, former Eagle Jeremiah Trotter was joking about the current Sheldon Brown situation on 950 ESPN...I can't make this crap up:
Trotter: "Man, this ain't new, everyone in that locker room knows what is goin on. Sheldon was boys with Dawk, he knows he's 30, he wants to know what his future on the team is."
Host: "What d'ya mean?"
Trotter: "It was an on-going joke every year in the Eagles locker room that if you were over 30, you better watch yo butt. I would look over at Donovan and say 'Hey ain't you 29? You better start throwin it deep if you want a job next year.' I'd follow that with a jab at West gettin' a little old....we all joked about it to make it easier to focus on football but it was always in the back of your mind."
When I was driving down the road this morning I was laughing. Laughing at the fact that A) Trotter just said that B) this was a well known thing in the Eagles locker room C) that Andy hasn't done shit about it, and D) that it is affecting our current players willingness to play for our team.
Sheldon Brown isn't stupid. He knows he is 30 years old. He knows Asante Samuel (28) was signed last season to a 6 year deal. He knows the Eagles traded Lito Sheppard after he complained about not being the #1 corner. He wants out of this regime, he wants out of the "it's only business," mentality.
The Eagles are different than the Steelers in the fact that they don't look at the off-field credentials of a player.
During an interview with Brian Dawkins, the local hero stated that:
"Jeff and Andy simply stated that 'this is how much we see you worth, given your age and the years left in you on the field.'"
"They didn't see any value in the fact that I wanted to finish my career as an Eagle. All they cared about was the financial responsibility to the club."
"I love Philly, I never wanted to leave. I wanted to end my career here."
So did we, and you should have.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Cheap I know....
...but I didn't get around to writing this piece until right now when the sweet 16 is already in place. However, props to Broc for pointing out that the Big East is ( * )( * ) and was going to run a muck in the tourney. The Big East is 10-2 to this point and either one of the five teams left could hit a hot streak and find themselves in the final four. Here's how I see each match up breaking down.
Midwest -
Louisville vs. Arizona:
Everyone's immediate reaction is Louisville, but do not underestimate this Arizona team. They've made the tourney for the past 100 years and understand that each game is a one game season...loser does wind sprints.
The problem with picking this upset is easy, nothing really jumps out at you when you look at Arizona. They have an overly-lame assist-TO ratio, they don't shoot overly well from the arc, or the line, they out-rebound their competition every once in awhile, they are just a very tournament savvy team.
Louisville on the other hand is the BEST defensive team in the country, they have Rick Patino as their coach, they out-rebound their opponents 75% of the time and have four guys who can hit a three at any point in the game. Louisville's biggest weakness has been it's poor free throw shooting and its' occasional cold shooting nights.
Let's face it, Arizona has played Utah and f'ing Cleveland State. Arizona has already surpassed its expectations by getting to the sweet 16, have fun on your flight home.
LOUISVILLE
Kansas vs. Michigan St.
I'm not gonna lie, I had Kansas losing to ND State. It looked like it was going to happen with four minutes and then they came up with some huge plays to pull away and finish the first year ND State team off.
Michigan State plays in the Big Ten, who's sucked it up the entire tourney outside of Purdue so....sorry Tom Izzo, you can't play for your entire team of Flint HS grads.
KANSAS (How the F is this team still in this bracket)
WEST
UConn vs. Purdue -
This game is going to be AWESOME. Mark it down on your calendars and watch it. Thabeet, like Broc said in his post, is over-rated and a loser but also happens to be nine feet tall. He has had a BIG problem fouling out in big games and not being around in the end to win a game for his team. You don't remember which games? How about Syracuse, Pitt (one time he didn't need to foul out but was still a loser).
Smart teams will drive the lance in his direction and get him in foul trouble and play a COMPLETELY different team with him on the bench. Guess what, Purdue has no size and they are going to do their best Argentinian NBA impression and fall over every time he gets close to them.
I see Thabeet being a huge loser in this game and not being a big factor (watch him show up and embarrass the crap out of me).
UPSET CITY BABY, PURDUE
Memphass vs. Mizzou
I hate Memphis. They're over-rated 250-2 record in the C-USA makes them a sexy pick for people who know nothing about basketball. You get Dozier in foul trouble and this team has to hit 8,000 threes to win. I will take those odds any day of the week. That being said Memphis is INCREDIBLY TALENTED , for example getting 35 points in the first round from a guy who averages 3, and can run with the best of them...but I still hate them.
Mizzou is a balanced team who doesn't blow you out, but wears you down with their inside out movement and wins. They don't have any amazing players, but they play as a team, they don't turn over the ball (a ridiculous 33-10 assist/TO ratio) and have a great 3 pointer specialist named Kim who's coming off the bench for them.
MIZZOU
EAST
Pitt vs. Xavier
Pitt can, beat any team in the country, and they're a pick for A LOT of people to win this tournament. I don't think they are winning the tournament but they are sure as hell winning this game.
Pitt has two of the best big men in the country in Sam Young and DeJuan Blair as well as a senior point guard in Levance Fields. I have never seen one guy throw around athletes like Dejuan Blair, it looks like he's a 270 pound DT that decided to play basketball with a bunch midgets. I watched the end of the E. Tenn. St. game and at the end of it, they were going back and forth with them with two minutes left. Blair looked at his team in the TO, said "give me the damn ball," and threw people off of him and dunked it in their faces twice in a row. It was one of the most impressive things I've seen this year in college basketball. They are TOO talented to lose this game, sorry Xavier, you had a good run...again.
PITT
Nova vs. Duke
Duke is the only team I hate more than Memphis. Their fans are the whole reason. They walk around like they deserve a national title on a silver platter because they have coach K and blah blah blah, they are Duke. Well fuck you, Nova wins.
NOVA
SOUTH
UNC vs. Gonzaga
Me: Hey Gonzaga, how are you
Gonzaga: Doing pretty well, excited about playing UNC
Me: You're excited to play Ty Lawson?
Gonzaga: Yeah, and Tyler Hansborough
Me: Well you're an idiot
Gonzaga: Why do you say that?
Me: Did you watch the LSU game?
Gonzaga: Yeah, LSU played well
Me: Yeah until Ty Lawson, who by the way looks like he's possessed by some other-worldly demon who wants to win the tournament, decided that he was going to win the game.
Gonzaga: Oh, I didn't see that
Me: Hence you are an idiot
Gonzaga: That's a little harsh don't you think?
Me: Let me put it this way, do you think you're winning this weekend?
Gonzaga: I think we have a pretty good chance
Me: Nice PC answer you douche. Do you think W. KY or Akron are anywhere NEAR as talented as UNC?
Gonzaga: I think they all have their strengths and are all really good teams
Me: Haha, you're like a little 6 year old that doesn't understand the world yet but thinks you're going to be an astronaut. Well guess what, you're not.
UNC WINS
Syracuse vs. Oklahoma
Oklahoma has been handed a pretty easy road so far by beating Morgan St. and a Michigan squad that wasn't pumped up for their second round game. Play time is over OU, let me introduce you to Syracuse. They are from the Big East and they've beaten the number one team this year with a white guy who has more grease in his hair than the Fonz. They have a Freshman phenom point guard who has a knack for scoring .
I know everyone hear is sucking on Blake Griffin's pee pee but he's the only stud on that team. Willie Warren is a freshman who either scores 25-30 or has 10. If he doesn't show up, there is NO WAY they win this game.
CUSE
All of these match ups give some interesting Great Eight match ups. Here's what I think and one reason why I think they're advancing
Louisville vs Kansas: Louisville (Rick Patino)
Purdue vs. Mizzou: Mizzou (Seniors don't lose)
Nova vs. Pitt: Nova (I have a feeling that American woke up a beast)
UNC vs. Cuse: UNC (Ty Lawson)
Hopefully we'll get a piece from Broc here soon, he's been out with Wisdom teeth pain for about a month now. He's the expert on NCAA basketball not me, so if you just read this I successfully wasted fifteen minutes of your time...SWEET
Midwest -
Louisville vs. Arizona:
Everyone's immediate reaction is Louisville, but do not underestimate this Arizona team. They've made the tourney for the past 100 years and understand that each game is a one game season...loser does wind sprints.
The problem with picking this upset is easy, nothing really jumps out at you when you look at Arizona. They have an overly-lame assist-TO ratio, they don't shoot overly well from the arc, or the line, they out-rebound their competition every once in awhile, they are just a very tournament savvy team.
Louisville on the other hand is the BEST defensive team in the country, they have Rick Patino as their coach, they out-rebound their opponents 75% of the time and have four guys who can hit a three at any point in the game. Louisville's biggest weakness has been it's poor free throw shooting and its' occasional cold shooting nights.
Let's face it, Arizona has played Utah and f'ing Cleveland State. Arizona has already surpassed its expectations by getting to the sweet 16, have fun on your flight home.
LOUISVILLE
Kansas vs. Michigan St.
I'm not gonna lie, I had Kansas losing to ND State. It looked like it was going to happen with four minutes and then they came up with some huge plays to pull away and finish the first year ND State team off.
Michigan State plays in the Big Ten, who's sucked it up the entire tourney outside of Purdue so....sorry Tom Izzo, you can't play for your entire team of Flint HS grads.
KANSAS (How the F is this team still in this bracket)
WEST
UConn vs. Purdue -
This game is going to be AWESOME. Mark it down on your calendars and watch it. Thabeet, like Broc said in his post, is over-rated and a loser but also happens to be nine feet tall. He has had a BIG problem fouling out in big games and not being around in the end to win a game for his team. You don't remember which games? How about Syracuse, Pitt (one time he didn't need to foul out but was still a loser).
Smart teams will drive the lance in his direction and get him in foul trouble and play a COMPLETELY different team with him on the bench. Guess what, Purdue has no size and they are going to do their best Argentinian NBA impression and fall over every time he gets close to them.
I see Thabeet being a huge loser in this game and not being a big factor (watch him show up and embarrass the crap out of me).
UPSET CITY BABY, PURDUE
Memphass vs. Mizzou
I hate Memphis. They're over-rated 250-2 record in the C-USA makes them a sexy pick for people who know nothing about basketball. You get Dozier in foul trouble and this team has to hit 8,000 threes to win. I will take those odds any day of the week. That being said Memphis is INCREDIBLY TALENTED , for example getting 35 points in the first round from a guy who averages 3, and can run with the best of them...but I still hate them.
Mizzou is a balanced team who doesn't blow you out, but wears you down with their inside out movement and wins. They don't have any amazing players, but they play as a team, they don't turn over the ball (a ridiculous 33-10 assist/TO ratio) and have a great 3 pointer specialist named Kim who's coming off the bench for them.
MIZZOU
EAST
Pitt vs. Xavier
Pitt can, beat any team in the country, and they're a pick for A LOT of people to win this tournament. I don't think they are winning the tournament but they are sure as hell winning this game.
Pitt has two of the best big men in the country in Sam Young and DeJuan Blair as well as a senior point guard in Levance Fields. I have never seen one guy throw around athletes like Dejuan Blair, it looks like he's a 270 pound DT that decided to play basketball with a bunch midgets. I watched the end of the E. Tenn. St. game and at the end of it, they were going back and forth with them with two minutes left. Blair looked at his team in the TO, said "give me the damn ball," and threw people off of him and dunked it in their faces twice in a row. It was one of the most impressive things I've seen this year in college basketball. They are TOO talented to lose this game, sorry Xavier, you had a good run...again.
PITT
Nova vs. Duke
Duke is the only team I hate more than Memphis. Their fans are the whole reason. They walk around like they deserve a national title on a silver platter because they have coach K and blah blah blah, they are Duke. Well fuck you, Nova wins.
NOVA
SOUTH
UNC vs. Gonzaga
Me: Hey Gonzaga, how are you
Gonzaga: Doing pretty well, excited about playing UNC
Me: You're excited to play Ty Lawson?
Gonzaga: Yeah, and Tyler Hansborough
Me: Well you're an idiot
Gonzaga: Why do you say that?
Me: Did you watch the LSU game?
Gonzaga: Yeah, LSU played well
Me: Yeah until Ty Lawson, who by the way looks like he's possessed by some other-worldly demon who wants to win the tournament, decided that he was going to win the game.
Gonzaga: Oh, I didn't see that
Me: Hence you are an idiot
Gonzaga: That's a little harsh don't you think?
Me: Let me put it this way, do you think you're winning this weekend?
Gonzaga: I think we have a pretty good chance
Me: Nice PC answer you douche. Do you think W. KY or Akron are anywhere NEAR as talented as UNC?
Gonzaga: I think they all have their strengths and are all really good teams
Me: Haha, you're like a little 6 year old that doesn't understand the world yet but thinks you're going to be an astronaut. Well guess what, you're not.
UNC WINS
Syracuse vs. Oklahoma
Oklahoma has been handed a pretty easy road so far by beating Morgan St. and a Michigan squad that wasn't pumped up for their second round game. Play time is over OU, let me introduce you to Syracuse. They are from the Big East and they've beaten the number one team this year with a white guy who has more grease in his hair than the Fonz. They have a Freshman phenom point guard who has a knack for scoring .
I know everyone hear is sucking on Blake Griffin's pee pee but he's the only stud on that team. Willie Warren is a freshman who either scores 25-30 or has 10. If he doesn't show up, there is NO WAY they win this game.
CUSE
All of these match ups give some interesting Great Eight match ups. Here's what I think and one reason why I think they're advancing
Louisville vs Kansas: Louisville (Rick Patino)
Purdue vs. Mizzou: Mizzou (Seniors don't lose)
Nova vs. Pitt: Nova (I have a feeling that American woke up a beast)
UNC vs. Cuse: UNC (Ty Lawson)
Hopefully we'll get a piece from Broc here soon, he's been out with Wisdom teeth pain for about a month now. He's the expert on NCAA basketball not me, so if you just read this I successfully wasted fifteen minutes of your time...SWEET
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Fantasy Baseball Nip Style
I love fantasy baseball. It is the most difficult fantasy sport to play and by far the most difficult to draft. There are two reasons though, that I like it more than the other fantasy sports:
1) There are so many different kinds of leagues: Rotisserie, Head to Head, 5X5, 4X4, AL/NL only on all of the previous....you get the picture. To make it even more customizable, all leagues have over 25 categories per side (batters/pitching) that can make every league even more different. The thing I like even more is that everyone likes one league setup more than another for whatever reasons. What this means is that only the best of the best are in your specific type of league, making it more competitive than any other kind of fantasy game.
2) There are 25 rounds to draft. Depending on the league you can have to fill anywhere from 9 to 14 offensive spots and 5 to 8 pitching spots. This leaves room for a whole bunch of strategies that you can employ to cruise your way on to victory.
That being said, a fantasy baseball draft can go in 1,000 different ways given the type of value each specific team puts on a player.
I've played for a five years now and I've won twice so, of course, I think my strategy is the best to win...Without further ado...I give you
I've played for a five years now and I've won twice so, of course, I think my strategy is the best to win...Without further ado...I give you
The 3rd Nipple's Fantasy Baseball Rules of Drafting
1) Offense Wins Championships
What do you think is more consistent a guy swinging a bat or a guy throwing a pitch at a strike zone the size of a milk carton box? The answer should be obvious. Besides the constant ridiculous toll pitching takes on an arm, pitching is insanely hard to predict every year except for a few high priced arms.
Therefore, I think it's safe to take the Texas Rangers philosophy and outscore your opponents in batting all around and hope to steal some points in one or two pitching categories.
Which leads into...
2) Do NOT draft a pitcher before the eighth round. DON'T DO IT.
There isn't a big enough difference in stats from a pitcher you draft in the first eight rounds to one you can get in the later rounds. On top of that, the offensive value you can get at the pick if you picked a pitcher will hurt you big time in later rounds.
Here's an example w/'08 stats:
Player A: 9 wins, 3.45 ERA, 175 K's, 1.39 WHIP
Player B: 12 wins, 4.67 ERA, 200K's, 1.32 WHIP
Player C: 13 wins, 3.47 ERA, 183K's, 1.28 WHIPPlayer D: 12 wins, 4.03 ERA, 172 K's, 1.19 WHIP
So looking at those four pitchers, I would assume if you were to have two of them, you would probably pick the middle two because they rank the highest in the most categories.
Time to use your brain for a minute. Please explain to me why people are drafting player D 80 picks before player C.
Players names and ADP (Average Draft Pick):
A) Felix Hernandez - 88 B) Javier Vazquez - 126 C) Zack Greinke D) Josh Beckett - 68
It doesn't make sense, don't draft pitchers for names or teams...draft for stats, after the tenth round only.
3) Read up and draft, based on, position scarcity.
It's a simple concept, there are WAY more better 1B than there are 2B. There are way more quality OF than there are SS. You get the picture? no. Well italicized voice, let me explain further.
There are these things called tiers in fantasy...read up...and you want to choose positions based on how quick the drop off is in talent. Opinions differ from person to person, but it's pretty safe to say most would agree SS and 2B have the biggest scarcity in talent.
Here's a quick run down of each position by scarcity of talent:
Second Basemen - The top players at this position have the ability to hit 20 home run's and steal 20 bases (Utley, Pedroia, Phillips, Kinsler, Alexei Ramirez).
After that there is only a few players worth having for specific reasons: Roberts (steals, avg.), Uggla (power), Cano/Lopez (both for decent avg. and power). SLEEPER: Jose Lopez...big season coming
Although you can usually get Cano or Lopez late, If you don't have one of the mentioned players on your team you are screwed, there is no way around it.
Shortstop - This crew is a little deeper but not too far off of second base. There is a significant drop off after the first three (Hanley Ramirez, Reyes, Rollins) who are usually off the board in the first round. All three of them have the potential to steal 40+ bases and Rollins and Ramirez could both hit 20+ home runs to boot. This kind of size/power combination is seen nowhere else in the league so spend high and spend early.
Other key players in this position: Troy Tulowitzki (power/avg.), Michael Young (power), Stephen Drew (avg./semi-power)
SLEEPER: Johnny Peralta
Third Baseman - This position is a lot more thin than most people think, but you can find some bargains late so listen up. The top two players are argueablythe top players in fantasy baseball (Wright, Miguel Cabrera). After that there is significant power for 7 more picks (Longoria, A-Roid, A. Ramirez, Youkilis, Atkins, Chris Davis).
After this there isn't a lot of stats around but here they are: Zimmerman (injury risk), Aubrey Huff (solid power #'s in an improving Orioles lineup), AdrianBeltre (can someone say contract year), Jorge Cantu (streaky but when he's on he's as good as any).
SLEEPER: Zimmerman
When I draft I usually try to get one of the top seven, no excuses.
One final note on this topic; don't wait to fill out your OF's. All of the good OF'sare taken by the 15th round, and you should have good OF's in every position.
4) Draft Consistency
What does that mean? Guys that bat over .280.
If a guy bats over .280, he's a pretty damn good hitter. What that means is that he will battle out of slumps, he's likely to give you a consistent week in and week out average and won't have an out of the blue crappy season. This is a big difference between my system of thought and most others. I absolutely will not take a player that bats below .270 (exception Adam Dunn because of his insanely high number of walks and high OPS) because you have to make up for it with other players on your team.
This might seem ridiculous, but you won't hear me saying:
"Ryan Howard is batting .150 over the past month, he's killing my team"
"Pat Burrell hit three home runs tonight!" (Insert Jim Thome, Travis Hafner, Chris Young, David Ortiz or anyone they put the shift on for)
...and that makes me sleep well at night.
5) Try to draft guys who can hit 20 HR and steal some bases while they're at it.
Yeah I know they are few and far between, but they are a HUGE advantage. You should over value them and draft them before everyone else can.
Here's some examples:
Early picks - Ryan Braun (40, 15), Brandon Phillips (24, 25), Jimmy Rollins (18, 45), Hanley Ramirez (33, 33), David Wright (33, 14), Ian Kinsler (17, 33), BJUpton (15, 45), Soriano (24, 20), Lance Berkman (35, 15), Carlos Beltran (24, 24), Utley and Pedroia come to mind too...
Middle Picks - Bobby Abreu (24, 20), Matt Holiday (30, 13), Matt Kemp (17, 33),Granderson (20, 12), Rios (16, 20), Alexei Ramirez (20, 20), Nate Mclouth (23, 23), Corey Hart (20, 20)
Later- Derek Lee (25, 11), Lastings Milledge (15, 20), Johnny Damon (17, 25),Torii Hunter (20, 20), Jayson Werth (25, 20), Joey Votto (30, 10)
You can make a whole team out of 10 steal guys who will kick the crap out of a team with Jose Reyes and BJ Upton with the above guys. I usually like to play it safe and get Rollins to assure me some steals every week though.
6) Chicks dig the long ball.
Guess what you're scored on? Runs, Hits, Home Runs, Avg, SB. Guess what hits four out of those five categories? A Home Run.
Hopefully this gives you a few pretty good ideas about what to do in your draft, let me know if you have any questions and I'll be happy to answer them...Happy Drafting!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
It's the Most Wonderful Time....
OOOOOOF THE YEEEEEAR...Drink up and celebrate!
In the past week and a half I have had the following questions asked to me while at work:
"Hey, Jack told me you're pretty good at fantasy baseball and I was wondering if you could help me out with my draft in a couple of days..."
"Who do you thinks winning the tourney this year?"
"Man, can you believe this NFL off season? Do you think the Eagles should trade a first and a third for Boldin or hold their picks for the draft and sign Plaxico?"
"Do you do any work in the office or just read sports stuff all day?"
"You think the Phillies repeating this year?"
"Why not, who do you think will win then genius?"
I know exactly what's going through your head, "who gives a shit Greg, we're all getting asked those questions."
That's the point genius, I FUCKING LOVE THIS MONTH!
Despite the fact that in this month I decided to bless this glorious planet with my existence; it's also the only time in the year where you get asked all of those questions in the span of a week. What a great time of year for a sports nut.
So that being the case, I'm going to answer all of those questions one post at a time while Broc keeps you up to date with his awe-inspiring basketball intellect.
"Who do you thinks winning the tourney this year?"
"Man, can you believe this NFL off season? Do you think the Eagles should trade a first and a third for Boldin or hold their picks for the draft and sign Plaxico?"
"Do you do any work in the office or just read sports stuff all day?"
"You think the Phillies repeating this year?"
"Why not, who do you think will win then genius?"
I know exactly what's going through your head, "who gives a shit Greg, we're all getting asked those questions."
That's the point genius, I FUCKING LOVE THIS MONTH!
Despite the fact that in this month I decided to bless this glorious planet with my existence; it's also the only time in the year where you get asked all of those questions in the span of a week. What a great time of year for a sports nut.
So that being the case, I'm going to answer all of those questions one post at a time while Broc keeps you up to date with his awe-inspiring basketball intellect.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
ACC/Big East: Part II
So I know I said I wouldn’t comment on which conference is better, but after preparing for this article, it became very clear to me that the ACC is the best conference this year. Better than the Big East, better than the Pac-10, better than the Big-10. This conference will have 8 teams in the tournament, for those of you rocket scientist's out there, that’s 75% of the conference teams! So let's break down the best teams in the conference and show you why they truly are the tops in the nation.
FSU -
As much as I built up Clemson, this FSU team beat them twice. This team only has one player that averages double digit scoring a game, (Toney Douglas) and their lack of depth will really limit this team from going much further that the 2nd round of the tournament. One big star player, but just not enough to make it all happen.
Best of the Rest
This conference is stacked with teams that will never play easy, give up, or play poorly when called on. Every year, Duke or UNC loses to Maryland and NC State. Miami had a good showing this year as well. BC, NC State, Maryland, and Miami all have a chance to make the tournament, and with the experience that they gained playing in this conference in the regular season, they have every opportunity to beat any team and make it a Sweet trip.
So, I am getting my wisdom teeth pulled on March 19th, so I get to sit at home and watch all the first round games...Sure to be some great basketball soon, and I hope that my underdogs, Providence and Clemson, can make a show in the tourney!
Best of the ACC
UNC -
The preseason favorite to win it all. However, as we
learned throughout the season, one white power forward named Tyler does not make a title team. This team is stocked head to toe, and their first five guys off the bench could form their own Top 25 team, I am sure of it. This teams shoots above 49% for the season, and leads the ACC in every major statistical team category.
The thing you might not catch on to is that the key to this team is actually Ty Lawson. He has the 3rd best assist/turn-over ratio in the nation, at about 4, and leads the ACC with 6.3 APG.
Here is the key: every game that UNC has lost this season, Ty Lawson has seen his Ass/TO ration drop below 1. If a team can stop Ty Lawson and force him to turn over the ball, UNC will lose. Although Hansborough leads the ACC with 21 PPG, he doesn’t produce unless Lawson feeds him the ball.
Wake -
Yet another causality of being ranked #1, this team has been up and down all season. Wake is one of the teams that, as a 'Nova fan, scares the crap out of me. With Jeff Teague averaging 20 PPG and shooting above 50% from the field (including behind the arc), and with the combination of Aminu and Johnson averaging over 17 rebounds a game, this team will punish you on both ends of the court. Flat out, they have one of the most prolific offenses in the country.
However, their weakness is playing in big games on the road. 13-1 at home and 7-4 (which really isn't that bad) on the road. They have to grow up fast, and find the experience that will help them win the big games in the Tourney. Watch out America, this team could do the dance.
Clemson -
You only have to talk about one person when you talk about Clemson and that is Trevor Booker. The guy averages just about a double-double, he is one of the most under-rated players in the country and I think he will have a coming out party in the dance. With the support of KC Rivers and his 14 PPG, this team is special and has the potential for a big upset. If Booker plays well, he can carry this team all the way to the final four.
Duke -
A buddy of mine at work really represents the Blue Devils fan base. Like most Duke fans: he thinks he is entitled to a title every season, he thinks his basketball mind is superior to the rest of us because Duke was good in the 90's, he's constantly confused with Daniel Radcliffe and generally has trouble doing basic math. HOWEVER, not to worry! Just like the past couple of years, this team will have an early exit in the tournament, and I will be able to laugh in his face...hopefully in front of a hot girl in a bar.
A buddy of mine at work really represents the Blue Devils fan base. Like most Duke fans: he thinks he is entitled to a title every season, he thinks his basketball mind is superior to the rest of us because Duke was good in the 90's, he's constantly confused with Daniel Radcliffe and generally has trouble doing basic math. HOWEVER, not to worry! Just like the past couple of years, this team will have an early exit in the tournament, and I will be able to laugh in his face...hopefully in front of a hot girl in a bar.
Duke feeds off its home crowd so much, that come tournament time, they lose their 6th man, and fall short. But, one of my favorite players this season has got to be Gerald Henderson. This guy is everything you could want from a college player. Averaging 17 PPG and 5 RPG, this guys is athletic, emotional, and dominant in every part of the game.
FSU -
As much as I built up Clemson, this FSU team beat them twice. This team only has one player that averages double digit scoring a game, (Toney Douglas) and their lack of depth will really limit this team from going much further that the 2nd round of the tournament. One big star player, but just not enough to make it all happen.
Best of the Rest
This conference is stacked with teams that will never play easy, give up, or play poorly when called on. Every year, Duke or UNC loses to Maryland and NC State. Miami had a good showing this year as well. BC, NC State, Maryland, and Miami all have a chance to make the tournament, and with the experience that they gained playing in this conference in the regular season, they have every opportunity to beat any team and make it a Sweet trip.
My Case for the ACC
My roommates, college friends, and all the people around Philly always wonder how I could stand admitting that the ACC is better than the Big East this year. Well, its pretty easy when you look at one stat, non-conference play.
When you watch the ACC and the Big East beat up on each other all season, its hard to put into perspective how good those teams really are. The only way to differentiate is what they did against all the out of conference power teams.
So lets look:
- Georgetown lost to Duke.
- UNC destroyed the Big 10 champions, Michigan St.
- Wake beat Illinois (2nd place in the Big 10)
- Clemson beat Baylor and Indiana
The ACC played so well out of conference, that it is hard to say that they aren’t better, especially when the Big East lost to teams like Texas, Dayton, Tennessee, Cleveland St., Mississippi, and UNLV. I am not saying those teams are bad, but the difference is that the ACC won tough games out of conference and the Big East didn’t. Sorry Big East, ACC will win.
So, I am getting my wisdom teeth pulled on March 19th, so I get to sit at home and watch all the first round games...Sure to be some great basketball soon, and I hope that my underdogs, Providence and Clemson, can make a show in the tourney!
I'll update you guys with a little more later, MARCH MADNESS BABY!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
You Work, I Watch the Combine
I stayed home the other day because my work computer exploded and I had nothing to do, so I immediately thought about the loyal readers of the Nipple...and that they might wonder what the hell happened at the combine.
I didn't get to see the QB's but there really wasn't anything spectacular there anyways, so I'll break it down how I saw it.
Defensive Tackle -
I guess I just have a really big problem watching the DT's because all of them are just FAT. They don't look athletic, they don't look strong, they don't look fast. So I took Warren Sapp's POV on most of these guys and here's what I came out with.
Terrance Taylor - is a MONSTER. His bench press was one of the most eye-opening things I saw all day. I can do 225 maybe 15 times...this dude wasn't even winded when he hit 25. The first 30 seconds just looked like he was lifting a toothpick . He ended up putting it up 37 times and that stands as the second most in the whole combine. I can't imagine what it was like when Broderick Bunkley put it up 47 times three years ago.
B.J. Raji - is supposed to be awesome. He looks like a fat prick to me. He had to sit out his whole junior year because of academic probation and when he came on the set of NFL network it was obvious why. I don't think he used a word over two syllables the entire time he was on set.
http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80edfdee
Terrance Knighton - Has the largest lower body I have ever seen in my entire life. It looked like one of those apple picture things where you can stretch the photo with the click of a button. Oh, and performance wise, nothing special.
Defensive End -
This was the most intriguing group of guys. A lot of them can be conversion outside linebackers, they are all fast and huge and amazing athletes.
Connor Barwin - stole the show. Everyone was thinking "oh here's a defensive end from Cincinnati," everyone came out saying "here's one of the best athletes at the combine." This guy boosted his draft position more than anyone at the combine by far. He had the highest vert of any DE, the second fastest 40 time (4.61) and he tied Beanie Wells in the broad jump at 10'8.
Aaron Maybin - is 20 years old. Twenty...and he looks like he can handle it. He's big, he's fast and he looks like an athlete. The only knock in him is that he's from PSU and I don't like the DE's that come out of that school. If he's converted to a OLB, WATCH OUT.
Brian Orakpo - is a BEAST. He looks bigger than Jevon Kearse who I think is one of the biggest DE's in the game. He ran a top ten 40 time and looked pretty good until his hamstring popped. No worries, he will be fine...he's my dark horse for defensive ROY.
Orion Martin - was a walk on. So you know he has heart and determination. He has vaulted himself into a top three DL pick and I think over time he will be a house hold name.
Michael Johnson - is my pick for flop of the draft. He looked like a man among boys, except for Orakpo. He was one of the fastest DE's has HUGE arms, a long stride and was the best athlete in drills. My only worry, as the NFL Network said is that he's HIGHLY inconsistent. His raw talent and potential is bar none in this draft.
Linebacker -
Aaron Curry - should be the first pick in the draft. He is/was that good. It was obvious he was the best LB at the combine. His quickness and decision making were obviously faster than everyone else's and he was a top performer in EVERY drill.. His only downfall is he gets excited in the open field and misses tackles...no worries Detroit, give him his money now.
Clay Matthews - has NFL blood in him. His dad was an NFL linebacker, his uncle is the famous Bruce Matthews, his brother is a top prospect at Oregon...how's that for pedigree? I think he boosted himself almost as much as Connor Barwin. He looked so fluid in every drill it was like he was born to be a linebacker. Watch out for Clay to make a big impact in the NFL.
Brian Cushing - is a meat head. "What NFL team doesn't want a meat head on their squad," as Jon Gruden so eloquently put it. He by passed all of the big name combine workout facilities to go back to his NJ high school's training facilities because he thought "they knew him best." That is bad ass. "Screw the froo-froo crap, I'm going to Jersey to flip dumpsters and pull semi trucks." I absolutely love this kid.
Marcus Freeman - is a name you should know about going into the draft. This guy was always over-shadowed by the oh so famous James Lauranitis at OSU. Let us not look past him anymore...he looked better than him in every drill. He's a tenth of a second faster, 7 reps stronger and he looked more fluid in drills and James did...can we say UNDER RATED.
Ray Malaluga - got hurt in his 40. I don't really have a lot to say about him other than he is probably the second best LB in the draft. He's like a bigger Troy Polomalu who doesn't talk like Michael Jackson.
Tight End -
Cornelius Ingram - was the only person that blew me away. By blew me away I mean, holy crap, this dude is an animal. Anyone who is 6'4 245 and ran the 40 in 4.68 is ok in my book. He is a unproven Kellen Winslow, without a motorcycle license. A huge down side is that he was just recovering from an ACL tear that kept him out all season at Florida. He looked like he was playing with a bunch of rookies at the combine to me.
Brandon Pettigrew - is a lot better than was shown at the combine. He is a prototypical tight end who can block and catch. If you need a 10 year TE prospect, draft him.
Wide Receiver -
Deon Butler - was the fastest man at PSU. His first ten yards of his 40 were non existent. That being said he ran the 30-yard dash in 4.26 seconds. He looked RIDICULOUSLY fast. Other than that he did ok.
Johnny Knox - is faster than Deon. This guy was believe it or not, even faster.
Take three minutes and watch this...it's unreal: http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80edffeb
Michael Crabtree - broke his foot but will be a beast in the NFL...everyone knows that.
Jeremy Maclin - is going to be the best athlete from this draft class. He's fast as hell, he's got amazing hands and he's a threat to score on any punt return or kick return.
Percy Harvin - is ok. I question how good Percy is going to be in the NFL because of his size. He's only 5'11, which I think is a stretch, and he's gonna get knocked around a lot. Bottom line is Percy didn't jump off the field at me during the combine and I don't think he will in the NFL...could regret saying that.
Running Back -
Cedric Peerman - looks like the top RB in this class. He went to Virginia which has a history of turning out some MONSTER tailbacks into the NFL, and he performed very well. He was a top performer in nearly every drill, he's big, he's fast, he's agile...what more do you want?
Ian Johnson - really surprised me. Everyone thinks of Ian as the guy that proposed during a bowl game. Everyone also knows that he played for Boise State and the team isn't that impressive, blah blah blah... I got news for you people, this guy can play ball. I think whoever takes him in the third or fourth is going to get a workhorse that loves to play the game.
To be honest, no one else really impressed me at the combine...so there you have it. These are the guys to look out for in the Draft in April. I hope you enjoyed it and I'm going to leave you with some good clips of Rich Eisen at the combine...hilarious stuff.
Rich Eisen's 40: http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80eea0dc
Rich Eisen's Wonderlic: http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80ee436c
I didn't get to see the QB's but there really wasn't anything spectacular there anyways, so I'll break it down how I saw it.
Defensive Tackle -
I guess I just have a really big problem watching the DT's because all of them are just FAT. They don't look athletic, they don't look strong, they don't look fast. So I took Warren Sapp's POV on most of these guys and here's what I came out with.Terrance Taylor - is a MONSTER. His bench press was one of the most eye-opening things I saw all day. I can do 225 maybe 15 times...this dude wasn't even winded when he hit 25. The first 30 seconds just looked like he was lifting a toothpick . He ended up putting it up 37 times and that stands as the second most in the whole combine. I can't imagine what it was like when Broderick Bunkley put it up 47 times three years ago.
B.J. Raji - is supposed to be awesome. He looks like a fat prick to me. He had to sit out his whole junior year because of academic probation and when he came on the set of NFL network it was obvious why. I don't think he used a word over two syllables the entire time he was on set.
http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80edfdee
Terrance Knighton - Has the largest lower body I have ever seen in my entire life. It looked like one of those apple picture things where you can stretch the photo with the click of a button. Oh, and performance wise, nothing special.
Defensive End -
This was the most intriguing group of guys. A lot of them can be conversion outside linebackers, they are all fast and huge and amazing athletes.
Connor Barwin - stole the show. Everyone was thinking "oh here's a defensive end from Cincinnati," everyone came out saying "here's one of the best athletes at the combine." This guy boosted his draft position more than anyone at the combine by far. He had the highest vert of any DE, the second fastest 40 time (4.61) and he tied Beanie Wells in the broad jump at 10'8.
Aaron Maybin - is 20 years old. Twenty...and he looks like he can handle it. He's big, he's fast and he looks like an athlete. The only knock in him is that he's from PSU and I don't like the DE's that come out of that school. If he's converted to a OLB, WATCH OUT.
Brian Orakpo - is a BEAST. He looks bigger than Jevon Kearse who I think is one of the biggest DE's in the game. He ran a top ten 40 time and looked pretty good until his hamstring popped. No worries, he will be fine...he's my dark horse for defensive ROY.Orion Martin - was a walk on. So you know he has heart and determination. He has vaulted himself into a top three DL pick and I think over time he will be a house hold name.
Michael Johnson - is my pick for flop of the draft. He looked like a man among boys, except for Orakpo. He was one of the fastest DE's has HUGE arms, a long stride and was the best athlete in drills. My only worry, as the NFL Network said is that he's HIGHLY inconsistent. His raw talent and potential is bar none in this draft.
Linebacker -
Aaron Curry - should be the first pick in the draft. He is/was that good. It was obvious he was the best LB at the combine. His quickness and decision making were obviously faster than everyone else's and he was a top performer in EVERY drill.. His only downfall is he gets excited in the open field and misses tackles...no worries Detroit, give him his money now.
Clay Matthews - has NFL blood in him. His dad was an NFL linebacker, his uncle is the famous Bruce Matthews, his brother is a top prospect at Oregon...how's that for pedigree? I think he boosted himself almost as much as Connor Barwin. He looked so fluid in every drill it was like he was born to be a linebacker. Watch out for Clay to make a big impact in the NFL.Brian Cushing - is a meat head. "What NFL team doesn't want a meat head on their squad," as Jon Gruden so eloquently put it. He by passed all of the big name combine workout facilities to go back to his NJ high school's training facilities because he thought "they knew him best." That is bad ass. "Screw the froo-froo crap, I'm going to Jersey to flip dumpsters and pull semi trucks." I absolutely love this kid.
Marcus Freeman - is a name you should know about going into the draft. This guy was always over-shadowed by the oh so famous James Lauranitis at OSU. Let us not look past him anymore...he looked better than him in every drill. He's a tenth of a second faster, 7 reps stronger and he looked more fluid in drills and James did...can we say UNDER RATED.
Ray Malaluga - got hurt in his 40. I don't really have a lot to say about him other than he is probably the second best LB in the draft. He's like a bigger Troy Polomalu who doesn't talk like Michael Jackson.
Tight End -
Cornelius Ingram - was the only person that blew me away. By blew me away I mean, holy crap, this dude is an animal. Anyone who is 6'4 245 and ran the 40 in 4.68 is ok in my book. He is a unproven Kellen Winslow, without a motorcycle license. A huge down side is that he was just recovering from an ACL tear that kept him out all season at Florida. He looked like he was playing with a bunch of rookies at the combine to me.
Brandon Pettigrew - is a lot better than was shown at the combine. He is a prototypical tight end who can block and catch. If you need a 10 year TE prospect, draft him.
Wide Receiver -
Deon Butler - was the fastest man at PSU. His first ten yards of his 40 were non existent. That being said he ran the 30-yard dash in 4.26 seconds. He looked RIDICULOUSLY fast. Other than that he did ok.Johnny Knox - is faster than Deon. This guy was believe it or not, even faster.
Take three minutes and watch this...it's unreal: http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80edffeb
Michael Crabtree - broke his foot but will be a beast in the NFL...everyone knows that.
Jeremy Maclin - is going to be the best athlete from this draft class. He's fast as hell, he's got amazing hands and he's a threat to score on any punt return or kick return.
Percy Harvin - is ok. I question how good Percy is going to be in the NFL because of his size. He's only 5'11, which I think is a stretch, and he's gonna get knocked around a lot. Bottom line is Percy didn't jump off the field at me during the combine and I don't think he will in the NFL...could regret saying that.
Running Back -
Cedric Peerman - looks like the top RB in this class. He went to Virginia which has a history of turning out some MONSTER tailbacks into the NFL, and he performed very well. He was a top performer in nearly every drill, he's big, he's fast, he's agile...what more do you want?Ian Johnson - really surprised me. Everyone thinks of Ian as the guy that proposed during a bowl game. Everyone also knows that he played for Boise State and the team isn't that impressive, blah blah blah... I got news for you people, this guy can play ball. I think whoever takes him in the third or fourth is going to get a workhorse that loves to play the game.
To be honest, no one else really impressed me at the combine...so there you have it. These are the guys to look out for in the Draft in April. I hope you enjoyed it and I'm going to leave you with some good clips of Rich Eisen at the combine...hilarious stuff.
Rich Eisen's 40: http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80eea0dc
Rich Eisen's Wonderlic: http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80ee436c
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