October Baseball

Two thoughts before I get to my Cubs stream of conciousness:

1. (Beware of the gloating fest that’s about to take place) I won both of my fantasy baseball leagues again this year – making me six for my last six over the past three years!!  I’m a juggernaut that doesn’t appear to be going down anything soon.  We should seriously start betting on this people, because I would never lose.  I lost my second best hitter with two months to go, and pull off a phenomenal deal that lands me Cole Hamels and Aubrey Huff.  I’m brilliant!  No trades with Justin though, which is disappointing in the fact that I couldn’t rip a couple of second half gems off him and give up a nickel in the process.  Ahhh well, I guess there is always next year!

2. Congrats to White Sox “Grinder” baseball.  They won 1-0 tonight with the game being decided on a Jim Thome homer.  Wait – let me redescribe that.  They won on a Jim Thome moonbeam!  That ball was absolutely demolished on a bad mistake by Nick Blackburn.  I guarantee this game would’ve been won by the Twins if it were in Minnesota for the simple reason that the White Sox get absolutely psyched out by playing in the HHH Metrodome.  Now we’ll see who they throw in the series vs. the Rays.

I like the match-up for the Cubs in the first round against the Dodgers.  A lot of people disagree with me, but I think they are a flawed club in the right places to where the Cubs can get a handle on them.  The dream scenario would have been playing the Dodgers in the NLDS, then playing the winner of the Mets/Brewers in the NLCS.  Unfortunately the Craptacular Mets pooped out during the final couple of weeks again.

That Philadelphia vs. Milwaukee series could be decided (you aren’t going to believe this) in Game 1!  The reason I say that is because of one man: CC.  If the Phillies lose to Yovani Gallardo in Game 1 (by the way, where the hell did he come from) then they get CC in Game 2, and you can already chalk that up to Brew Crew.  CC has refused to lose in the last month or so.  It’s stunning how amazing he has looked.  You fall down 2-0 to the Brewers, then they have to win just one out of three, and that last game is going to be CC again.

As for the Cubs/Dodgers – let’s look at my five keys (from five to one, with one being the most important):

Please don't let Furcal run loose, whatever you do.

5. Keep Rafael Furcal Off The Basepaths:

Oh, you didn’t know Furcal was playing?  Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but Joe Torre already has him leading off and playing SS tomorrow.  He hasn’t but four games since mid-May because of an injury, so you have to wonder how rusty he’s going to be.  If he shakes off the dust right away, he can easily become a series changing player.  While being fantastic at focusing on the hitters and striking out their opponents in key situations, Cubs pitchers are notorious for being dreadful at holding runners on.  Geovany Soto is pretty good at throwing guys out, but Furcal can absolutely fly.  When he went down with that back injury in May, he was the top hitter in the National League.

Not only do you have to worry about his offense, but his defense can potentially cut down opponents run production by about two-tenths of a run over his replacement Angel Berroa – a stat that is mind-boggling.  He’s got tremendous range with a cannon for an arm, being clocked in the mid-90’s throwing the ball across the infield.

4. Dont Forget Who You Are:

The biggest change between the 2007 and 2008 Chicago Cubs is the plate discpline and walk rate they’ve been able to muster up this year.  If the guys at the top and bottom of the lineup start getting swing happy again (Soriano for instance), then you can kiss that advantage goodbye.  Los Angeles’s Game 1 starter Derek Lowe works off of his power sinker that he can lose control of when he’s not right on.  If you see the Cubs diving at it all night, then it’s going to spell a long, long series for the North Siders.  Stay patient at the plate, wait for the pitches, and the Cubs hitters are going to succeed.

The starters going deep into games was key as well.  If they start walking more batters in the playoffs looking to take advantage of younger hitters being over-anxious, then they’ll be gravely sorry for their mistakes.  They need to remember (especially both Carlos’s) that the best pitch in baseball is still strike one.

Keep things under control Woody...literally.

3. Slamming The Door Late:

This point is two-fold.  No. 1, Kerry Wood needs to keep the ball down in the zone, and he’ll be just fine.  He also needs to avoid walking someone.  No. 2, the defense needs to stay tight late in the ballgame, possibly even using defensive subs.  If Kosuke Fukudome doesn’t start, you can bet he’ll be in there late in the game if the Cubs have the lead.  I also wouldn’t mind seeing a guy like Reed Johnson patrolling left field if the Cubs have a 3-4 run lead, because if Soriano crow hops and misses a ball late in a game, I’m going to puke…and possibly punch somebody.

2. Which Carlos Will We See?:

I was a little disappointed to see Carlos get the ball in Game 2 because I don’t know if he can be trusted right now.  One thing is certain – he’s going to be on a short leash – and it wouldn’t surprise me if we see a Jason Marquis sighting or, dare I say it, a Ted Lilly sighting if the game is still close when Carlos gets lit.  Don’t get me wrong – I hope he throws a gem, but I can’t trust Big Z any farther than I can throw him.  Like I’ve said time and time again, you’ll know during the first inning which Carlos you’re getting.  If you want to know – text me after ten pitches, and I bet you I can guess how many runs he’ll give up within one run.

Emotions - why is that so hard to control???

If you don’t feel like texting me, the formula for Carlos is simple, and it involves three things:

• Arm Angle: If it’s high, he’ll be fine.  If it dips down, grab onto the chair and prepare to cringe…
• Velocity: This can go two ways.  If he’s throwing upper-90’s, he loses control and cant find the strike zone.  He also tends to throw through his fastball, and will get little to no movement.  If he’s 90 or below, it means something is hurting him, and he won’t be able to put as much focus as he need to on the hitters.  His happy zone: 92-94 with zip and late life.
• Strike Zone:  If it’s tight, he gets frustrated, then get’s to be too emotional.  If my guess is correct, it’s going to be Dale Scott umpiring Game 2.  I would consider him to be a pitchers umpire – thank God

1. Derrek Lee’s Clutchiness:

Drive the ball for once...would you please!

I swear everytime D. Lee came up with a runner on first and one out this year, he rolled over one to the third baseman or shortstop into an easy double play.  Looking at the stats, it amazes me that he only had 27 GIDP’s (tied for second behind league leader Miguel Tejada).  He’s been slow on the inside fastball, and needs to re-learn how to pull something over the inner half.  If you see him starting lifting inside pitches into left field, then you know you’ve got your first basemen back.  They’ll need a key hit from him early in this series, and I pray to God he’ll come through.

MY PREDICTION: Ha…nice try…

NFL Week 4 Picks

It's time for a Rocky Mountain high!

 

Chad’s opening statement:  Wow did I suck last week.  I wasn’t thrilled with any of my picks, and now you know why.  This week, however, I have confidence in my selections.  I like a number of these games, and would lay some serious money down – that is, if betting were legal!  If I screw up the picks this week, I’m busting out the quarter next week and we’re going to flip for it.

 

Last Week: Justin (9-7), Chad (3-13)

 

Season to date: Justin (22-23-2), Chad (16-29-2)

 

Denver vs. Kansas City (+9.5)

 

Chad’s Take

 

Screw this taking the crap team because they’re getting a ton of points.  Let’s face it.  Herm Edwards is an awful coach.  The Chiefs are an awful team.  And Damon Huard is…well, he’s Damon Huard.  Jay Cutler has looked phenomenal, and I see them winning this one by at least ten.  Make it happen Mike – man of brass balls!

 

Pick: Denver -9.5

 

Justin’s Take

 

Talk about two teams heading in opposite directions.   Denver has proved to be one of the best teams of this young season, and it seems like this Broncos team has been blessed, maybe God just has a soft spot for diabetics.  Kansas City, on the other hand, has been plain horrid.  They are down to their third string QB, their offensive line is in shambles, and I’m not sure they even field a defense anymore.

 

Pick: Denver -9.5

 

 

 

Cleveland vs. Cincinnati (-3)

 

Chad’s Take

 

I said last week I would’ve laid a ton of money on Cincinnati +13 over the Giants, and I wish I had.  Now they’re being favored by three, and that has me worried a bit.  They still didn’t play that great, but the Giants didn’t either.  You think Derek Anderson will respond to the extra practice time Brady Quinn is getting by going all circa 2007 on us?  I doubt it, but I think they win the game anyways.

 

Pick: Cleveland +3

 

Justin’s Take

 

I can’t think of this game without remembering that epic game between these two games last year where the scores were only equaled by the fantasy scores put up for anyone put the players on my team.  This year both of these teams are pretty awful, but I have to think that Cleveland is going to figure it out one of these weeks.  If not, we may be seeing the beginnings of the Brady Quinn era.  I can’t wait…

 

Pick: Cleveland +3

 

Houston vs. Jacksonville (-7.5)

 

Chad’s Take

 

Nope – I wouldn’t bet this game.  Too many points for a Jacksonville team that I don’t believe in enough yet.  Plus, I don’t bet on teams that are going through hardships on the homefront.  According to the rules, however, I must choose a winner to this crapshoot of a contest.  I’ll go with the theory of “never take the road dog unless you think they can win outright.”  I don’t think they can.

 

Pick: Jacksonville -7.5

 

Justin’s Take

 

I’m with Chad here; I would not touch this game with a ten foot pole.  Jacksonville pulled off an impressive upset against Indy last week, but their offensive line is still pretty banged up, and at this point I like Houston’s D more than Indy’s D now that Bob Sanders is out.  As much as I hate betting on Matt Schaub, I’m going to have to go with my gut and say…

 

Pick: Houston +7.5

 

Arizona vs. NY Jets (-1.5)

 

Chad’s Take

 

Brett Favre limping around is not something you see everyday.  What I’ve learned in the past though is that you don’t bet against Favre unless it’s obvious that you have to.  Arizona is traveling to the east coast two consecutive weeks, and that can take a serious toll on a team.  Kurt Warner has to take his customary shot from an unblocked LB this week, doesn’t he?

 

Pick: NY Jets -1.5

 

Justin’s Take

 

We saw last week that the Bretts aren’t quite ready to win in a shootout yet, and when you are playing Arizona, you better be ready for a shootout.   I think a lot of people are going to realize pretty soon that the Jets are who we thought they were, perhaps it will take a beat down at home to get the point across.

 

Pick: Arizona +1.5

 

San Francisco vs. New Orleans (-6)

 

Chad’s Take

 

Again, do I think San Fran can take this game outright?  My guess is going to be no.  49ers fans (OK, maybe just Justin) got really excited last week when J.T. O’Sullivan lit up the world.  Hmmmmmm – wait, that was against the Lions.  Oh yea.  I’ll take Bush with a Brees, please.

 

Pick: New Orleans -6

 

Justin’s Take

 

Wow Chad, I think that’s the first time I’ve ever seen you rhyme in your writing; please don’t do it again.  The Saints offense is great, even without Marques Colston, but their defense is lousy, they give up 133 yards on the ground per game.  This spells good things for a reenergized Frank Gore   This is also another good week for JT O’Sullivan, who is making an early bid to be the QB who rises out of the muck for around ten weeks.  Still I don’t think the Niners are ready to get a road win against a team that can score big-time points like the Saints can.

 

Pick: New Orleans -6

 

 

Minnesota vs. Tennessee (-3)

 

Chad’s Take

 

I like the Twins…er…Vikings with Gus the Great playing QB.  Kerry Collins – not so much.  Although, I do like him a helluva lot better than the nutjob they used to have under center.  You think the reason they say ‘under center’ is because it has less sexual connotation than ‘behind center?’ Because that point can probably be argued.  Wait, are we picking football games?

 

Pick: Minnesota +3

 

Justin’s Take

 

What have we done to deserve a world in which we have to watch Gus Ferrotte go up against Kerry Collins?  Both teams are stingy against the run, and I don’t’ trust either teams QB, for obvious reasons.  In these situations I usually pick based on which team has the biggest game breaker, and that would be Adrian Peterson.  I think the points work themselves out because Tennessee is playing at home, so I guess I’ll go with AP… all day long.

 

Pick: Minnesota +3

 

Atlanta vs. Carolina (-7.5)

 

Chad’s Take

 

Can Atlanta win this game outright?  No.  Ok, then pick the Panthers, right Chad?  Not so fast.  Remember how good Michael Turner and Matt Ryan have looked during their two wins?  Wait, who were those games against?  That would be Detroit and Kansas City.  Ewwwwww.  This game stinks.  I surely wouldn’t bet it – but I’m gonna take the home team because of the rules I must live by if I’m going to come back in this crazy game.

 

Pick: Carolina -7.5

 

Justin’s Take

 

Atlanta’s two wins this year have come against Detroit and Kansas City, two of the worst teams in the league.   They rely on their running game too much, and Matt Ryan’s two touchdowns this year have come off of play-action passes after the other team had put nine guys in the box.  Carolina is susceptible to the run, they give up 113 yards a game, but they are by no means as bad as Detroit or Atlanta.  I think this is the game where we see Steve Smith return to his usual 100 yard plus, 2 TD per game self.

 

Pick: Carolina -7.5

 

Green Bay vs. Tampa Bay (-1.5)

 

Chad’s Take

 

Now here’s a game I could bet on.  Tampa Bay is actually favored in this game?  I know that the Packers lost last week, and that Al Harris is probably out for the rest of the season with a torn spleen (ouch), but remember, despite looking good down the stretch last week, Brian Griese is still the QB of the Bucs.  He lit up a Bears defense that is relatively easy to beat (just attack the guy wearing 92).

 

Pick: Green Bay +1.5

 

Justin’s Take

 

I was shocked to see that Green bay was giving up 150 yards on the ground per game, which worries me a little, but come Vegas you are giving Green bay 1.5 here?  You really trust in Brian Griese that much?   The Packers can score in bunches, and if Tampa gets behind early they are in big time trouble.

 

Pick: Green Bay +1.5

 

Buffalo vs. St. Louis (+8.5)

 

Chad’s Take

 

Screw you St. Louis.  I hate the Cardinals.  I hate Tony La (DUI) Russa and I really hate Scott Linehan for roping me in thrice.  Won’t happen this week.  By the way, is changing to Trent Green at quarterback really the right move for the Rams?  You know you’re paying him like $8 million, right?  And the problem has been keeping him upright, not actually him throwing the ball.  Yea, gimme the Bills.

 

Pick: Buffalo -8.5

 

Justin’s Take

 

While I don’t share Chad’s deeply imbedded hatred for St Louis, I’m finding it harder and harder to go with them when it comes to pick’em.  So get this Rams, you are on my watch list, until you start making some covers I’m going the other way.

 

Pick: Buffalo -8.5

 

San Diego vs. Oakland (+7)

 

Chad’s Take

 

I compare this situation to what the Bears had to do two years ago.  Every week, Lovie Smith had to reiterate the fact that, “Rex Grossman is our quarterback.”  Lane Kiffin has to do the same thing, only this time, he’s talking about his own job instead of one of his employees.  I vow not to pick Oakland until they get double digit points, play the Chiefs/Rams/Lions, or Al Davis fires himself.  Not gonna do it.

 

Pick: San Diego -7

 

Justin’s Take

 

San Diego is in, rescue season mode right now, and I think they are going to pummel teams that aren’t in the upper echelon of the league.  I have to say that I’m starting to respect Oakland a little bit, not their owner mind you, that guy is a complete whack job, but perhaps if they keep Kiffin around long enough I may pick them to cover one of these weeks.

 

Pick: San Diego -7

 

Washington vs. Dallas (-11)

 

Chad’s Take

 

Dallas at home can put up some serious points.  Washington, on the other hand, has been pretty frisky in the last couple of weeks.  Some look at some perifs.  Romo vs. Campbell, MB3 vs. Portis, Owens vs. S. Moss, Witten vs. Cooley, Zorn(itis) vs. Wacky Wade.  11 points sure is a lot though.  Decisions, decisions.  I wouldn’t bet on this game, I just want that to be known.

 

Pick: Dallas -11

 

Justin’s Take

 

I’m starting to think that this may be the Cowboys year, which is depressing.   Dallas gives up less than 90 yards per game on the ground, which spells bad things for my fantasy team (I own Portis) and the Redskins.  I just don’t have enough faith in Jason Campbell to get the job done on the road against one of the leagues best teams.

 

Pick: Dallas -11

 

Philadelphia vs. Chicago (+3)

 

Chad’s Take

 

The Bears suck, Ron Turner is the antichrist, and Hunter Hillenmeyer could be the biggest joke of a football player since Akili Smith.  I only have to give up three points in this game?  Excellent!  Time to go back to being the pessimistic Bears fan again.  We’re only in Week 4.  Sorry folks.

 

Pick: Philadelphia -3

 

Justin’s Take

 

Did you see what the Eagles D was able to do to the Steelers last week?   The Steelers are a much better team than the Bears.  The Bears offensive relies so much on Matt Forte it’s kind of sad.  My prediction is that we’ll see a QB controversy start up after Philly puts a big time beat down on Neckbeard (er Kyle Orton).

 

Pick: Phily -3

 

Baltimore vs. Pittsburgh (-5.5)

 

Chad’s Take

 

Casey Hampton and Willie Parker are out.  Ben Roethlisburger’s shoulder isn’t 100%, yet I hate taking rookie quarterbacks more than I hate Ron Turner.  OK, that is a complete lie.  Ahh, what the hell.  Live a little, risk the injuries!

 

Pick: Pittsburgh -5.5

 

Justin’s Take

 

Here it is, my upset pick of the week, pretty much for all of the reasons Chad said above.  The Steelers offense is beat up big time, and it looks like Baltimore’s D is back to some extent.  I wouldn’t be surprised if I end up wrong here, because I do hate go with rookie QB’s on the road, but something Flacco will do just enough to make this one close.

 

Pick: Baltimore +5.5

Irony Alert: Angry Beavers Penetrate Trojans Early and Often For Upset Victory

In a game that you will no doubt hear about for the next couple of weeks, Oregon State has upset number one USC, 27-21.  The Beavers were able to get out to a 21-0 lead in the first half, but it was the Oregon States defense that dug in during the fourth quarter after USC had rallied back to 14-21.  Greg Layborn would come up with huge pick for the Beavers with less than five minutes left in the game, and after Jacquizz Rodgers ran in a two year touch down with 3:39 left in the game, it was all over but the crying. 

 

Rodgers had a huge game for State carrying the ball 37 times for 186 yards and two touchdowns against one of the defenses in the nation.  Rodgers is a five foot, six inch Freshman running back, but he looked like an upperclassman NFL prospect in this one.  Beavers Junior QB, Lyle Moevao also played well, throwing two TD’s and no INTS. 

 

USC looked as if they were a bit bored to start this game, which can be easy to do when you live in a town where it is 72 and sunny around 345 days a year.   The Trojan’s star running back Joe McKnight was held to 10 yards on seven carries, and although Mark Sanchez played a decent game, he did throw that pick at a critical moment in the ballgame. 

 

I guess that’s just the way it goes in college football.  You get that number one team that is looking to roll a team that isn’t even ranked, even though they are playing a conference rival on the road, and bad things are bound to happen. 

 

Well that’s about it from us at TOUTS for tonight.   Come back tomorrow for our week four NFL picks and some musings about the White Sox choking their way out of the AL Central lead. 

This Is Why Cleveland Can’t Have Nice Things

This off the AP wire via ESPN.com:

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert says the speculation that LeBron James will leave Cleveland in two years is out of line and “an insult to the city.”

 Gilbert says it’s nothing more than conjecture from bored sports reporters.

He says James has given no indication that he plans to leave for New York after his contract expires in 2010.

Gilbert spoke to the media Thursday at the Cavaliers’ practice facility. He says the Cavs can compete for a championship the next two seasons and that worrying about a contract extension for James is two summers away.

Actually Dan, LeBron has talked to anyone who would listen about playing for a number of different cities, or even countries, that would pay him what he is owed.  We all know that LeBron and Jay-Z are pretty tight, and since Jay-Z is part owner of the, soon to be, Brooklyn Nets, it wouldn’t surprise me if the King moved the center of his empire to the Big Apple.

I feel bad for Cleveland fans, here comes one of the greatest basketball players of all time, he rescues a barely relevant NBA franchise, but gets no help from management, and now this.   Trust me, the Cavs will be competitive for the next couple of seasons, but not for an NBA title, and when his contract does come up in 2010, he is going to make like anyone who has fallen into some money in Cleveland and get the hell out of dodge (er Cleveland). 

It’s hair brained quotes like these from management that make me wonder how these people get to be in charge in the first place.  If I was running the Cavaliers I’d spend a little less time worrying about what LeBron and/or the media is saying, and some more time trying to make a team that can compete for a championship in the next two years, while the James is still wearing a Cavs jersey.

Source: ESPN.com

Here Lie The 2008 New York Yankees

The Mustache Twins

Yankees fans will remember the 2008 season for its golden thongs and strange facial hair.  For the first time in 13 years, and the first time since I’ve become a fan of the bombers, New York will not be playing in the playoffs.   Its hard to imagine that a team that spends over 200 million on its roster could fall short of the playoffs, but the Yankees managed it nicely.

It’s easy to point the finger of blame at Brian Cashman for not pulling the trigger on the Johan Santana trade before the season, but this team was flawed more than what one ace, even an ace of Santana’s calliber, could have fixed.  When Chien-Mieng Wang went down it forced the Yankees hand.   They had to move Joba Chamberlain out of the bullpen, a spot where the young fireballer was excelling, and it also forced New York to really more on it’s young pitching talent, and we all know how that worked out.

 

The Yankees were also hurt by their older players.   Andy Pettitte and Mike Mussina are getting a little long in the tooth to be two of the pillars of any pitching staff, even though Mike Mussina pitched this year I have to suspect the end is drawing nigh for him.  I was surprised by how well Jason Giambi played this year, but he was still much too streaky and a less than stellar first baseman.   The Yankees outfield looks like it’s ready to move into a retirement home.   Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui and Bobby Abreu are all past their primes, and I’m not sold on Brett Garnder being our center fielder of the future.

Put it this way, when the team is passing around a golden thong to break out of a collective batting slump, it is perhaps time for a change.  Unfortunately, the Yankees still have a Steinbrenner at the helm, so who knows what kind of crazy changes are in order.    My best guess is that there will be at least two new starting pitchers in the rotation, a couple of new relievers, two new bats, and at least one ego that won’t mesh with A-Rod’s.

 

For some perspective, here are the key players on the Yankees roster that are either up for Free Agency this year, have a team option, or can opt out of their contract:

• Jason Giambi
• Ivab Rodriguez
• Bobby Abreu
• Mike Mussina
• Andy Pettitte
• Carl Pavano
• Damaso Marte

Chad and I pretty much agree that of those seven players we’d only want to bring back Mussina, Abreu and Marte, but Marte can opt out, so we’ll see.   Chad has also reminded me that spending money on free agents is not the answer, but since I am not Hank Steinbrenner, I have no control over what happens this off season.  It seems that when Hank is not moaning and groaning about the current playoff system, he is promising wide sweeping changes to the Yankees clubhouse, and unlike Barack Obama, this is change I can’t believe in!

As a Yankees fan I’m bummed out that I will not have a team to root for in the playoffs.  All I’m left with is my standing bet with Chad,  in which I have to become a Chicago sports fan if the Cubs win the World Series (Ha ha, that one always puts a smile on my face).  Cheering for the Yankees is kind of like riding on one of those old wooden roller coasters at six flags: you have no control of what’s going to happen, there are tons of up and downs, and you are expecting the ride to go off the rails at any moment.  It seems like this ride has pulled into the station for the year, but I’ll be first in line to get right back on next year.

So long 2008 Yankees… please don’t forget to take your golden thong with you.

(sigh)

Happy Trails Matt Millen

You will never be forgotten Matt, and I don't mean that in a good way.

Finally Detroit Lions fans can rest easy knowing their beloved franchise is no longer under the control of Matt (The Franchise Destroyer) Millen.  Since Millen took the GM job in Detroit, the Lions have had the worst record in the NFL, and it’s not even that close.  

 

Lions fans have been calling for the firing of Millen for years, but somehow the guy was able to keep his job.   Millen is known best to the rest of the sports world as the guy who kept on drafting receivers with this first pick when they were desperately lacking at other positions.  Here’s a rundown of Millen’s first round selections since taking over the team.

 

2002: Joey Harrington (Qb)

2003:Charles Rogers (WR)

2004: Roy Williams (WR)

2005: Mike Williams (WR)

2006: Ernie Sims (LB)

2007: Calvin Johnson (WR)

2008: Gosder Cherilus (T)

 

We all know how things have worked out for Harrington, Rogers and Mike Williams, and while Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson seem to be great play makers, Millen showed again and again that he did not understand what it took to build a wining team.   I’m not sure what took the Ford family so long to realize their mistake, because this is a move that should have been five years ago.

 

So long Matt Millen, you will be missed, not by anyone in Detroit, but by the thousands of fans that cheer for all of the other NFC North teams.

Fantasy Sports Rage

There have been moments in my life, and yours too I’m sure, when I’ve realized that I needed to make some drastic changes.  You know what these moments look like.  It could be that moment you realize that you’re not happy with your job, or that moment in front of the mirror when you realize that perhaps it’s time to take on the Subway diet.   It’s in these moments that we take a step outside of ourselves and get a good luck at who we really are.   Yesterday I had one of these moments.   I was standing over computer, screaming obscenities and punching a wall because I needed Calvin Johnson to catch a touch down so I would have some breathing room in my fantasy match-up, despite the fact that I’m a 49ers fan and they just happened to be playing Megatron’s Lions that day. 

It was only hours after the 49ers grabbed a solid win over the Lions (if there is such a thing) that I realized how completely insane I was acting.  I had reached the peak of an Mt Dew fueled temper tantrum that lasted for over an hour, all because my imaginary team wasn’t playing as well as I thought they should be.   Things got so bad that I had to pull the internet cable out of my laptop and play a few games of Madden just to blow off the steam.  I’m 23 years old; I should not be getting this upset over my fantasy football team.

I’ve been playing fantasy sports since junior high when I was in a NBA salary cap league on sportingnews.com.  Back then the thought of being able to control which players I wanted on my team was beyond awesome to the point where when we were asked to pick a future career and write a paper about it in an English class, I chose to be the general manager of an NBA team.   This would lead to the twelve year old version of me emailing Mark Cuban, and when he returned my email it was one of the coolest moments of my prepubescent life.   As it turns out, Mark Cuban answers a majority of the emails he gets from the public, which taints the memory a little, but back then it only made me that much more of a sports nut.

Throughout high school my first couple years of college I started to reach out into other fantasy sports.  Chad turned me onto fantasy baseball in 04, and we’ve been playing in the same league since.  Up until that year I had almost no interest in baseball, I had a few Yankees hats, but was only because Yankees hats were cool, at least that’s what I thought at the time.   Through the course of the 04 baseball season I became a big fan of the Yankees, which made the 04 ALCS that much more painful. 

Over the last couple of years I’ve been in just about every kind of fantasy league there is, one year I was even in a PGA and Nascar league, and I’m not even a fan of the PGA or Nascar.   This year I’ve cut it back to the big three sports, mostly for sanity’s sake.   I’ve also cut down on the amount of teams I play in per league.  I used to be the guy who would have ten teams for fantasy baseball, six different fantasy football teams, and at least a couple of basketball teams.  Next year I will be cutting everything down to one team per fantasy league.  I’m cutting back for a number of reasons: I am starting a triple crown of fantasy sports (more on that later), I’m wrapping things up with school and need some time to actually do my schoolwork, but mostly I just can’t take the ups and downs anymore.

Flash back to last Sunday, I’m cursing at anything I see, my hands hurt from punching the wall and I’m starting feel a little woozy.  It was after the wooziness subsided that I came to the realization that fantasy sports shouldn’t matter as much as they do.   I’m not trying to say that I think fantasy sports are meaningless or anything, because then I wouldn’t be writing this post.  Fantasy sports: provide a great outlet for friends to stay in touch, a reminder that professional athletes, at their core, are just stat making machines, and provides a suitable alternative to playing Yahoo Chess.

I’m not even going to bark at people who feel the need to have over five fantasy teams for every sport.   If a person can pull off the amount of work it takes to run that many teams on a weekly basis, go for it.   As for me, however; it’s time to cut back.  I’m a pretty competitive person, and when I lose at something it bothers me.    Ideally fantasy sports allow you to draft your team, make a few trades/waiver pick-ups, submit your line-up as required, and just let the chips fall as they may.  We all know that it’s almost impossible to stay cool when we are involved in close fantasy match-ups, but there’s no excuse to go completely off the handle. 

From now on I’m going to take a bit of a hands off approach to fantasy sports.  I’ll still do the best I can to get the best possible team out there, but I’m going to make a concentrated effort to not check my teams until after the games are over, especially for football.  From now on I’m going to to enjoy the games first and worry about my fantasy team later, which is the way is should be for anyone.   I’m also attempting to kick my raging Mt Dew addiction that has probably taken five years off of my life.   Hopefully the subtraction of Mt Dew and constant fantasy sports pressure will help my blood pressure go down a few notches. 

I’m going to take this approach into my draft preparation from now on as well.  There is precedence for this change, last year I finished first only in my fantasy basketball league.  The difference between that league and the rest of the leagues I was in last year was that I showed up to the draft with no preparation what-so-ever.  That’s right, I just showed up and drafted a team based on my previous knowledge of the NBA.   Given, I follow the NBA much more closely than I do the NFL or MLB, but I’d like to think I have a pretty good handle on all of the leagues in which I play fantasy sports in. 

Things didn’t work out so well for my other leagues last year, and they aren’t looking much better this year.  I placed in the middle of the pack in fantasy baseball/football in 07, I’m cruising to a seventh place finish in baseball this year, and I’m 1-2 in our fantasy football league.   What makes these finishes so brutal is the amount of preparation I put into each of these league.  On average I probably do about 50-100 mock drafts for every league I’m in.   That’s a scary number I realize, and one that is pretty inexcusable for someone who hasn’t been ridden with some kind of debilitating disease.  I always put at least two months of research into my draft preparation, and look where it’s gotten me.   Well enough is enough, from now on I’m shooting from the hip, I’m cutting myself down to no more than a week of preparation, and I’m not going to sweat the results as much.   After all it is just a game, right?

NFL Week 3 Picks

It’s time to get happy!

 

Chad and I were both less-than-stellar last week, I was able to eek out a 6-7-2 to 5-8-2 victory, but it’s rather meaningless since we are adding up all the wins and losses for the year.  Are totals so far this year are 13-16-2 for me and (wow) 13-16-2 for Chad, it’s a tie… for now.  We talked about scrapping the idea of picking all of the games in favor of selecting a few interesting games and picking them, but I kind of like the humbling experience of being wrong more than right, Chad does not share in my enjoyment.  Either way we are soldiering on with week three’s picks, good luck with yours!

 

Kansas City vs. Atlanta (-5.5)

 

Chad’s Take

 

Kansas City just keeps moving down the depth chart at quarterback, and they’ve now settled on a guy named Thigpen to take snaps under center.  The last guy in the NFL named Thigpen was a receiver, and his front name was Yancey.  I don’t like that parallel.  I think Atlanta can do what they did in Week 1 against the Lions, and run all over KC.

 

Pick: Atlanta -5.5

 

Justin’s Take

 

I’m starting to think that Kansas City is the second worst team in the NFL right now, and Herm Edwards is just waiting to get the boot.   We have a battle of two rookie QB’s on our hands, this one should be a snoozer, but since I have to pick one…

 

Pick: Atlanta -5.5

 

Oakland vs. Buffalo (-9)

 

Chad’s Take

 

So if you’re Lane Kiffin, and you’re this close to getting fired, what makes you stay up that extra hour looking over film, knowing that you have very little control over your future.  The Raider organization is completely screwed up, and until major personnel decision-making power is removed from the hands of Al Davis then the Raiders will be nothing more than mediocre.  I wonder if Justin will take them since they’re getting nine.

 

Pick: Buffalo -9

 

Justin’s Take

 

Rumors are that DMC is going to be hampered by turf toe and will probably spend most of the game riding the pine.  Buffalo is a decent team that may be able to sneak into the playoffs this year as a Wild Card team.   If Oakland can’t get the run going this game could be a blowout, and I just can’t see myself taking Oakland on the road unless they are getting double digit points, so…

 

Pick: Buffalo -9

 

Tampa Bay vs. Chicago (-3)

 

Chad’s Take

 

I wasn’t able to make it down to Halas Hall this week to thin off Ron Turner, but that’s ok, I think the Bears can manage Tampa Bay at home, especially with Brian Griese at quarterback.  These teams run such similar offenses and defenses that it is absolutely sickening.  I don’t think there are two teams in the NFL that are so similar in systems.

 

Pick: Chicago -3

 

Justin’s take

 

Let me see here, we have a team that completely depends on the run to win games against a team that can stop the run.  Wait, actually that would adequately describe both teams.  When you get down to brass tacks you are really picking between Kyle Orton or Brian Griese plus three points.   I wouldn’t bet on this game if I was the betting type, but since Chicago’s most dynamic player is still dealing with sore ribs I’m going to go with Tampa here.

 

Pick: Tampa +3

 

Houston vs. Tennessee (-5.5)

 

Chad’s Take

 

ALERT: This wouldn’t be a game I would bet on.  Houston is coming off an unexpected bye week, and nobody knows how they are going to play after the carnage that took place in Houston.  It sounds like Kerry Collins is the starter until further notice, and I think that is a huge benefit to the Titans.  Vince Young could do nothing but squeak out games because his defense was phenomenal.  We’ll see how the Titans do with Collins.

 

Pick: Houston +5.5

 

Justin’s Take

 

Houston didn’t do much to impress during week one and Matt Schaub usually gets beat up against the Titans.  The Texans have also been dealing with a week of hurricane clean-up and now they have to play this game on the road, I smell a rat Vegas.

 

Pick: Tennessee -5.5

 

Carolina vs. Minnesota (-3)

 

Chad’s Take

 

Peace out to Tavaraus (I’ve never spelled his name right anyways) Jackson, and hello to Gus Frerotte.  Oh, and you don’t think a guy like Michael Vick is going to be given a shot in the NFL again?  Let me rattle off the names of guys starting in the league this week: Gus Frerotte, Matt Cassell, J.T. O’Sullivan, Kyle Orton – you get the picture, right?

 

Pick: Minnesota -3

 

Justin’s Take

 

I think it’s telling when making Gus Frerotte your teams starter is a no-brainer.  Carolina has been having an exciting season, winning both of it’s games in its closing minutes.  Carolina is getting Steve Smith back this week, but it will probably be a week before they are able to get him back into destroyer mode.  Minny plays well at home, and I really do feel that a change a QB will help this team.

 

Pick: Minnesota -3

 

Miami vs. New England (-13)

 

Chad’s Take

 

Good to see the one week Vegas hiccup has passed.  The Patriots are back to double digit favorites, and I’m not going to hesitate to take them.  I don’t think that Miami is going to be able to score much, and Matt Cassell is going to find a rhythm in the offense.  Big win on the way for New England.

 

Pick: New England -13

 

Justin’s Take

 

Vegas is really making a team quarterbacked by Matt Cassell a 13 point favorite?   Really Vegas, really?  On the other hand, Miami only one A game last year, and they are on the verge of having a RB and a QB controversy.

 

Pick: New England -13

 

Cincinnati vs. New York Giants (-13)

 

Chad’s Take

 

OK, I’m going to take 13 points and Carson Palmer every day of the week, and twice on Sundays. Is New York really this good?  Let’s see, they beat Washington at home, and throttled the worst team in the NFL (the Rams) last week, and that means 13 points?  I don’t thinks so.  Sorry Eli, I’m never going to give you more than ten.  If I was a betting man, I’d lay a big one on this game.

 

Pick: Cincinnati +13

 

Justin’s Take

 

The Giants have been very impressive in the fist two weeks of the season, and I haven’t seen any signs of life out of Cincy yet.   Even if Carson Palmer gets back on track they still won’t be able to stop Plexico Burress or Brandon Jacobs, which is nice because Jacobs is on my fantasy team.

 

Pick: New York Giants -13

 

Arizona vs. Washington (-3)

 

Chad’s Take

 

Thanks Jim Zorn. ‘Preciate all that ya did for me last week.  ***hole!  That little comeback that you dialed up knocked me out of my survivor pool, and I’m none too happy about it.  Your punishment?  You shall lose to the Cardinals at home.  Ohhh yea, I went there.

 

Pick: Arizona +3

 

Justin’s Take

 

Kurt Warner almost singly handily defeated my fantasy team last week, when the Cardinals offense is clicking they are almost unbeatable.   Washington looked much better than they did in week one, perhaps Campbell is going to improve on a weekly basis and be unstoppable by the end of year… probably not.  Arizona’s defense can be stringent at times, they’ve only given up 12 points this season, that’s a stat I can get behind.

 

Pick: Arizona +3

 

Detroit vs. San Francisco (-4.5)

 

Chad’s Take

 

Congrats to the 49ers for grabbing a win over Seattle last week in overtime.  Now, will J.T. O’Sullivan stay upright long enough to win this game?  Doubtful.  Plus, Detroit can really sling the ball, and San Fran couldn’t stop a Seattle team that was down five receivers at the time.  What can I say, I like when crappy teams are givin’ more than three.

 

Pick: Detroit +4.5

 

Justin’s Take

 

I was impressed by how the 49ers played against the Seahawks, given Seattle was was playing without their top four receivers.   Detroit can’t seem to stop anybody, they are giving up an average of 220 rushing yards a game, and last week they made Aaron Rodgers look like Brett Favre.  Detroit’s D is so bad I am seriously considering picking up JT O’Sullivan for this one.  Call this a homer pick all you want, but I’m going with the Niners here.  If Matt Millen survives the season I will be more than shocked, at this point I just feel bad for Lions fans.

 

Pick: San Fran -4.5

 

St. Louis vs. Seattle (-9)

 

Chad’s Take

 

St. Louis is 0-2 and is the worst team in the NFL right now.  I still think they’ll cover this weekend though.  My reasoning: Seattle traded for Keary Colbert and signed Koren Robinson this week to start on Sunday!  Not kidding.  They even planned on having backup quarterback Seneca Wallace take 30 snaps at receiver last week, but he got hurt in warmups.  Yikes.  And I’m getting nine points here???

 

Pick: St. Louis +9

 

Justin’s Take

 

Saint Louis has given up 79 points in two games this year, 79 points!  I know that Seattle is in a bad place when it comes to receivers, but Koren Robinson does know the system in Seattle, as long as he isn’t too drunk to remember it.  Seattle is playing at home, where they usually play better, and too be honest, I’m just really not a fan the Rams at all.

 

Pick: Seattle -9

 

New Orleans vs. Denver (-5)

 

Chad’s Take

 

That’s it, Denver is playing with house money from here on out.  They shouldn’t have gotten another chance to score last week, and when they did, Mike Shanahan showed brass balls and went for two.  AND HE RAN THE SAME PLAY!!!  I bow down to you Jay Cutler and Co. 

 

Pick: Denver -5

 

Justin’s Take

 

Chad got it right when he said that Denver is playing with house money, can we just call that call the worst call in officiating history and move on please?  It looks like Cutler to Marshall could become the most dynamic QB/WR combo in the league.   It’s hard for me to go with New Orleans on the road without Marques Colston, plus that Saints D isn’t going to stand much of a chance against Denver’s dynamic offense.

 

Pick: Denver -5

 

Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia (-3)

 

Chad’s Take

 

Hey Mully, when I picked the Browns plus the points last week, it wasn’t because I thought the Steelers would lose, it’s because I thought that was a lot of points for the weather and road game.  Does this pick make you feel better?  In the battle of Pennsylvania, I’ll go with the Steelers because Donovan can’t have three straight good games.  Impossible.

 

Pick: Pittsburgh +3

 

Justin’s Take

 

With Jacksonville falling apart a bit, this is probably the game of the week.  Don’t look too deeply into Pittsburgh’s offensive struggles last week, they were playing in a freaking wind tunnel.   This is a good moment for me to gloat a bit about drafting DeSean Jackson in my fantasy league, last week he made one of the dumbest plays in NFL history and still had over 100 yards.  It’s gotten to the point where I’m a bit torn about weather I want to start him of Steve Smith as my flex WR.  Yeah, my WR position is that deep; Reggie Wayne and Calvin Johnson are my starters.  This would be a game I wouldn’t bet on, these are two the NFL’s best teams, but I think Pittsburgh is the better all-around team and are getting points, so I’ll go with them here.

 

Pick: Pittsburgh +3

 

Jacksonville vs. Indianapolis (-6)

 

Chad’s Take

 

A lot of people picked Jacksonville to the Super Bowl this year.  Thank God I wasn’t one of them.  They aren’t as strong on the defensive front as they used to be, they still don’t have competent receivers, and now they are feeling the wrath of the injury bug on their offensive line.  What did Indy do last week: fought off injuries that were even worse, and snuck out a three point win in a hostile environment.  You can have the points, I don’t need them.

 

Pick: Indianapolis -6

 

Justin’s Take

If you watched the last minutes of the Indy/Minn. game last weekend you saw Peyton and Co. start to figure it out.  It was only a matter of time before Manning shook off the dust, and this week they get to play their biggest Conference rival at home.  Jacksonville is reeling from the loss of three of their offensive linemen, but they do get helped by the Colts losing Bob Sanders.  I’ll still go with Indy.

 

Pick: Indianapolis -6

 

Cleveland vs. Baltimore (-2)

 

Chad’s Take

 

No way is Cleveland a ten win team again in 2008, but you can’t start giving them points against teams that aren’t nearly as good.  I know Baltimore has had two weeks to prepare, but Joe Flacco is still quarterbacking them, and now he’s giving up points.  I’m not nuts about that.

 

Pick: Cleveland +2

 

Justin’s Take

 

Cleveland and Baltimore have 33 points between them this year, so um… go with the under on this one.   You would think that Cleveland would break out one of these weeks and get back to last years form, but Baltimore has been stingy on defense, they’ve only given up ten points this year.  Cleveland has given 38 points so far this year, I think Baltimore can win by a field goal, even if the final score ends up being 3-0.

 

Pick: Baltimore -2

 

Dallas vs. Green Bay (+3)

 

Chad’s Take

 

Aaron Rodgers has looked phenomenal the first couple of weeks, but I forsee the freight train slowing down in this game.  The Cowboys are the only team that played against Aaron Rodgers for any extended period during his career, and I think that knowledge and memory is going to be huge.  I think you see Rodgers stumble a bit in this game.

 

Pick: Dallas -3

 

Justin’s Take

 

Wow, this could be a preview of the NFC Championship Game.  Dallas looked unstoppable at points last week, but their defense was susceptible to the big play.  They are now without the services of hard hitting safety Roy Williams for a while.  Aaron Rogers has played some fantastic football over the first two weeks, given he was playing some weak pass defenses, but impressive none-the-less.  If he is able to keep up his success against one of the leagues biggest teams I’ll be a believer, but until then…

 

Pick: Dallas -3

 

New York Jets vs. San Diego (-8.5)

 

Chad’s Take

 

LDT’s toe scares me, and I think Norv thought about suicide one too many times this week.  Not a good idea when prepping for a gunslinger like Brett.

 

Pick: New York +8.5

 

Justin’s Take

 

San Diego has to be pissed off right now, even without LDT the Chargers have a potent offense (see Darren Sproles) and a defense that can get to the QB.   I didn’t like the way ManGINA handled the Jet’s goal line situation last week.  How do you not let Brett Favre throw the ball once from the one?  I’ll probably end up kicking myself for this but…

 

Pick: San Diego -8.5

 

The Stretch Run

I know football season is here people, but let’s not forget that grind of the baeball season is finally coming to end, awarding us with baseball in October – a feeling that is unmatched if your team is lucky enough to experience it.

Before I dive into the column, there are some reasons why I’m writing about baseball on an NFL Sunday afternoon.

1. Ron Turner - There is no worse offensive coordinator in the NFL (since John Shoop is at UNC now) than Ron Turner.  The quarterback runs a ball control offense with kid gloves on, and pass routes are run 3-4 yards short of the first down.  Then, on 4th-and-2 with less than two minutes left in the game, you run a fullback dive play that barely worked the first time you ran it on 1st-and-goal from the one inch line (successful on a second effort).  Why the hell would you think it would work then?  What’s really mind-boggling is that Ron’s brother Norv is one of the best offensive minds the NFL has seen in the last two decades.  When the Bears lose, 90% of the time it’s because of the migraine creating Turner.

2. The Saints – I picked the Saints in my survivor pool this morning, sensing that everyone else would go with the Giants, and that an upset could put me leaps and bounds closer to victory.  Then, just before kickoff, I find out that Saints head coach Sean Payton received a contract extension.  (expletive).  When does a person perform to their abilities after an extension?  Name me one time!  Of course, the Saints have a nine point lead in the fourth quarter that Payton and his quarterback Drew Brees piss away – ending my chance at the $300+ on the table.  Thanks Sean…hope you enjoy you’re freakin money!

3. Danny Sheridan - Yes, the guy that sets the betting lines for the NFL games for the USA TODAY, and respected Vegas linemaker.  I went 8-8 last week, but so far am 1-5-2 through the early games this week with things not looking to improve in the late games.  I thought Justin and I would luck into covers for Detroit and New Orleans.  Noooooope. Suck it Danny!  I hate you!

4. Fantasy Football - I’m getting railed in two of my three leagues, and the only reason I’m winning in the one is because Ryan Longwell banged in five field goals in the loss to Indy.  Glad that lucking into LaDainian Tomlinson with the second overall pick has really paid off.  Oh yea, thanks for someone telling me to start Jonathon Stewart!  Oh, wait, that’s right, NOBODY DID!

5. Greg Olsen – Thrown to twice, fumbled and lost it twice.  You disgust me.  No wonder why I hate The U.

I apologize for that…just had to clear out the riff-raff rattling around in the old cranium to make my baseball thoughts clear.

The Cubs have a hand-breaking grip on the NL Central Title, leading the Brewers by 6.5 games after Philadelphia’s come from behind victory against the Brewers this afternoon.  A win tonight and tomorrow could signal the Cubs putting their foot on the throat of the Central, and putting the division out of reach.

The Cubs/Astros series being moved to Milwaukee is an unspeakable advantage for Chicago.  Games in Milwaukee have felt like pseudo home games because of the amount of Cubs fans that buy tickets and make the trip.  Tonight and tomorrow will be no different.  The Astros may be batting last, but the Cubs will have the support of something along the lines of 99% of the crowd.  Luckily for the Astros, the stadium won’t be packed.

Carlos Zambrano will make his first start tonight since an outing against Houston on September 2 that saw him leave the game after five inning because of arm discomfort and fatigue.  A strong start tonight for Big Z would provide the shot in the arm the rest of the team has been looking for during this rough stretch of baseball in September.  Thankfully the Brewers have sucked even more than the Cubs, but you can’t expect that to continue through the end of the month.   Zambrano will undoubtedly be on a pitch count tonight, and will probably go no more than 90 pitches.  And he shouldn’t – there is no reason to push him.  He’s logged the most pitches of any pitcher in the majors over the last five years, they shouldn’t rush his arm.  If the Cubs want to make a push for that series that is played in baseball between the American League and National League (can you tell I’m superstitious?) they need a fully healthy Zambrano.

The September swoon the Cubs have gone through has come from a lack of run scoring.  In their eight losses during the last two weeks, the North Siders scored just 20 runs in their losses, and are getting very little production from the guys in the middle of the order (i.e. Aramis Ramirez, Derrek Lee, Jim Edmonds, Alfonso Soriano).  Derrek Lee has been especially bad.  He’s getting absolutely no lift on anything, and has just 13 extra-base hits during the second half of the season (48 games).  Every time he comes up with runners on-base, all I think about is whether its going to be a 6-4-3 or a 5-4-3 double play.  He’s having the same problems as he was when he was in Florida: can’t hit the inside pitch with any authority.  When he’s going good, he pulls his hands in and lifts fastballs on the inner half.  He just isn’t doing that now.

I wouldn’t mind seeing Micah Hoffpauir starting the rest of the season in rightfield.  He was pretty much the Triple-A MVP, has a ton of power, and could be the 2008 version of Geovany Soto – a guy that gives a spark to a struggling offense.  Late in the game, you can bring in Kosuke Fukudome or Felix Pie in for defensive purposes, but atleast get the guy with the big stick out there right now.  It wouldn’t suprise me to see an outfield composed of Soriano, Fukudome, and Hoffpauir in 2009.

Rich Harden’s last outing looked very good when looking at the numbers, but his velocity was right at 90mph.  I hope he was just holding back a little bit in an effort to not overthrow, because the Cubs need to have him at 100% to make a serious run as well.  If they need to bench him for another start or two in the final two weeks, DO IT!  Don’t hesitate.  His health could be the difference.

The Cubs competition in the playoffs has the potential to work out just perfectly.  In a perfect world, you would get the Mets out of the East, the Astros making a valient comeback and locking up the Wild Card, and the Dodgers holding of the Diamondbacks in the West, mainly because nobody wants to face off against the 1-2-3 punch of Brandon Webb, Dan Haren, and Randy Johnson.  In all reality, it’s probably going to be the Mets, Dodgers and Brewers making the playoffs, with Milwaukee improving their play and holding off the teams just a few games behind them right now.  Ned Yost can’t blow it two years in a row, can he?

As for the American League, it’s going to be incredibly difficult for the White Sox to hang on.  The rainouts this weekend have turned their schedule upside down, and without Carlos Quentin and more than likely, the hot hitting Paul Konerko, the offense is going to have little pop from the right side.  That race is the only one that matters anymore.  The Red Sox and Rays will take the East and Wild Card in whatever order they want to line up in.

Whatever happens, it’s going to be a blast to watch baseball down the stretch – mainly because the Cubs are in it and the Bears piss me off to a point where I’m probably going to shoot Ron Turner this week.  Oh, I almost forgot something….

Fantasy Baseball Update: In our Terry’s Tire World league, I’m going to win 6-2-2, and have a 6 game lead going into the final two weeks.  That’s what we call cake people.  In the roto league that Justin and I are in, I’m winning by 17 points over the 2nd place guy!  84 for me, 67 for the guy in second!  That would be six for my last six.  Buff up those trophies for me!

Week 2 NFL Picks

It’s time to get happy!

 Last week was an exciting week to be a non-Patriots NFL fan.   If you haven’t already read our live blog from last week giver her a quick scan through.  It was a burden of love, and probably something Chad and I will never do again.   This week it seems like a lot of the games will be closer than week one.   Last week Chad somehow bested me (8-8) to (7-9), but I’m not too worried because the first couple of weeks is like the preseason for betters.   I’ll be hitting my stride soon.  Sometime this weekend I will be putting up a tally of our records on the sidebar, and you will be able to check that as the season goes on.   Remember, whoever makes the most correct picks over the course of the season gets to make the other guy buy (and wear) a jersey of the others choosing.  Enjoy the weekend everyone, and good look with those picks.

Oakland at Kansas City (-3.5)

Justin’s Take

As I said last week, I won’t take Oakland on the road unless they are getting at least seven points.

Pick: KC -3.5

 Chad’s Take

Brodie Croyle got hurt in Week 1 – there’s a freaking surprise.  Now Damon Huard is the starter, and they are talking about letting some guy named Thigpen get some touches at QB as well.  Oakland got completely embarrassed at home on Monday night, but they were close on a lot of plays, and they’ve now shaken off all the rust.  I know Justin will disagree with me because he only takes only if they’re getting a TD.

Pick: Oakland +3.5 

 

 Tennessee at Cincinnati (-1.5)

Justin’s Take

I watched Tennessee beat a very good Jacksonville team last week, given the Jags were down a couple of linemen.   I’m one of those guys who think that Tennessee will be better without the headcase that is Vince Young.   Cincy looked awful last week and I think that there is no way they should be favorites, even at home.

Pick: Tennessee +1.5

Chad’s Take

 This line stunned Justin, as he guessed the Titans would be favored by six points.  Not so.  It was a good win for Tennessee at home, but it’s now been proven that Vince Young is freaking crazy!  If you could give that organization a re-do in the draft, I don’t think they take Young.  Cincinnati looked putrid on both sides of the ball last week, but I see them bouncing back in this game.

Pick: Cincinnati -1.5

 

 Indy at Minnesota (+3)

Justin’s Take

Last week I correctly picked Indy going down to the Bears, but I’m not going to brag because I had a pretty rough week.  I’m not a fan of Min this year, and if Aaron Rodgers can play well against the Vikings D, just imagine what a pissed off Peyton Manning will be able to do.

Pick: Indy -3

Chad’s Take

 Seriously, the Vikings need to call Daunte Culpepper, offer him seven million bucks over two years, and get him on the field ASAP.  Tavaris Jackson is every synonym of bad that you can think of, and that team will only go as far as his inaccurate arm will take them.  No division title here yet folks.  Gus Frerotte has to be the better option, doesn’t he?  Indy, meanwhile, wants some revenge from that Sunday night loss against Chicago.  Look for them to go big in this game.

Pick: Indianapolis -3 

 

 New Orleans at Washington (Pick’em)

Justin’s Take

Jason Campbell looked God awful last week, and even though New Orleans isn’t exactly a fierce pass defense, I still don’t trust Washington’s offense.   I expect the Saints will stack the defensive line and force Campbell to beat them, which I can’t see happening.

Pick: New Orleans

Chad’s Take

 Say what, Vegas?  Did you boys watch that Thursday night game in New York last week?  Zorn doesn’t know how to manage the clock (it’s a condition that Justin calls Zornitis…very contagious, stay away!) and Jason Campbell hasn’t had a consistent offense in seven years.  The Saints are my team to go a long ways this year, and it continues with a Week 2 win.

Pick: New Orleans 

 

Green Bay at Detroit (+3)

Justin’s Take

As much as I hate Detroit’s D, I have a rule against picking rookie QB’s on the road.  Aaron Rodgers is basically a rookie when it comes to on-field experience, so I’d basically call it a pick’em.  I’m going to go with the points here, but I wouldn’t bet big on this one.

Pick: Detroit +3

Chad’s Take

 I have to keep reminding myself that it is NOT Brett Favre QB’ing the Packers anymore.  Aaron Rodgers looked pretty good doing it though, didn’t he?  Detroit is going to struggle winning games this year because Jon Kitna is going to be on his back the majority of the time.  It’s hard to give up three points to a home team though when the other team is starting a guy with one career start.  How ‘bout an upset pick, eh?

Pick: Detroit +3

 

Chicago at Carolina (-3)

Justin’s Take

Chicago played well against Indy, but I think Carolina beat a better team last week.   I think Carolina will do a much better job against the run than Indy did against Da Bears, and I think they will be able to give the Bears a healthy dose of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathon Stewart.  Even if you say the two teams are even at running the football I’ll take Jake Delhomme over Kyle (neck beard) Orton.

Pick: Carolina -3

Chad’s Take

 I was completely stunned that the Bears pulled off the upset last week against Indy.  I’m not putting them into the Super Bowl though, unlike a lot of Bears fans.  Carolina pulled off a nifty little upset in San Diego without Steve Smith and I have to believe they’ll do the same to the Bears when they’re at home.  We’ll see how Matt Forte does in Week 2.

Pick: Carolina -3

 

 NYG at St. Louis (+9)

Justin’s Take

The Giants were able to do a good job against Clinton Portis last week, and the Rams did look pretty awful against Philly, but the Giants aren’t going to score as much as the Eagles did last week, and if Steven Jackson can have a Seven Jackson like day, I think the Rams can cover…  maybe.

Pick: Rams +9

Chad’s Take

 Wow, so much for St. Louis being considered an NFL team.  If you’re crappin’ nine to a team when you’re at home, Vegas thinks you have some serious issues.  I know the Rams suck, but do they suck bad enough to dive nine points against Eli?  You have to remember though, who’s going to guard Plaxico Burress?  I don’t know the answer to that one, nor do I know if the Giants can cover that many points on the road.

Pick: St. Louis +9

 

 Buffalo at Jacksonville (-5.5)

Justin’s Take

Jacksonville is without both of their starting guards and their starting center, this is not good for a team that relies on the run.  Buffalo is a team that is going to surprise a lot of people this year.  They have a very solid running game, and Lee Evans is still an elite receiver.  

Pick: Buffalo +5.5

Chad’s Take

 Buffalo is getting no love after beating an incredibly short-handed Seattle team at home last week.  Jacksonville on the other hand, is coming off what many considered a stunning upset in Tennessee (I wasn’t fooled though).  I’m 99% positive that Jacksonville is going to bounce back in this game, but by 5.5 points?  Justin mentioned to me that the entire middle of their O-line is hurting, and their backup tackle is trying to live through a gun-shot.

Pick: Jacksonville -5.5

 

 Atlanta at Tampa Bay (-7)

Justin’s Take

Jeesh, the Falcons are getting no love from Vegas after putting a whooping on Detroit.  Of course I’m not even sure that Detroit has a defense, and Tampa Bay played very well against New Orleans.   This game is seems like it will be closer than a touchdown either way, and when in doubt always go with the points.

Pick: Atlanta +7

Chad’s Take

 Uhhh, ok, so where the hell did Matt Ryan and 220 yards from Burner Turner come from?  Hell, Jerrious Norwood almost ripped off 100 yards as well!  Oh, yes…that’s right…they were playing the Lions!  The Lions, well, they suck.  The Bucs – they don’t.  But do I trust Brian Griese to cover this spread?  That answer would be…

Pick: Atlanta +7

San Fran at Seattle (-7)

 Justin’s Take

Let’s get this straight, I’m a 49ers fan, so I’m a little biased here, but I can’t believe Vegas would make them a seven point dog to a Seattle team that has no healthy receivers.  I think the 9ers will get better as the year goes on and I think this could be a big game for San Fran when it comes to them getting out of the cellar.  So here it is, my upset pick of the week.

Pick: 49ers +7

Chad’s Take

 I’m going to be honest, this line is completely ridiculous.  I know San Fran isn’t the best team in the world.  Heck, they aren’t even in the Top-20.  But to put Seattle as a full touchdown favorite over the Niners with the Seahawks missing their top FOUR receivers, is utterly stupid.  Wait a second, I’m putting money on J.T. O’Sullivan?  Somebody stop me.

Pick: San Francisco +7

 

 New England at NYJ (-1.5)

Justin’s Take

What a difference a week makes.   I wonder what the line would have been for this game if Brady was playing. I think the Patriots will use the Brady injury as a way to “rally the troops,” and if there is a team Bill Belichick hates to lose to, it’s the Jets.

Pick: New England +1.5

Chad’s Take

 Another big line for Brady and the boys to overco…Whoops, my bad.  Sorry Patriot fans, it’s not looking pretty for a Super Bowl return, is it?  Can anyone remember the last time the Pats weren’t favored in a football game?  The last time they weren’t favored in a football game on the Eastern seaboard?  Here’s a good one: When was the last time Matt Cassell started a football game.  Oh, I know that answer, it was when he went 3/11 in a loss…during his senior year in high school in 1999!!

Pick: New England +1.5

 

Baltimore at Houston (-4.5)

Justin’s Take

This game got moved to Monday because of Hurricane Ike, under normal circumstances I would pick Houston over Baltimore any day, but you never know how a team is going to act when they are affected by a natural disaster.   Houston also has some issues at RB, so Baltimore will be able to key on Matt Schaub.   This is where I go to my rule against betting on a  rookie QB on the road. This is another game I would not bet big on, but I’m going to have to go with…

Pick: Houston -4.5

Chad’s Take

 This game got moved to Monday night because of hurricane Ike, so obviously in real-life, I wouldn’t bet this game if you forced me to.  It’s not going to feel like a home game, I have a feeling, with the amount of damage this storm will do.  Still, I’m taking the Texans, I don’t trust rookie QB’s unless they’re getting a touch.

Pick: Houston -4.5 

 

San Diego at Denver (+1.5)

Justin’s Take

Denver looked really good on Monday Night Football, but they were playing an Oakland team that I was always suspicious of.  On the other hand, San Diego wasn’t able to beat a Carolina team that wasn’t the services of Steve Smith.  However, Denver will not be able to stop LT, and think the Chargers D will actually play a bit better now that they don’t have to worry about what they want to do with Shawne Merriman.

Pick: San Diego -1.5

Chad’s Take

 You have to really like the Broncos this year.  They blew out Oakland on the road, and were without their top wideout Brandon Marshall.  San Diego on the other hand is reeling from the loss of Shawne Merriman.  I’m a little bit torn here.  Can San Diego really fall to 0-2 on the season?  I actually think…nahhhh, come on now.  LDT will run all over those Broncos.

Pick: San Diego -1.5

 

 

Pittsburgh at Cleveland (+6.5)

 Justin’s Take

Cleveland could not stop Dallas last week at all; Meanwhile, Pittsburgh’s offense looked like a well oiled machine.  For some reason I can see the Steelers jumping out to a big lead, then knocking Derek Anderson out of the game, thus starting the Brady Quinn era and giving Browns fans nightmares for weeks.

Pick: Pitt -6.5

Chad’s Take

 Wowza.  Oh, how the mighty have fallen.  Did Cleveland really get that bad, that fast?  I don’t know that I can give away 6.5 points again, especially to a team that isn’t nearly as talented offensively as Dallas is.  I smell a rat here.

Pick: Cleveland +6.5

 

 Philly at Dallas (-7)

Justin’s Take

Both of these teams looked great last week, and this game should be a close one as both of these teams hate each other and always play well against each other.  I think the real wild card for the Eagles this week is DeSean Jackson, the Eagles rookie WR who had a great debut last week.  I think he comes up big again and helps to keep this game close.

Pick: Philly +7

Chad’s Take

 That’s a lot of points again, but this time I think I have to take the favorite.  That Dallas offensive line is just unbelievable, and Donovan McNabb gets too trigger happy when he’s losing in a game.  I think Romo can throw all over this defense, and loosen things up for MB3.

Pick: Dallas -7