I’m not even going to make you wait until the end of the column to let you know who I predict will win the 2008 World Series. So if you’re not interested in reading my explanation on why I think the Tampa Bay Rays are going to win it all, Justin and I appreciate your site visit – come back soon.
Heck, if you didn’t plan on reading on, but you caught yourself taking a gander at this paragraph – I’ll lay out why the Rays will win in a bullet-point sorta way. It’ll make it seem like you’re reading all those cliff notes that got you through freshman English.
The Phillies need to perfect cloning if they want to win a championship.
1. Better Starting Pitching: Don’t judge me because I’m writing this during Game 1. Ask anyone who has looked to me for World Series wisdom, and they’ll tell you I predicted the series to end 4-2 – with the Phillies winning both games that are pitched by Cole Hamels. The guy is just too dominating. His 92-93mph fastball can seem like 100 when he’s got his changeup working (and I don’t believe I’ve seen him pitch when it hasn’t been working). Unfortunately for the Phils, he’s all they have.
Brett Myers in Game 2, Jamie Moyer in Game 3, and Joe Blanton in Game 4 are all average pitchers at best, and none of them would cut it in the American League (ask Blanton – he started the ‘08 campaign with the A’s).
Compare that rotation to the guys they’ll be facing: James Shields in Game 2, Matt Garza in Game 3, and Andy Sonnastine for Game 4. I would choose each one of the Rays pitchers on my recess-league team before I would consider taking any of Philadelphia’s pitchers.
The only starter I haven’t mentioned so far is Rays Game 1 hurler, Scott Kazmir. He’s great for a fantasy team, but isn’t a guy you crave to be pitching a deciding game in the Fall Classic. He throws enough pitches to make the bench coach’s arm numb from pressing the clicker so often (which isn’t good when playoff opponents usually tend to be patient hitters). He’ll be out-dueled in Games 1 & 5 by his lefty counterpart.
Longoria is the cornerstone of the Rays for now, and until his contract runs out...
2. Better Defense: There are exactly two weak defenders on the Rays, and one of them shows off blazing speed that makes up for his lack of reading ability off the bat (Carl Crawford). The other plays first base – and many of his mistakes tend be covered up by the fabulous gloves and arms playing the other infield positions.
Evan Longoria and Jason Bartlett make up the best left-side defense in all of baseball, and Akinori Iwamura is no slouch at second – playing there ever since spring training in preparation for the arrival of Longoria. BJ Upton covers an incredible amount of ground in center, and has a major gun, but can be caught being lackadaisical at times. That rarely happens in a World Series though.
Based on my undeniable praise for the Rays glove work – you’d expect me to rip into the Phillies and their inferior defense. Honestly though, they’re pretty dang good with the leather as well. Philly sports weak defenders at the exact same positions as the Rays do (LF & 1B). The slight difference is that LF Pat Burrell is an absolute butcher in the outfield, and doesn’t possess Crawford’s speed to make up for his mistakes. As for Ryan Howard? He might as well use an oven mit for his glove at first.
This Brad Lidge could show up in the blink of an eye.
3. Superior Bullpen: This is a simple game of Who’d You Rather….Have (get your mind outa the gutter!). J.C. Romero, Chad Durbin, Ryan Madson, Scott Eyre, and Brad Lidge? Or Chad Bradford, J.P. Howell, Dan Wheeler, Grant Balfour, and David Price. This one seems pretty easy to me if you watched baseball in the last six months. Brad Lidge is an Albert Pujols thought away from complete implosion, and a couple of dominating lefties (Howell and Price) can control the lefty power of Howard and Chase Utley.
I don’t see either of these bullpens blowing a lead in this series, but if either of them is going to do it – bet on the Phillies to give one away.
The Result (for those of you that jumped right into the numbers…): Rays 4-2.
Ladies and gentlemen - your 80-1 odds at winning the 2008 World Series!
Happy trails Nolan, you probably won't be remembered.
I know this is old news by now, but being a 49ers fan I feel obliged - if only slightly - to comment on the Mike Nolan firing. Kevin Lynch over at the SF Gate wrote a fantastic article about the circumstances that surrounded Nolan’s firing. Lynch contends that Nolan did not listen to his players, and showed all around ineptitude when it came to calling plays.
The following exchanges have been pulled from the Lynch article starting with what happened after Alex Smith injured his shoulder and after extensive rehabbing felt like the injury was holding him back:
Smith went to Nolan. He told him he felt he was no longer helping the team, and he said he was going to say the strength staff ruined his rehab. Nolan told Smith he couldn’t say that. Smith agreed, but he wanted Nolan to say what he had just told him that his injuries were making him ineffective, which seemed evident to even the casual fan.
Here are a couple more examples of Nolan not being on the same page with his own players.
Then Nolan had another “miscommunication” with wide receiver Arnaz Battle. Battle apparently sat down with Nolan and explained why he wasn’t going to participate in the voluntary OTA’s in the spring. But when Battle didn’t show up, Nolan said he didn’t know why Battle wasn’t at the start of OTA’s. Again, it was chalked up to a miscommunication.
The following exchange made me want to bang my head against a wall.
One last example – a reporter asked Nolan about wide receiver Josh Morgan’s staph infection that caused the rookie to lose 15 pounds. Nolan said that was just Internet speculation. Then he asked the reporter where he got that information.
“Josh Morgan” was the response.
Nolan had a 18-37 record with the 49ers, and while there is certainly plenty of blame to go around for San Fran’s struggles, Nolan showed that he was unable to take the talent that he was given and field a competitive team. In the past four years I’ve lost almost all interest in my beloved Niners, and when Mike Singletary said he saw “something special” in this team I had to roll my eyes.
Can Singletary turn the Niners around? I have some serious doubts.
Singletary, who was named head coach on Tuesday, has never been a head coach or defensive coordinator in the NFL. I’m always skeptical when teams name former players head coach in order to add an extra level of toughness to their team. I get that Singletary was a great linebacker in the NFL, but him breaking seven helmets in college doesn’t really qualify him to coach a team in this league, no matter how much people like my dad insist it does. The fact that the team overlooked Mike Martz, someone who has plenty of head coaching experience in this league, is kind of baffling. I’m all for taking your team in a new direction, but why couldn’t we have waited until the off season to make such a drastic move?
The front office in the 49ers organization has been making suspect decisions dating back to the drafting of Alex Smith with the number one pick in 05′. As a longtime fan of the team I find it hard to even pay attention to a franchise that doesn’t seem to be taking itself seriously. In fact, the only decision that they have made that I’ve been on board with was the Mike Martz hiring because the guy knows how to run an offense. The Niners have gone from scoring 13 points last year to 23 points this year, but their defense has gotten worse, going from giving up 22 points last year to 28 points in 08′. To be honest, besides Patrick Willis and Nate Clements (bad), I can’t name another defensive player on the team.
Perhaps Nolan’s firing is just the first of many, much needed ,moves that will turn around this once proud franchise, but until they show some signs of life I am going to keep tuning out. As a fan I feel the onus is on the team to put out a product worth me investing my time and money in. So let’s hope the Niners can get there act together and start winning some games, but I wouldn’t count on it this year.
I know it's almost Halloween, but I didn't need a scare like this.
I knew that God was going to punish me for not getting my NBA preview up by now, and last night was just the proof I needed. I was talking to Chad about how excited I was for the start of the NBA season and Chad tells me that Kobe just hyperextended his knee. At the time I thought he was just joking. What were the odds that Kobe would rack his knee at the same instance that I was talking about the NBA? I went to sleep thinking that Chad was just trying to get get to me – then I wake up this morning to find this on one of my RSS feeds via latimes.com.
Bryant was injured while going for a rebound off Sun Yue’s missed shot from the wing. Bryant bumped into Powell, his knee was hyperextended and he landed off balance.
Bryant immediately signaled to the bench that he was injured, and a timeout was called with 3:08 left in the second quarter. He walked over and sat at the end of the bench for a few moments before heading to the locker room under his own power, with trainer Gary Vitti closely behind.
Damn you Sun Yue! You better be the next Chinese Magic Johnson to make up for this. All signs point to this injury being minor, and Kobe should be just fine for the season, but it’s never good to see the NBA’s reigning MVP going down in the preseason. I’ll have my NBA preivew up ASAP so stay tuned. Now if you’ll excuse me I’m giong to go vomit.
Sorry for the late picks guys but Chad is out of town and I have been working on a project for school. Chad and I made these picks over the phone yesterday and we only ended up differing on one pick (Tenn/KC). I’m posting these picks after the noon games and I’m still trying to get over St Louis completely obliterating Dallas. So I guess Roy Williams isn’t the savior for Big D. Chicago scores 48 points then almost blows it to Minnesota, if the Vikings would have come back I think we could of had had some jumpers in the CHI. Anway, here are our picks:
Chad: Kansas City (+8), San Diego (-1), Pitt (-10), Baltimore (+2.5), Dallas (-7), Chicago (-3.5), New Orleans (+3), New York Giants (-11), Detroit (+9.5), New York Jets (-3), Cleveland (+7.5) Indy (-1.5), Seattle (+11), Denver (+3)
Justin: Tennessee (-8), San Diego (-1), Pitt (-10), Baltimorei (+2.5), Dallas (-7), Chicago (-3.5), New Orleans (+3), New York Giants (-11), Detroit (+9.5), New York Jets (-3), Washington (-7.5), Indy (-1.5), Seattle (+11), Denver (+3)
Because I am still hard at work (ha ha ha) on my NBA preview, and Chad and I are going to be working on our Triple Crown League post, we are going to make our picks rather brief this week. So enjoy you weekend everyone and good luck with those picks.
Last Week: Justin (8-6), Chad (6-8)
Season-to-Date: Justin (37-35-2), Chad (29-43-2)
It's time to get happy!
Oakland vs New Orleans (-7.5)
Justin’s Take
I’m going to revise my rule on Oakland needing seven points for me to take them, if they are playing a high quality team on the road, they need to be getting double digit points for me to bite.
Pick: New Orleans -7.5
Chad’s Take
Oakland has new coach, but they still have the same owner, so you can expect the same rusults.
Pick: New Orleans -7.5
Baltimore vs. Indianapolis (-4.5)
Justin’s Take
While Baltimore may have the best D in the league, they are still going to have to rely on Joe Flacco on the road against a team that needs to win to keep up their playoff hopes; and you know my take on betting on rookie QB’s on the road.
Pick: Indianapolis -4.5
Chad’s Take
Peyton Manning is due for a breakout game; Joe Flacco, not so much.
Pick: Indianapolis -4.5
Cincinnati at New York Jets (-6)
Justin’s Take
Ryan Fitzpatrick = Bad.
Pick: New York Jets -6
Chad’s Take
Brett vs Ryan, and Brett is only giving six points?
Pick New York Jets -6
Carolina vs. Tampa Bay (-1.5)
Justin’s Take
I think that these two teams are pretty much even, and in such circumstances I go with the points.
Pick: Carolina +1.5
Chad’s Take
How am I suppose to win this thing If Justin keeps picking the same teams as I.
Pick: Carolina +1.5
Detroit vs. Minnesota (-13)
Justin’s Take
Gus Ferrotte vs Dan Orlovsky +13… yuck.
Pick: Minnesota -13
Chad’s Take
Look at the starting QB’s in this game and ask yourself if Mike Vick will have a job when gets out of jail.
Pick: Minnesota -13
Chicago vs. Atlanta (+2)
Justin’s Take
Roddy White got his rung belled in practice this week and is questionable for the game; Atlanta only has a couple of weapons and if they are going to be down one of them I’m going to have to go with the lesser of two evils.
Pick: Chicago -2
Chad’s Take
My pick pick starts with a C, ends with an O, and in the middle… HICAG.
Pick: Chicago -2
Miami vs. Houston (-3)
Justin’s Take
Perhaps Matt Schaub will take a few Ibuprofen and actually play in this game; in which case I like Houston’s chances of stopping the Dolphins and their new fan-dangled Wild Hog formation.
Pick: Houston -3
Chad’s Take
Just to be different I’ll take the Miami Heat plus Dwayne Wade.
Pick: Miami +3
St. Louis vs Washington (-14)
Justin’s Take
Until St. Louis decides to win a game or two I am going to keep betting betting against them… heavily.
Pick: Washington -14
Chad’s Take
The greatest economic minds in the world are meeting in Washington this weekend, Jim Haslett is not in that group.
Pick: Washington -14
Jacksonville vs. Denver (-3)
Justin’s Take
Denver has one the leagues worst rush defenses and Jacksonville loves to run the rock; look for the Jags to dominate at the line of scrimmage and win this game outright.
Pick: Jacksonville +3
Chad’s Take
I visited Denver once, I’ve never been to Florida.
Pick: Denver -3
Philadelphia vs. San Francisco (+5)
Justin’s Take
This may be the game where JT O’Sullivan decides that pro football isn’t really his calling and creates a chain of restaurants names JT O’Sullivans, becoming a rich man in the process.
Pick: Philly -5
Chad’s Take
Donovan McNabb is embarrassed that Philly is only giving five points in this game.
Pick: Philly -5
Dallas vs. Arizona (+5)
Justin’s Take
I think this is going to be closer than a lot of people might expect, but Arizona is down one of their best weapons in Anquan Boldin, and they are going to miss him in this one.
Pick: Dallas -5
Chad’s Take
Where’s Anquan? Well then; we sail without him!
Pick: Dallas -5
Green Bay vs. Seattle (-2)
Justin’s Take
Vegas must not know that Matt Hasslebeck is going to be riding the pine in this game.
Pick: Green Bay +2
Chad’s Take
At some point in this game we may see Charlie Fry versus Matt Flynn, this game has Mike Vick work release written all over it.
Pick: Green Bay +2
New England vs. San Diego (-6)
Justin’s Take
Chris Chambers is going to be sitting this game out and LDT still has a bum wheel; I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I like Matt Cassell and the Pats on the road.
Pick: New England +6
Chad’s Take
Matt Cassell on the west coast two weeks in a row? You know he slept with some USC girls.
Pick: San Diego -6
New York Giants vs. Cleveland (+7.5)
Justin’s Take
So let me get this straight, the Giants get Plaxico Burress back and they are still not double digit point favorites in this game? Do want.
Pick: New York Giants -7.5
Chad’s Take
In attempt to gain some ground on Justin, I’m going to bet against Eli Manning.
The Cubs are now just two series away from capturing their first World Series in a century!
Oh wait, that was the first line of a column that I had ready for when the Cubs beat the Dodgers. Looks like I did my part to keep the jinx alive. Oh well Cubs fans, there’s always next… Century.
(Chad here – Anything you see in parenthesis is me. By the way Justin – I hate you…)
Since the Yankees decided to not make the playoffs this year (because they suck and they’re damned to hell) I am left rooting for any team that the Red Sox are playing. The fact that Boston is going up against one of the most exciting teams in recent baseball history just adds to my excitement. The (low-budget, Yankee subsidized) Rays are certainly unproven, but they are a team loaded with talented pitching and great athletes in the field.
Let’s break this series down into three parts.
You're going to miss him Sox fans.
1. The Manny Factor- You just know there’s going to be a moment in this series where the Red Sox wished they had Manny Ramirez over Jason Bay. It’s going to be sometime late in one of the games and Bay is going to swing at a first pitch breaking ball, ground into a double play, and crush the hearts of Boston fans everywhere. Oh I can’t wait for that sweet moment when the Red Sox realize that they traded Manny one year too soon (better too soon than too late).
Speaking of Manny Ramirez, the Sports Guy wrote a fantastic column about a week ago, thoroughly recapping into the events that transpired leading up to the Manny trade.
2. A Pitchers Duel – Here are your probable match-ups for this series
Gyroball or no, this guy has game.
Dice-K vs. James Shields
Both pitchers exceeded expectations this year, but it’s Matsuzaka (a.ka. The Walk-a-thon. Basically – the Red Sox invested $120 million into some Japanese charity…) who has the advantage when it comes to pitching in high pressure situations. Of course Dice wasn’t all that great last year going 2-1 in four games and boasting an ERA of over five. Matsuzaka is nothing if not a work horse, he’ll get you into the seventh or eight inning of a game (no he won’t J – he only pitched seven innings in eight out of 29 starts this year), even if it means he has to throw 130 pitches to do so. Shields has only pitched one postseason game in his career, a win against the White Sox last week, but he gave up three runs in six innings along the way. Shields will be pitching at home, where his ERA is two points lower (2.59) than it was on the road (4.82), but he’s playing a team that can make even the best pitchers struggle. To compound the problem for the Rays, Dice has a 2.37 road ERA this year. (I think the Red Sox completely bombed on this playoff rotation. It should be Beckett #1 – no matter if he’s 100% or not. Lester should be #2 because he’s pitching so incredibly. And they should flat out shoot Daisuke, because “The Pitching Machine That Can’t Find The Strikezone” will walk atleast an average of four per ALCS start).
Advantage: Red Sox (Rays)
Josh Beckett vs. Scott Kazmir
Beckett was a monster in last year’s playoffs (and every playoffs he’s ever pitched in) but a strained oblique has brought him back down to Earth. Beckett gave up a double to Chone Figgins on his first pitch against the Angels Sunday, and things did not improve much as the Red Sox ended up losing 5-4. Scott Kazmir can pitch brilliantly at time, but you never know how many innings you are going to get out of him (He’s Daisuke South). If the the Rays can get to Beckett early than Kazmir will have a great chance to pick up a win against one of the best postseason pitchers of this era.
Advantage: Rays (Red Sox)
Jon Lester vs. Matt Garza
Lester is the kind of pitcher that can win your team a championship (especially when he’s pitching lights out like he is right now). He pitched 14 innings against the Angels and gave up zero earned runs and struck out eleven; that’s the kind of production that saves your bullpen and takes pressure off your offense. Garza has been strong for the Rays all year, winning 11 games and having an ERA of 3.70, but he struggled against the White Sox, giving up five earned runs in just six innings. Garza struggled in his only appearance at Fenway this year, giving up five earned runs in just five innings of work. Things do not bode well for the Rays in this match-up (agreed).
Advantage: Red Sox (Red Sox)
Tim Wakefield vs. Andy Sonnanstine
This match-up is subject to change if either team finds themselves in a 3-0 hole, but odds are this is going to be the game four duo. Wakefield definitely has the advantage in post season experience in this one. Wake has pitched in 17 postseason games, started ten games and has won five with an ERA that is over six. That ERA is a bit high, but the Red Sox will leave Wakefield in as long as it takes [even if he is losing} in order to save their bullpen (not in game four they wont). Wakefield, at times, is the sacrificial lamb. Sonnanstine pitched decently against the White Sox, but he is someone who is more likely to give you five innings than seven or eight (if we're going to play the bullpen game, then give me the Rays - who have four of the best releivers in the AL this year). Wakefield could be the wild card in this series; if his knuckleball is on he's almost impossible to hit, if it's not on than the Rays will crush him.
Advatnage: Draw (Rays)
3. History's Darlings -This will be the point where Chad writes something snarky about the Cubs being the ones that should have been the breakthrough team this year (are you freakin' nuts?), but there's something to be said about a team that has been the cellar dweller in the AL East for years all of a sudden rising up to face their most bitter rival in the ALCS. Remember that game during the regular season where Coco Crisp got into a fight with James Shields and ended up getting pummeled by the whole Rays team while the Red Sox sat and watched? Say what you want about the Rays not having the experience, but they are not afraid of the Sox whatsoever. When I'm trying to predict a close series like this I always take into account what would make the better story, like the Red Sox in 2004 or the Celtics last year... God I hate Boston. Well the Rays are the best story left in these playoffs, so they have that going for them... which is nice.
4. Wild Card- David Ortiz can pretty much win a series on the strength of his bat alone, and as I've seen in "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" the wild card is not to be taken lightly (this link is hilarious - check it out).
As much as it pains me to me say, I'm going to pick the Red Sox to win this series (I'll take the Rays, plus the points. Wait, I'm not getting points here? What the hell kind of cruel world are we living in?), but be rooting for the Rays to do the improbable. Let's just move on to the NLCS before I get upset. The Los Angeles Dodgers will be taking on the Philadelphia Phillies in what should be an interesting series, but I'll be honest, I really have no interest in who wins. But in the sake of fairness, let's breakdown this series given the criteria I set above.
You think you love him now LA... just wait.
1. The Manny Factor- For basically the same reason I stated above, Manny Ramirez will be a force in this series. Ramirez went 5-10 and hit two homers against a very good Cubs team, and history has shown that Ramirez loves the big stage. I would not be suprised if Manny has at least two extra base hits that define what happens in this series. Suck on that Boston. (Won’t happen. From what I hear, Manny is going to get the tower buzzed a couple of times to get him riled up. If it works – he gets psyched out. If it doesn’t, they punt – and pitch to Ethier or Loney behind him).
2. A Pitching… Duel?
It's time for Hamels to step his game up.
Derek Lowe vs. Cole Hamels
Here’s yet another example of a crafty veteran facing off against a young fireballer. Lowe hasn’t lost a postseason start since 2003, and this year he won his start against the Cubs, but was only able to pitch six innings. Hamels is the Phillies ace, and he’ll have to pitch like one if Philly wants to keep their home field advantage. Hamels is the kind of pitcher you like to have in the playoffs, he has nasty stuff (a changeup that could be the filthies pitch in the majors. See grip —->) and can pitch deep into a game if need be. I think this will be a good match-up but in this case I am going to go with youth over experience.
Advantage: Hamels (Hamels)
Chad Billingsley vs. Brett Myers
Billingsley pitched great against the Cubs giving up one run and striking out seven in six and two-thirds innings. Myers also pitched well in his first start of this postseason, going seven innings and only giving up two runs to the Brewers (tougher offense to face last week = Brewers). This one is too close to call but I’m going to go with the pitcher who hasn’t been convicted of hitting his wife (but if he hit his wife, that means he’s unafraid of Manny).
Advantage: Billingsley (Myers)
Hiroki Kuroda vs. Jamie Moyer
This is where you see the biggest difference between the AL and NL. These two teams are just not that deep at starting pitcher. Despite being in the MLB for the last 22 years Jamie Moyer has only has six postseason starts, but he does have a 2.67 ERA in those starts. This will be Kuroda’s second postseason start ever, which kind of worries me given the size of the stage he will be pitching on. It’s easier for me to imagine Moyer having a solid game than Kuroda (agreed – Moyer just feels right in this case. Despite the fact that he’s 45).
Advantage: Moyer (Moyer)
? vs. ?
We won’t know who is starting game four until we get through the first three games. Will we see Greg Maddux in game four for the Dodgers, or rookie Clayton Kershaw (Going to be Maddux – 95% sure)? Who will the Phillies throw out there? (Joe Blanton) Only time will tell.
Advantage: Draw (Blanton)
3. Histories Darlings -The Dodgers are one of baseball’s most storied franchises. You can’t think about baseball without thinking about Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier or Kirk Gibson’s magical home run in the 1988 World Series. Plus, I can’t think of a better scenario than Manny Ramirez returning to Fenway Park in Dodger Blue for the World Series (this would be must-see TV!). Although this would create a nightmare scenario in which I actually have to root for Manny Ramirez. Oh what a strange world we live in.
4. Wild Card- Jonathon Broxton has gone from being the best set-up man in baseball to one of it’s most feared closers. He’ll be the guy shutting the door on the Phillies after Manny does his thing. I’m telling you, Manny Ramirez is going to carry the Dodgers into the Series. It’s going to happen. (Lies – all lies!!)
Sorry Phillies fans, but the World Series is not going back to Philly (He’s right – the Rays are going to win it all)…
Don't blame this on Lou - he's not the one playing.
About three minutes after Alfonso Soriano struck out swinging, ending what could be considered the most disappointing four days of my life, I sent a simple text message to every big-time Cubs fan in my phone. The message simply said, “Balcony Time.”
The responses were far reaching. I even got a chuckle out of a few of them, trying to get a laugh out of anything I could. I wasn’t truly serious about it, but I did send the message while standing at the railing of my sixth floor apartment. Here are the messages I received back – properly attributed to the person that replied.
Luke (Before I even sent the message): “Dont do it man! Step away from the balcony!”
Brock (Who saw the woes of Game 1 live at Wrigley): “Unreal.”
Marc (The only person more on edge than me): “Got the razor.”
Doug (Who probably punched someone last night): “Why Chad? Why?”
Rajiv (Who told me to ‘believe’ with three outs remaining): “I’m with you on that.”
Katie (Who saw the pain I felt during last year’s sweep): “I hate my life.”
Nina (Who bleeds Cubbie blue more than any girl I know): “Good choice.”
Jeff (My former boss and writer for Rivals.com): “Are we jumping ON three? Or is it 1, 2, 3 and then jump?”
Justin (I didn’t even text him, but I’m kicking him in the nuts the next time I see him): “Awesomesauce!”
Joe (You’ll love this…): “As in jumping off one?” (The Cubs just got swept scoring three, two, and one runs – and you have to question what I mean by balcony time??? I admit, it got me to laugh though)
I’m still waiting on responses from Turner, Jen, John, Reed, and Ryan – and frankly I’m hoping none of them are dead…
We all know why they lost. Uncharacteristic mistakes, unclutchiness in clutch situations, throwing fastballs center cut, fan atmosphere in Wrigley when a play went south. It does us no good to talk about what went wrong. The two questions that will be asked the most of me in the next month is, how do you cope, and what do we do?
My reaction to the loss last night was to play a little Madden, and then go to bed. Justin called my reaction “anticlimactic,” secretly hoping I’d do something crazy and stupid. He said I was handling this loss much better then he handled the Lakers loss in the finals. I told him – I’m used to collapses like this – he’s never experienced it before. Only Cubs fans know…
And what can we do about it? To be honest…not much. The Cubs are locked into numerous long-term contracts at many positions, and will probably be doing very little during the offseason to re-tool their team. I’d love to find a good trade for Derrek Lee though – just because I need someone to hate right now, and he’s my guy.
Oh, and does the Cubs organization realize what the hell we’ve all endured in the last twelve hours? To be honest…I don’t think so because I received the following email:
It’s official. I’m exploring trade options to the other 29 teams for Derrek Lee. This is just too much…
Oh, and if anyone says something to me involving “next year,” I’m seriously going to punch you in the kidney…
The Ben-gals are worth atleast ten points, aren't they?
Justin’s Opening Statement: If we have learned anything in the past week it is that Al Davis has completely lost his mind.Watching him ramble on about that letter he sent Lane Kiffin during the press conference was like watching a train wreck in slow-motion.Since Chad is a little worn out from having to watch the Cubs fall apart lately, and I’m working on my NBA preview, we are going to keep this week’s picks short and sweet.
Chad’s Opening Statement: We still have a shot at winning this thing!Don’t panic!
Last Week: Justin (7-6), Chad (7-6)
Season To Date: Justin (29-29-2), Chad (23-35-2)
(Home Teams Listed First)
Houston vs. Indianapolis (-3)
Justin’s Take
This is really a do-or-die situation for Indy.I’m a little worried about how well the Colts run D will be able hold up against Steve Slaton and Houston’s D has the ability to get to the quarterback, but I have to go with a guy like Peyton Manning in a must win game.He’s getting Dallas Clark back, and if they are ever going to break out of their funk, it’s going to have to be soon.
Pick: Indy -3
Chad’s Take
Houston hasn’t shown me any reason why I should pick them in this game.Plus, the Astros play in Houston, and I hate the Astros.Indianapolis is due for a breakout game anyway, and this is the perfect team to do it against.
Pick: Indy -3
Baltimore vs. Tennessee (-2.5)
Justin’s Take
I’m one of the many who think that Kerry Collins is a better option for the Titans at QB than Vince Young.Baltimore has been playing teams tough this year, but they weren’t able to put away a Steelers team that has been struggling, and Tennessee’s D has to be licking its chops to go up against rookie QB, Joe Flacco.I wouldn’t take the over on this one.
Pick: Tennessee -2.5
Chad’s Take
Tennessee has been one of the surprises this year, yet I still never feel really comfortable choosing them on Sunday.Baltimore is an incredible tough team to play at home, and I think they may run into their first loss of the year on the east coast.The loss to Pittsburgh last week has Ray Lewis really irritated too.
Pick: Baltimore (+2.5)
San Diego vs. Miami (+6.5)
Justin’s Take
Watching Ronnie Brown score 1,000 fantasy points a couple week ago was especially tough for me given that I decided to bench him that week.This is the NFL, however; and once a defensive coordinator gets a hold of the game tape you can forget about running the same gimmick offense twice.LDT is only going to get better as the season goes on.This game could end up being a blowout.
Pick: San Diego -6.5
Chad’s Take
San Diego is only favored by 6.5?I mean, I know they’re on the road, but there is no reason why they aren’t going to trounce this bad Dolphin team.So what if they beat the Patriots.That B.S. single-wing offense wont work again…
Pick: San Diego -6.5
Carolina vs. Kansas City (+10)
Justin’s Take
Kansas City was able to get a win last week, but don’t count on that happening too often this year, especially on the road.Damon Huard probably gives the Chiefs their best shot at wining, but I’m not sure he’s going to bring enough to the table to get the job done on the road.On the other hand, ten points is a lot to make up, so I’m going to have to cover my nose and go with…
Pick: Kansas City +10
Chad’s Take
I’m a little confused at what I should do for this game.KC did pull a nice little upset last week against the Broncos, but that’s because the Broncos only play offense.Jordan Gross being out worries me a bit for the Panthers, but I believe they prevail and cover in this game.
Picks: Carolina (-10)
Philadelphia at Washington (+6)
Justin’s Take
I think we can safely say that the NFC East is the toughest division in football right now.Philly may have slipped up against the Bears (How do you not try a sneak on the goal line with Donavon McNabb?) but I don’t think they will have another letdown at home.Jason Campbell has been impressive so far this year, but the Iggles defense can give any QB fits, just ask Big Ben.
Pick: Philly -6
Chad’s Take
This is another tough game to pick.The Redskins have been a mild surprise this year, but can they really win two consecutive NFC East games on the road?I don’t think so…
Pick: Philly -6
Detroit vs. Chicago (-3.5)
Justin’s Take
Are you kidding me Vegas?Detroit has absolutely no run D and you are only favoring the Bears by 3.5?This could be the game where we see Matt Forte rush for 200 yards or more and become a household name in the Midwest.Congrats to Lions fans for finally being freed of Matt Millen, but it’s going to take years to undo the deeds ofsuch an idiot.
Pick: Chicago -3.5
Chad’s Take
Ahhh, Justin my friend.Always beware of the injury bug.Especially when both starting corners are nicked up the week they’re going up against two of the best receivers in the NFL.Reports on Friday says that both Charles Tillman and Nathan Vasher were going to play, but are they 100%?Also, Brandon Lloyd is out for the game, which means we could see Mike Hass or Brandon Rideau roaming the opposing secondary…yikes!
Pick: Detroit +3.5
Green Bay vs. Atlanta (+7)
Justin’s Take
If Green Bay wants to get back into the NFC’s elite they are going to have to beat down middling teams like the Falcons.Atlanta still heavily rely on their running game to get the job done, but this week the Packers are down a couple of players in their secondary, so if you have Roddy White on your fantasy team, you may want to look into starting him.This game is hard to call because we don’t know what to expect out of Aaron Rogers and if Matt Flynn plays major minutes it could be bad for the Pack.
Pick: Atlanta +7
Chad’s Take
Vegas didn’t have odds listed for this game until Friday because of the Aaron Rodgers injury situation.If a game isn’t going to be listed because of one guy, then I’m not going to give up points.No thank you.
Pick: Atlanta +7
New York Giants vs. Seattle (+7.5)
Justin’s Take
Matt Hasselbeck has to be the happiest QB in the NFL right now, after three games of being without any of his usually starting receivers he is finally getting Deon Branch back from injury, conversely the Giant will be without the services of Plaxico Burress who was suspended by the team for shenanigans that took place last week.The Giants are due for a good letdown, why not this week?
Pick: Seattle +7.5
Chad’s Take
Justin has the right idea here.Welcome back, not only Deion Branch, but Bobby Engram as well.Eli Manning without Plaxico Burress is Juliet without Romeo – the story just doesn’t work right.
Pick: Seattle +7.5
Denver vs. Tampa Bay (+3.5)
Justin’s Take
Tampa Bay has the two things that it takes to beat the Broncos: a good defense, and a strong running game.Jay Cutler has been setting the league on fire this year, but Tampa should be able to neutralize Denver’s running game and focus on the young diabetic.Meanwhile Earnest Graham will have a field day against one of the worst run defenses in the league.This one should be close but I’m going to go with the upset.
Pick: Tampa Bay +3.5
Chad’s Take
Intriguing matchup.The Broncos are coming off a road loss where they got absolutely run over.Tampa Bay just keeps on winning.So let’s go against the grain and pick the Broncos in this game.I need to start making up some games…
Pick: Denver -3.5
San Francisco vs. New England (-3)
Justin’s Take
I’m probably going to end up saying this every week, but oh how the mighty have fallen.What do you think the line to this game would have been if Tom Brady wouldn’t have gotten hurt, 16, 18?Now Vegas is almost making this game a pick’em, what a strange place the NFL has turned into.Still, if you give a guy like Bill Belichick enough time to plan for a first year starting QB, you have to think the Pats have a good shot at winning by more than one TD.
Pick: New England -3
Chad’s Take
I’m absolutely stunned looking at this line.Vegas is really taking that battering two weeks ago to heart for the Patriots.But let’s think about this rationally.The Pats are coming off their first regular season loss in two years, have had two weeks to prepare, and are playing the 49ers.I have two words for you: BET BIG!
Pick: New England -3
Arizona vs. Buffalo (+1)
Justin’s Take
Buffalo has been very impressive so far this year and now they get to face the same Cardinals D that made Brett Favre look like he was 25 again.Trent Edwards will never be a QB on Brett’s level, but the Bill offense has enough fire power to put a whooping on Arizona.
Pick: Buffalo +1
Chad’s Take
Losing Anquan Boldin is going to hurt this offense a little bit, but Steve Breaston caught for 100 yards in the points fest against the Jets last week, so I wouldn’t worry about too much of a hiccup on offense.However, the Bills look really really good, so how do you pick against them?Watch, I’ll show you.
Pick: Arizona -1
Dallas vs. Cincinnati (+17.5)
Justin’s Take
I could see this line being about right if Fitzpatrick was the QB of the Bungles, but giving Carson Palmer 17.5 points?I smell a rat.
Pick: Bengals +17.5
Chad’s Take
Palmer is back, along with Chris Henry.I’m sorry, I know the Cowboys are good, but you don’t give 17.5 points to Carson Palmer.Didn’t we learn this a few weeks ago when you gave him 13 against the Giants?Again: BET BIG!
Pick: Bengals +17.5
Jacksonville vs. Pittsburgh (+3.5)
Justin’s Take
Here’s another game where I would advise people to take the under.Both teams have vicious defenses and have some injuries on their offensive lines.The Steelers are down to their third string running back, this does not spell good things for Big Ben, who will be forced to make something happen for his team and will probably get knocked around for the third straight week.David Garrard had his first solid game of the season last week, but he’ll have trouble dealing with Pittsburgh’s multiple blitz packages. I really think these two teams are about even right now, and when I’m in doubt, I go with the points.
Pick: Pittsburgh +3.5
Chad’s Take
Mwelde Moore is the new running back for Pittsburgh, and Big Ben is doing everything in his power to stay upright.I think this pick has to go to Jacksonville.But, since I suck at this, I’ll probably be wrong.
Pick: Jacksonville -3.5
New Orleans vs. Minnesota (+3)
Justin’s Take
Here’s an interesting match-up: you have one team that can’t stop the run (Saints) going up against Adrian Peterson, and one the league’s worst pass defenses (Minn) up against Drew Brees.I think the Saints are a better team than what a lot of people give them credit for, and I like their chances at home against a team that is pretty one dimensional in their offense.
Pick: New Orleans -3
Chad’s Take The night of this game, I’ll be sitting in my apartment worrying about what’s going to happen during Game 5 of the NLDS between the Cubs and Dodgers on Tuesday night.
