Meaningless Weekend Predictions

A smarter person would never make predictions on sporting events, I on the other hand…

Game #1:

Baltimore Ravens @ Denver Broncos:

My Prediction – Baltimore: 13 Denver: 28

Predictably I think Denver is the better team, as I’m sure most people with a pulse that watch football do. Nationally, we all got to watch Joe Flacco several times this season, and there was a stretch (specifically in the late Regular Season) where he was incredibly inconsistent. I think a Denver Defense stymies him, and Peyton does what Peyton does. … Here’s a more shocking prediction from me. If Ray Lewis records +13 tackles again this week, I predict he pulls the ole’ Brett Farve and doesn’t retire. If Baltimore can penetrate a tough Broncos line and get a few good shots on Peyton, I wonder how he’ll respond.

 

Game #2:

Green Bay Packers @ San Francisco 49ers:

I got Three Variables to this prediction:

If Justin Smith doesn’t play:

Green Bay: 34  San Francisco: 27

If Justin Smith plays less than 20 snaps:

Green Bay: 27  San Francisco: 24

If Justin Smith plays a majority of the game:

Green Bay: 20  San Francisco: 29

Yes I do believe Justin Smith is that good. And a weak Green Bay Offensive Line (ask Giants fans about that O-Line), without Justin Smith playing can spread itself out and focus on Mr. Aldon Smith (Justin’s cousin). I like Green Bay, and the full head of steam they have right now going into the playoffs. If they can survive this one, I think they’ll make it all the way to the Super Bowl.

 

Game #3:

Seattle Seahawks @ Atlanta Falcons

My Prediction – Seattle: 23  Atlanta: 27

The casual fan might cringe at the matchup, but this is the most intriguing game of the weekend. Atlanta has to win this game. HAS TO WIN THIS GAME. This is their season to win one stinkin’ playoff game. Similar to how Peyton Manning struck out all those years to get a playoff win, Matt Ryan is following in those steps. They had the best regular season of any team in football, and this is the year where they AT BARE MINIUM have to take home one playoff-win (Can I drive that point home a little more?). Seattle has been tremendous all year and if they do win, they will dominate the ground game on offense and keep the ball out of Atlanta’s dynamic offense’s hand. I think it should be expected for Atlanta to load 8 in the box and make Russell Wilson beat them through the air. I think it’ll be close, possibly come down to the last drive. Can go either way. But think Atlanta should be able to scratch this one out.

Game #4:

Houston Texans @ New England Patriots

My Prediction – Houston: 27  New England: 31

I’m the only person I know who thinks this will be close. Yes I understand that New England pulled their pants down and deuced on the early season run the Texans had a month + ago. But to think Houston is going to walk into “The Razor” and not learn from those mistakes, to me, is highly unlikely. There is no denying Houston’s talent at certain positions. They can run, They can pass rush. The game plan for Houston HAS to be to try to control the possession clock. Keep the ball out of Brady’s hands and hope to keep the score low. With that being said, I think it’ll become a second half shoot out, and Brady won’t lose in that. The play I keep thinking about was how close Bengals QB, Andy Dalton was to hitting AJ Green in the end zone in last weeks matchup vs. The Texans to win the game. Tom Brady won’t miss that opportunity. I like the Texans to keep it close for 2 1/2 quarters and then the Patriots to loosen the hinges and kick the door in.

 

So there is my meaningless predictions. Chances are I’ll be 1-3 and make an ass out of myself. Everyone have a safe and enjoyable weekend. I’ll be spending mine in Miami… Poor me.

 

Wednesday Morning Quarterback: RGIII

In this day in age of sports, where it at times seems we are entirely too cautious with athletes, perhaps the tale of the 2012 Season and RGIII’s knee should be a a lesson we all learn from going forward.

In baseball, pitchers are often not allowed to perform above “x” amount of innings, regardless of if the team is competing or the athlete’s health, based on the youth & upside of the athlete, and the length of a season. They shut you down, because that’s the way baseball has become. In my opinion to a fault (at times).

In America’s most popular and brutal sport – In regards to a possibly “once-in-a-generation” talent in Robert Griffith III, Redskin Coach, Mike Shanahan, decided to not be cautious and go for the gold, so to speak.

Maybe Coach Shanahan was around all summer to hear the backlash Washington Nationals GM, Mike Rizzo endured, when in the midst of a pennant race (the first the city has seen since the Year of the Flood), he shut down his team’s ace / perennial superstar / perennial all star / etc – Steven Strasburg. Fans and Baseball Pundits were up in arms over the decision. How often does a MLB title opportunity come around? How often does the chance to win a championship in any sport come around? (especially if you’re a fan of the Metro DC Area Teams). When Rizzo’s Nationals were shut down in the playoffs, grumblings of “what if?” was heard all over town. As if a title was imminent had Strasburg kept pitching.

But one thing you will never hear a fan say is “What if” – followed by the of bleakest notions. In this instance, what if Strasburg SERIOUSLY injured himself, as he pushed himself well beyond his physical limits?

This time around, in the same exact city, Mike Shanahan rolled the dice. He threw out there an injured RGIII in hopes that his unique style of quarterbacking, and his raw athletisim and toughness could carry his Redskins to a Super Bowl. Despite RGIII only being a rookie, Despite his best years being ahead of him, Despite the fact that RGIII was finally the franchise player that the franchise has been waiting for since drafting Heath Shuler (?). And Shanny lost the bet. He crapped out, busted out, lost.

RGIII will be back and effective down the road. I have no doubts. He has all the make up of a successful NFL Quarterback: a natural born leader, Accountable, tough, team 1st oriented, motivated, humble, believer in himself. 

…But in the rare chance he is never the same…. then what?

56 Days Till Pitchers and Catchers Report

As of Sunday, December 19th 2010 – There is 56 Days until Pitchers and Catchers report to their respective teams.

The temperature in New York is currently, 26 degrees

Section 39 in the Bleachers at The Old Girl

 

unbeLEEvable

With headlines like that- sometime I wonder if I missed my calling as headline writer for the New York Daily News.

So Lee took $40M less to head to back to Philadelphia. Hard to hate on that.

The man took $40 Mil less to go back to a city that he never wanted to leave in the first place, and join a rotation that will be among the very best. The likes of which we have not seen since “arguably” the…

1998 Yankees?? (Wells -18 wins, Cone – 20 wins, El Duque – 12 & 4, Pettitte 16 wins).

Several of those Orioles rotations in the 70’s?? (Palmer, Flanagan, El Presidente- Dennis Martinez, McGregor, Qatar, etc).

Or your Braves of the 90’s? (Maddox, Glavine, Smoltz, Nagle/Millwood/Avery/etc.).

Regardless, Lee took less to join a great team / sports city. A team who has a chance to be historically great. Hard to be angry at a man for that.

Finally A Yankee Says What He’s Feeling

From ESPN New York

By Andrew Marchand
ESPNNewYork.com

 

ARLINGTON, Texas — Yankees right fielder Nick Swisher wants to face Cliff Lee in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series, but he is sick of talking about him. Swisher cannot stand hearing another question asked about Lee.

With the Yankees facing Texas Rangers starter Colby Lewis in Game 6, Swisher did not take kindly to a reporter asking teammates a couple lockers down about Lee.

“You guys are talking about Cliff Lee?” said Swisher out loud in a room full of reporters. “[Expletive], who cares?”

As he walked off, Swisher said, “I can’t wait to hit against his [behind].”

Later, when a reporter asked about saying this out loud with reporters present, Swisher cut off a reporter when the words “Cliff Lee” were uttered.

“I’m not talking about Cliff Lee,” Swisher said. “I don’t give a [expletive].”

Lee is 3-0 with a 1.88 ERA in three postseason starts the last two years.

Swisher vocalized annoyance among many of the Yankees in the clubhouse leading into this series when they were constantly asked about Lee before Game 1 even though Lee wasn’t starting until Game 3.

Thirty-Two Greatest Calls In Sports

I’m not a fan of countdown list. There so arbitrary and bullshit.

The 50 best songs of all time?

The 50 best movies of all time?

How can one person or a group of people be so 110% pretentious enough to think they would be worthy enough to name that sorta thing? BLAH- YUCK

 

BUT, with that being said- this from the fine folks at si.com & the work of Joe Pasnanski, is a countdown worthy of your time.

The top 32 Sports Calls of all time. Complete with youtube clips of the calls. SALUTE to that!

 

ENJOY!

Don’t Sleep on The Giants

I’m not saying the favorites going into the 2010 NLCS are the San Francisco Giants. After all you would be some sort of oddity to say something as STUPID as that. But let us not sleep on the San Francisco Giants one bit.

Game 1 should be a crap shoot. Going into this season you probably would have said the most likely two Cy Young winners in the National League would be Lincecum and Halladay- and both pitchers have been lights out as of late. Halladay and his no-hit dramatics in the NLCS v. the Reds, and Lincecum’s huge pressure starts down the stretch to put the Giants in the playoffs.

One can argue that Cain v. Oswalt in Game 2 is even more in the favor of the Giants since Cain has been blindingly good down the stretch and Oswalt had a “what was that??” performance in Game 2 of the NLDS verse the Reds.

As for Game 3, the way Jonathan Sanchez has been dominating and pitching with all the pressure of the world on his shoulders down the stretch of the regular season is something hard to dispute. Despite how great of a year Hammels had, Sanchez the last month, to me, has been if not the top- one of the top starting pitchers in baseball.

Game 4? Madison Bumgarner v. who? Joe Blanton?. I wouldn’t trust Joe Blanton v. a juggs machine. Even Bumgarner has delivered for the Giants of late.

OF COURSE, the Phillies have a more dominating lineup- but it’s also a lineup that loves to strike out, and with the Giants sporting 3 great strikeout pitchers… I’m gonna do it! I’m gonna do it!

I’m taking the Giants in SIX. Yes SIX.

I feel the hot lights they’ve played so well under the last two-months is a huge advantage. I also like Brian Wilson out of the pen, and feel like Lidge is STILL a ticking bomb in that pen.

So yes, Giants in six… Final Answer

Three Biggest Words In Sports: Brett Favre’s Penis

The Three Biggest Words in Sports the past 3 days: “Brett” “Favre” “penis”.

Deadspin broke the story awhile back, but rapidly growing new allegations have suddenly propelled this story to nation wide news starting on Friday, and hitting a peak on Monday.

Here is the deadspin.com link for a synapses to the whole scandal.
Me Personally? I could care less, and I feel like so should you. Isn’t it time we stop viewing the world’s best athletes as superior human beings both on and off the field? While athletes are the  modern day equivalent to the gladiator warrior, why do we think any athlete popular enough to get a nationally run commercial could be immune to any flaws off the field as well?

Athletes have time after time  let us down with antics off the field since the first American Sports Figure, Babe Ruth (who was quiet the philanderer himself in his time, but was protected by the media of his era). Why should we continue to have faith in all of them, especially with the thing called the internet these days?

I think the time has come when we should stop viewing our modern day gladiators as superior model citizens. We should begin to view them with the same you view your neighbors, friends, co-workers, or bosses.

As non understanding assholes who think they know more than you.

Street Basketball Legend, Dies at 38

From the “New York Post Blog Section”

link is here

3:20 AM, October 8, 2010 ι By JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

The New York City basketball world lost a legend Wednesday night when John (The Franchise) Strickland died in his sleep at the age of 38.

The sad news was spread all over Facebook and Twitter by different members of the city’s streetball community, by which Strickland is revered. They shared stories like him dancing with the crowd at Dyckman and his words of wisdom, including his signature phrase, “finish your breakfast”, which meant schooling and scoring on your man off the dribble.

Strickland’s reach goes so far that even Miami Heat star Lebron James mourned his passing on his Twitter account saying: “R.I.P to homie Strick.”Finish Your Breakfast”. Roc Boyz in the building.” Strickland was mentioned in Jay-Z’s hit song Public Service Announcement in the line: “No one can do it better. I check cheddar like a food inspector. My homey Strick told me, ‘Dude, finish your breakfast.'”

The 6-foot-8 forward, who was currently in the Halifax Rainmen’s front office as their Director of Basketball Development, was considered one of the best players ever in streetball. As a low-post wizard and a superb passer, he once averaged more than 40 points per game at Nike Pro City, considered the circuit’s primer league. Strickland became the first person to win a title there as a player and a coach when he led Gold’s Gym to the championship this summer.

“It’s not a good feeling, it’s a great feeling,” Strickland said after. …“It’s really about the players more than anything. They make me look better than what I am.”

Well he was pretty darn good himself, still playing in big games throughout the city.

Strickland, a Brooklyn native, played at Hawaii Pacific University, where he averaged a double-double in each of his final two seasons. He also played six seasons in the USBL (1995-2000). He was voted to the 1997 All-USBL Second Team and the All-USBL First Team in 1998. He averaged 22 points and 7.7 rebounds in 95 games. He spent more than 10 years playing overseas. Strickland, who earned himself an invite to the Knicks training camp in 1996, played for the Rainmen of the PBL from 2008-2010.

New York Post

John Strickland was invited to the Knicks training camp in 1996.

Strickland will be remembered as the guy in the gym you couldn’t take your eyes off of whether he was on the court or not. He was a showman, always playing the crowd and living in the moment of spontaneity. Pro City announcer Big Brawley Chisholm joked with Strickland during this year’s final that he needed to pick his pants up as they kept dropping down his waist on the bench. Strickland, with his hat backward, took it in stride and kept on coaching his players.

But while Strickland was never one to miss a chance to make a joke, there was a serious side too — the one that made him a father figure to many of the circuit’s players, the one that made him such a competitor on the court and the one that got him into heated basketball discussions after games, especially losses.

There are certainly players and people who can never be replaced or replicated. Strickland was the prototypical streetball player. He could flat out ball, could win over fans as well as win games and took those who came after him under his wing. Strickland’s passing leaves a great hole in the fabric of New York basketball.

There is only one Franchise.

As A Gift to Mets Fans: Your Best Moment in 2010

Well for Mets fans it was another tough season to stomach in 2010. And although there is some promise with the rumors of Manuel and Minaya on their way out the door (I mean, how long could Minaya boast to ownership that he was a good General Manager for getting back Maine and Ollie Perez five years ago???), there’s also that certain sting of another season gone by the waist side. Especially with former “future stars”, David Wright and Jose Reyes, now finding themselves smack dab in the primes of their careers. What was to be the Golden Era for the Franchise now has Mets fans hearing that big clock on the wall.

So for my Mets friends, I have attached the best moment of their season. The high water mark.

Lets go back to April 30th, 2010, Coming off a 9-1 home stand, The Mets went down to Philadelphia to play 3.

The Mets won 9-1 over the Phillies and take 1.5 game lead on first place.

The way it was suppose to be, Wright being greeted by Bay at homeplate.

At least there’s always next season.