Numbers and LI(N)ES: 2009

Who Are We Voting For??

| Posted on Monday, December 07, 2009

They got it right with invitations:
1. Toby Gerhart (1736 rushing, 149 receiving, 5.6 YPCarry, 26 total td's- all rushing)
2. Mark Ingram (1542 rushing , 322 receiving, 6.2 YPCarry, 18 total td's- 15 rushing)
3. Ndamukong Suh (82 tackles, 12 sacks, 1 int...Oh and all while being double teamed)
4. Colt McCoy (3512 Passing, 348 rushing, 70.5%, 27 td's passing, 3 rushing)
5. Tim Tebow (2413 Passing, 859 rushing, 65.2%, 18 td's passing, 13 rushing)

Just missed out:
C.J Spiller

and yes that would be the order from most deserving to least, according to the Heisman Mission Statement which is by no stretch a clear cut definition...(you would be hard pressed to find any wording that might restrict personal guidelines from coming into play)

“The Heisman Memorial Trophy annually recognizes the outstanding college football player whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard work. The Heisman trophy ensure….”

How do you determine that! I mean Toby looks like the least naturally gifted athlete so does that mean that he had the best pursuit of excellence?(with integrity of course) Tebow, at least by what the media loves to portray, is 70 years away from canonization; So did he show the greatest integrity this year while pursuing excellence? hmm. And no one epitomized great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard work better then Ndamukong Suh who had the pleasure of getting his stats ALL while being double teamed! (680 pounds vs 295 sounds like hard work to me!)... and then comes the ever so overrated and unfair "exposure" factor: I looked through the whole website and no where did it say anything about 1. Team wins 2. Viewers 3. That ooh ah appeal?! 4. Must have touches on the ball (D-linemen?)...So why do those four variables constantly receive the highest BETA weights (yeah I just pulled out regression analysis). All I know is that as long as there is ambiguity as to what exactly a Heisman Winner is, then subjectivity and uncertainty will continue to cloud these results...So after the voters cast their votes this coming week, we might not end up applauding the most deserving candidate... but simply the popular prom king of college football.

Even Dr. Pepper couldn't cure him

| Posted on Monday, December 07, 2009

No witty comment needed...just an unlimited data plan after his phone will continue to blow up with kind reminders from his boys!

This Just In...

| Posted on Sunday, December 06, 2009

SNL might just be the only source I want more Tiger from! Absolutely nailed Wolf and the medias overly excessive coverage of, well... what E does on a daily basis...

Truth or Dare?

| Posted on Sunday, December 06, 2009

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Hmm I wonder what David Stern will be doing tonight? I would not want to be in those beautiful, European imported, Edward Green dress shoes! Everyone take cover!! The shh is about to hit the fan and the room is pretty crowded!!

Sink or Swin or Swim then Sink?

| Posted on Sunday, December 06, 2009

The Matchup is pretty much outlined in the stone; we're just waiting for some old men in suits to professionally color it in.All the talk after yesterday's showings suggest that Bama is just going to roll (n-p intended) over Texas; not so fast my firend! Although Bama did deservingly look like the most well rounded squad yesterday we have to remember it was one Saturday! I am not yet willing to put all my money on anyone until all emotion subsides and we really start dissecting the ENTIRE body of work. If Bama would have played that Tennessee game yesterday, I can guarantee you that things would be different. Over the next couple of weeks the answers to these questions will have to be answered and the Vegas spread will surprise many (a lot closer than many think). Just how good is Florida? Their schedule makes it impossible to really define them...What are the statistical chances that Colt has another game like that? Close to .14 percent just taking into consideration this year's stats, Only once before has colt had a game with a QB rating of less than 119 (no I wont get into explaining it); yesterday it was 81! He's a gamer and a true student of the game so I promise you we can dilute that percentage even more: something like 6 percent. Will the Heisman bug bite? No I am not superstitious but only 1, again only 1 Heisman winner has won his national championship game in the last decade, (Matt Leinart 04') and he is also the only player not to have a major let down in that game.(he just got bit a little late!) So who will win it? Colt, Ingram? Most likely both will be holding the two most prizes possessions in College football when the season comes to an end but no one will be holding both! The real and deserved Heisman analysis after the jump....

Where my pitch counter?

| Posted on Saturday, December 05, 2009

Casey Keenum- Was 56 of 75 for 527 yards today in a loss to ECU!! So what did we learn?

1. Greg Hudson (ECU) might have just played himself out of Jimbo's top 3 defensive coordinators wish list

2. Joba Chamberlain is at home wondering why they still won't let him throw it 75 times!

Poor Joba someone help him find the courage to complain!

Just Do(ing) it, right!

| Posted on Saturday, December 05, 2009

We all remember this hilarious commercial!

Well their Back!

As Bobby Bowden once famously said

He who gets the best players usually wins

.... So simple, yet there is no greater truth: and Nike is willing to dish out the bucks it takes to have an unprecedented lineup of the best players. Takes money to make money and the risk never stop if you want to stay on top. Just look at the endorsement starting lineup's: Lebron, Kobe, Dwyane vs. KG, Dwight and Derek Rose. You can talk stock price, supply chains, employee training and while they are all extremely important, what it all comes down to is, consumer awareness!

P.S. I wonder if these financial experts are still crying: Financial Experts Question Endorsements (Nike is just about at its highest stock price in over 4 years and yes endorsements are higher then ever! Simple regression equation would show the positive correlation btwn the two...)

What's the Rush?

| Posted on Saturday, December 05, 2009

Only a matter of time before someone makes a you-tube video of Adrian racing his car! If only I had editing skills. There hasn't been this much commotion about a Rush since he was saved from investing in the (fill in the blank with your favorite city by 2015) Rams. So does Benard get a 4629 dollar fine since he was going only 92% as fast as AP? Hey players can get more money by going faster in the 40 so why not charge proportionally for going faster on I40?

Sleep Tight!

| Posted on Saturday, December 05, 2009

So as I stared at my TV last night in dismay, shock, disappointment and disgust (all while holding a sarcastic "this would happen" smile), I thought to myself: I have been part of over at least 5000 losses (yeah i actually tried to estimate it) for teams I either had and emotional or invested interest in (no no they were just friendly bets) but still I have not learned how to deal or cope with losing. That burn, that fire, that "this can not be happening" feeling still resonates every time I see even the most meaningless of losses. And then something happened; I somehow felt better when Kobe uttered this simple phrase "sometimes you just get lucky". The truth is the Heat did win that game with execution and they should have been in a pile but execution just sometimes is not enough. Too often you see victories that just cannot be rationalized (check Flutie, check Leitner, check Favre, check Bartman). It was not X's and O's or shifts but simply just luck; normally that would bother me because the player will try to explain how he's practiced, or done that play before (how somehow it was under his control and he could duplicate that feat) but this time I knew it was luck and Kobe did not try to argue: and for some reason, some strange and unexplainable reason, I went to sleep a little easier because of it...

Money May Meeting Manny in March

| Posted on Friday, December 04, 2009

Say that ten times! This Date is set for March 13th;and this is one we will not mind paying for! In what is anticipated as being the highest grossed match EVER, we will all dig deep into our recession reserves and make a guilty-free contribution. Golden Boy promotions has had their 24/7 cameras set up since pac-man took care of business against Cotto. Lights, camera, action, ding ding, cha ching...

Where Amazing Will Never Happen

| Posted on Friday, December 04, 2009

Congratulations no no, not to the nets who did pick up their first win after an 0 and 18 start, but congratulations to the Bobcats who managed to remind us that they are still in the NBA. (What conference are they in again??)

Just another day in the office! OMG!

| Posted on Thursday, November 12, 2009

No explanations necessary! Parental Discretion is advised...

Oprah on line 1!

| Posted on Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Mike's back to work, un-retired and ready to pound others.... well at least for one afternoon. Mike Tyson struck a photographer in the face today (yeah no need to worry about red eye when their closed shut!) and the Police quickly arrested him. No word on whether or not Oprah has lined up a meeting where he can hold hands and ask for forgiveness with this particular victim.

Held Hostage!

| Posted on Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Which one?

Batter A- 30 years old

Batting Average- 260

RBI's- 66

Slugging %- 400

Batter B- 24 years old

Batting Average- 317

RBI's- 117

Slugging %- 550

No-brainer right?! A younger player, with better numbers, still destined to hit his prime in 4 to 5 years...The problem is, that's what Toronto thought they were getting when they paid for player B, but instead they ended up with player A! Vernon Wells was destined to become one of the greatest hitters in the game; He could hit for average, hit for power and he played well above average defense. I haven't even touched his character, which is rumored to be second to none in the league. Batter A is not the problem though! His back-loaded contract is about to back-fire so hard that even the Giants are jealous (Check Mr. Barry Zito) ; His base salary is about to jump from 1.5 million (The last 8 million dollar installment of his 25 million dollar signing bonus was also dished out) to 12.5 and then skyrocket to 23 Million the year after!

OK no problem, someone will take a chance on him at the GM meeting this year right?! Absolutely not! The teams that can afford him really don't care to have him or need him for that matter (New York, Boston, and maybe the Mets) and the teams that would love to add him can't afford him! So the Blue Jays find themselves with quite the conundrum.They have found a way to hold themselves hostage and the next couple of years, unless Vernon can return to form, will have them locked in the basement.

Big contracts put a lot of pressure on some athletes and that's a huge part of the evaluation process any General Manager has to consider (unless your the rockies- Mike Hampton, Denny Neagle and yes Todd Helton). Some have crumbled, some have shun (C.C Sabbathia) and some hide how they handled it till sports illustrated lets us know (ARods cousin's "medicine" helped him get over those blondes in the background). Either way, Vernon should just know there is absolutely no pressure; NO ONE is watching. All the pressure is on Toronto, who have managed to tie there own hands behind their back; And don't bother screaming for help, no one is listening!

Einstein Would be Disappointed

| Posted on Wednesday, November 04, 2009

In a night that was supposed to allow us to turn back our clocks just one more time this fall, not just an hour but a decade... In a night where we could once again dream for a game 7 on the grandest of stages.... In a night where experience was supposed to translate into quite the pitching gem in a hitters ballpark with monster lineups....One man forgot to change the time! The New York Post indeed got it right with the diapers (or depens as Pedro would call them) but they just got the wrong body. Pedro looked his age (real age not Roger Clemen's roid years) tonight but I didn't want to believe it. He had one more gem left in him. He had one more magical outing that he forgot was in his back pocket. He had...well none of that. He had simply run out of time. Pedro dazzled during that short snippet in the World Baseball Classic but still no one would touch him.Why? It was not until July when Pedro got a call. He had pitched average at best in his 12 outings this year but he was just warming up right? No, it was not a warm up but merely a warn out pitcher. Tons of innings under a tired arm, tons of memories and quite frankly tons of circle changes that were possibly the best this game has ever seen. Pedro was once electric with his fastball and nasty when he dipped a 79 mph change with movement on point. But tonight Pedro's arm was screaming as he struggled to hit 86 on the gun and his change-up struggled to hit it's spots; Tonight, to the disappointment of Einsteins theory that time and space bend, we once again realized that we have the ability to change the hour but we haven't yet really found a way to change the time...

Without Bias: ESPN 30 for 30

| Posted on Wednesday, November 04, 2009

In case you guys didn't catch it yesterday and probably wont be able to tonight, considering the implications tonights World Series game 6; They will be playing it again tomorrow Thursday the 5th at 11 on ESPN 2

Behind the Human Curtain

| Posted on Monday, November 02, 2009

We all know it happens. We've heard the stories of never wishing your worst enemy the fate that those at the bottom of these piles are dealt.The ball comes loose and one brave soul or unlucky obliged player falls on it. We know who fell on it first but the ensuing seconds make it hard to watch for anyone that has ever heard an NFL films documentary. Piles of 250+ pound men (and that plus sign should be followed by an infinity sign for guys like Andre Smith) serve as curtain for all who watch, and the audience is only left to wait anxiously as they prepare backstage. What I mean by prepare backstage is: poke, bend, spit and punch each other behind this human curtain (where no eyes wander) to come up with one piece of leather that this poor soul is expected to hold on to. Saturday something happened that should not have been seen but nevertheless Youtube has us covered. Someone forgot to close the curtain and Brandon Spikes was exposed. The thing is, this was not a loose ball and there was no need to but Brandon took it upon himself to perform a solo. Florida is good; This in no way is a knock to their overall team. They have a streaky offense, with Percy leaving a void at the play-maker position, and a great great defense that will keep them in every single game. Now after watching this video I can confidently tell you that it is much easier to play defense when the running back is blind. Brandon, you are an amazing linebacker with first round talent; Was that necessary?! My last question is...Would you rather someone purposely stomp on your forearm with there cleats or would you rather have someone stick there fingers as far as they can into your eye sockets? Yeah, Ill take the Marcus Vick punishment as well! Look how low one move can stoop you Mr. Spikes. (from 25-29 second mark on the video)

I Just Want To Go Home!

| Posted on Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Up by 1 run; 3 outs left; In a playoff game with your team trailing the the series 2-1. It is your job to make the call and send the right guy out there to shut the door and send your team into game 5 tied. So you look at your options:

Closer A :

45 innings pitched
158 batters faced (Batt.Avg Against. .095)
0.40 ERA
73 Strikeouts and 9 Walks
18 Saves

Closer B:

31 innings pitched
142 batters faced (Batt.Avg Against. .255)
5.81 ERA
41 Strikeouts and 21 Walks
18 Saves

The choice seems quite obvious, right? We're sending closer A out there and assuring that we knot things up and turn this thing into a 3 game series. You pick up the phone in the dugout and make the call. Then you realize that Closer A is not present; your team left him at home!

That is precisely what must have happened to Joe Torre the other day. The thing is Closer A and Closer B are the same exact guy. Jonathan Broxton has a bi-polar game. Closer A is Jonathan in Dodger stadium and Closer B is Jonathan with his luggage. You expect many young players to struggle early in their careers on the road and then develop confidence as the years go by. You expect some hiccups along the way that baffle the fans and mangers alike. What you do not expect is too leave your closer at home in a huge playoff game. Closers make the difference between pretenders and contenders in the Playoffs.

Even the ever so dominant Jonathan Papelbon blew one against LAA that would have given Boston some life. Closers are so key and yet there are so few great ones in the league. Name them.....

Jonathan Papelbon
Mariano Rivera
Joe Nathan
K-Rod (sometimes)
and then a bunch of inconsistent flamethrowers

Out of this list only two pitched better on the road than at home. Actually, only TWO were even CLOSE to what they pitched at home. The following is the difference (Away ERA- Home ERA):

Papelbon- (-.9) ERA <---better on the Road... 1.38 on the Road 2.28 at home
Rivera- (-.2) Home- 1.82 / Road- 1.62
Nathan- (+1.07)
K-Rod- (+3.2) ERA!

The only two closers who pitch better on the road are Papelbon and Rivera. Mariano could probably pitch the same if you put him on a mound in the Alps. That is what a playoff closer is all about! Jonathan had it during the Red Sox run and most of his career and Mariano has it seemingly every year since 1995. Experience is key and Broxton will learn (just as Joe Nathan did) with age. Just a note to all playoff teams; make sure you 'carry on' your closer because funny things happen when you go on the road!

The Over-hyped 1st BCS! (I'm participating)

| Posted on Monday, October 19, 2009

Associated Press Top 25

1 Alabama

2 Florida

3 Texas

4 Southern California

5 Cincinnati

6 Boise State

7 Iowa

8 Miami (Fla.)

9 LSU

10 TCU

11 Georgia Tech

12 Oregon

13 Penn State

14 Oklahoma State

15 Virginia Tech

16 Brigham Young

17 Houston

18 Ohio State

19 Utah

20 Pittsburgh

21 Texas Tech

22 West Virginia

23 South Carolina

24 Kansas

25 Oklahoma

Complete details

BCS Standings Click Here

The first installment of the BCS this year came out today but most of the over-hyped news was about the leap frog Alabama did right over Florida in the AP poll. Although it did come as a surprise to many, nothing should be made out about it. Texas will not and cannot jump Florida if they continue to handle their own business. All three teams surprisingly are in the drivers seat to the National Championship game. If all three teams run the table Texas WILL be in awaiting the winner of the SEC title game. The SEC title game could very well be a national title game in its own right with possibly #1 facing #2. When it is all said and done there is pretty fair chance 6 teams could end up undefeated (UF/Bama, Texas, Cincy, Boise, Iowa and TCU) with 2 BCS conference teams being left out of the title game. The only time that an undefeated BCS conference team was left out of the title game was 2006 (Auburn). As we know the season must play out and these next few games have the greatest chance (possible doom days) of setting off champagne bottles by the BCS backers(or MIT and Cal Tech crunchies).

University of Florida(11-28)
South Carolina would be the obvious choice by many experts but that only means that Florida would highlight that game on their calendar. As if Florida ever needs any motivation when playing the ol' ball coach; who is dying to get one over Florida!
My game is University of Florida vs. Florida State University on their usual and ironic Thanksgiving weekend date- before you question this and call me completely insane (maybe a little but mark it down), read on. The only chance Florida is going to lose is in this very game and the following are possible reason why:

Trap game!- With a meeting against Bama' just in their sight the Gators could possibly look over for a peak.
High Intensity- Every time these two teams get together, it brings out a competitive fire (which could and should mean more to FSU in this disappointing season)
Could be and probably will be Bobby's last game against Florida (do you believe in Karma?)
Florida State ranks 10th in passing yards/game (yea who knew)- Christian Ponder has 1800 yards passing with 9 TD's and 1 Int (a desperation 50 yard bomb as time expired in half against Miami). So FSU can move the ball through the air. If the defense is able to make just 1 big play this offense has a shot. If UF had a tough time against Arkansas with Mallet, than Ponder can have a huge game.

Bama(11-7)
Auburn seems to be slipping and all that praise that Gene received after his 5-0 start has hit its expiration date. LSU seems to be the only team that has a shot. LSU has a great defense but their offense looks like their playing with medicine balls. How LSU can win:

They will need to score on defense!
They need to be able to run the ball and control the clock! The shorter they can make this game the better. Time of possession will be huge!

Texas(10-31)
This one is obvious. On Halloween (full moon?) against OK State. Dez Bryant or not this team can put up points. Zac Robinson has been targeting Hubert Anyiam as of late (Yesterday 10-119) but he will need to find his new #2 receiver. How OK State can win this one;

Running the ball! OK State has a very underrated rushing attack with their top 2 backs averaging over 5 yards a carry. If they can get that going early it should open up some holes for Zac.
Texas rushing game needs to be stopped. Oklahoma did a good job early at this and it made Colts life very difficult. If they can use that blueprint OK State has a shot.

Cincy(12-05)
The only thing that stands in the way between them and an undefeated Big East run, was, well really last week. Seriously speaking, from here on out Dave Wandsted has the only shot. Pitt can score as is evident by the fact that the least they have scored in a game this year is 24 (2) and both of those times came in wins. This weekend we will learn more about Pitt as they take on USF.
Boise(11-14)
Will run the table with Tulsa being the last team with a real opportunity to beat them. For the sake of argument we will say Idaho who is 6-1 and always somehow finds a way to win, with its biggest one against ummm........
TCU-(11-14)
Two tough games left make this decision quite difficult. BYU has been playing well lately and Max Hall has found his rhythm after a very tough start but Utah has one loss to apparently a good Oregon team that has really rallied after that nightmare of a Laggarate Blount incident. I think that TCU will have its work cut out against Utah who have an explosive offense!

Coming up later this week..Upset picks and games to watch this coming week!

Your Grounded! Forever!

| Posted on Friday, October 16, 2009

Do you remember when your parents found out that you did something, like not turn in a homework or pick a fight and they would punish you. You know you didn't do what they were claiming you did but you still got punished regardless. A couple day would pass and then the truth would surface and lo and behold your parents were apologizing for making you suffer for a couple of days. You eventually forgave them because there were no long term effects. Well in the following story the victim was not so lucky.

You may or may not remember Austin Scott but 2 years ago he was kicked off the Penn St football team. The team gave no thorough explanation, only citing that he broke team rules. Joe Pa at the time was taking a lot of heat for having several players, within a span of one year, in trouble with the law. So he waited no time in making his decision to, not just suspend, but eliminate Austin from his team all together. It left the media quite puzzled until word leaked out of what exactly Austin was "Accused" (and I stress that word) of doing. A Penn State University female pressed charges against Austin stating that he had raped her.

The choice to kick Austin off the team instantly was a very popular choice at the time within the media. The media hears something like this and they automatically create a popular sentiment in the population as to who is good and who is evil. The popular "black" masculine football player could not possibly be the victim in a case against a defenseless weaker "white" woman? Thats what the media sadly builds on because thats what the public wants to believe.
Well now it seems as though Coach Paterno and Penn State University should have taken their time to evaluate the situation a bit longer. Mr. Scott was never convicted and as a matter of fact the trial got thrown out because the "Victim" had done this before. Hmmm, you mean to tell me that their are people out there that purposely target others? People in the spotlight, as much as one might not subconsciously sympathize, are constantly vulnerable to their own success.
Well now Mr. Scott plans to take action and rightfully so. His hopes of going to the NFL were crushed and his reputation was ruined all because of a false accusation. Can you really be punished for "gossip" or talk? So why did Penn St. feel they had the authority to kick Austin off of the football program because he "might" have broken a rule? It should be a very interesting trial to follow in the coming months.

Not So Fast My Friend!

| Posted on Thursday, October 15, 2009

This is how the problems start. Not saying the Kid wont be stud but Sebastian Telfair is doing a better job hiding than that 6 year old Saucer boy after those lofty high school expectations. I enjoy the play and I love that it made it to ESPN but please Berry Melrose, please, don't proclaim this kid the next Crosby. As for ESPN interviewing this kid and his dad like he just won the Stanley Cup; Nice kid but C'mon. It is absolutely the worst thing that could happen to young players growing up. Even those who succeed like Lebron or Reggie (O.K i don't know if he succeeded but he made it) see their fair share off problems ie. O look Lebron it must be your lucky day because this Jersey and Hummer are free if your name is Lebron today. Take it for what it is and watch it play out.

NLCS Preview

| Posted on Thursday, October 15, 2009

Tonight the NLCS kicks off, after a very extended playoff delay! TBS' predetermined slots for the games have baseball fans jealous of those in DMV lines.

Now that the match-ups are set, it's time to make predictions

Key Players in the Series (3 as usual)

1. Jimmy Rollins- He is the single most influential player to his team in this series. Without Jimmy on the base-paths the Phils will struggle to score. When Jimmy was batting at the Mendoza line with an OBP of .250 through July 1 his team was right @ .500; Since July 2nd Jimmy has batted .288 with a .333 OBP and the Phils are 47-25. As recent as their last game the Phils were struggling to score until the 9th when Jimmy got on base. So Jimmy needs to find a way to get on base if he wants his team to have any success.

2. Pedro Martinez- Yes, Pedro Martinez will be a key factor in the series. As it stacks up he will be pitching in game 2; What I believe will be the most important game for the Phillies in the Series. I believe the 21 year old Clay will take care of business against the Phils as Cole continue to struggle to find last year's form.

3. Andre Ethier- Andre should continue to see great pitches batting in front of Manny regardless of how Manny is swinging the bat. Manny will be respected and feared more than any other hitter in that Dodger lineup. Andre must continue to capitalize to keep that LA offense running.

Winners in 6!

Rex "CRyan"

| Posted on Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Posted in NFL

In normal fashion, after taking a frustrating loss or a huge win, many ROOKIE coaches over-express their emotions. In McDaniels case, after beating your mentor in OT, you run, jump and point franticly at your family in the stands while screaming uncontrollably like a middle school girl who just found out her best friend has the same homeroom. Thats acceptable, and quite understandable, because we all feel that exuberant emotion after beating our big brother or Dad for the first time, at anything. I kind of like that fiery spirit and the players seem to love it but then there is the polar opposite reaction.

There is nothing worse than that kid that always used to wine and play the role of sore loser. It was that kid that called a foul every time he missed a shot; That kid who said "you got so lucky". Well that kid is Rex Ryan and he needs to grow up! I understand the frustration with being unable to stop a team, especially if your a defensive guru. I understand ranting and acting on shear emotion just minutes after your defense gets dominated by 2 young QB's and a self proclaimed "phony" wildcat offense. What I don't understand is how he can not just give credit where credit is due. Rex got out-coached and definitely out-classed! He said it was

“embarrassing” and “ridiculous, just ridiculous.” He said it was “a horrendous day for the defense.

And then he managed to talk trash for his defense saying that he couldn't wait and wouldn't feel better until he got to stop Miami next time they play. One day Rex, you will learn that you can not let your ego or your stomach get in your way! The man who said he solved the Wildcat with the Ravens better go check his formulas because the Phins seem to have his number.

Better than Reggie?

| Posted on Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Every year we get the same question about a different kid; and this year is no different. Is Dillon Baxter the next Reggie Bush? Pete Carrol sure hopes so and the question definitely has some merit if you check out the article below. Relax Dillon, I still think the little Kardashians are too young!
Great article by Max Preps check it out!

Love/Hate, No No Really Love/Hate

| Posted on Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Posted in MLB

Things in sports we can pretty much always count on in October

Playoff talk in college football
A couple of over-hyped NFL teams
The Colts are undefeated
No one to even know what the President's Cup is? huh
NBA Live vs. NBA 2k10?
And A-Rod defining "Epic Fail"

Check, check, check, check, check and wait wait? Alex Rodriguez has finally figured out that a baseball is the same size in June as it is in October!? O.k while he has only played 3 games so far in the playoffs, albeit mostly because of his "clutchness", he has done something worth noting. No, it's not that he finally figured out how to hit in October, it's that he got the media to notice it. I have been so tired of the bi-polar media exaggerating and reporting on emotion rather than objectivity. The facts are there, ARod has struggled as of late in October; Most notably against the Angels in 05' and the Tigers in 06' where he batted significantly below the Mendoza line at .133 and .071 respectively (and yes, he had 0 RBI's in those 9 games). Now no one took notice that ARod still had a .435 OBP during that Angels series, which can only indicate one thing; ARod was not getting anything to hit but felt the need to still press and swing at bad pitches because people expect RBI's and game changing moments from someone getting paid 25 million a year (back then). I'm not ready to pronounce Arod the new Mr. October, like ESPN has after years of calling him a playoff failure (In 04' he posted up very similar numbers against the twins in the ALDS; Playoff Stats). I am and will be very interested to see how the 30 million dollar man holds up against a much stronger angels starting rotation; and much stronger support from the media. They love him after 11 at bats but will they still love him after 25? I wouldn't kiss myself just yet if I were you Mr. Rodriguez, because this bi-polar media has a serious never takes it medicine.

Where There is a Will...

| Posted on Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Great video by CBS courtesy of our friends over at The Low Down Miami . Now if this doesn't inspire hope to those that are jobless; I don't know what does?

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Miami-Jets!

| Posted on Monday, October 12, 2009

Jets @ Miami

Key Matchups:

Miami Rush Offense VS. Jets Rush Defense

- Miami averages 183.5 yards per game on the ground and they will be going up against a Jets defense that has allowed an average of 100 yards on the ground per game. Rex Ryan will have his boys ready but Ray Lewis and Terrel Suggs wont be on his side this time. Look for Ronnie to smile his way into the endzone

Mark Sanchez VS. Dolphins Pass Rush and Secondary
-The Dolphins have allowed 238+ yards a game through the air and Sanchez, if allowed time in the pocket, can be very accurate. Mark's day will be determined in part by the protection his O-line allows him. Veterans Jason Taylor and Joey Porter need to return to old form if the phins will have a chance. The dolphins will need to put pressure on Mark to ease the pressure off of Rookie Sean Smith and veteran Will Allen.

Chad Henne VS. Rex Ryan
-Rex will be throwing all types of disguises at the inexperienced Henne. Chad will need to be confident that his O-line and running backs will pick up any delayed blitz' Ryan might throw his way. Dolphins have done a great job in protection as of late so this match-up can be the tipping point.

My Pick

If Chad Henne can manage the game and allow the Phins to run "wild", the Dolphins will be throwing themselves back into the AFC East mix tonight.

Week 7 Preview!

| Posted on Sunday, October 11, 2009

1	Florida (50)
2	Alabama (10)
3	Texas
4	Virginia Tech
5	Boise State
6	USC
7	Ohio State
8	Cincinnati
9	Miami (FL)
10	LSU
11	Iowa
12	TCU
13	Oregon
14	Penn State
15	Nebraska
16	Oklahoma State
17	Kansas
18	Brigham Young
19	Georgia Tech
20	Oklahoma
21	South Florida
22	South Carolina
23	Houston
24	Utah
25	Notre Dame

Poll Overview

No huge surprises in this weeks AP poll. Bama made a well deserved jump to number 2, which really bares no implications on Texas' National title hopes as long as they take care of business (Bama and Florida, should they win out, have to meet on Dec 6th for the Sec title game).

There are 9 undefeated teams left but at least one will be going down this week as Cincy and USF face-off with Big East title hopes at stake.

Upset Alert****

Tulsa over Boise st(5) - In NCAA's case its "The smaller you are the harder you fall"

Texas Tech over Nebraska(15) - Nebraska's secondary has their work cut out for them

Ga Tech(18) over Va Tech(4) - Comes down to wrapping up tackles. Va Tech is strong (real strong) but GT's triple option is almost impossible without more than a week of preparation. Tough pick but the ACC is illogical.

Must Watch Games (meaning no more than 1 game at same time)

Wednesday

Boise St(5) @ Tulsa 8:00 ESPN

Thursday

Cincy(8) @ USF (21) 7:30 ESPN

Saturday

Oklahoma(20) vs Texas(3) 12:00 PM abc

USC(6) @ Note Dame(25) 3:30 PM NBC

VaTech(4) @ Georgia Tech(19) 6:00 PM Espn 2