Just a little thing called "Lombardi/Quinn" to rank the top 10 teams in the National Football League striving for the Super Bowl and the bottom 5 teams jockeying for the first selection in the April 2007 Draft.
Top 10
#1 Cincinnati - an impressive road win over the Steelers for an injury riddled team. Alas, the team continues to struggle in the legal system. Next up: A visit from New England... will they need extra security to prevent the Pats from kidnapping some of their receivers?
#2 Indianapolis - outplayed by the Jags for much of the game, the Colts won where it mattered most... on the scoreboard. Next up: Back to the Meadowlands for a much ballyhooed matchup with the Jets as Peyton plays against his brother's cousin's sister's nephew's former roommate.
#3 Chicago - reverted to last year's script as the defense kept them in the game and the offense finally came through late with a score to beat the Vikings. Next up: A Sunday primetime tilt with the Seahawks and Madden 2008 coverboy Maurice Morris.
#4 Seattle - dominated the Giants for 3 quarters and then held on for a 42-30 victory. The win was tempered by the loss of reigning MVP Shaun Alexander to a foot injury. Next up: A trip to Soldier Field to take on da Bears... will the NFL record for pass attempts in a game be Matt Hasselbeck's at game's end?
#5 San Diego - tops in the AFC statistically in both offense and defense. What did they work on during the bye week? End zone celebrations and sack dances? Next up: The first real test with a road game in Baltimore... If LT falls in the backfield, does Rivers make a noise?
#6 New Orleans - finally faced a real test, but passed with an A+ as they spanked the Falcons in the NFL's return to the beleaguered city. Next up: Back on the road to take on Carolina... can they bottle that emotion from Monday and take it with them?
#7 Baltimore - see Bears game description above, though the Ravens offense pulled themselves out of a bigger hole against an inferior opponent. Next up: San Diego Super Chargers... ok, we get it, we get it... great Kyle Boller impression there Steve! Oh, it was supposed to be Trent Dilfer? Our bad!
#8 Jacksonville - outplayed Indy and probably deserve to be ranked higher, but 2-1 is not 3-0. Next up: Travel up the Atlantic seaboard to face the 'Skins... will they be able to defend all 10 yards of Washington's deep passing attack?
#9 Minnesota - played the Bears tight, but couldn't close the deal and fell by a field goal. A few more of these heartbreakers and they'll have to start playing to win. Next up: A visit to lovely Buffalo... you know what they say, nobody obliterates circled wagons like the Minnesota Vikings.
#10 Philadelphia - rebounded from tough loss to the Giants by cruising past the 49ers. Will their petition to have their record changed to 2.75 - 0.25 pass? Next up: Monday Night Football versus Brett Favre and the Pack... wasn't long ago when they meant something, was it?
Bottom 5
#28 Cleveland - had Ravens on the ropes until they remembered what their therapist told them about embracing the past.
#29 Detroit - Roy Williams guaranteed the team will not tie this week at Saint Louis.
#30 Tennessee - Before the season, if one listened to trendy sleeper team picks, close loss at Miami might have been reason to feel good about themselves.
#31 Houston - The passing game looks better, but the defense made Mark Brunell look good!
#32 Oakland - Followed Chargers lead with a scrimmage against a state powerhouse. Unfortunately, high school #4 De La Salle drubbed the Raiders 34-9.
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Playoffs??!
American League - With the Central Division title and wild card yet undecided, the seedings are still up in the air. A look at the four AL pennant contenders...
1. New York Yankees
Strengths: New York has by far the most imposing lineup. They lead the quartet in runs scored by nearly 100 runs and also rank first in HR, BB, and SB. They have accomplished this while having two stars miss large portions of the season with injury. When he is healthy, they have the best postseason closer in MLB history in Mariano Rivera.
Weaknesses: As mentioned above, the injury bug has taken its toll on the Yankees all season. Randy Johnson is now questionable for the postseason with a herniated disk in his back. The loss of Johnson would hurt a pitching staff which ranks last among the four teams in ERA at 4.40 and has been dealing with nagging injuries to Mike Mussina & Mariano Rivera. Also, a recent SI article in which Jason Giambi made disparaging remarks about Alex Rodriguez can not help the clubhouse chemistry. Apparently, $200 million payrolls can't buy you everything.
2. Detroit Tigers
Strengths: With 16 shutouts, the Tigers top the AL playoff teams in ERA by nearly a quarter of a run. That ERA number, no doubt, has been helped by a defense that is throwing out over 40% of opposing baserunners.
Weaknesses: Where to start? The young pitching staff has struggled since the All-Star Break and may be tiring. How will they respond to the pressure of October? The offense has struggled for stretches over the last 2 months and ranks last among the four in batting average, on base percentage, and stolen base percentage.
3. Minnesota Twins
Strengths: The AL Cy Young favorite, Johan Santana, leads a staff with a sub 4.00 ERA that leads the group by nearly 150 strikeouts. The bullpen has been so good that opposing teams will feel the pressure to get early leads. If the Twins lead after 6 innings, the game is virtually over. The offense ranks first in batting average and will put the bat to the ball, as they have struck out nearly 100 times less than the next AL postseason qualifier.
Weaknesses: The season-ending injury to phenom Francisco Liriano has made it even more imperative that Brad Radke successfully pitch through the pain of a torn labrum and a stress fracture in his throwing shoulder. Offensively, the chicks don't dig the Twins, as they rank last in HR among the four playoff lineups, by over 30 long balls for the season.
4. Oakland Athletics
Strengths: The A's have been bolstered by the late season return of ace starter Rich Harden. If he can quickly return to form, a 1-2 punch of Barry Zito and Harden could help Oakland in a short series. Defensively, the Athletics are tied with the Twins for best fielding percentage among the four contenders.
Weaknesses: The offense. They rank last in batting average, nearly 15 points below the 3rd place Tigers. They rank last in slugging percentage despite over 30 more homeruns than the 3rd place Twins. They also rank last in steals, last in total bases, and not surprisingly, last in runs.
As for the National League, superstition prevents me from commenting on recent developments in the Central Division race. Once the National League is finalized, I'll preview all the Division Series and offer up some predictions.
1. New York Yankees
Strengths: New York has by far the most imposing lineup. They lead the quartet in runs scored by nearly 100 runs and also rank first in HR, BB, and SB. They have accomplished this while having two stars miss large portions of the season with injury. When he is healthy, they have the best postseason closer in MLB history in Mariano Rivera.
Weaknesses: As mentioned above, the injury bug has taken its toll on the Yankees all season. Randy Johnson is now questionable for the postseason with a herniated disk in his back. The loss of Johnson would hurt a pitching staff which ranks last among the four teams in ERA at 4.40 and has been dealing with nagging injuries to Mike Mussina & Mariano Rivera. Also, a recent SI article in which Jason Giambi made disparaging remarks about Alex Rodriguez can not help the clubhouse chemistry. Apparently, $200 million payrolls can't buy you everything.
2. Detroit Tigers
Strengths: With 16 shutouts, the Tigers top the AL playoff teams in ERA by nearly a quarter of a run. That ERA number, no doubt, has been helped by a defense that is throwing out over 40% of opposing baserunners.
Weaknesses: Where to start? The young pitching staff has struggled since the All-Star Break and may be tiring. How will they respond to the pressure of October? The offense has struggled for stretches over the last 2 months and ranks last among the four in batting average, on base percentage, and stolen base percentage.
3. Minnesota Twins
Strengths: The AL Cy Young favorite, Johan Santana, leads a staff with a sub 4.00 ERA that leads the group by nearly 150 strikeouts. The bullpen has been so good that opposing teams will feel the pressure to get early leads. If the Twins lead after 6 innings, the game is virtually over. The offense ranks first in batting average and will put the bat to the ball, as they have struck out nearly 100 times less than the next AL postseason qualifier.
Weaknesses: The season-ending injury to phenom Francisco Liriano has made it even more imperative that Brad Radke successfully pitch through the pain of a torn labrum and a stress fracture in his throwing shoulder. Offensively, the chicks don't dig the Twins, as they rank last in HR among the four playoff lineups, by over 30 long balls for the season.
4. Oakland Athletics
Strengths: The A's have been bolstered by the late season return of ace starter Rich Harden. If he can quickly return to form, a 1-2 punch of Barry Zito and Harden could help Oakland in a short series. Defensively, the Athletics are tied with the Twins for best fielding percentage among the four contenders.
Weaknesses: The offense. They rank last in batting average, nearly 15 points below the 3rd place Tigers. They rank last in slugging percentage despite over 30 more homeruns than the 3rd place Twins. They also rank last in steals, last in total bases, and not surprisingly, last in runs.
As for the National League, superstition prevents me from commenting on recent developments in the Central Division race. Once the National League is finalized, I'll preview all the Division Series and offer up some predictions.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
The Road to XLI (and X)
Just a little thing called "Lombardi/Quinn" to rank the top 10 teams in the National Football League striving for the Super Bowl and the bottom 5 teams jockeying for the first selection in the April 2007 Draft.
Top 10
#1 Indianapolis - an expected rout of the Texans followed a quality win on the road against the Giants. Next up: a home tilt with Jacksonville... the toughest test to date.
#2 Cincinnati - after a slow start in week 1, the Bengals have looked like the best team in a very tough division. Next up: a road trip to Pittsburgh... will the injury woes finally catch up?
#3 Jacksonville - two impressive home wins over quality opponents, with the defense locking down after that dreadful first quarter against them Cowboys. Next up: The Colts in Indy... time to take the show on the road.
#4 Chicago - more stiffling defense, so what's new? How 'bout Rex Grossman leading the league with a 128.7 passer rating? Next up: A trip to the Metrodome to take on the upstart Vikings for division supremacy.
#5 Atlanta - running game has paced the offense, but the defense is doing its share of heavy lifting too. Next up: Road tilt with New Orleans in the Saints emotional home opener. The Saints run D is tied for 6th in the league... will Vick need to win with his arm?
#6 Seattle - unbeaten and yet not exactly impressive offensively in getting there. The defense is solid, but will Deion Branch and LG Chris Spencer help the offense hit its stride? Next up: The Giants come to town... can they count on Jay Feely to help them win this year?
#7 Baltimore - defense seems to have regained its swagger in two dominant performances. If McNair can get the offense in sync, how far can they go? Next up: A heartwarming trip to their birthplace to meet the Browns... there is no place like home.
#8 San Diego - two dominant performances, but what will happen when they start playing real NFL teams? Next up: Bye Week... no truth to rumor that Marty tried to schedule a scrimmage with USC to gear up for better competition.
#9 Minnesota - two wins against early Super Bowl contenders with a philosophy of playing not to lose. Next up: Da Bears come to town... can the Vikings cruise to 3-0?
#10 New England - struggled in wins over the Bills and Jets. Are the personnel and coaching losses finally catching up? Next up: At home versus the Broncos... will Jake Plummer be the tonic they need?
Bottom 5
#28 Cleveland - high-profile additions don't do much good wearing street clothes come Sunday.
#29 Houston - David Carr is the AFC's top rated passer, but the offensive line is still struggling as evidenced by the 9 sacks he has endured.
#30 Green Bay - offense looked better against the Saints but the defense still can't stop anyone.
#31 Tennessee - when your quarterback choices include not-yet-ready-for-primetime Vince Young and already-hammered-by-primetime Kerry Collins, this should not be unexpected.
#32 Oakland - didn't they learn anything from the 2004 Skins? Your Offensive Coordinator's resume shouldn't have a decade-plus gap in it.
Top 10
#1 Indianapolis - an expected rout of the Texans followed a quality win on the road against the Giants. Next up: a home tilt with Jacksonville... the toughest test to date.
#2 Cincinnati - after a slow start in week 1, the Bengals have looked like the best team in a very tough division. Next up: a road trip to Pittsburgh... will the injury woes finally catch up?
#3 Jacksonville - two impressive home wins over quality opponents, with the defense locking down after that dreadful first quarter against them Cowboys. Next up: The Colts in Indy... time to take the show on the road.
#4 Chicago - more stiffling defense, so what's new? How 'bout Rex Grossman leading the league with a 128.7 passer rating? Next up: A trip to the Metrodome to take on the upstart Vikings for division supremacy.
#5 Atlanta - running game has paced the offense, but the defense is doing its share of heavy lifting too. Next up: Road tilt with New Orleans in the Saints emotional home opener. The Saints run D is tied for 6th in the league... will Vick need to win with his arm?
#6 Seattle - unbeaten and yet not exactly impressive offensively in getting there. The defense is solid, but will Deion Branch and LG Chris Spencer help the offense hit its stride? Next up: The Giants come to town... can they count on Jay Feely to help them win this year?
#7 Baltimore - defense seems to have regained its swagger in two dominant performances. If McNair can get the offense in sync, how far can they go? Next up: A heartwarming trip to their birthplace to meet the Browns... there is no place like home.
#8 San Diego - two dominant performances, but what will happen when they start playing real NFL teams? Next up: Bye Week... no truth to rumor that Marty tried to schedule a scrimmage with USC to gear up for better competition.
#9 Minnesota - two wins against early Super Bowl contenders with a philosophy of playing not to lose. Next up: Da Bears come to town... can the Vikings cruise to 3-0?
#10 New England - struggled in wins over the Bills and Jets. Are the personnel and coaching losses finally catching up? Next up: At home versus the Broncos... will Jake Plummer be the tonic they need?
Bottom 5
#28 Cleveland - high-profile additions don't do much good wearing street clothes come Sunday.
#29 Houston - David Carr is the AFC's top rated passer, but the offensive line is still struggling as evidenced by the 9 sacks he has endured.
#30 Green Bay - offense looked better against the Saints but the defense still can't stop anyone.
#31 Tennessee - when your quarterback choices include not-yet-ready-for-primetime Vince Young and already-hammered-by-primetime Kerry Collins, this should not be unexpected.
#32 Oakland - didn't they learn anything from the 2004 Skins? Your Offensive Coordinator's resume shouldn't have a decade-plus gap in it.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
The College Football Week That Was
I am back after a short hiatus as little man has been battling an ear infection. Saturday turned out to be a good day to be stuck at home though. "Separation Saturday" featured 4 nationally televised games between teams ranked in the Top 25. USC, Auburn, Florida, and Michigan all came away with big victories, though none was more impressive than Michigan's thrashing of Notre Dame. A few thoughts on the week that was...
How big exactly are Tommy Tuberville's cojones? If he were to have dropped his drawers, would there have been a solar eclipse at Jordan Hare Stadium? Under 10 minutes to go, up by 4, with a 4th down on your own 40! He never hesitated a minute and the homestanding Tigers made the first down and grinded more time off the clock.
What is the point of having instant replay if you can not use it correctly? I am sure the one week suspension of the officiating crew by the Pac-10 erases all the anger and frustration felt by the Oklahoma team, staff, and fan base. Whatever happened to the road team supplying the zebras for big inter-conference matchups? At least then you have refs balancing a little loyalty toward the conference with the fear of not making it out of the stadium alive.
Is there nothing left unsponsored? In both the LSU-Auburn and Florida-Tennessee matchups on CBS, players were aiming for the Ruby Tuesday first down line. If you happen to make the first down and land on the words Ruby Tuesday, does the trainer bring you a foursome of Ruby Minis?
Lastly, all parents of young sons (or daughters, for that matter) should haul their kids out to the local football field this weekend. With the horrendous kicking on display, there will be scholarships for the taking if your kid can consistently hit extra points and 45 yard field goals. Not only did Auburn's John Vaughn miss his only attempt after failing on 5 out of 6 tries last year versus LSU, but Oklahoma's Garrett Hartley kicked a potential winner into the line after the officials had robbed them on two calls down the stretch. Of course, that isn't even the worst of it. Clemson kicker Jad Dean had an extra point blocked and returned for a 2 point score against FSU, leaving Clemson's lead at 6-2. The Tigers then drove for a field goal which was, of course, blocked and returned for a touchdown. The Seminole offense hadn't sniffed the red zone and the defense hadn't exactly held down the Clemson offense, and yet FSU led 9-6. At halftime, coach Tommy Bowden vowed not to try another kick. However, after Clemson scored to go up 26-20 with a few seconds left, Bowden relented and sent out his kicker for the extra point. No doubt he had calculated that another block returned for a score would still leave his team up 26--22. Miracle of miracles though... Dean sent the kick through the uprights!
How big exactly are Tommy Tuberville's cojones? If he were to have dropped his drawers, would there have been a solar eclipse at Jordan Hare Stadium? Under 10 minutes to go, up by 4, with a 4th down on your own 40! He never hesitated a minute and the homestanding Tigers made the first down and grinded more time off the clock.
What is the point of having instant replay if you can not use it correctly? I am sure the one week suspension of the officiating crew by the Pac-10 erases all the anger and frustration felt by the Oklahoma team, staff, and fan base. Whatever happened to the road team supplying the zebras for big inter-conference matchups? At least then you have refs balancing a little loyalty toward the conference with the fear of not making it out of the stadium alive.
Is there nothing left unsponsored? In both the LSU-Auburn and Florida-Tennessee matchups on CBS, players were aiming for the Ruby Tuesday first down line. If you happen to make the first down and land on the words Ruby Tuesday, does the trainer bring you a foursome of Ruby Minis?
Lastly, all parents of young sons (or daughters, for that matter) should haul their kids out to the local football field this weekend. With the horrendous kicking on display, there will be scholarships for the taking if your kid can consistently hit extra points and 45 yard field goals. Not only did Auburn's John Vaughn miss his only attempt after failing on 5 out of 6 tries last year versus LSU, but Oklahoma's Garrett Hartley kicked a potential winner into the line after the officials had robbed them on two calls down the stretch. Of course, that isn't even the worst of it. Clemson kicker Jad Dean had an extra point blocked and returned for a 2 point score against FSU, leaving Clemson's lead at 6-2. The Tigers then drove for a field goal which was, of course, blocked and returned for a touchdown. The Seminole offense hadn't sniffed the red zone and the defense hadn't exactly held down the Clemson offense, and yet FSU led 9-6. At halftime, coach Tommy Bowden vowed not to try another kick. However, after Clemson scored to go up 26-20 with a few seconds left, Bowden relented and sent out his kicker for the extra point. No doubt he had calculated that another block returned for a score would still leave his team up 26--22. Miracle of miracles though... Dean sent the kick through the uprights!
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Maryland @ West Virginia
At 7:47pm tonight, the Maryland - WVU rivalry renews as the #5 Mountaineers welcome the Terps to Milan Puskar Stadium. This will be the 45th meeting between the schools and the series is currently deadlocked at 21 wins with 2 ties. However, the latest line puts West Virginia as 17 point favorites. One non-professional prognostication predicts a 73-6 win with star RB Steve Slaton rushing for 406 yards and 5 Mountaineer touchdowns.
Statistically, things look bleak for Terrapin fans. Maryland's 44th ranked rushing defense will try to stop a rushing attack, led by the aforementioned Slaton and QB Pat White, that ranks 2nd in the nation with 353 yards per game. That rushing attack, which has outgained their opponents by an average of 238 yards per game, has helped the Mountaineers outscore their two opponents by a score of 94-13.
On the opposite side of the ball, the rushing game may prove key to Maryland's hopes for an upset. A talented offensive line will look to open holes for a trio of running backs as the Terps try to control the ball and keep the West Virginia offense on the sidelines. If the Terrapins can establish a consistent ground game, the Mountaineers may be forced to put an extra man in the box, which may open up possibilities for the deep passing game. If that happens, the game may hinge on how quickly the young Maryland receiving corps matures.
Statistically, things look bleak for Terrapin fans. Maryland's 44th ranked rushing defense will try to stop a rushing attack, led by the aforementioned Slaton and QB Pat White, that ranks 2nd in the nation with 353 yards per game. That rushing attack, which has outgained their opponents by an average of 238 yards per game, has helped the Mountaineers outscore their two opponents by a score of 94-13.
On the opposite side of the ball, the rushing game may prove key to Maryland's hopes for an upset. A talented offensive line will look to open holes for a trio of running backs as the Terps try to control the ball and keep the West Virginia offense on the sidelines. If the Terrapins can establish a consistent ground game, the Mountaineers may be forced to put an extra man in the box, which may open up possibilities for the deep passing game. If that happens, the game may hinge on how quickly the young Maryland receiving corps matures.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
There is Always Next Year
It is September and the playoff races in MLB are being hotly contested. Here in the Baltimore-Washington region though, hometown fans are already counting down to when pitchers and catchers report in February 2007. The Orioles are doomed to their customary 4th place finish in 2006, unless of course the Devil Rays make a late charge to push them back to 5th. The lead stands at 5 with less than 20 games to play. Talk about a race for October! The Nationals, on the other hand, are clearly starting a rebuilding process and will, in all likelihood, finish the season in last place in the National League East.
When I look at the Orioles roster, it appears they are only a handful of players away, but those are some hard to come by players. A top of the rotation ace would clearly be the first priority. If they could acquire such a player, they could slot the remainder of the rotation with Bedard, Benson, Cabrera, and Loewen. Problem here is, what pitcher can they bring in to fill that gap? Most teams need starting pitching, so the bidding on free agents will go pretty high, and Peter Angelos has shown an unwillingness to throw lots of money or guarantee more than 3 years to pitchers. Fans might have held out hope that the Marlins would be willing to trade Dontrelle Willis while in their latest rebuilding period, but with this year's success that seems unlikely. Had they finished 20+ games under .500, would they have taken a deal involving Hayden Penn, a young reliever like Sendy Rleal and maybe a hitting prospect like Nolan Reimold? The bullpen will need to be completely overhauled. Chris Ray is a good closer but a couple of reliable setup men to bridge the gap from the 6th to the 9th are needed. As for the hitting lineup, a power hitting, right-handed batting left fielder or first baseman who hits well against lefties would solidify the middle of the order. Maybe Carlos Lee?
As for the Nationals they would seem to need more help, especially if they are unable to re-sign Alfonso Soriano. The pitching rotation looks weak even with the return to health in 2007 for John Patterson. The bullpen has some good pieces in Chad Cordero, Jon Rauch and Micah Bowie, and should be bolstered next season with the return of top setup man Luis Ayala. The batting lineup's future revolves around the status of Soriano. If he returns, the only holes appear to be center field and finding a successor to Jose Vidro at second. The big question is whether or not the ownership will spend to win in 2007 or will they just view it as a bridge to the following season when the new stadium is scheduled to open on the Anacostia River waterfront.
Despite their greater needs, the Nationals sit a half-game ahead of the Orioles in the dreadful race for the region's best record. Of course, most, if not all, teams would happily trade 57 games against the Yankees, Red Sox, and Blue Jays for the same number against the Mets, Phillies, and Marlins. That brings me to the inherent unfairness of the unbalanced schedule in the wild-card era, but I will save that rant for another day.
One final thought. Last night, the local news was reporting the results of the DC democratic mayoral primary and named Adrian Fenty as the winner. The lead anchor introduced him as the new mayor of the District. The thought process being that in a city with 75% of registered voters identifying themselves as Democrats that this primary was the real race for DC mayor. It made me wonder. At the end of the ALCS, will ESPN announce the winner as the next World Series champion?
When I look at the Orioles roster, it appears they are only a handful of players away, but those are some hard to come by players. A top of the rotation ace would clearly be the first priority. If they could acquire such a player, they could slot the remainder of the rotation with Bedard, Benson, Cabrera, and Loewen. Problem here is, what pitcher can they bring in to fill that gap? Most teams need starting pitching, so the bidding on free agents will go pretty high, and Peter Angelos has shown an unwillingness to throw lots of money or guarantee more than 3 years to pitchers. Fans might have held out hope that the Marlins would be willing to trade Dontrelle Willis while in their latest rebuilding period, but with this year's success that seems unlikely. Had they finished 20+ games under .500, would they have taken a deal involving Hayden Penn, a young reliever like Sendy Rleal and maybe a hitting prospect like Nolan Reimold? The bullpen will need to be completely overhauled. Chris Ray is a good closer but a couple of reliable setup men to bridge the gap from the 6th to the 9th are needed. As for the hitting lineup, a power hitting, right-handed batting left fielder or first baseman who hits well against lefties would solidify the middle of the order. Maybe Carlos Lee?
As for the Nationals they would seem to need more help, especially if they are unable to re-sign Alfonso Soriano. The pitching rotation looks weak even with the return to health in 2007 for John Patterson. The bullpen has some good pieces in Chad Cordero, Jon Rauch and Micah Bowie, and should be bolstered next season with the return of top setup man Luis Ayala. The batting lineup's future revolves around the status of Soriano. If he returns, the only holes appear to be center field and finding a successor to Jose Vidro at second. The big question is whether or not the ownership will spend to win in 2007 or will they just view it as a bridge to the following season when the new stadium is scheduled to open on the Anacostia River waterfront.
Despite their greater needs, the Nationals sit a half-game ahead of the Orioles in the dreadful race for the region's best record. Of course, most, if not all, teams would happily trade 57 games against the Yankees, Red Sox, and Blue Jays for the same number against the Mets, Phillies, and Marlins. That brings me to the inherent unfairness of the unbalanced schedule in the wild-card era, but I will save that rant for another day.
One final thought. Last night, the local news was reporting the results of the DC democratic mayoral primary and named Adrian Fenty as the winner. The lead anchor introduced him as the new mayor of the District. The thought process being that in a city with 75% of registered voters identifying themselves as Democrats that this primary was the real race for DC mayor. It made me wonder. At the end of the ALCS, will ESPN announce the winner as the next World Series champion?
Intro
I'd love to say that the idea of a sports blog is my own, but who would believe me? Ok, aside from Al Gore, who would believe me? In fact, the thought first crossed my mind weeks ago when my wife linked a sports blog written by one of her friends to our blog about our son. As a blogging virgin, I was uncomfortable trying to live up to the standard set by the DC Sports Chick (see link). Then, earlier this week, two friends decided to start a sports blog of their own just to reconnect with their love of sports journalism. Sharing a similar passion, I decided to offer my own views from the cheap seats.
I was holding out hope that I would maybe win a prize as the millionth person to start a sports blog. Bill Gates would send me a million dollars and I would become the lead blogger for msn.com. Unfortunately it turns out that some guy from Montpelier created one around 5:45 this evening to pay homage to his beloved Vermont Frost Heaves of the ABA. Damn! So close!
Despite that setback, this blog will attempt to span "the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport… the thrill of victory… and the agony of defeat". I encourage your comments and will seek to add guest postings as they become available. It may start slow but this blog will pick up when I acquire a laptop in the near future. I have some contacts in the University of Connecticut basketball program who think they can get me one real cheap. It sure is good to have connections.
I was holding out hope that I would maybe win a prize as the millionth person to start a sports blog. Bill Gates would send me a million dollars and I would become the lead blogger for msn.com. Unfortunately it turns out that some guy from Montpelier created one around 5:45 this evening to pay homage to his beloved Vermont Frost Heaves of the ABA. Damn! So close!
Despite that setback, this blog will attempt to span "the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport… the thrill of victory… and the agony of defeat". I encourage your comments and will seek to add guest postings as they become available. It may start slow but this blog will pick up when I acquire a laptop in the near future. I have some contacts in the University of Connecticut basketball program who think they can get me one real cheap. It sure is good to have connections.