Well at least the Cubs have done one thing right. And that was lock up Dempster after moving him from the team's closer to starter. He won 17 games and was the Cubs most consistent starter all season. As a result he has earned a new well deserved 4 yr $52 million contract. If nothing else, they should maintain the great starting pitching that they had during the season.
The one thing I wonder is, how this will affect their thought process of going after Jake Peavy. And I'm honestly not sure how I feel about them getting Peavy anyway. Don't get me wrong. It would appear to make the rotation unstoppable. But when you hardly score any runs and swing at balls outside of the zone during the playoffs, it doesn't matter much who you have in the rotation. My point is while Peavy would be a great addition, the Cubs priorities should lie with getting a batter with experience and proven success in the postseason. I didn;t understand why the Cubs wouldn't even have thought of going for Matt Holliday. Especially since Oak gave up nothing for him. So getting Peavy is good but it doesn't solve most of the issues the Cubs had in the playoffs.
Getting Dempster resigned was a big priority for the Cubs. He was a leader in the Cubs clubhouse all season and showed it when he was on the mound. I'm overall very happy with this deal and now I guess we'll see if the Cubs still go for Peavy. But either way they have a quality pitcher signed.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Sunday, November 16, 2008
What has Kobe done to deserve more recognition and respect than MJ??
Can somebody please tell me why Kobe Bryant is so beloved among NBA fans? People are willing to think that he is automatically just as good if not better than Michael Jordan. They're willing to give him all the credit for when things are going well for the Lakers and give him none of the blame when things are bad for them. Everybody is willing to look past everything bad about him simply because he scored 81 points in a game. I guess when you attempt 46 shots in a game which was 4x more shots than anybody else on the Lakers took that game, then odds are you'll probably have a huge game. But don't act like he is the only person capable of an effort like that. Everybody else is just aware of playing as a team, something that Kobe has never had a concept of and while everyone is so quick to believe that he does now, he still doesn't.
Both MJ and Kobe were hard on their teammates. I'm not saying that MJ wasn't. The difference is, that MJ made every individual around him better and as a result made the Bulls better. He made the careers of players like Steve Kerr, Toni Kukoc and Luc Longley. Kobe has never made anybody better. When he has been the most successful after Shaq was traded, was when the Lakers acquired an already solid player in Pau Gasol, the addition of a veteran point guard in Derek Fisher and Andrew Bynum, a player who Kobe insulted before the previous season had begun. But Kobe's selfish style of play did not make any of them or the Lakers team as a whole better. Those additions made the team better. This guy has never been a team player in his whole career and that's the thing that annoys me even more than people's love for him. The fact that they assume he is a team player. That is one of the big reasons why MJ was the best and why Kobe is not even fit to clean MJ's toilet.
The other thing that I hate that people say about Kobe is that he's one of the most clutch players in the NBA. If that's the case, then he wouldn't have put up one of the most pathetic performances I've seen in the 2008 NBA Finals. He shot 40% from the field and just 32% from 3. He may have averaged 25 pts a gm but that's because he would score about 15-20 in the 1st quarter and than was nonexistent the rest of the games. All he would do is force up horrible looking threes. He looked extraordinarily pathetic. In addition in the 2004 Finals, in which the Lakers got taken apart in 5 games, in each one of the Lakers losses, Kobe shot under 40%. Clutch means stepping up in the most crucial games of the season and Kobe has not only not done that, but he's choked probably more than any player of his superstar status has in a championship game or series. MJ would never have had that embarassing of an effort. He rose to the challenge with the greatest individual performances you would see but at the same time getting each and every one of his teammates involved. While Kobe ultimately reverted back to his selfish form. Ya Kobe is true clutch player. If you can be clutch at choking in the biggest games.
He has won three championships but don't assume that he was the reason behind it. When you have Shaq in his absolute prime averaging between 35 and 38 points a game in the finals, that is the reason for the 3 titles. Notice how it was Shaq that got all 3 finals mvps for the Lakers and even in 04, he was the only one on the Lakers that gave a solid effort. Kobe gets absolutely way too much credit for the titles he has won and if Shaq was not a Laker, last year would have been the first time Kobe would have come close to a title.
What's also puzzling is how everybody seems to have forgot the fact that he was charged with rape. Is that really someone you would want to look up to? But it doesn't matter because he scored 81 points in a game so what happened in the past shouldn't matter because he can score 81 points in a game. Spare me, why has everybody forgotten about those allegations and forgiven him for it? Even after not going to trial, he should have been crucified by the NBA. Instead, it didn't take long for fans to get back on his side. What happened since then? Did he win the Noble Peace Prize or something? Doesn't make sense to me.
He also treats his teammates horribly when they're not winning and when he's not getting enough shots and complains about calls more than anyone I've ever seen. He seems to have the attitude, Do you know who I am? I'm Kobe I'm the best in the world. How dare you call a foul on me. So unbelievably arrogant. Why do you think he changed his number to 24? One more than MJ. It's pretty obvious that in his mind he's surpassed MJ as the greatest. I guess he's been given good reason with people saying that he is. Because sadly enough people indulge the idea that he is better than MJ. So they're the ones just boosting his already massive ego.
People seriously need to stop giving this guy credit. People that claim to be fans of MJ and say that Kobe is better don't deserve to call themselves fans of MJ and the Bulls. It's a slap in the face to him and extremely disrespectful. This guy doesn't deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence as MJ let alone even be considered to be as good or better. I hope that Kobe is the one star player that actually goes overseas because he is a cancer on the league and doesn't deserve my or anyone else's respect. And for those that do respect him, go and rent the Bulls championship DVD's. You'll see that true greatness is #23 on the Bulls, not #24 of the Lakers.
Both MJ and Kobe were hard on their teammates. I'm not saying that MJ wasn't. The difference is, that MJ made every individual around him better and as a result made the Bulls better. He made the careers of players like Steve Kerr, Toni Kukoc and Luc Longley. Kobe has never made anybody better. When he has been the most successful after Shaq was traded, was when the Lakers acquired an already solid player in Pau Gasol, the addition of a veteran point guard in Derek Fisher and Andrew Bynum, a player who Kobe insulted before the previous season had begun. But Kobe's selfish style of play did not make any of them or the Lakers team as a whole better. Those additions made the team better. This guy has never been a team player in his whole career and that's the thing that annoys me even more than people's love for him. The fact that they assume he is a team player. That is one of the big reasons why MJ was the best and why Kobe is not even fit to clean MJ's toilet.
The other thing that I hate that people say about Kobe is that he's one of the most clutch players in the NBA. If that's the case, then he wouldn't have put up one of the most pathetic performances I've seen in the 2008 NBA Finals. He shot 40% from the field and just 32% from 3. He may have averaged 25 pts a gm but that's because he would score about 15-20 in the 1st quarter and than was nonexistent the rest of the games. All he would do is force up horrible looking threes. He looked extraordinarily pathetic. In addition in the 2004 Finals, in which the Lakers got taken apart in 5 games, in each one of the Lakers losses, Kobe shot under 40%. Clutch means stepping up in the most crucial games of the season and Kobe has not only not done that, but he's choked probably more than any player of his superstar status has in a championship game or series. MJ would never have had that embarassing of an effort. He rose to the challenge with the greatest individual performances you would see but at the same time getting each and every one of his teammates involved. While Kobe ultimately reverted back to his selfish form. Ya Kobe is true clutch player. If you can be clutch at choking in the biggest games.
He has won three championships but don't assume that he was the reason behind it. When you have Shaq in his absolute prime averaging between 35 and 38 points a game in the finals, that is the reason for the 3 titles. Notice how it was Shaq that got all 3 finals mvps for the Lakers and even in 04, he was the only one on the Lakers that gave a solid effort. Kobe gets absolutely way too much credit for the titles he has won and if Shaq was not a Laker, last year would have been the first time Kobe would have come close to a title.
What's also puzzling is how everybody seems to have forgot the fact that he was charged with rape. Is that really someone you would want to look up to? But it doesn't matter because he scored 81 points in a game so what happened in the past shouldn't matter because he can score 81 points in a game. Spare me, why has everybody forgotten about those allegations and forgiven him for it? Even after not going to trial, he should have been crucified by the NBA. Instead, it didn't take long for fans to get back on his side. What happened since then? Did he win the Noble Peace Prize or something? Doesn't make sense to me.
He also treats his teammates horribly when they're not winning and when he's not getting enough shots and complains about calls more than anyone I've ever seen. He seems to have the attitude, Do you know who I am? I'm Kobe I'm the best in the world. How dare you call a foul on me. So unbelievably arrogant. Why do you think he changed his number to 24? One more than MJ. It's pretty obvious that in his mind he's surpassed MJ as the greatest. I guess he's been given good reason with people saying that he is. Because sadly enough people indulge the idea that he is better than MJ. So they're the ones just boosting his already massive ego.
People seriously need to stop giving this guy credit. People that claim to be fans of MJ and say that Kobe is better don't deserve to call themselves fans of MJ and the Bulls. It's a slap in the face to him and extremely disrespectful. This guy doesn't deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence as MJ let alone even be considered to be as good or better. I hope that Kobe is the one star player that actually goes overseas because he is a cancer on the league and doesn't deserve my or anyone else's respect. And for those that do respect him, go and rent the Bulls championship DVD's. You'll see that true greatness is #23 on the Bulls, not #24 of the Lakers.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
2 completely opposite and memorable seasons
When I was younger from about third grade on everybody I knew was involved in park district basketball in Buffalo Grove. Illinois. It was something no matter what you would have plenty of friends on your team and even more friends playing on the opposing teams. But in 6th grade both myself and my friend Kerry had very different teams with very different regular season results and very different playoff results as well. But we both remembered that season better than any other one.
I was on Syracuse and Kerry was on Georgetown. My team was one of the most balanced teams in the league that year. Everybody was capable of scoring in double digits and everybody had a significant role on the team. For Kerry's team it didn't start out that way. Georgetown had two players that were maybe not exactly the stars but they were the ones taking all the shots. And because of this they got off to a bad start. My team on the other hand could not be stopped. We weren't just beating teams, we were crushing them. One of the teams we crushed happened to be Georgetown. When we played them we beat them by 22. I remember after the game Kerry said to me, there's no way you guys aren't winning it all. That's what I thought as well.
But after that game the attitude of Georgetown changed. After our team constantly harrassed and double teamed their best players, they changed their attitude. Everybody on that team ended up getting involved. And that turned around their season in a way I didn't imagine. After that Kerry became one of their leading scorers. A lot of his contribution was a big part of why Georgetown ended up at 4-4 after starting the season 1-3. Kerry told me that their loss to us was a huge wakeup call for them. It changed the whole dynamic of the team. They got into the playoffs on a roll.
My team, Syracuse, finished the regular season 7-1. I was the leading scorer in a couple of the games but we pretty much had a different player that stepped up every game and led the team in scoring. We had so many weapons on the team and heading into the playoffs, we were clearly the favorites.
There were 3 rounds in the playoffs and our 1st playoff game was no different. Absolute domination. We thought we would cruise for the whole playoffs. But that thought was derailed. By Georgetown.
Georgetown had upset Depaul the one team we had lost to during the season. And our team was very cocky once that happened. We were glad not to face the one team that beat us and when we saw we were gonna play Georgetown again, we thought we were a shoein. It was that attitude that led to our downfall.
Georgetown played that game like we had been playing all season. They were the ones balanced playing together. My team, anyone who had the ball was just putting up jumpers or taking it to the basket. No one was setting screens for each other or looking for the open man. And that's why it was close. Despite that though, it was anyone's game. Our talent was the reason we weren't getting beat down. We were tied heading into the last minute due to my free throws. But then I made a huge mistake, and Kerry benefited from it. I helped out on a double team leaving Kerry wide open. By the time I realized it, it was too late to recover. And Kerry hit the jumper. The bigger mistake that was made was me thinking I had a chance to defend it. So I fouled him. He hit the jumper and the free throw and put them up 3. After that it was over. We turned the ball over, giving them another bucket. And that was the game. Neither me or Kerry thought in a million years this would be the result. My team, easily the best all year going down in the semifinals to Georgetown, a team that seemed like they would never have a shot to win a playoff game, let alone beat us in the semifinals. It's something that both me and Kerry still talk about today.
Georgetown would go on to lose in the championship game. But Kerry remembered after their loss to us during the season just how much it ended up benefitting the team. It enabled him to be a key contributor for that team and it enabled the team to improve as a whole and not just rely on two players. He said it was one of the best feelings to have that big of a turnaround and end up in the championship game.
As for me, I will always remember it as the game that got away. As being the best team, the whole season but for that one game against Georgetown maybe not taking the game seriously enough. But one thing is for sure, for both myself and Kerry it was our most memorable season of basketball that we had.
I was on Syracuse and Kerry was on Georgetown. My team was one of the most balanced teams in the league that year. Everybody was capable of scoring in double digits and everybody had a significant role on the team. For Kerry's team it didn't start out that way. Georgetown had two players that were maybe not exactly the stars but they were the ones taking all the shots. And because of this they got off to a bad start. My team on the other hand could not be stopped. We weren't just beating teams, we were crushing them. One of the teams we crushed happened to be Georgetown. When we played them we beat them by 22. I remember after the game Kerry said to me, there's no way you guys aren't winning it all. That's what I thought as well.
But after that game the attitude of Georgetown changed. After our team constantly harrassed and double teamed their best players, they changed their attitude. Everybody on that team ended up getting involved. And that turned around their season in a way I didn't imagine. After that Kerry became one of their leading scorers. A lot of his contribution was a big part of why Georgetown ended up at 4-4 after starting the season 1-3. Kerry told me that their loss to us was a huge wakeup call for them. It changed the whole dynamic of the team. They got into the playoffs on a roll.
My team, Syracuse, finished the regular season 7-1. I was the leading scorer in a couple of the games but we pretty much had a different player that stepped up every game and led the team in scoring. We had so many weapons on the team and heading into the playoffs, we were clearly the favorites.
There were 3 rounds in the playoffs and our 1st playoff game was no different. Absolute domination. We thought we would cruise for the whole playoffs. But that thought was derailed. By Georgetown.
Georgetown had upset Depaul the one team we had lost to during the season. And our team was very cocky once that happened. We were glad not to face the one team that beat us and when we saw we were gonna play Georgetown again, we thought we were a shoein. It was that attitude that led to our downfall.
Georgetown played that game like we had been playing all season. They were the ones balanced playing together. My team, anyone who had the ball was just putting up jumpers or taking it to the basket. No one was setting screens for each other or looking for the open man. And that's why it was close. Despite that though, it was anyone's game. Our talent was the reason we weren't getting beat down. We were tied heading into the last minute due to my free throws. But then I made a huge mistake, and Kerry benefited from it. I helped out on a double team leaving Kerry wide open. By the time I realized it, it was too late to recover. And Kerry hit the jumper. The bigger mistake that was made was me thinking I had a chance to defend it. So I fouled him. He hit the jumper and the free throw and put them up 3. After that it was over. We turned the ball over, giving them another bucket. And that was the game. Neither me or Kerry thought in a million years this would be the result. My team, easily the best all year going down in the semifinals to Georgetown, a team that seemed like they would never have a shot to win a playoff game, let alone beat us in the semifinals. It's something that both me and Kerry still talk about today.
Georgetown would go on to lose in the championship game. But Kerry remembered after their loss to us during the season just how much it ended up benefitting the team. It enabled him to be a key contributor for that team and it enabled the team to improve as a whole and not just rely on two players. He said it was one of the best feelings to have that big of a turnaround and end up in the championship game.
As for me, I will always remember it as the game that got away. As being the best team, the whole season but for that one game against Georgetown maybe not taking the game seriously enough. But one thing is for sure, for both myself and Kerry it was our most memorable season of basketball that we had.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Soto the NL Rookie of the Year
I guess if there was one good thing that ultimately came out of the Cubs season it was Soto. This is the first time the Cubs have a solid young catcher that they can have for a long time. Soto is the first catcher to win rookie of the year in either league since Mike Piazza in 1993. It shows you just how big of an impact he had on the Cubs immediately this season.
Soto hit .285 with 23 hr's, 35 doubles and 86 rbi's. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to make the difference for the Cubs in October. As he went just 2 for 11 with no rbi's. But while I feel the Cubs need to make a lot of changed, Soto is someone that will definitely stick around for a long time.
There at times were even brief mentions that Soto should be NL MVP. While I think that's a major stretch, it truly shows how much of a key player he was for the Cubs. If nothing else, it's debatable whether he was the best player on the Cubs this season or not.
While this was obvious that he would win, I guess it's nice that someone on the Cubs got rewarded for their performance in the regular season. Soto, I think is the perfect option for that.
Soto hit .285 with 23 hr's, 35 doubles and 86 rbi's. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to make the difference for the Cubs in October. As he went just 2 for 11 with no rbi's. But while I feel the Cubs need to make a lot of changed, Soto is someone that will definitely stick around for a long time.
There at times were even brief mentions that Soto should be NL MVP. While I think that's a major stretch, it truly shows how much of a key player he was for the Cubs. If nothing else, it's debatable whether he was the best player on the Cubs this season or not.
While this was obvious that he would win, I guess it's nice that someone on the Cubs got rewarded for their performance in the regular season. Soto, I think is the perfect option for that.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Titans vs. Bears game blog
Final Titans 21 Bears 14. Titans are now 9-0 and are easily the biggest surprise team in the NFL. As for the Bears they're now 5-4 and will head to Lambeau next week probably without Orton again. The Packers are currently leading 27-21 so this is most likely for the NFC North lead. But as I said at the beginning you probably won't win when Rex Grossman is your qb.
2 minute warning Collins 1st down pass to Scafe. The Bears somehow hung in there as long as they could but that will officially do it.
This 3rd down is the Bears absolute last chance. The 2 minute warning will stop the clock and give the Bears the ball back with a stop
The Bears still do have 2 timeouts but major blown opportunity.
2:25: Broken up. I knew this couldn't last very long from Grossman.
2:29: Pass batted away. Damn it. 4th and 4 now. This is the game.
3:07: 9 yds for Olsen!! Continuing to move the ball.
3;12: Starting in Titan territory. Huge help for the Bears.
3:25: Nothing for Johnson again!! Can Rex step up for once in his life and get this game tied up?
3:32: Huge false start. 3rd and 21 now!!
4:10: Johnson once again goes nowhere!! Let's get the ball back now.
4:43: Collins sacked. by Ogunleye!!! Almost a fumble as well. the Bears are showing life now!
4:55 TD Forte!!!! 21-14 now. This is extremely pathetic that the Bears still have a chance.
5:25: Rex to Olsen down to the 1.
6:00: Grossman to Hester! To the Tenn 10. Maybe they still have life.
7:25 18 yds for Forte. Doubt it'll make any difference.
9:40: 48 yd fg attempt by Robbie Gould blocked putting a capper on the Bears horrible day.
9:46: Tipped once again. More boos. They probably need to go for it. But I'm sure they won't get it.
10:55: Forte 1st down to the Tenn 28. No huddle seems to be effective at the moment.
11:25: Completion to Hester to the tenn 37. Where was this all day?
11:50: Grossman over the middle to Forte. 1st down to Titan territory.
And as i said that apparently GB has taken a 24-21 lead. So the Bears are even more screwed than they already were.
The Bears will be better off if Min holds on to beat GB. They have the tiebreaker and even if they do beat GB I still think GB is tougher. But either way the Bears are screwed without Orton.
So how much longer is Orton gonna be out? The Bears aren't winning anything without him. Maybe they can try and sign someone else. I don't even care who. Can't be worse than Rex.
12:06: TD Lendale White. That's it. Game over. Bears aren't coming back with Rex Grossman. 21-7 Titans.
13:40: Collins to White. 1st down to the Bears 7. This game is about to be over if the Bears can't hold them to a fg. Although it is probably over anyway.
14:15: They're starting to get positive yds rushing. Not good.
Start of the 4th another completion for Collins.
End of the 3rd snow's coming down and the Titans are on the move ahead 14-7.
:30: A run for a 1st down by Johnson. Hasn't happened all day.
1:36: Collins rolls out and completes another 3rd down pass. I think Tenn might finish it here.
2:38: Rex cannot throw an on target pass to save his life.
3:10 Grossman sacked. It's like night and day when you compare Orton's play to Rex's.
4:07: Once again the Bears start from deep in their own territory. That's great. Unbelievable.
4:19 Big defensive stand. But the Bears cannot move the ball. They need some sort of big play.
5:00 I wonder why the Titans are even bothering to run at all anymore.
5:17: Another bad pass by Rex that would have been a 1st down. Can he do anything right? Again Rex I ask does it just suck being you?
5:57: Grossman play action overthrows Hester. Would have been a td if it was on target.
6:55: Grossman to Forte pickup of 9. Followed by a Forte run for a 1st. Finally the Bears are moving the ball.
7:34: Grossman to Olsen for a 1st down. Finally no 3 and out. Now let's use up the clock and get a solid drive and tie this game up.
9:00 Finally the Bears are able to stop a 3rd down pass from Collins. But will once again start in awful field position.
Another hilarious Mastercard commercial with Peyton Manning. Starting with him being in new England and someone working at the hotel saying you're going down Manning. He responds. I am to the 4th floor to get a massage. I love those commercials. Maybe not as good as the classic where he's chanting cut that meat or when he's trying to get an autograph from an accountant on his fantasy team hahaha but still great.
10:00: More boos. Is there anyone else the Bears can put in? They can't do any worse than this. Because if not the Bears are done.
11:10: That was pathetic: Grossman had a ton of time and hesitates too much. They get nothing on his short dropoff.
11:28: Touchdown Collins to Gage. Collins 5 of 5 for 55 yds on that drive. This is the Bears last chance the way they're defending the pass. If they don't do something now it's over. 14-7 Titans right now.
12:00: Collins is doing whatever he wants. I don't see the Bears hanging on here.
13:12: 2 more passes 2 more 1st downs. But now the scary thing is they're throwing on 1st down. This could be where the Titans go in for the kill.
14:15: Another 1st down. Collins to Jones. Collins has not looked anywhere near this good all season. He usually only manages the game. He is the reason they're in it today.
14:22: Tennessee will start from their own 45. Once again great field position. How long can the Bears expect to be stopping them with this good of starting field position?
14:34: Spoke too soon. Here are the boos again. 2 awful passes in a row. This is not looking good for the Bears at all.
14:50: Nice rollout to Clark. That was the type of pass Rex completed on the opening drive. Good start.
Start of the 3rd quarter and I think every Bears fan is wishing that any other qb was in this game besides Grossman. His horrible play luckily hasn't hurt the Bears as much as it could have. But it will if it continues. This game is all on him right now.
Halftime we're tied at 7. Some key stats. While the Titans are well short of their 149 yd rushing average with only -5 yds on the ground, Kerry Collins is 17-23 for 180 yds and a td already over his average of 165 yds a game. As for the Bears, Forte has 13 carries for 64 yds. But Grossman after starting 6 of 9 for 51 yds and a td since then is only 2 for 6 for 1 yd and an int. The Bears still have a lot of improvement that needs to be made. I'm taking a break until the 2nd half. See ya then.
:02: Completion to Gae out of bounds. 49 yd fg attempt coming up. Short thank gd.
:11 Big false start call 10 sec runoff. Huge!!! Not in range at the moment anymore either.
:30: 2 more completions for Collins and are easily in fg range.
1:05: D is gonna have to step it up. No timeouts now for the Titans but will once again get solid field position and have a chance to get into fg range. Better than Rex screwin up though.
1:52: Once again horrible field position. Just run the ball here. Can't afford to make a mistake.
2 minute warning: The Bears are lucky that it was 3rd and 28 because Collins completed yet another pass for big yardage. Just not enough.
2:35: No rushing attack for Tenn. But no pass d from the Bears. Not what I expected to happen. I never thought I'd say this if the Bears were shutting down the run but something needs to change.
3:45: Collins hits Scafe again for another 1st down. I'm getting really sick of Collins looking as good as a regular qb right now.
4:25: Yet another completion for Collins. He's getting all the time in the world. This is ridiculous!
4:55: Another 1st down completion. Collins to Scafe.
5:45: Once again White goes nowhere. I hate that the Bears are shutting doen the strength of the Titans and are still tied.
6:10: 3rd punt in a row. At least the Titans will be starting from their own territory this time.
7:26: Lucky!! Another batted pass but this time Forte is able to haul that one in. Can't survive much longer with Rex's throws being tipped and batted.
7:55: Big pickup by Forte. The Bears desperately needed a 1st down.
C'mon Rex. Let's get back on track here. Bears cannot win this game if you don't start completing some passes.
Yes!!! Quantum of Solace comes out this Friday. I'm pumped for the next Bond movie.
8:39: Touchdown Collins to Scafe. As great as their run d has been their pass rush has been pathetic and Collins has had all day. Such a shame the way their d had been playing. We're tied at 7.
9:10: Bottled up again, this time Lendale White. -3 yds rushing so far for the Titans.
9:50: Another 1st down catch by Jones. Rex could learn something from watching Collins today.
10:20: 30 yard punt return for Carr. Tenn will once again get another solid opportunity.
10:58: This is clearly gonna come down to the Bears d. This is gonna be tough to keep outlasting the Titans with horrible Rex.
11:10: What is he doing? I can hear the boos start. Rex hasn't completed a pass since the opening drive.
11:58: Another tremendous job by the d!!! This game isn't over by any means but it was obvious Tenn was not as good as their record. But Tenn due to the pick has the much better field position. The Bears have to start moving the ball outta their own territory.
12:40: Mike Brown destroys Johnson!! Loss of 7!!!
13:20: Collins 1st down pass to Brandon Jones. Give Collins credit so far.
14:26: Very solid coverage but also not a good pass by Rex. I don't like this. I think we'll be seeing typical Rex Grossman from now on.
Start of the 2nd: Forte gives the Bears some room with a 7 yd run.
End of the 1st. Bears 7 Titans 0. Got scared there but the D stepped up at the most important time in that drive. The key is gonna be Rex. Is his confidence gonna be shot or can he recover and continue to play like he did on their opening drive? That is very much gonna be the difference in the game.
:44: Fumble!! Bears recover!!! That's what I'm talkin about!!! The Bears seem willing to sacrifice Collins completing passes if it means topping their biggest weapon, the run. The running game has been stuffed today.
:59: Solid tackle by Brown keeping Scafe outta the end zone.
1:27: Collins seems to be up to the challenege so far.
2:05: Johnson once again goes nowhere. Can they stop them 2 more times?
2:38: Collins complete to Crumpler inside the 10. That's great. We're probably screwed.
2:48: Big offensive pass inteference call. Having said that the Bears are still basically giving away all the momentum they had.
3:30 Unbelievable! Here comes typical Rex. Throws under pressure. Booker bats it up in the air picked by Hope. Tenn now in Bear territory. Rex does it just suck being you?
I'm glad they finally came out with these PC commercials firing back against the Macs. It's great because they completely overrate Macs. PC's destroy them!
3:53: Overall another solid defensive series. The Bears look like the better team without question so far!
4:30: Tenn's running game has been completely ineffective. This is gonna mean a lotta trouble for them. They have to run the ball to be successful.
5:40 Collins completes his 1st big pass. That is what he'll have to do the way the Bears run d is playing. Another timeout? Unbelievable! I've seen too many commercials already.
6:26 Beard d bottles up the headed rushing attack back to back! The Titans aren't used to this!
7:00 Chris Johnson goes nowhere on 1st down. This Bears d looks like they came to battle today!
I love how watching this Bud Light commercial that people drink beer cuz it won't fill you up. Or because of the amount of calories. I could bet money that not one person in the world is concerned about either of those things when drinking beer. Why even make beer commercials saying stuff like that? I mean seriously!
Only the 2nd team to get a td in the 1st quarter against Tenn this year. Didn't work out well for Indy the other team. But I think it's a terrific sign.
7:06: TD DA BEARS!! Rex finds Forte. Very impressive opening drive. By both Rex and Forte. Rex 6 of 9 for 51 yds and the td on that drive. Forte 3 carries for 19 yds and the 5 yd td catch. Couldn't have asked for a more perfect start. This game definiteky seems winnable.
7:11: Booker very angry. Could have been pass interference.
8:20: First down run by Forte! Love the playcalling Lovie!. It's 1st and goal now. Let's punch it in!
9:00 Damn it. Hester just short. We'll see if they rethink going for it. I'd like to see a td though rather than settle for a fg. That's not the way you're gonna beat Tennessee.
9:40 The Bears wr's are making him look good. Stumbled a couple of times but still completing his passes.
10:24 Great catch by Hester! Nice job by Rex gettin that pass off before bein hit and losing his balance. Lookin good so far Rex.
Totally forgot Jevon Kearse was back on the Titans. Random comment but whatever.
11:25: Grossman off to a solid start completing his 1st two passes. Moving to the Titan 37. Did not expect that. Injury timeout. Let's keep this goin.
13:20: Forte 9 yard run on the outside. Followed by a run for a 1st by Mckie.
14:10 Great start maybe a bit of a surprise to defer the coin toss but tremendous 3 and out start for the d. We'll see if Rex can have as good of a start.
Kickoff: Bears kicking off in a cold game 37 degrees. We'll see how the Bears d comes outta the gates.
It's about 10 or 15 minutes before kickoff and as a Bears fan, I can not be more worried right now. Not just about today but the rest of the season. Who knows for how long Kyle Orton will be out. Relying on one of the most inaccurate inconsistent quarterbacks in Rex is probably not gonna bode well. And to add on to that they have to be facing arguably the toughest d in the league. I don't see Rex being the man to lead the Bears to victory and being the first team to knock off the Titans. But if they want to have a shot Matt Forte will need to step it up and take a lotta pressure off the passing game. The Bears d has struggled the last two games, but it's pretty simple for them. You need to shut down the run. Kerry Collins maybe attempts like 12 to 15 passes a game from what it seems like. Force him to be the one to beat you. I don't know if he can do it. Bottomline, the Titans are a solid team but are not as good as their record and are beatable. But Rex you cannot screw this one up. Run the ball, look at how your opponent succeeds and go off of that. We're coming up on kickoff. Good luck Chicago becuase with Grossman you're gonna need it.
2 minute warning Collins 1st down pass to Scafe. The Bears somehow hung in there as long as they could but that will officially do it.
This 3rd down is the Bears absolute last chance. The 2 minute warning will stop the clock and give the Bears the ball back with a stop
The Bears still do have 2 timeouts but major blown opportunity.
2:25: Broken up. I knew this couldn't last very long from Grossman.
2:29: Pass batted away. Damn it. 4th and 4 now. This is the game.
3:07: 9 yds for Olsen!! Continuing to move the ball.
3;12: Starting in Titan territory. Huge help for the Bears.
3:25: Nothing for Johnson again!! Can Rex step up for once in his life and get this game tied up?
3:32: Huge false start. 3rd and 21 now!!
4:10: Johnson once again goes nowhere!! Let's get the ball back now.
4:43: Collins sacked. by Ogunleye!!! Almost a fumble as well. the Bears are showing life now!
4:55 TD Forte!!!! 21-14 now. This is extremely pathetic that the Bears still have a chance.
5:25: Rex to Olsen down to the 1.
6:00: Grossman to Hester! To the Tenn 10. Maybe they still have life.
7:25 18 yds for Forte. Doubt it'll make any difference.
9:40: 48 yd fg attempt by Robbie Gould blocked putting a capper on the Bears horrible day.
9:46: Tipped once again. More boos. They probably need to go for it. But I'm sure they won't get it.
10:55: Forte 1st down to the Tenn 28. No huddle seems to be effective at the moment.
11:25: Completion to Hester to the tenn 37. Where was this all day?
11:50: Grossman over the middle to Forte. 1st down to Titan territory.
And as i said that apparently GB has taken a 24-21 lead. So the Bears are even more screwed than they already were.
The Bears will be better off if Min holds on to beat GB. They have the tiebreaker and even if they do beat GB I still think GB is tougher. But either way the Bears are screwed without Orton.
So how much longer is Orton gonna be out? The Bears aren't winning anything without him. Maybe they can try and sign someone else. I don't even care who. Can't be worse than Rex.
12:06: TD Lendale White. That's it. Game over. Bears aren't coming back with Rex Grossman. 21-7 Titans.
13:40: Collins to White. 1st down to the Bears 7. This game is about to be over if the Bears can't hold them to a fg. Although it is probably over anyway.
14:15: They're starting to get positive yds rushing. Not good.
Start of the 4th another completion for Collins.
End of the 3rd snow's coming down and the Titans are on the move ahead 14-7.
:30: A run for a 1st down by Johnson. Hasn't happened all day.
1:36: Collins rolls out and completes another 3rd down pass. I think Tenn might finish it here.
2:38: Rex cannot throw an on target pass to save his life.
3:10 Grossman sacked. It's like night and day when you compare Orton's play to Rex's.
4:07: Once again the Bears start from deep in their own territory. That's great. Unbelievable.
4:19 Big defensive stand. But the Bears cannot move the ball. They need some sort of big play.
5:00 I wonder why the Titans are even bothering to run at all anymore.
5:17: Another bad pass by Rex that would have been a 1st down. Can he do anything right? Again Rex I ask does it just suck being you?
5:57: Grossman play action overthrows Hester. Would have been a td if it was on target.
6:55: Grossman to Forte pickup of 9. Followed by a Forte run for a 1st. Finally the Bears are moving the ball.
7:34: Grossman to Olsen for a 1st down. Finally no 3 and out. Now let's use up the clock and get a solid drive and tie this game up.
9:00 Finally the Bears are able to stop a 3rd down pass from Collins. But will once again start in awful field position.
Another hilarious Mastercard commercial with Peyton Manning. Starting with him being in new England and someone working at the hotel saying you're going down Manning. He responds. I am to the 4th floor to get a massage. I love those commercials. Maybe not as good as the classic where he's chanting cut that meat or when he's trying to get an autograph from an accountant on his fantasy team hahaha but still great.
10:00: More boos. Is there anyone else the Bears can put in? They can't do any worse than this. Because if not the Bears are done.
11:10: That was pathetic: Grossman had a ton of time and hesitates too much. They get nothing on his short dropoff.
11:28: Touchdown Collins to Gage. Collins 5 of 5 for 55 yds on that drive. This is the Bears last chance the way they're defending the pass. If they don't do something now it's over. 14-7 Titans right now.
12:00: Collins is doing whatever he wants. I don't see the Bears hanging on here.
13:12: 2 more passes 2 more 1st downs. But now the scary thing is they're throwing on 1st down. This could be where the Titans go in for the kill.
14:15: Another 1st down. Collins to Jones. Collins has not looked anywhere near this good all season. He usually only manages the game. He is the reason they're in it today.
14:22: Tennessee will start from their own 45. Once again great field position. How long can the Bears expect to be stopping them with this good of starting field position?
14:34: Spoke too soon. Here are the boos again. 2 awful passes in a row. This is not looking good for the Bears at all.
14:50: Nice rollout to Clark. That was the type of pass Rex completed on the opening drive. Good start.
Start of the 3rd quarter and I think every Bears fan is wishing that any other qb was in this game besides Grossman. His horrible play luckily hasn't hurt the Bears as much as it could have. But it will if it continues. This game is all on him right now.
Halftime we're tied at 7. Some key stats. While the Titans are well short of their 149 yd rushing average with only -5 yds on the ground, Kerry Collins is 17-23 for 180 yds and a td already over his average of 165 yds a game. As for the Bears, Forte has 13 carries for 64 yds. But Grossman after starting 6 of 9 for 51 yds and a td since then is only 2 for 6 for 1 yd and an int. The Bears still have a lot of improvement that needs to be made. I'm taking a break until the 2nd half. See ya then.
:02: Completion to Gae out of bounds. 49 yd fg attempt coming up. Short thank gd.
:11 Big false start call 10 sec runoff. Huge!!! Not in range at the moment anymore either.
:30: 2 more completions for Collins and are easily in fg range.
1:05: D is gonna have to step it up. No timeouts now for the Titans but will once again get solid field position and have a chance to get into fg range. Better than Rex screwin up though.
1:52: Once again horrible field position. Just run the ball here. Can't afford to make a mistake.
2 minute warning: The Bears are lucky that it was 3rd and 28 because Collins completed yet another pass for big yardage. Just not enough.
2:35: No rushing attack for Tenn. But no pass d from the Bears. Not what I expected to happen. I never thought I'd say this if the Bears were shutting down the run but something needs to change.
3:45: Collins hits Scafe again for another 1st down. I'm getting really sick of Collins looking as good as a regular qb right now.
4:25: Yet another completion for Collins. He's getting all the time in the world. This is ridiculous!
4:55: Another 1st down completion. Collins to Scafe.
5:45: Once again White goes nowhere. I hate that the Bears are shutting doen the strength of the Titans and are still tied.
6:10: 3rd punt in a row. At least the Titans will be starting from their own territory this time.
7:26: Lucky!! Another batted pass but this time Forte is able to haul that one in. Can't survive much longer with Rex's throws being tipped and batted.
7:55: Big pickup by Forte. The Bears desperately needed a 1st down.
C'mon Rex. Let's get back on track here. Bears cannot win this game if you don't start completing some passes.
Yes!!! Quantum of Solace comes out this Friday. I'm pumped for the next Bond movie.
8:39: Touchdown Collins to Scafe. As great as their run d has been their pass rush has been pathetic and Collins has had all day. Such a shame the way their d had been playing. We're tied at 7.
9:10: Bottled up again, this time Lendale White. -3 yds rushing so far for the Titans.
9:50: Another 1st down catch by Jones. Rex could learn something from watching Collins today.
10:20: 30 yard punt return for Carr. Tenn will once again get another solid opportunity.
10:58: This is clearly gonna come down to the Bears d. This is gonna be tough to keep outlasting the Titans with horrible Rex.
11:10: What is he doing? I can hear the boos start. Rex hasn't completed a pass since the opening drive.
11:58: Another tremendous job by the d!!! This game isn't over by any means but it was obvious Tenn was not as good as their record. But Tenn due to the pick has the much better field position. The Bears have to start moving the ball outta their own territory.
12:40: Mike Brown destroys Johnson!! Loss of 7!!!
13:20: Collins 1st down pass to Brandon Jones. Give Collins credit so far.
14:26: Very solid coverage but also not a good pass by Rex. I don't like this. I think we'll be seeing typical Rex Grossman from now on.
Start of the 2nd: Forte gives the Bears some room with a 7 yd run.
End of the 1st. Bears 7 Titans 0. Got scared there but the D stepped up at the most important time in that drive. The key is gonna be Rex. Is his confidence gonna be shot or can he recover and continue to play like he did on their opening drive? That is very much gonna be the difference in the game.
:44: Fumble!! Bears recover!!! That's what I'm talkin about!!! The Bears seem willing to sacrifice Collins completing passes if it means topping their biggest weapon, the run. The running game has been stuffed today.
:59: Solid tackle by Brown keeping Scafe outta the end zone.
1:27: Collins seems to be up to the challenege so far.
2:05: Johnson once again goes nowhere. Can they stop them 2 more times?
2:38: Collins complete to Crumpler inside the 10. That's great. We're probably screwed.
2:48: Big offensive pass inteference call. Having said that the Bears are still basically giving away all the momentum they had.
3:30 Unbelievable! Here comes typical Rex. Throws under pressure. Booker bats it up in the air picked by Hope. Tenn now in Bear territory. Rex does it just suck being you?
I'm glad they finally came out with these PC commercials firing back against the Macs. It's great because they completely overrate Macs. PC's destroy them!
3:53: Overall another solid defensive series. The Bears look like the better team without question so far!
4:30: Tenn's running game has been completely ineffective. This is gonna mean a lotta trouble for them. They have to run the ball to be successful.
5:40 Collins completes his 1st big pass. That is what he'll have to do the way the Bears run d is playing. Another timeout? Unbelievable! I've seen too many commercials already.
6:26 Beard d bottles up the headed rushing attack back to back! The Titans aren't used to this!
7:00 Chris Johnson goes nowhere on 1st down. This Bears d looks like they came to battle today!
I love how watching this Bud Light commercial that people drink beer cuz it won't fill you up. Or because of the amount of calories. I could bet money that not one person in the world is concerned about either of those things when drinking beer. Why even make beer commercials saying stuff like that? I mean seriously!
Only the 2nd team to get a td in the 1st quarter against Tenn this year. Didn't work out well for Indy the other team. But I think it's a terrific sign.
7:06: TD DA BEARS!! Rex finds Forte. Very impressive opening drive. By both Rex and Forte. Rex 6 of 9 for 51 yds and the td on that drive. Forte 3 carries for 19 yds and the 5 yd td catch. Couldn't have asked for a more perfect start. This game definiteky seems winnable.
7:11: Booker very angry. Could have been pass interference.
8:20: First down run by Forte! Love the playcalling Lovie!. It's 1st and goal now. Let's punch it in!
9:00 Damn it. Hester just short. We'll see if they rethink going for it. I'd like to see a td though rather than settle for a fg. That's not the way you're gonna beat Tennessee.
9:40 The Bears wr's are making him look good. Stumbled a couple of times but still completing his passes.
10:24 Great catch by Hester! Nice job by Rex gettin that pass off before bein hit and losing his balance. Lookin good so far Rex.
Totally forgot Jevon Kearse was back on the Titans. Random comment but whatever.
11:25: Grossman off to a solid start completing his 1st two passes. Moving to the Titan 37. Did not expect that. Injury timeout. Let's keep this goin.
13:20: Forte 9 yard run on the outside. Followed by a run for a 1st by Mckie.
14:10 Great start maybe a bit of a surprise to defer the coin toss but tremendous 3 and out start for the d. We'll see if Rex can have as good of a start.
Kickoff: Bears kicking off in a cold game 37 degrees. We'll see how the Bears d comes outta the gates.
It's about 10 or 15 minutes before kickoff and as a Bears fan, I can not be more worried right now. Not just about today but the rest of the season. Who knows for how long Kyle Orton will be out. Relying on one of the most inaccurate inconsistent quarterbacks in Rex is probably not gonna bode well. And to add on to that they have to be facing arguably the toughest d in the league. I don't see Rex being the man to lead the Bears to victory and being the first team to knock off the Titans. But if they want to have a shot Matt Forte will need to step it up and take a lotta pressure off the passing game. The Bears d has struggled the last two games, but it's pretty simple for them. You need to shut down the run. Kerry Collins maybe attempts like 12 to 15 passes a game from what it seems like. Force him to be the one to beat you. I don't know if he can do it. Bottomline, the Titans are a solid team but are not as good as their record and are beatable. But Rex you cannot screw this one up. Run the ball, look at how your opponent succeeds and go off of that. We're coming up on kickoff. Good luck Chicago becuase with Grossman you're gonna need it.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
National League Awards
As I said yesterday I'm not sure whether the rookie of the year has been decided already or not. They may have already given it to Geovany Soto. But if they haven't then Soto is still easily the pick as he was a huge part of the Cubs regular season success. They finally have someone solid behind the plate that they will have for a long time. Unlike the American League, the NL in my mind is almost impossible to decide. So that's why I'm saying who I think should get it, not actually predicting it.
NL Manager of the Year: Lou Pinella
I realize that this seems ridiculous considering some of the poor decisions he's made especially in the playoffs. But this is a regular season award. I also realize the Cubs were expected to win the Central. But they exceeded expectations with 97 wins finishing with the best record in the National League. And bottomline there really aren't any other good choices. Joe Torre could be considered but they only won 84 games and it was more due to Manny. Until the last month of the season I would have picked Tony LaRussa considering the Cardinals up until then completely exceeded expectations. But finishing 4th in your division will not get him that award.
NL Cy Young: C.C. Sabathia
These next two awards I realize what I'm picking is very unlikely since they have not been in the NL the whole season. And normally because of that I wouldn't think they would deserve to win any awards. But in a season where there is absolutely no clear cut Cy Young and MVP candidates, that's the reason I'm going this route. It can't be denied that Sabathia was the reason Milwaukee made their first playoff appearance in 26 years. He went 11-2 with a 1.65 era with 7 complete games. That type of effort is remarkable for only being in the NL for less than half the season. Impact on the team is the most important thing in my mind and that's why I think Sabathia should get it. Dempster would also be a solid choice as his move from closer to starter turned things around for the Cubs rotation. Lincecum and Webb were also great but didn't have the same impact.
NL MVP:Manny Ramirez
This is the same situation. Anytime there seemed like there would be a clear cut choice they began to struggle. For the longest time I thought Utley could get it, than his play dropped off. I even considered Ryan Braun until his horrible September. Bottomline is no one earned it and Manny was only in the NL for two months. But look at how big his impact was. He batted .396 with 17 hrs. He single-handedly got the Dodgers into the playoffs, then unfortunately for the Cubs into the NLCS. The man who in reality will probably get it is Albert Pujols. But I disagree with that. With his team finishing 4th in the Central, they weren't successful enough. That plus he had help this time with the likes of Ryan Ludwick. I think Ludwick is almost as viable a candidate as Pujols. He was just as big a part as the Cardinals surprising season. As I said this will probably be the only time I ever pick one player that hasn't been in their league for the whole year to win an award, let alone 2. But there aren't any clear cut choices. And Manny and Sabathia had the biggest impacts on their teams even in such a short amount of time.
NL Manager of the Year: Lou Pinella
I realize that this seems ridiculous considering some of the poor decisions he's made especially in the playoffs. But this is a regular season award. I also realize the Cubs were expected to win the Central. But they exceeded expectations with 97 wins finishing with the best record in the National League. And bottomline there really aren't any other good choices. Joe Torre could be considered but they only won 84 games and it was more due to Manny. Until the last month of the season I would have picked Tony LaRussa considering the Cardinals up until then completely exceeded expectations. But finishing 4th in your division will not get him that award.
NL Cy Young: C.C. Sabathia
These next two awards I realize what I'm picking is very unlikely since they have not been in the NL the whole season. And normally because of that I wouldn't think they would deserve to win any awards. But in a season where there is absolutely no clear cut Cy Young and MVP candidates, that's the reason I'm going this route. It can't be denied that Sabathia was the reason Milwaukee made their first playoff appearance in 26 years. He went 11-2 with a 1.65 era with 7 complete games. That type of effort is remarkable for only being in the NL for less than half the season. Impact on the team is the most important thing in my mind and that's why I think Sabathia should get it. Dempster would also be a solid choice as his move from closer to starter turned things around for the Cubs rotation. Lincecum and Webb were also great but didn't have the same impact.
NL MVP:Manny Ramirez
This is the same situation. Anytime there seemed like there would be a clear cut choice they began to struggle. For the longest time I thought Utley could get it, than his play dropped off. I even considered Ryan Braun until his horrible September. Bottomline is no one earned it and Manny was only in the NL for two months. But look at how big his impact was. He batted .396 with 17 hrs. He single-handedly got the Dodgers into the playoffs, then unfortunately for the Cubs into the NLCS. The man who in reality will probably get it is Albert Pujols. But I disagree with that. With his team finishing 4th in the Central, they weren't successful enough. That plus he had help this time with the likes of Ryan Ludwick. I think Ludwick is almost as viable a candidate as Pujols. He was just as big a part as the Cardinals surprising season. As I said this will probably be the only time I ever pick one player that hasn't been in their league for the whole year to win an award, let alone 2. But there aren't any clear cut choices. And Manny and Sabathia had the biggest impacts on their teams even in such a short amount of time.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
American League Awards
Normally I would be saying that I'm gonna predict the awards for the American and National League thinking I could get most of the awards as accurate as possible. But this year is one of the most difficult as there are really only a few very obvious choices. So I'm aware that I could be way off. So that's why I'm sayin who I think should win and not who I actually think will win necessarily. I'll do the AL today and the NL tomorrow. Also, I'm pretty sure the Rookie of the Years have already been picked. Evan Longoria in the AL. If not, he is who should win because he was one of the main catalysts in one of the biggest turnarounds in baseball. But again I believe this was already picked.
AL Manager of the Year:Joe Maddon.
This is one of the few obvious ones as the Rays have never been anywhere close to first place. In addition they had to go against the likes of the Red Sox and Yankees. This was an extremly well balanced young team that has been built. And while we saw at some point in the playoffs some questionable use of the bp by Maddon, he without question did the best job. He is without a doubt AL Manager of the Year.
AL Cy Young: Cliff Lee
Lee had the best season of any pithcer in baseball. And all this after having to pitch in the minors last season due to an awful start and injury. He went 22-3 with a 2.54 era. In addition he did this with an Indians team that up until the last month looked awful. He for a long time has almost a third of Cleveland's victories. The only other pitcher that could have an argument is K-Rod who had a record 62 saves this year. He was probably the reason the Angels won 100 games this year as they were involved in a lot of 1 run games this year. Having said that I really only feel a closer should win the Cy Young if there is not a starter that had a great year. That's not the case with Lee so I think he should get it.
Al MVP: Dustin Pedroia
This was the most difficult of the AL to pick. But Pedroia was a huge reason that Boston could get away with trading Manny. He batted .326 which was second in the AL but he was definitely the best hitter in the AL this season. He also scored 118 runs and was a major presence on base. Boston would not have been as successful if it wasn't for Pedroia.
AL Manager of the Year:Joe Maddon.
This is one of the few obvious ones as the Rays have never been anywhere close to first place. In addition they had to go against the likes of the Red Sox and Yankees. This was an extremly well balanced young team that has been built. And while we saw at some point in the playoffs some questionable use of the bp by Maddon, he without question did the best job. He is without a doubt AL Manager of the Year.
AL Cy Young: Cliff Lee
Lee had the best season of any pithcer in baseball. And all this after having to pitch in the minors last season due to an awful start and injury. He went 22-3 with a 2.54 era. In addition he did this with an Indians team that up until the last month looked awful. He for a long time has almost a third of Cleveland's victories. The only other pitcher that could have an argument is K-Rod who had a record 62 saves this year. He was probably the reason the Angels won 100 games this year as they were involved in a lot of 1 run games this year. Having said that I really only feel a closer should win the Cy Young if there is not a starter that had a great year. That's not the case with Lee so I think he should get it.
Al MVP: Dustin Pedroia
This was the most difficult of the AL to pick. But Pedroia was a huge reason that Boston could get away with trading Manny. He batted .326 which was second in the AL but he was definitely the best hitter in the AL this season. He also scored 118 runs and was a major presence on base. Boston would not have been as successful if it wasn't for Pedroia.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Very dissapointing playoffs
Obviously the main reason I hated this year's playoffs was due to the extremely pathetic showing displayed by the Cubs. I knew that no matter what it would never be a guarantee that they would win the World Series. But after winning 97 games and looking like arguably the best team in baseball for the whole season, I would have thought at least getting out of the Division Series would be a certainty. But it seems the only certainty with the Cubs is that they will come out with a lackluster effort in the biggest games. That pretty much killed it for me.
Having said that the Rays were a great story and I would have loved to see them win it all. But a matchup of Rays v. Phillies was pretty much guaranteed to have the lowest ratings in World Series history. The only chance this series had of being interesting was for the Rays to win in a close series. And going into it they looked to be pretty evenly matched. But of course the Phillies who may have been one of the most uninteresting teams to watch in the playoffs dominated the series.
This pretty much reminded me of another awful World Series 2 years ago when St. Louis beat Det in 5. Detroit was the hot team and the great story and the Cardinals were the uninteresting 83 win team. Yet they dominated in 5 much like in this series. I don't know which series was more dissapointing but this one unfortuantely had to wait 2 days to finish the final 3 innings due to the weather. That just made things worse and just annoyed me even more.
It's been a long time since there has been a good World Series. The last one was the Angels winning in 02. Ever since then there has been just no good matchups in the World Series. And this was no exception.
Bottomline if you're not living in Philly I don't think anybody enjoyed the outcome of the 08 playoffs. If I went by the Cubs motto, I would be sayin there's always next year. But I can't be that positive about it anymore. Not after this year.
Having said that the Rays were a great story and I would have loved to see them win it all. But a matchup of Rays v. Phillies was pretty much guaranteed to have the lowest ratings in World Series history. The only chance this series had of being interesting was for the Rays to win in a close series. And going into it they looked to be pretty evenly matched. But of course the Phillies who may have been one of the most uninteresting teams to watch in the playoffs dominated the series.
This pretty much reminded me of another awful World Series 2 years ago when St. Louis beat Det in 5. Detroit was the hot team and the great story and the Cardinals were the uninteresting 83 win team. Yet they dominated in 5 much like in this series. I don't know which series was more dissapointing but this one unfortuantely had to wait 2 days to finish the final 3 innings due to the weather. That just made things worse and just annoyed me even more.
It's been a long time since there has been a good World Series. The last one was the Angels winning in 02. Ever since then there has been just no good matchups in the World Series. And this was no exception.
Bottomline if you're not living in Philly I don't think anybody enjoyed the outcome of the 08 playoffs. If I went by the Cubs motto, I would be sayin there's always next year. But I can't be that positive about it anymore. Not after this year.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)