The Walk Ons

It's Opening Day!!

2011-04-01T16:56:00.000-07:00

That's right, baseball is back!! And my team, the Atlanta Braves pulled out a win in the first game of the season. They defeated the Washington Nationals 2-0. Hopefully this season starts end better than last season. More to come...

I'm back!!!!

2010-05-02T18:11:00.000-07:00

So, ummm, yeah. I think it has been too long since I posted something to this blog. This will be my first post in over a year. So, sports, hmmm, what has been going on in the sports world in my absence. A lot. But let's not rehash the past, let us focus on the future.

The Atlanta Braves have finally put together a nice winning streak and got their first series sweep of the season. The Bravos swept the Houston Astros in a 3 games series which is a good way to start making up the 9 game losing streak they had been on.

The Oakland Raiders had one hell of a draft day. I guess someone told Al Davis it was 2010 and not 1970. They capped off the draft with a fantastic trade for Jason Campbell from the Washington Redskins for a 4th round pick in 2012. Nice, although I would have thought Campbell would be worth more than a 4th pick but anyway. Now if they will just release Jamarcus Russell, all will be right with the world.

Just a start to my blogging again, I promise. More to come.

A$omugha intercepts the cash!!

2009-02-19T17:04:00.000-08:00

From Jerry McDonald at The Contra Costa Times

"The Raiders confirmed the signing of Pro Bowl cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha to a three-year contract Thursday in advance of the deadline for naming franchise free agents.
The monetary figures in the deal, according to both the NFL Network and CNN-Sports Illustrated, are staggering. Both outlets reported Asomugha would get $28.5 million guaranteed over two years, with the Raiders having the option in the third year to pay either $16.8 million or the franchise free agent figure for NFL quarterbacks.
In all, Asomugha could reportedly bank $50 million over the three years, and then be a free agent again at age 31 — still conceivably in his prime.
With the announcement of the signing of Shane Lechler Wednesday, the Raiders now have secured both of their Pro Bowl players without having to use the franchise tag on either one.
Asomugha, who throughout his entire sports career dating back to high school has played on only one winning team (at Cal), was critical of the Raiders direction during the season and said during Pro Bowl week he was resigned to being franchised again.
Last year's top free-agent cornerback, Asante Samuel, received $20 million guaranteed.
The Indianapolis Colts up the ante for the position Wednesday when they signed Leo Hayden to a five-year contract with $23 million guaranteed."

Little PS here, sorry I have not been blogging much lately. Coporate takeover at my job and things have been a little crazy, but I promise to blog more in the future.

A-Roid: Just Another Reason to Hate the Now Tainted Future? Hall of Famer

2009-02-09T15:35:00.000-08:00

Jose Canseco is right again. A-Fraud, A-Fraud!!! Now another (now former) future Hall of Famer is adding to the current Major League Baseball dead skunk funk that is worse than the paper mill musk left by the '94 strike season. Then fans were just validated. Baseball is a business first and its players are greedy. Big surprise. Now, baseball is going down the port-a-potty shitter. Fans have no clue who is legit and who isn't, and the uncles you haven't seen in 10 years are adding their digested BBQ to the pile.

There are some future Hall of Famers who I would never suspect of taking the ole ass injection in a million years, but who knows? The following are Hall of Fame guys I would be shocked to see on the tainted list, even in our current climate.

1. Ken Griffey Jr.
2. John Smoltz
3. Greg Maddux
4. Tom Glavine
5. Randy Johnson
6. Pedro Martinez
7. Albert Pujols

Agree or disagree? Can you think of anybody else?

I Hate The "Stealers"!!

2009-02-01T19:14:00.003-08:00

This Superbowl was not as bad as Superbowl 40 but I still think the "Stealers" paid the refs a little bit. Oh well, as of tomorrow, my Oakland Raiders are undefeated.

Super Bowl Pick

2009-01-31T10:28:00.000-08:00

I'm doing it.

Cardinals 24
Steelers 17

Ok, so who ya got!!

2009-01-21T08:03:00.000-08:00

So who is your choice for Super Bowl Champions? I am pulling for the Cardinals and think they have a good chance to win, if the refs don't give the "Stealers" the game this year like they did in Super Bowl XL. So here is my choice.

Super Bowl XLIII

Arizona Cardinals 34 Pittsburgh Steelers 24

Super Bowl MVP: Larry Fitzgerald

Championship Game Recap

2009-01-19T18:25:00.000-08:00

Okay, so a Super Bowl of the Pittsburgh Cardinals vs the Arizona Cardinals. The Steelers are obviously the favorites, but should they be? The Cardinals are on a roll, and I predict the Super Bowl will come down to the performance of the Arizona Offensive Line versus the Steelers Pass Rush.

So, questions I have from the game:

1) What does making a "catch" entail in the NFL?

In baseball, you need to secure the ball and keep it secure if you run into a wall or another player or fall. So if an outfielder lunges to catch a fly ball, takes two steps after the ball goes into his glove, falls to the ground, rolls over, and drops the ball in the process, it's not a catch. For it to be a catch, the release of the ball has to be "voluntary and intentional".

In the Steelers-Ravens game Sunday night, Santonio Holmes made a reception, took steps while being tackled, and when he extended the ball towards the goal line while going down, he lost control of the ball. It was ruled incomplete. In my mind, I separated the two actions. Holmes caught the ball, was contacted by a defender, had two feet down, was disengaged from the defender (completely), and then, in a later action of his own volition, pushes off with a leg and lunges, extending the arm he had the ball secured in, and lost possesion. According to Mike Periera (Head of NFL Officiating), he still hadn't completed the "catch".

If Holmes were an outfielder, the batter would have been safe. But should the same standard apply? I'll try to find video to illustrate my point.

2) Helmet-to-helmet hits?

Steelers S Ryan Clark was not flagged for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Ravens RB Willis McGahee, a hit that put McGahee into the hopsital. It was argued that he was trying to lead with the shoulder, but I think it doesn't matter. One of the truisms of refereeing is that you don't consider intent. Their helmets hit, which is Clark's fault for taking the risk of that when he went for the vicious highlight-worthy "kill shot", but even if he didn't intend to, the contact still occurred. Throw the flag. He doesn't deserve a fine, since it was a fluke combination of leading with the shoulder and McGahee bracing himself by lowering his head, but it deserved to be flagged.

Matt Snyder of AOL Fanhouse disagrees with me. Thoughts?

3) Is it possible to cover Larry Fitzgerald by less than four defenders?

NFL Playoff Picks

2009-01-16T10:23:00.000-08:00

Ok, so here are my playoff picks for the AFC and NFC Championship games this weekend. Right now my record for the NFL playoffs stands at 3-5. So lets see how bad I can get them this weekend.

NFC Championship Game Sunday @ 3:00 PM

Arizona 24 Philadelphia 20

AFC Championship Game Sunday @ 6:30 PM

Baltimore 17 Steelers 10

I know that I have chosen both of the underdogs for these games but I think destiny may be on Arizona's side this year. And I have picked them to lose twice and they have won both times. The Ravens-Stealers (I know I spelled it wrong) game is going to be all about defense and it could go either way, but I hate the Stealers and I don't want to see them and that smiling bitch, Hines Ward in the Super Bowl again.

A-Rod Has Nothing on Rice and Rickey

2009-01-14T08:38:00.000-08:00

Jim Rice and Rickey Henderson appeared on Letterman last night to do the Top 10 list. Things got pretty funny when both men jokingly claimed to have slept with Madonna. Somewhere, a lone tear falls down Guy Ritchie's cheek, and Vanilla Ice reflects on the "Sex" book and the good ole days.

Braves sign Derek Lowe

2009-01-13T10:16:00.000-08:00

According to baseball sources, ESPN has announced that the Atlanta Braves and P Derek Lowe have agreed on a 4 yr/ $60 millon contract, pending a physical. This comes on the heels of Atlanta signing Japanese All-Star Kenshin Kawakami to a 3 yr. contract. Lowe and Kawakami join Javier Vasquez and Jair Jurrjens in the Braves' new look rotation.

Waiter, Take Back The Steamed Rice

2009-01-12T11:21:00.001-08:00

After 15 years, Hall of Fame voters finally decided to send Jim Rice to Cooperstown in his final year on the ballot. He received 76. 4 percent of the vote while Hall of Fame shoo-in Rickey Henderson received 94.8 percent on his first ballot.

It is perplexing that voters would ultimately decide to enshrine Rice on his 15th try. Why now and not before? What changed voters minds? The answer is three fold. First, fans and voters must consider the era a player plays in. Rice's numbers are not staggering based on our criteria for today, but, in his day, he was one of the elite power hitters. Second, Rice should thank the steroid bums because their embellished numbers make his real but less daunting numbers look even better. Third, Rice should bow before former Red Sox public relations director Dick Bresciani because he made it his mission to convince the local New England media to vote him in after many probably shunned Rice on their ballot because of his "ill" treatment of the local media during his career.

Looking over Rice's numbers I'm still not sure whether or not he belongs in Cooperstown. Honestly, the case could be made either way. These articles help illustrate the pros and cons, but, ultimately, Rice was an elite of the elite type of player for maybe five years, definitely not his entire career.

Therefore, voters have a problem. There is no Hall for the not quite elite but still better than most type of players. The line has to be drawn somewhere. I only ask that it is drawn straight. If you believe that the Hall should be home only to the elite of the elite then only a handful of players deserve to be there, such as players the caliber of Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, and Ted Williams. That's fine and if you vote this way it is understandable why you would leave Rice out.

But it is wrong for voters who are not so elitist to vote in players like Jim Rice and then leave out the likes of Andre Dawson and other similar not elite but better than the rest type of players. If voters drew a check next to Rice's name then those same voters should do the same for players like Dawson, Tim Raines, Dale Murphy, Bert Blyleven, and Jack Morris.

These players may eventually have their day, but for now congratulations Jim Rice and Rickey Henderson.

Rickey Being Rickey

2009-01-12T06:57:00.000-08:00

While we wait for the Hall of Fame's newest inductees to be announced, enjoy 25 hilarious Rickeyisms from Major League Baseball's all-time best lead-off hitter, and obvious first ballot Hall of Famer, Rickey Henderson.

1) Rickey… on referring to himself in the third person:

“Listen, people are always saying, ‘Rickey says Rickey.’ But it’s been blown way out of proportion. People might catch me, when they know I’m ticked off, saying, ‘Rickey, what the heck are you doing, Rickey?’ They say, ‘Darn, Rickey, what are you saying Rickey for? Why don’t you just say, ‘I?’ But I never did. I always said, ‘Rickey,’ and it became something for people to joke about.”

2) In the early 1980s, the Oakland A’s accounting department was freaking out. The books were off $1 million. After an investigation, it was determined Rickey was the reason why. The GM asked him about a $1 million bonus he had received and Rickey said instead of cashing it, he framed it and hung it on a wall at his house.

3) In 1996, Henderson’s first season with San Diego, he boarded the team bus and was looking for a seat. Steve Finley said, “You have tenure, sit wherever you want.” Henderson looked at Finley and said, “Ten years? Ricky’s been playing at least 16, 17 years.”

4) This one might be my second favorite. This wasn’t too long ago, I think it was the year he ended up playing with the Red Sox. Anyway, he called San Diego GM Kevin Towers and left the following message: “This is Rickey calling on behalf of Rickey. Rickey wants to play baseball.”

5) This one happened in Seattle. Rickey struck out and as the next batter was walking past him, he heard Henderson say, “Don’t worry, Rickey, you’re still the
best.”

6) Rickey once asked a teammate how long it would take him to drive to the Dominican Republic.

7) Moments after breaking Lou Brock’s stolen base record, Henderson told the crowd, with Brock mere feet next to him, “Lou Brock was a great base stealer, but today, I am the greatest of all-time.”

8) Henderson once fell asleep on an ice pack and got frostbite, which forced him to miss three games, in mid-August.

9) A reporter asked Henderson if Ken Caminiti’s estimate that 50 percent of Major League players were taking steroids was accurate. His response was, “Well, Rickey’s not one of them, so that’s 49 percent right there.”

10) Henderson broke Ty Cobb’s career record for runs scored with a home run. After taking his usual 45 seconds or so around the bases, Rickey slid into home plate.

11) On being Nolan Ryan’s 5,000th career strikeout: “It gave me no chance. He (Ryan) just blew it by me. But it’s an honor. I’ll have another paragraph in all the baseball books. I’m already in the books three or four times.”

12) San Diego GM Kevin Towers was trying to contact Rickey at a nearby hotel. He knew Henderson always used fake names to avoid the press, fans, etc. He was
trying to think like Rickey and after several attempts; he was able to get Henderson on the phone.
Rickey had checked in under Richard Pryor.

13) I didn’t believe this one at first. However, I emailed a few contacts within the Sox organization and they claim it actually happened. This is priceless, it really is.

The morning after the Sox finished off the sweep against St. Louis last October, Henderson called someone in the organization looking for tickets to Game 6 at Fenway Park.

14) The Mets were staying in a hotel less than a mile from Cinergy Field in Cincinnati. While some players walked, most took the team bus. A few minutes after
they arrived (again it was less than a mile) the last players off the bus noticed a stretched limo that had just pulled up.

Of course, Rickey emerged from the back seat.

15) A reporter once asked Rickey if he talked to himself, “Do I talk to myself? No, I just remind myself of what I’m trying to do. You know, I never answer myself so how can I be talking to myself?”

16) The story went that a few weeks into Henderson’s stint with the Mariners, he walked up to John Olerud at the batting cage and asked him why he wore a batting helmet in the field. Olerud explained that he had an aneurysm at nine years old and he wore the helmet for protection. Legend goes that Henderson said, “Yeah, I used to play with a guy that had the same thing.”

Olerud said, “That was me, Rickey.”

Henderson played with Olerud on the Blue Jays and the Mets.

By the way, according to numerous sports reporters, this story isn't really true. What makes it so funny is that it sounds like something Rickey would say.

17) Rickey was asked if he had the Garth Brooks album with Friends in Low Places and Henderson said, “Rickey doesn’t have albums. Rickey has CDs.”

18) During a contract holdout with Oakland in the early 1990s, Henderson said, “If they want to pay me like Mike Gallego, I’ll play like Gallego.”

19) In the late 1980s, the Yankees sent Henderson a six-figure bonus check. After a few months passed, an internal audit revealed the check had not been cashed.
Current Yankees GM Brian Cashman, then a low-level nobody with the organization, called Rickey and asked if there was a problem with the check. Henderson said,
“I’m just waiting for the money market rates to go up.”

20) In June 1999, when Henderson was playing with the Mets, he saw reporters running around the clubhouse before a game. He asked a teammate what was going on and he was told that Tom Robson, the team’s hitting coach, had just been fired. Henderson said, “Who’s he?”

21) Rickey was pulled over by a San Diego police officer for speeding. As the officer was approaching Rickey’s car, the window went down a few inches and a
folded $100 bill emerged. The officer let Rickey and his money head home without a ticket.

22) When he was on the Yankees in the mid-1980s, Henderson told teammates that his condo had such a great view that he could see, “The Entire State Building.”

23) During one of his stays with Oakland, Henderson’s locker was next to Billy Beane’s. After making the team out of spring training, Beane was sent to the minors after a few months. Upon his return, about six weeks later, Henderson looked at Beane and said, “Hey, man, where have you been? Haven’t seen you in awhile.”

24) To this day and dating back 25 years, before every game he plays, Henderson stands completely naked in front of a full length locker room mirror and says,
“Ricky’s the best,” for several minutes.

25) In the last week of his lone season with the Red Sox, Chairman Tom Werner asked Henderson what he would like for his ‘going-away’ gift. Henderson said he wasn’t going anywhere, but he would like owner John Henry’s Mercedes. Werner said it would be tough to get the same make and model in less than a week and Henderson said, “No, I want his car.” Turns out the Sox got Henderson a Red Thunderbird and when he saw it
on the field before the last game of the season, Rickey said, “Whose ugly car is on the field?”

25 Rickeyisms taken from http://jonrascon.blogspot.com/2008/05/25-rickey-henderson-stories.html

Damn, now I need another reason to watch the Australian Open!!

2009-01-11T07:12:00.000-08:00

Maria Sharapova has pulled out of the Australian Open due to a slower than expected recovery from a shoulder injury. Damn, she was the #1 reason to watch the Australian Open. Damn she is beautiful. What was the #2 reason you ask, because I love tennis. Wait I just found another reason to watch, Ana Ivanovic.

Seriously, I am just kidding, both of these women are beautiful, but I watch tennis because I love the sport and out of all the sports I love, it is the only one I am any good at, the beautiful women are just a bonus.

I agree, Utah is the National Champion, screw Florida.

2009-01-11T07:03:00.001-08:00

I totally agree with Rick Reilly and think that you will too after you read this article.

No question, Utah is the National Champion

Please leave a comment and let me know what you think.

See, I told you my picks sucked.

2009-01-11T06:57:00.000-08:00

Both picks I made yesterday were wrong, so why do I keep trying? I have no clue.
So, now my picks for today's games

NFC Divisional Game @ 1:00 PM

Philidelipha 21 New York 20

AFC Divisional Game @ 4:45 PM

Pittsburgh 24 San Diego 17

Now if San Diego and New York win, then I know what my problem is, every team I pick to win losses.

Divisional Playoff Picks

2009-01-10T10:35:00.000-08:00

Pick for the NFL playoff games on Saturday. And again, my picks sucks, so sorry!

AFC Divisional Playoff Saturday @ 4:30 PM.

Tennessee 16 Balitmore 12

NFC Divisional Playoff Saturday @ 8:15 PM

Carolina 34 Arizona 21

Picks for tomorrow's games later.

Do we need a salary cap in baseball?

2009-01-09T21:53:00.000-08:00

This offseason, the New York Yankees signed the consensus top two free agents to record-breaking contracts. SP C.C. Sabathia got a seven-year, $161M contract, the highest ever for a pitcher. 1B Mark Teixeira inked an eight-year, $180M contract, giving the Yankees the four highest single-player payrolls in Major League Baseball (Sabathia, Teixeira, 3B Alex Rodriguez - 10yrs, $275M, SS Derek Jeter - 10yrs, $189M). They also signed SP AJ Burnett to a five-year, $82.5M deal, which would be tops on most teams but barely in the top five on the Yankees' ledgers. All told, over $423.5M in salary has been committed in salary over the past month, by far a record in professional sports. What the Yankees want, they buy.

But is it enough for a salary cap? Yes, the Yankees did have an impressive run in the later 1990's, winning the World Series in 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2000. They made the playoffs eleven straight years, and lost two World Series and several ALCS. They had one of the best teams in MLB history (the 1998 Yankees went a record 114-28 and swept the Padres in the World Series) and became only the 4th team to win three straight World Series titles (joining two other Yankees teams and the 72-74 Oakland A's).

However, consider this. Only twice in the last thirty years has a team won the World Series with a payroll over $100M: The 2004 and 2007 Red Sox. In those 30 years, 20 different teams have won World Series titles. In those same 30 years, 14 different teams have won the Super Bowl, 13 have won the Stanley Cup and nine have won the NBA championship. Yeah, having such a financial disparity between teams makes it easier to buy the players needed to reach the postseason. However, a top-tier payroll does not result in teams consistently winning championships. Despite how it seems, has had more parity than any other major sport in the last 30 years, if you define parity by how many unique teams have won a championship.

You decide. But don't just tell me you want one; that's obvious. Implement it. How much should the cap be? Hard cap or soft cap? Salary cap floor? Let's hear those ideas.

Loyalty in Sports?

2009-01-09T21:13:00.001-08:00

I've been following the news the last few days, and I've seen a lot of public outcry (Here's looking at you, Steve) about iconic players leaving the team they've been associated with their entire career. Brett Favre, after 17 years, asked for a trade from the Green Bay Packers to the New York Jets. Just this week, John Smoltz ended his 21-year Braves tenure for the Boston Red Sox. They left for different reasons, but both have received criticism from the fans and hometown media.

But do we have a reason to be angry?

If we like it or not, professional sports is a business. Yes, most players play because they love the game, but you're kidding yourself is you think money is not a factor, if not THE factor, that drives the sport. In the NBA, salary cap space is traded (through expiring, expensive player contracts). Baseball is divided into the "Have-Nots", "Haves", and the New York Yankees, all by amount of money to sign free agents.

Should John Smoltz be hated by the Atlanta Braves fanbase, just because he thought he was worth more than the Braves were willing to offer? I mean, there's not much difference between a $5.5M base salary and $5M in incentives (Red Sox) and a $2M base salary and $8M in incentives (Braves), except what it takes to reach those incentives.

(For the record, the Red Sox incentives were tied to being healthy and on the active roster, and the Braves incentives were "all or nothing" innings pitched/starts made and season awards such as "Comeback Player of the Year" or the Cy Young. Smoltz claims the Red Sox incentives are "more attainable"; the Braves feel that their package is attainable through a healthy, competitive season. What more can you ask from a 41-year-old man?)

I think it's time fans learn to separate the players from the team. In the "olden days", it would have been common to see the players spend their entire careers with one franchise. But those days are over. Finished. Get over it.

Yeah, as a Braves fan, it hurts losing Smoltz. I'm 24. Since I was 3, All I've known is God's gift to baseball John Smoltz going out there every five days to preach to his congregation of Braves fans across the Southeast, with the mound as his pulpit and the fastball as his word. Now he's trading in a Tomahawk for some "Hanging Sox". The world needs less violence anyways.

But you know what? He's not evil for it. He's prideful. He thinks he can still do it, and so do the Red Sox. Don't fault the man for that.

Good luck, John. Thanks for all you've done.

Just like in football, Jackets erase halftime deficit to top Dogs

2009-01-08T13:21:00.000-08:00

I am still too pissed about Smoltz to write too much about this but the Jackets beat the Bulldogs in basketball Tuesday night in Atlanta. I don't follow basketball but anytime the Jackets beat the Bulldogs, it is blogworthy.

The Jackets came back from a 13-point second-half deficit to beat their archrivals 67-62 at Alexander Memorial Coliseum on Tuesday. The Jackets improve to 9-5 on the season.

Update on Smotlz and the Red Sox

2009-01-08T12:55:00.000-08:00

This from ESPN talking about the differences in the contracts the Braves offered and the Red Sox offered.

"I read today in something that his agent said the other set of incentives [from the Red Sox] were 'more attainable,'" McGuirk said, according to the report. "If John Smoltz pitches like John Smoltz pitches, I think [what we offered] is attainable. If he's not healthy, it's not going to happen."

Smoltz responded to that, with a statement released through his agent, Lonnie Cooper. "I was going to withhold comment until the announcement of my signing with a new team," Smoltz said, "but I now feel the need to clear up any misconceptions and inaccuracies about the contract negotiations between myself and the Atlanta Braves.

"There were large discrepancies between the offer from the Braves and offers from other teams.

"I have always loved the city of Atlanta, and it will always be my home. I will cherish my 21 years with Bobby Cox and all my Braves teammates. I continue to wish the Atlanta Braves nothing but success in the future."

Nice, so Smoltz openingly admits that the reason he is leaving is because of money. Nice loyatly, John, glad to see that you stand for something besides money.

This actually hurts me as a Braves fan. I remember watching on October 5, 1991 as Smoltz helped clinched the divison title and lepted into the arms of Greg Olsen to celebrate the win. I remember watching last year on April 22 as he recorded his 3000strikeout. Alot of my Braves memories include John Smoltz, so yeah this really does hurt. And again, I lay alot of the blame on the Braves and think that they could have and should have shelled out a little more money to keep him, but most of the blame falls on Smoltz. To me, his history as a Brave is now tarnashied and I can never look at his the same way again. Now, he is just a greedy, disloyal ballplayer. Thanks Smoltzy!!

I don't know what to say...

2009-01-08T09:40:00.000-08:00

Why the hell would John Smoltz leave the Braves? Just a few years ago he said that he wanted to retire a Brave and now this, wtf!?!?! And over money!?!?! I know that the Braves have not done all they can to keep him but come on Smoltz, be a man and take less money to help the team, your career is almost over anyway. Do you really need the money that bad? I doubt you will even pitch in 10 games this year and if so your ERA will probably be sky-high. I know that a lot of the talk on the internet is blaming the Braves for this and yes, I will lay most of the blame on them but Smoltz deserves some of it too. What happened to team loyalty? I know, I know, it is a business and there is no loyalty in business, but you take someone that has been with the same team his entire 21 year career and you think that he may know the meaning of the word but I guess not. I hope something changes and the Braves can resign him but if not, see ya Smoltzy and we will be happy to resign you to an honorary contract to announce your retirement, next year! Hopefully the Braves can sign Derek Lowe, who they are meeting with today.

Sayonara Smoltzy

2009-01-08T08:04:00.000-08:00

ESPN is reporting the shocking news that, lifelong Braves pitcher John Smoltz is close to a deal with the Boston Red Sox.

Now "close to a deal" by no means means that Smoltz will be wearing a red "B" or the god awful "hanging sock," but according to a story by Buster Olney, the Braves were reluctant to give Smoltz $3 million, and, considering his medical reports, "seem to have made a calculated assessment that Smoltz is not going to bounce back."

The Sox are guaranteeing the legendary pitcher $5 million and offering another $5.5 million in incentives, not too shabby for a guy in the twilight in his career who looked burnt to a crisp last year.

I welcome Smoltz. Sure, nobody knows what he has left, but I'm used to the Sox loading up on starting arms in the winter in the event of pitching injuries throughout the season. So, if Smoltz pitches great, awesome. If not, well I wish it could have worked out but the front office is only out $5 million.

The Braves clearly don't see him bouncing back but Smoltz has looked great in throwing sessions, according to numerous sources. We'll see. I trust the Red Sox front office with its personnel moves, so I wouldn't expect them to throw money at a dead arm. Regardless, a pitcher the caliber of Smoltz is worth the risk, especially considering the money the Sox are willing to shell out in order to win.

Nobody should expect 20 wins, 300 strikeouts culminating with a Cy Young Award. The future hall of famer is past all of that. What Sox fans should hope for is a consistent, 10 win presence in the five spot along with the ultra competitive, winning attitude that he will bring to the clubhouse. Also, the guy is lights out in the post season and will give the Sox more flexibility to ditch someone like Clay Buckholtz for a young catcher if Varitek walks. Of course that is all contingent on his performance.

Again, we'll see. Smoltz is by no means C.C. Sabathia at this point of his career, but if it happens, the singing will be huge. Maybe I'm being overly optimistic, but I cannot wait to see never say die Smoltz prove the Braves' front office wrong. If he doesn't, we and baseball fans everywhere will stand and appluad as he walks into the sunset.

Moreno & Stafford Entering Draft

2009-01-07T11:22:00.000-08:00

The Georgia Bulldogs offense for next year may take a bigger hit than any opposing defense could level on them. Stars QB Matthew Stafford and RB Knowshon Moreno are expected to announce today that they are entering the upcoming NFL Draft. Stafford and Moreno lead the SEC in passing and rushing this year and were a big reason that UGA recieved a preseason #1 ranking. Stafford becomes the odds-on favorite to be the overall #1 pick by the Detroit Lions and Moreno is expected to be one of the first two RBs selected and the top RB if Ohio State's Beanie Wells decides to remain in school.

Radiers' rumors and a very interesting Atlanta Falcons' rumor

2009-01-06T14:52:00.000-08:00

Interesting rumors from around the net. The one about the Falcons is very interesting but I just do not see it happening.

Tom Cable stuck in Raiders limbo

Stuck in the limbo of all this is Raiders interim head coach Tom Cable and most his coaching staff. Wide-receivers coach James Lofton is the only one under contract next season. All the others, including the three coordinators, are out of a contract after Jan. 13. Cable speaks with Davis on a regular basis but has yet to be given an interview for the permanent position. His assistants were given a week off and won't return to work until Wednesday. They're all waiting to hear what Davis is going to do with them, or see if the next head coach will retain them. Davis has the final say in all such matters, but he let Lane Kiffin replace the entire offensive staff when he was hired in 2007. So, when can they expect an answer? Recent history suggests sometime after the weekend of the conference title games - in this year's case, Jan. 18. -- SF Chronicle

Raiders not moving back to LA?
Raiders CEO Amy Trask said there are "no financial constraints or issues" and that fans need not worry about the team being moved back to Los Angeles. "That's the danger of unethical reporting," Trask said. That said, the Raiders aren't raking in cash, even though last year's offseason spending spree might indicate otherwise. The Raiders are one of the lowest-revenue teams in the NFL. Forbes reported the Raiders' 2007 revenue at $205 million, better than only seven teams. The Raiders also play in one of the NFL's oldest stadiums, which doesn't help the revenue situation. The Oakland Coliseum opened in 1966. -- Sac Bee

Falcons Robiskie up for Raiders job?
Falcons wide receivers coach Terry Robiskie is the latest potential candidate making his way around league circles. Al Davis drafted Robiskie as a running back in 1977 and gave him his first coaching job in 1982. Robiskie climbed from assistant running backs coach to offensive coordinator before leaving after 12 seasons. His departure from the organization in 1994 did not necessarily go over well with Davis, which makes any return to the fold an interesting notion at best. A team official said the Raiders have not been in contact with Robiskie. -- SF Chronicle

Falcons might dump fan favorite Brooking?
A similar scenario could unfold this season with several longtime Falcons veterans and key players being let go or not re-signed. Safety Lawyer Milloy, linebacker Keith Brooking, defensive tackle Grady Jackson and linebacker Michael Boley could all be jettisoned. "There are a number of free agents," Dimitroff said. "It's going to be a busy time, mainly on the defensive side of the ball because they are up. There are going to be some well thought-out decisions there. They won't be emotionally driven." Brooking may be the toughest. He's played locally in high school and college and is a fan favorite. -- Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Raiders needs for the offseason.

2009-01-05T17:21:00.000-08:00

Offseason checklist

This according to insidebayarea.com. Updates to come.

1. Decide on Nnamdi Asomugha and Shane Lechler: Both are Pro Bowlers and prospective free agents. Are the Raiders going to commit millions to re-signing one or both of them or should they use that money on new players?

2. Find a big-play receiver: Javon Walker was a collosal failure, Drew Carter suffered a season-ending knee injury in training camp and none of the other wide receivers caught more then 22 passes. This team needs a No. 1 wide receiver in a BIG way, either by free agency, trade, or the draft.

3. Bolster the offensive line: Kwame Harris was a failure, Cornell Green's is nearing retirment. Word out of Oakland is that Raiders second-year man Mario Henderson appears to have secured the starting spot at left tackle heading into next season. After replacing the much-maligned Kwame Harris, Henderson impressed interim head coach Tom Cable in a three-game starting stint to close the campaign. Barring the drafting of a tackle in the first round or the signing of a big-name free agent, the job will be Henderson's to lose (Pro Football Weekly).

4. Assemble a coaching staff: Wide receivers coach James Lofton is the only coach under contract beyond Jan. 13. Al needs to hire a new coach or give Tom Cable the job ASAP. The Raiders need to get started on next season now!

5. Improving defense: The Raiders need to add more game-changing players to a defense that gave up too many big plays this year.

So Much For Introductions....

2009-01-05T09:13:00.000-08:00

I was planning on my first post here to be recap of Atlanta's victory over Arizona last Saturday, but since life has decided to sucker slap me again I'll resign to using an argument I had with a friend over who was the better team Sunday. Here is the lazy cut n' paste:

"First off, damn right I'm a homer! I must say that this game reminded me very much of the Denver game in week 11. In both games Atlanta's offense stagnated for long periods of time against an inferior defense and the pass defense disappeared against a robust passing attack. This victory for Arizona was much more of a matchup win than outright being better. The 30 points Arizona scored was the most Atlanta allowed all season and the only time they allowed 30 or more all year. The difference making play in this game was the fumble return to open the second half. It was a freak play that rattled an otherwise steady team. I think there were a few series of the Falcons trying to hit a big play to swing momentum back in their favor and instead they fell flat. I believe that Atlanta is still the superior team. By team I mean a group of individuals working together cohesively to achieve a common goal. The most telling information for this argument can be found in the turnover margin and win/loss records. Here is a comparison of the two teams while winning losing and tying in the turnover battle each week:

ATLANTA 11-5 overall/ -3 turnover ratio
- Turnover record- 5-8-3
- Winning turnover battle- 5-0
- losing turnover battle- 4-4
- tying turnover battle- 2-1

ARIZONA 9-7 overall/ 0 turnover ratio
- Turnover record- 7-8-1
- Winning turnover battle- 7-0
- losing turnover battle- 1-7
- tying turnover battle- 1-0

As you can see, both teams fare very well when the margin is in their favor, going a combined 12-0. the big difference shows when the margin is unfavorable or even, with ATL at 6-5 and ARZ at 2-7. Of Atlanta's 6 wins in this situation, 4 came in the final 6 games of the season with a combined 10-1 turnover margin, including 3-0 to San Diego, 3-1 to Tampa and 3-0 to St. Louis. Arizona's 2 wins in this situation were a win against Miami and the overtime win against Dallas (with a blocked punt for a score). These numbers tell me that the Cards can win when things go their way, but falter when adversity strikes. Atlanta shows resiliency and overcomes these difficulties. 6 of Arizona's losses were by a TD or more with 4 games with a 20+ point margin of defeat. Atlanta lost only 3 games by a TD or more with the largest margin of defeat being 15 points. This hints at a pattern of accepting defeat on the Cardinals part and tenacity on the Falcons behalf. This year Arizona and Atlanta each had 5 games against current playoff teams. Arizona was 1-4 and Atlanta was 3-2. Still, Atlanta lost and Arizona gets to be the sacrificial lamb in Charlotte next week instead, where home field advantage truly lives and breathes. Enjoy your day in the sun Arizona. just remember that you had to move to the desert just to become the most important Cardinals in your own town."

Ok, so don't trust my picks, they suck

2009-01-05T08:27:00.000-08:00

So I went 1-3 for my pick on the NFL's Wildcard weekend with Philly over Minnesota the only correct pick. I now know the reason I don't go to Vegas.

The Divisional Playoff game are now set

AFC Divisional Playoffs

Baltimore at Tennessee Sat Jan 10th @ 4:30
San Diego at Pittsburgh Sun Jan 11th @ 4:45

NFC Divisonal Playoffs

Arizona at Carolina Sat Jan 10th @ 8:15
Philidelipha at New York Giants Jan 11th @ 3:00

Picks to come later this week. I have decided for picks this week, whatever team I think is going to win, I will pick the other team. We will see how those picks work out.

Good thing I'm not a betting man

2009-01-04T07:19:00.000-08:00

Allright, so I am 0-2 in my NFL playoff picks.
I picked Atlanta over Arizona. Wrong!! Arizona 30 Atlanta 24
I picked Indy over San Diego. Wrong !! San Diego 23 Indy 17

Let's try again for today's playoff games.

AFC Wild Card

Miami 21 Baltimore 20

NFC Wild Card

Philadelphia 34 Minnesota 24

Saturday's NFL Wild Card Games

2009-01-03T07:13:00.000-08:00

No spreads, no breakdown, I am just going to pick who I think will win today.

NFC Wild Card

Atlanta 24 Arizona 21

AFC Wild Card

Indianapolia 34 San Diego 27

Other Wild Card game picks tomorrow.

Georgia Tech destroyed by LSU in the Chick-Fil-A bowl.

2009-01-01T10:11:00.000-08:00

What the hell?!?!? LSU slams GT 38-3. This felt like a flashback to '06, I kept expecting to see Reggie Ball at QB and Chan Gailey coaching on the sideline. Disgraceful. And Fuck LSU's head coach, Les Miles. Classless POS decided to go for it on 4 down with a fake punt while up by 35. I hate that man. I will post more later, right now I am watching the Capital One bowl and hoping Michigan State pounds the Mutts into the ground.

So long, Mike!! Those 2 Back-to-Back Super Bowl wins were nice but.....

2008-12-30T15:17:00.000-08:00

Mike Shanahan, 56, has been fired by the Denver Broncos. As a Raiders fan, I love this. I hate Shanahan, but it is a suprise to me that he was fired. He had been with the team since 1995 and had a 146-89 record with the Broncos. But I guess being the first NFL team to blow a 3 game lead with 3 games to go will get you canned. Did anyone see that "playoff" game Sunday night? It was a monumental collapse by the "Donkeys". I loved it!!

Shanahan will now be probably be courted by the other teams that have canned coaches, the Lions, the Browns, and the Jets. Just stay out of the AFC West and I will be happy.

Son Of A Bitch!!!!

2008-12-30T14:28:00.000-08:00

So I get a call from my buddy in the Army tonight. He has just gotten his hands on 6 tickets to the Chick-Fil-A (Peach) Bowl where my favorite team, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are playing the LSU Tigers tomorrow night!! He is offering 2 of them to me for free, yep, for FREE!!! I can find someone to go to the game with, no problem. The problem is, I can't get off work because Josh and the other girl that works with us have already taken the day off. So, I am stuck here tomorrow from 8:30 Am until 5:30 Pm by myself and I cannot leave. Now, I know I could leave here at 5:30Pm and head to Atlanta but it is a 3 1/2 hour drive from here so I would not get there until 9:00 Pm at the earliest. It's an idea but I probably will just watch from the comfort of my living room on the 52 inch HDTV. And yes I will make Josh's new year a living hell. You have been warned Josh, you have been warned. Go Jackets!!

Let's compare the records

2008-12-30T13:59:00.000-08:00

Nice post, Josh, but I just wanted to post some stats for you here so you will shut up about your (18-1) Patriots. These are all-time win-loss records for the playoffs for our 3 favorite teams, the Raiders, the Patriots and the Falcons. Also I included over all records for the 3 teams against each other. Now I am not trying to brag, mainly because I have nothing to brag about, especially since both the Patriots and the Falcons beat my Raiders this year. And the Raiders will be back, just wait and see. And this does not prove my team is better than yours, I just like researching stats. And neither Josh nor I can say anything this year because neither the Raiders nor the Patriots made the playoffs. But the Falcons sure did and I am a bandwagon fan now. Go Falcons!!!!!

Raiders
25 wins 18 losses (including Super Bowls)
5 Super Bowls
3 Super Bowl wins
All-time against Patriots 14 wins 14 losses 1 tie
All-time against Falcons 7 wins 5 losses

Patriots
21 wins 13 losses (including Super Bowls)
6 Super Bowls
3 Super Bowl wins
All-time against Raiders 14 wins 14 losses 1 tie
All-time against Falcons 5 wins 6 losses

Falcons
6 wins 8 losses (includes Super Bowl)
1 Super Bowl
0 Super Bowl wins
All-time against Raiders 5 wins 7 losses
All-time against Patriots 6 wins 5 losses

I Know How Raiders and Falcons Fans Feel Every Postseason Now

2008-12-29T12:09:00.000-08:00

With the Dolphins and Ravens wins Sunday, the Patriots became the first 11 win team since the '85 Broncos to miss the playoffs, but fans should agree that it was still a good season considering most figured an eight and eight record would be generous after Tommy Boy went down. The question for next season is, Who will be quarterback?

My guess right now is Brady. I think he'll find a way back despite reports that surgery/scar tissue setbacks could sit him down until the 2010 season. But that doesn't mean that the Pats front office should let Cassel walk off into the next big thing, million dollar sunset. We need a for sure guy who can run Belichick's system and Cassel proved this year that he is the guy. Sure, it'll cost a bunch of money and blah blah blah to keep him around, but the Pats have proved the last couple of years that they are willing to spend money to win.

Some out there are saying that the Patriots should trade Brady and keep Cassel, especially now that Brady's future is even more of a question mark. To these people I ask, are you out of your mind? Both quarterbacks had similar first seasons but that does not make Cassel a Brady calibur quarterback. If Brady never played another game he would be a Hall of Famer, hands down.

But I know what your thinking, that doesn't matter if Brady actually doesn't play another down. Who better than Cassell to lead the offense after the year he had? It's quite a quandary. You risk the future of the franchise either way. How much will the Pats really get for Brady in his current situation. Is it enough to warrant trading him? How do we know Cassel will be at least a Jon Kitna type serviceable quarterback and not another Derek Anderson?

Nobody really knows. My points on keeping Brady are this:

1. Having Tom Brady stats for one year doesn't make you Tom Brady. Back in '01, nobody could have expected Tom Brady to become one of the best quarterbacks of all time. It is rare for rookie quarterbacks to succeed at the pro level, let alone become top tier Hall of Famers. Simply, lightning doesn't usually strike twice.

2. Tom Brady is not Drew Bledsoe. While Bledsoe was an above average quarterback he never possessed the skill set and leadership ability of Brady. Plus, Brady can actually move a little bit while Bledsoe needed a Rascal to get around. There's no way anybody can compare Brady replacing Bledsoe to Cassel replacing Brady.

3. Cassel has the likes of Randy Moss and Wes Welker to throw to. In '01, Brady had Troy Brown, David Patten, and Terry Glenn. Enough said.

4. Most importantly, if Brady leaves so does Gisele. That fact alone should be enough to keep him around.

At least nobody is suggesting that the Pats bring Bledsoe out of retirement, although it would give the pigeons something else to shit on besides the Benjamin Franklin statue.

Raiders run all over the Bucs playoff chances

2008-12-29T07:36:00.000-08:00

The Oakland Raiders defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-24 Sunday in Tampa to close out the 2008 season. The game was highlighted with RB Michael Bush rushing for 2 TDs and 177 yards on 27 carries. Johnnie Lee Higgins made his presence know with another great game. He finished with 6 catches for 52 yards and a score and he caught a TD pass for the third straight game and he proved he can do the Carlton. My man-crush (Zach Miller) had a quite game only catching 2 passes for 34 yards. He finished the season with a team high in catches, 56 and yards, 778 but he only scored 1 TD.

With this loss, the Buccaneers were eliminated from the playoffs. Tampa Bay fell to 1-6 all-time against Oakland in the regular season. I love it, it does not make up for the loss to the Bucs in Super Bowl XXXVII but it does help. And it does give Raider Nation a little bit of satisfaction to end the 2008 season and hope heading into the 2009 season. This was the first year since the 2002 Super Bowl season that the Raiders won their season finale. The Raiders finished with a 2 game winning streak and a 5-11 record, winning the most games since 2004 when they also finished 5-11. An improvement over last year, even if it is only by a game. I predicted that they won win 6 or more games this year, so I was off by 1.

Now let’s get ready for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets upcoming beat down of the LSU Tigers in the Chick-Fil-A (Peach) Bowl at 7:30 PM on New Year’s Eve.

Oh, and on a bandwagon note, I am now on the Falcons bandwagon and pulling for them in the playoffs. The first game against the Arizona Cardinals should be a cakewalk, especially with the way the Cards have been playing lately, losing 4 out of the last 6 games. Go Falcons!!!! (This should make you happy, Lindsay, Right?)

Atlanta Falcons - Playoff Chances

2008-12-26T22:03:00.000-08:00

The Atlanta Falcons are not only going to make the playoffs (which is a miracle in itself - see previous post), but may actually be the #2 seed! The excellent statistical analysis site Football Outsiders has the Falcons with a 55.5% chance of winning the NFC South, which will happen if the Falcons beat the Rams in Week 17 and the Panthers lose to the Saints (likely, with Drew Brees gunning for Marino's passing yards record).

But getting to the playoffs is only part of the story - How are they going to do if they get there? Football Outsiders have them with a 51.7% chance of playing in the NFC Championship Game (21.3% chance of winning it), and a 9.8% chance of winning the Super Bowl, good for 5th best odds in the NFL (Titans, Giants, Steelers, and Panthers are above them in the rankings).

Now, we knew from the last post that this is a different Falcons team from last season, but are they really this much better? Let's go to the numbers, courtesy of Football Outsiders.

Note: Football Outsiders uses a proprietary system called DVOA, or Defense-Adjusted Value over Average, explained here. Essentially, DVOA measures how much better or worse a given unit (Offense, Defense, Special Teams) or personnel grouping (Defensive Line, Running Backs, etc.) is than the statistical "average" unit. Offense and Special Teams are better as the percentage goes up, and Defense is better the lower the percentage. Let's examine the percentages for the Falcons for this season as well as last, as well as any outstanding personnel groupings on either side of the ball.

Team Offense
2007: Offense DVOA = -10.7% (24/32); -6.9% passing (22) & -15.6% rushing (29)
2008: Offense DVOA = +17.6% (5/32) ; 40.6% passing (1!) & +01.5% rushing (14)

In 2008, the offensive turnaround has but one reason, and thine name is Matt Ryan. Matty Ice has a personal DVOA of 36.7% passing, which is not only tops for a rookie QB but tops in the NFL this season. Statistically, he may not lead the NFL in passing yards (Drew Brees, 4,609yds), completion percentage (Kurt Warner, 67.9%), or touchdowns (Philip Rivers, 32TDs) but he's the most successful quarterback on a per-play basis.

Also notable is off-season addition Michael Turner is second in the NFL in yardage (1491ys) and second in touchdowns (16TDs). However, his DVOA is only 2.7%, good for only 19th. The reason for the discrepancy in his conventional stats and his DVOA? A poor Success Rate (46%), and a LOT of carries (351, easily the highest in the NFL). The effect of his absurdly high number of carries is reflected in another FO stat, DYAR (Defense-Adjusted Yards Above Replacement). Here, Turner ranks 9th, with average DYAR/game of 156yds. The simple version of the two different stats? DYAR means a running back with more total value, but DVOA means a running back with more value per play. Essentially, Turner is so valuable because he carries the ball so much, not because of how successful he is with each carry. As long as he doesn't get killed by the Curse of 370, I'm okay with it. Worried, but okay.

Team Defense
2007: Defense DVOA = 14.8% (31/32); 18.8% passing (26), +4.6% rushing (28)
2008: Defense DVOA = +6.3% (17/32); 11.7% passing (17), +5.6% rushing (24)

The defense improved in 2008, but not by much. Something to note, however, is the team's variance (the consistency of the team's defensive performance). Atlanta had a variance of 11.2% this year, 28th worst in the NFL. This means that there's a lot of games where the defensive performance fluctuates wildly in one or both facets of defense from game to game, and watching the games proves this point.

However, there's a ray of sunshine in this gloomy news. The Falcons defense specializes in taking away the opponent's strength, and making the opponent beat them with their weakest unit on offense. Good examples of this are Week 14 vs New Orleans (where QB Drew Brees was held to 230yds passing, off of his average of 292yds/gm, but the Falcons defense gave up nearly 200yds on the ground) and Week 16 vs Minnesota (RB Adrian Peterson was held to 76yds, off of his average of 110yds/game, but TE Visanthe Shiancoe had 7 rec for 136yds and 2 TD's).

The bright spot on defense? The defensive line. Led by the resurgent John Abraham, the Falcons D-line is the 2nd most successful Defensive line in "Power situations" (Percentage of runs on third or fourth down, two yards or less to go, that achieved a first down or touchdown), with only 52% of successful runs allowed (NFL average is 66%) and "Stuffs" (Percentage of runs that result in (on first down) zero or negative gain or (on second through fourth down) less than one-fourth the yards needed for another first down), with 27% of runs being stuffed, good for 9th in the league (NFL average is 24%). Atlanta also sacks the QB on 7.0% of passing plays (28 team sacks), good for 11th in the league.

What This Means For the Playoffs

The Falcons are most vulnerable to a team that can shut down both facets of the Falcons offense, and execute both facets of their own offense. In the NFC, no team epitomizes this better than the New York Giants, the likely opponent for the Falcons should they make the NFC Championship Game (which, if the Football Outsiders Playoff Odds are to be trusted, both teams will.)

Passing Defense: -2.9% (9th); 7.8% in sack rate (5th)
Rushing Defense: -4.4% (10th); 27% "Stuffs" (8th), 56% "Power Situations" (4th)

Passing Offense: + 24.8% (7th); Eli Manning 18.8% DVOA (9th)
Rushing Offense: + 18.4% (2nd); Derrick Ward and Brandon Jacobs are 2-3 in DVOA (23.2%, 21.8% respectively).

However it unfolds, I'm just happy to be in the playoffs. The Falcons have found ways to win this season, and let's hope that hot hand continues in the playoffs.

Atlanta Falcons make the playoffs!

2008-12-26T21:18:00.000-08:00

Last season, the Atlanta Falcons defined the term "dysfunctional".

The franchise quarterback was sentenced to 23 months in federal prison for dogfighting. The head coach ditched the team after 13 games to return to college. Many veterans players, led by TE Alge Crumpler, turned on the coaching staff. The team suffered through three different starting quarterbacks and fifteen season-ending injuries to finish 4-12.

This year's iteration of the Atlanta Falcons couldn't look any more different. New GM Thomas Dimitroff orchestrated a blockbuster draft weekend for the Falcons, bringing in a new franchise quarterback in Matt Ryan, his blindside protection in T Sam Baker, and a new starting MLB in Curtis Lofton. They gave big money to free agent RB Michael Turner (6 years, $34.5M, $15M guaranteed) and 3rd overall pick Matt Ryan (6 years, $72M, $34.75M guaranteed), and threw them both into the starting lineup immediately. They made defensive coordinator Mike Smith from the Jaguars a first-time NFL Head Coach, and gave him a team with eleven first-time starters.

The result? 10-5, with a guarantee playoff berth and a chance to win the NFC South and clinch the #2 NFC seed in the playoffs (and the 1st round bye that comes with it).

I'd say that's quite a turnaround.

Paul Johnson finishes 4th in AP Coach of the Year Voting.

2008-12-23T14:19:00.000-08:00

Nick Saban wins the AP Coach of the Year Award. Understandable, he had a great season at Bama, but I was holding out hope that Paul Johnson from Georgia Tech would win it. What can I say, I am a Yellow Jacket fan? PJ did finish 4th in the voting which is very respectable for his 1st season with the Jackets.

Coach Paul Johnson took Tech to a 9-3 record beating Clemson, Florida State, Miami and Georgia and earning ACC Coach of the Year honors along the way. He re-energized a Georgia Tech fanbase that had been lulled to sleep for the last 6 seasons under Chan Gailey. Tech's next game is against LSU in the Peach Bowl (Sorry, I just cannot call it the Chick-Fil-A Bowl, it just does not sound right). Tech has already rewarded PJ with a 53% pay raise for his success this season. He is now being payed $2.45 million per year which is more than Florida State’s Bobby Bowden (33 seasons as head coach, 27 consecutive bowls, 12 ACC titles) and Virginia Tech’s Frank Beamer (22 seasons as head coach, three ACC titles, three Big East titles).

AP Coach of the Year Voting

Nick Saban Alabama 32 Votes
Mike Leach Texas Tech 9 Votes
Kyle Whittingham Utah 6 Votes
Paul Johnson Georgia Tech 5 Votes
Joe Paterno Penn State 3 Votes
Brady Hoke Ball State 2 Votes
Mack Brown Texas 1 Vote
Turner Gill Buffalo 1 Vote
Bob Stoops Oklahoma 1 Vote
Brian Kelly Cincinnati 1 Vote
Chris Peterson Boise State 1 Vote

Fan Day at Gillette Stadium

2008-12-23T09:19:00.000-08:00

Not really, although it might be fun to be tackled by a future Hall of Hame linebacker just once. Actually, according to this story, the fan was enjoying Sunday's game and just wanted a hug, awwww. I hope Seau doesn't treat the United Way kids like this.

Dress for Success?

2008-12-23T06:51:00.000-08:00

Let me get this straight: The Red Sox have won the World Series twice in the last four years, after an 86 year drought, and the front office and marketing gurus have decided that now is the time for a uniform and logo change. Sounds like they've been smoking some of the oregano looking stuff Manny forgot to clean out of his locker.

A few weeks ago the Sox unveiled their four new uniform choices and alternate hat to the masses to a torch and pitchfork mob response. I have no problems with the throwback options, but what "Project Runway" reject designed the deplorable looking alternative hat with the team's new "hanging sox" logo, which, by the way, is now the team's new primary logo? So long "Circle Sox" logo, which has been redesigned making it and the red "B" secondary logos.

These new hats look terrible. Usually alternative options are rarely ever worn but even rarely is too often for these monstrosities. If the folks in marketing thought they would make the team a few more bucks by unleashing these for fans to buy, they are mistaken.

While these hats just look bad, I have a problem with them for the sake of timing and tradition. The Sox are the last team that needs to be changing logos and uniforms. It made sense for the Rays last year. They were perennial losers and the uniform and name change symbolized a new beginning, but we are winners. The Sox have bodyslammed the 86 year curse and are arguably the team of the decade.

As far as tradition goes, this type of "hanging sox" logo actually debuted in 1931, but the "B" is the Red Sox logo. It is the logo recognized throughout the world, despite what Sox brass say about the "hanging Sox." I'm concerned that by making the "hanging Sox" the primary logo, the front office is just biding its time to replace it with the "B". What's next, are they going to tear down Fenway Park?

These changes were totally unnecessary and are obviously a marketing ploy to generate more money. Hopefully fan backlash will bring the "B" and "circle Sox" logos back, but it could be worse. We could have ended up with the 80's orange and yellow Astros uniforms.

Photos taken from bostondirtdogs.com and fansedge.com

The Year in Sports

2008-12-22T21:02:00.000-08:00

In America, we're prone to hyperbole. Everything is bigger, better, and more awesome than...well, whatever came before it. And by now, we all know that's how it's going to be. We're used to it. We're used to "Super Bowl" this and "Best Week Ever" on VH1. We're desensitized to the hype by now.

But that being said, we must consider 2008 for a sports fan perspective. Has there been a greater year in sports? Lleyton Hewitt wins an marathon five-setter at the Australian Open. The New York Football Giants upset the New England Patriots on a miracle catch by David Tyree in Super Bowl XLII. Bob Knight retires from college basketball. Brett Favre retires after a 17-year Hall-of-Fame career. The Kansas Jayhawks and Memphis Tigers have a great Overtime thriller for the NCAA Basketball Championship. We meet Trevor Immelman at the Masters and Big Brown at the Kentucky Derby. Danica Patrick finally wins a race. The Detroit Red Wings defeat Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburg Penguins for the Stanley Cup. Rafael Nadal defeats Roger Federer in the Wimbledon final. John McEnroe calls it "the greatest match ever." I agree. Tiger Woods (on one leg) outplays Rocco Mediate (on two) in Sudden Death at the Masters. The possible rebirth of a Boston Celtics dynasty. Michael Phelps wins 8 Gold Medals (and sets 7 World Records) at the Beijing Summer Olympics, and then drowns on "SNL". Brett Favre unretires...again, and gets traded to the Jets. The Tampa Bay Rays become baseball's Cinderella team, winning the AL Pennant and making the first World Series in team history. Jimmie Johnson wins a 3rd consecutive championship for driving fast and turning left.

If it wasn't the greatest year in sports to date....I can't wait for next year. And The Walk Ons will be there for every minute of it.

And he's down for the count!!

2008-12-22T17:17:00.001-08:00

Maybe St Louis Ram's RB Kenneth Darby has learned his lesson about arguing with NFL umpire Garth DeFelice.

"WE"

2008-12-22T10:18:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets fan. I have been ever since 7th grade when all of my friends suddenly became Georgia Bulldog fans. I did not want to follow the herd, so I choose to be a Georgia Tech fan. I found out later on that I had family that went to Tech so that is the reason I use now when someone asks me why I like Georgia Tech. But back to the point. Georgia Tech beat UGAy (Tech fans throw the y onto UGA just to fuck with 'em a little bit) in the 2008 edition of "Clean, Old Fashioned Hate" on Nov 29th. The game was an instant classic and Tech pulled out the win 45-42 to end UGAy's streak at 7 games. Georgia Tech still owns the all time streak at 8 games from 1949-1956. This "poem" I found today sums up my love of the Ramblin Wreck. Check it out.

"WE"

You weren't the quarterback snubbed in the '99 Heisman voting, but you still say it. Your foot didn't kick the second chance OT field goal against Georgia that sent the Tech faithful into euphoria, but you still say it. You could no more stop saying "WE" than Calvin Johnson could have stopped pulling catches out of thin air. "WE" gotta convert. "WE" gotta move the ball. Because "WE" is an equal opportunity pronoun. Unless, of course, you're a Bulldawg or Tiger. You say "WE" because you yearn for the sound of the steam whistle, because you know a proper education starts with learning every word of "Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech" and "Up with the White and Gold." And if "WE" had been there for the 222-0 game, "WE" would have sung along until it hurt. Until it hurt good. You say "WE" because your mascot has a stinger that strikes deep into the souls of every team in the ACC; and woe to the opponent who disturbs the SWARM living in the old North Stands. "WE" were there when the 1990 National Championship team drove up Techwood after "The Game" in Charlottesville, savoring the aftertaste of victory. And "WE" will be there every Thanksgiving weekend with a little "Good Old-Fashioned Hate" in our hearts and the answer to "What's the Good Word?" on our lips. "WE" cheer at Yellow Jacket Alley. "WE" wear warpaint in white and gold. Because "WE" are the Ramblin' Wreck. The home of John Heisman. Of Bobby Dodd. And of Paul Johnson's spread offense. "WE" are the Yellow Jackets. And "WE" are ready to show everyone just what kind of sting "WE" have.

Raider Nation is proud once again! (At least until next Sunday)

2008-12-22T10:02:00.000-08:00

The Oakland Raiders defeated the Houston Texans 27-16 Sunday in front of a nearly empty Oakland Coliseum. This was by far the best performance by the team this year and we, as fans, needed it. I have been ready to give up on this team for years now but for some reason I just keep holding on and I don’t know why. Well, I do know why but after years of losing you can easily forget why you love a team. But enough about that, I could go on for days about how many bad choices the Raiders and Al Davis have made over the last few years, but this is about the great game they had yesterday.

This was a fantastic game by the youngsters with rookie wide receiver Chaz Schilens, rookie running back Darren McFadden and rookie-like quarterback JaMarcus Russell all contributing to the win. But the real story of the game was wide receiver/punt returner Johnnie Lee Higgins.

He caught a beautiful 29 yard laser from Jamarcus for a TD to start the 3rd quarter. The second year WR from UTEP finished the game with 3 catches for 59 yards and a TD. He also had a record setting 80 yard punt return for a TD. He now holds the Raiders team record for punt returns in a season with 3.

He now has 16 receptions for 314 yards and 3 TDs. Modest, I know but I believe that he will earn himself a starting position at WR. And his punt return stats are looking good too, 40 returns for 503 yards and 3 TDs. Nice. If you keep this up you might have me rethinking my man crush on TE Zach Miller (I Love This Guy, 94 Recs, 1118 yards and 4 TDs in 30 games). You have been warned.

So, Johnnie Lee, thank you for reminding me why I am a Raiders fan. Now let’s hand Jon “Chucky” Gruden and his Tampa Bay Buccaneers a loss next Sunday and finish the season on a high note.

Go Raiders!!

Welcome

2008-12-22T08:31:00.000-08:00

We are not ESPN and will never claim to be, although 99 percent of our posts will probably have a link to the 24/7 sports juggernaut because they are everywhere and we are stuck at work or wasting away on our Dorito infested couches. We are three lads who simply want to write about our favorite sports teams and bicker about the going ons in the sports world. We ask that you do not come here expecting up to date scores and what have you because we will never be able to deliver, and frankly don't want the pressure or expectations. We figure if we set the bar low we'll have reason to celebrate more. We hope you enjoy our ridiculous banter about the sports we love.