We find it easy this time of year to focus on the NFL intensively, but there is always news from the baseball world in the months leading up to spring training. I personally have decided to make a conscientious effort to stay on top of MLB happenings during the off season and spring training.
With that, I bring you the first MLB Report.
It’s being reported that the Texas Rangers have offered one time slugger, corked bat connoisseur, and suspected juicer ‘Slammin’ Sammy Sosa, a minor league deal. Texas, where Sosa started his career in 1989, is rumored to be close to a minor league deal which will get Sammy’s foot in the door for Spring Training.
"This is about giving a guy a second chance," general manager Jon Daniels said.
Great. Sammy’s GOOD for baseball. Just like Crack is good for kids…
What the hell are the Rangers thinking? Signing this guy to any sort of contract would be an absolute disaster. They should put a call into some of the Cubs who played with Mr. Sosa in his prime and see what they think of him. Not to mention the reaction Sosa would get standing in right field in virtually any MLB park outside of Texas. There’s a reason he hasn’t played in the league since 2005.
More on this story next week.
The Chicago White Sox have come to terms with their Super Star 3rd baseman Joe Crede.
Yes, I said SUPER STAR. Anyone who watched the MLB Playoffs in 2005 would know this kid from small town Missouri is the real deal.
By inking Crede to a one year, $4.94M contract, the Sox have avoided arbitration, but this season may be his last in a Sox uniform. Crede has been plagued by back problems for years, resulting in the Sox brass to refrain from signing Crede to a multi-year deal. They’ve also got 24 year old Josh Fields, a huge minor league prospect at 3rd base.
Crede’s future may be a question mark heading into the ’08 season, but for now he’s a member of the White Sox and that’s all that matters.
On the other side of town in Chicago, the Cubs have asked one time prospect and second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ himself Mark Prior, to take a pay cut. Prior, 1-6 with a 7.21 ERA last season, made $3.65M in another season shortened by injury. It was reported that he was seeking $3.875M payday this season. The Cubs have offered him $3.4M.
Prior, who has been with the Cubs since 2002, has only broken the 200 inning plateau once, in 2003, when he went 18-6 as a starter. Since then, he’s 18-17 and has pitched a total of 327.6 innings, with only 43 in the 2006 campaign.
In other Cubbie news, Carlos Zambrano has come to the table with a request for a considerable increase in pay. Last season Zambrano, 16-7 with a 3.41 ERA, was one of the few bright spots in a long and dismal year which ended with the departure of manager Dusty Baker. Zambrano’s paycheck? A respectable $6.65M. The Cubs have reportedly offered him $11.025M a year, a nice payday for the man who has emerged as the ace of the staff. But Zambrano has bigger plans. He has requested $15.5M in arbitration, and based on the Cubs’ spending as of late, he just may get it.
But the man who stands to make out the best this off-season may be Florida star Miguel Cabrera who is seeking $7.4M a year from the Marlins. Florida has offered Cabrera $6.7M. If Cabrera gets his way, he’s looking at a $6,928,000 a year raise. Not bad.
Here’s an interesting tidbit about the arbitration process: Overall, players in arbitration averaged a 109 percent increase last year
Other News:
It appears JD Drew’s 5 year $70M deal with Boston isn’t a done deal. The agreement was announced on Dec. 5, but as of today, Drew still does not have a contract with the team. Boston is concerned with Drew’s surgically repaired right shoulder.
Major League Baseball has chosen Yankee Stadium as the sight of the 2008 All Star Game. That will be a nice tribute to the stadium which has stood since 1923, which is closing in 2009.
The St. Louis Cardinals passed a series of screenings by the Department of Homeland Security and were at the White House the other day to meet President Bush after winning the 2006 World Series. David Eckstein presented Bush with a Cardinals jersey. Not present: Albert Pujols. He must have figured he looks too middle-eastern.
And finally, the San Francisco Giants announced they are having the largest scoreboard of any MLB park installed for the 2007 season. Is this a sign that Bonds’ head has grown even larger? Must be the flaxseed oil cream.
That’s it for now. Look for this column every Wednesday!
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Follow Up: Saints Fan Offered Maxim Shoot.
My girlie, Ms. Fuck da Eagles, is being sought by Maxim for a photo shoot.
Now the original screenshot from Fox may have been misleading...new details in the case of the Saints Skank have surfaced.
Maybe she's just a Bayou Hottie?
You be the judge...
Now the original screenshot from Fox may have been misleading...new details in the case of the Saints Skank have surfaced.
Maybe she's just a Bayou Hottie?
You be the judge...
If you know this gal, CLICK HERE TO HELP HER GET A MAXIM PHOTO SHOOT!
Seldom Earning Championships? No more bad acronyms for the SEC.
The Big Ten has some
big shoes to fill
to keep up with
the dominating SEC.
It’s been a long time coming, but I needed to dwell upon this rumination for a while before I made it official. I watched the highlights of the national championship game again and again, and it saddens this Big Ten fan to admit the following:
The SEC is currently the best football conference in NCAA D-I.
My favorite college football stats site, cfbdatawarehouse.com, has an interesting all-time conference rankings page, subdivided into conference leaders by total points made up of winning percentage points, schedule points, national championship points, and Big 4 Bowl points. Here’s how the two conferences fare:
Winning Percentage Points: SEC (589.27); B10 (574.68)
Schedule Points: B10 (707.93); SEC (676.16)
National Championship Points: B10 (1350.00); SEC (1150.00)
Big 4 Bowl Points: SEC (1570.00); B10 (1095.00)
Total Points: SEC (3,985.44); B10 (3,727.61)
The SEC is slowly creeping up in schedule points year after year, because the Big 10 is primarily a fight between Michigan and Ohio State (and occasionally Penn State) every year. The SEC has mad team talent year after year, and it’s beginning to show in these point totals.
The Big Ten is naturally going to lead the SEC in National Championship points. Why, you ask? For the same reason that the Ivy League’s win percentage skyrockets above both the SEC and the Big 10: They’ve been around the longest. Though it helps my Big 10 argument, it’s undoubtedly a skewed stat.
Big 4 Bowl Points are an interesting category. The SEC leads that by a wide margin…so the argument could be made that the Big 10 teams just muscle eachother around every year because each team is overloaded with talent. The truth came out after the major bowl games this year, though. Year after year, the Big Ten seems to get dominated by other conferences in post-season, high-level bowl games. Teams like
A long time ago, I quipped to a colleague that the SEC stood for Seldom Earning Championships. The conference is quickly stepping up…
No matter what the polls say at the end of the year, I have to gauge how good a team is by how they’d match up against the country’s other great teams. After seeing
It’s hard to say at this point that the Buckeyes would have had a chance against JaMarcus Russel’s LSU offense or
NFL Playoffs 2007 –Conference Championships– A Guide to Getting Paid
"The subject of gambling is all encompassing. It combines man's natural play instinct with his desire to know about his fate and his future." - Franz Rosenthal
Well, 1 for 4 on Wild Card Weekend left me $240 in the hole. I was sure I had week two in the bag.
I went 2-2. I’ll take it. Thanks to a parlay, I’m back in the saddle.
$100 Seattle +8.5, Over 37 (Parlay) RESULT +$270
$100 Baltimore -4 RESULT -$110
$100 Saints -6, Over 48 (Parlay) RESULT -$110
$100 Patriots +4.5 RESULT +$100
So after the second playoff weekend, I find myself with $910 of my starting $1000 bank roll. Not too bad. I had some action, just missed a few bets.
Now we’re down to the Championship round. This is where we separate the men from the boys. Where we start making some real money.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS @ CHICAGO BEARS (BEARS -1, o/u 43)
There’s a lot to be said about the Bears. As a team, they show flashes of potential that suggest they can win it all. Yes, there are holes in the secondary. Yes, the defensive line has a few injuries. Yes, they couldn’t HOLD the lead last weekend. Yes, Rex Grossman’s decision making has been poor at times.
But they keep winning. The Bears manage to make a big play when it’s needed. This team’s got heart. They’re pesky, refusing to go away when they’re at their lowest point.
Add to that home field advantage. Yes, we’ve all heard about the weather factor, that New Orleans is going to shiver to death on the sidelines and we’ll win the game by default. I’ve stated my case on that subject, you all know where I stand. It’s going make a difference, but not enough to swing the game.
This game is going to come down to a few simple factors. The Bears defense HAS to stop Deuce AND get pressure on Drew Brees. If New Orleans can get their run game going and start to set up the passing game, look out.
On offense, the Bears need to hold onto the ball for as long as possible to keep Brees & Co. off the field. That means a steady dose of Jones and Benson. Yes, BOTH OF THEM.
It’s also known that the Saint’s secondary is shaky. By getting the run established early, Rex (The Sex Machine) Grossman will be able to take a few shots deep down field.
*STATS of INTEREST* – The Saints had the second lowest number of takeaways in the NFL during the regular season, 19.
Five of the last SEVEN #1 NFC Seeds made it to the Super Bowl.
I think the Bears will get the lead early and hold on for the win.
Chicago -1, OVER 43
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS @ INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (COLTS -3, o/u 47.5)
Haven’t we seen this whole song and dance before?
One thing to say: Four Super Bowl appearances in the last Six Years.
While Brady and the Pat’s were given the opportunity to stay in the game last week vs. the Chargers, I’m not so sure they’ll have that chance this weekend.
The Colt’s defense is playing much, much better than they have in past years. They’ve only allowed 14 points TOTAL in the first to playoff games. But in the same breath, the offense of KC and Baltimore looked like shit in both games. This go ‘round, they’ll face Brady.
Brady, who looked off his game last week in San Diego, will be ready this week. For one, it’s going to be played in Indy, which means DOME. I’m sure the Pat’s will enjoy the controlled environment as opposed to the blowing snow and frigid temps at the ‘Fox. And based on past years that the Patriots have walked over Indy to get to the Super Bowl, I’m going to go out on a limb and say Brady loves making Peyton his bitch.
Peyton Manning has been off his game in a big way. He’s thrown 1 TD and 5 INT’s in the first two games. If this pattern continues, he’ll be able to watch the Super Bowl at home with Eli and Archie.
I’ve said it for two straight weeks. This week it’s going to happen. Brady will send Peyton packing.
New England +3, UNDER 47.5
I went 2-2. I’ll take it. Thanks to a parlay, I’m back in the saddle.
$100 Seattle +8.5, Over 37 (Parlay) RESULT +$270
$100 Baltimore -4 RESULT -$110
$100 Saints -6, Over 48 (Parlay) RESULT -$110
$100 Patriots +4.5 RESULT +$100
So after the second playoff weekend, I find myself with $910 of my starting $1000 bank roll. Not too bad. I had some action, just missed a few bets.
Now we’re down to the Championship round. This is where we separate the men from the boys. Where we start making some real money.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS @ CHICAGO BEARS (BEARS -1, o/u 43)
There’s a lot to be said about the Bears. As a team, they show flashes of potential that suggest they can win it all. Yes, there are holes in the secondary. Yes, the defensive line has a few injuries. Yes, they couldn’t HOLD the lead last weekend. Yes, Rex Grossman’s decision making has been poor at times.
But they keep winning. The Bears manage to make a big play when it’s needed. This team’s got heart. They’re pesky, refusing to go away when they’re at their lowest point.
Add to that home field advantage. Yes, we’ve all heard about the weather factor, that New Orleans is going to shiver to death on the sidelines and we’ll win the game by default. I’ve stated my case on that subject, you all know where I stand. It’s going make a difference, but not enough to swing the game.
This game is going to come down to a few simple factors. The Bears defense HAS to stop Deuce AND get pressure on Drew Brees. If New Orleans can get their run game going and start to set up the passing game, look out.
On offense, the Bears need to hold onto the ball for as long as possible to keep Brees & Co. off the field. That means a steady dose of Jones and Benson. Yes, BOTH OF THEM.
It’s also known that the Saint’s secondary is shaky. By getting the run established early, Rex (The Sex Machine) Grossman will be able to take a few shots deep down field.
*STATS of INTEREST* – The Saints had the second lowest number of takeaways in the NFL during the regular season, 19.
Five of the last SEVEN #1 NFC Seeds made it to the Super Bowl.
I think the Bears will get the lead early and hold on for the win.
Chicago -1, OVER 43
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS @ INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (COLTS -3, o/u 47.5)
Haven’t we seen this whole song and dance before?
One thing to say: Four Super Bowl appearances in the last Six Years.
While Brady and the Pat’s were given the opportunity to stay in the game last week vs. the Chargers, I’m not so sure they’ll have that chance this weekend.
The Colt’s defense is playing much, much better than they have in past years. They’ve only allowed 14 points TOTAL in the first to playoff games. But in the same breath, the offense of KC and Baltimore looked like shit in both games. This go ‘round, they’ll face Brady.
Brady, who looked off his game last week in San Diego, will be ready this week. For one, it’s going to be played in Indy, which means DOME. I’m sure the Pat’s will enjoy the controlled environment as opposed to the blowing snow and frigid temps at the ‘Fox. And based on past years that the Patriots have walked over Indy to get to the Super Bowl, I’m going to go out on a limb and say Brady loves making Peyton his bitch.
Peyton Manning has been off his game in a big way. He’s thrown 1 TD and 5 INT’s in the first two games. If this pattern continues, he’ll be able to watch the Super Bowl at home with Eli and Archie.
I’ve said it for two straight weeks. This week it’s going to happen. Brady will send Peyton packing.
New England +3, UNDER 47.5
Monday, January 15, 2007
Playoff musings
We all know that my original playoff predictions are fucked, but thats ok. I'd like to give my personal view of the playoff thusfar.
First, lets look at the AFC. Now, everyone knows that I hate the Manning family, but I was actually glad to see the Colts advance this weekend. Why you may ask? Well, first off I have so much respect for Marvin Harrison and Tony Dungy that my feelings for Peyton can be set aside. Second, I HATE the Ravens. They are boring to watch, always have been always will be. I absolutely HATE Brian Billick. I hate him more than all the Mannings combined. He might be the second cockiest SOB in football. I remember (or barely remember, depending how you want to look at it) one "hazy" night in college watching the Game Show Network in a vegetative state and an old episode of Match Game was on. We were all commenting on how cocky the strapping young lad who was that night's contestant was. Turns out it was a young Brian Billick, and he was a prick then. But I digress. Any time I see this man lose is a good day for me.
Next there are the Patriots. They played horrible, yet beat my Super Bowl pick, the San Diego Chargers. This disappointed me because I love LT and Schottenheimer. I think they are two of the classiest individuals in sports. This also made me sad because the only man in football I hate more than Billick is Bill Belichick. I can't believe the NFL lets him dress like someone who just climbed out of a cardboard box on Crenshaw Ave. Plus he is cocky too. Now, I'll admit he's a hell of a coach, possibly the best x's and o's guy the NFL has ever seen. But I have noticed that he is one hell of a crybaby too. Mangini didn't obey King Bill and Belichick tries to make him to be a prick. I'm sure a lot of you heard LT's postgame comments and although it does sound like sour grapes, there is an element of truth to what he said. The Patriots acted like assholes after the game and they are truly a reflection of their coach. I really hope Indy kicks the shit out of them. And if Indy does win, I'm sure King Bill's true colors will come out.
Now the NFC. Congrats to the Saints. They have been exciting to watch all season long and will definately give the Bears a challenge, but I don't think they will win.
I need to totally disagree with the article below. Although I think that people who believe in "Bear Weather" are complete dopes, I do believe that the Bears have a weather advantage in this game. The Saints high powered offense is reminiscent of the 1999 Rams, and by that I mean they are much better indoors than they are in the elements. If the Bears were playing a team that played outdoors, even if it was a warm weather team, I would agree that weather would have no affect on this game. But I do strongly think that an outdoor team has a large advantage over a dome team in the middle of winter. If good Rex shows up (don't blame him for that interception that was Muhammed's fault. I'm sure Muhsin will find some way to blame Orton for his bad play.) the Bears should have no problem advancing to the Super Bowl.
On a personal note, I've been asked many times in my life who my favorite sports team is, and it has always been a toss-up between the Bears and the White Sox. Well, now I know who my true love is. In 2005 time seemed to stand still in October. The greatest feeling in my life was seeing that final out after 27 years of being a Sox fan. The whole playoffs, it was a dream. And although I pray the Bears actually pull the whole thing out of their ass and bring the Lombardi trophy back to Chicago after 21 years, this whole run will be a distant second to the 2005 MLB playoffs.
First, lets look at the AFC. Now, everyone knows that I hate the Manning family, but I was actually glad to see the Colts advance this weekend. Why you may ask? Well, first off I have so much respect for Marvin Harrison and Tony Dungy that my feelings for Peyton can be set aside. Second, I HATE the Ravens. They are boring to watch, always have been always will be. I absolutely HATE Brian Billick. I hate him more than all the Mannings combined. He might be the second cockiest SOB in football. I remember (or barely remember, depending how you want to look at it) one "hazy" night in college watching the Game Show Network in a vegetative state and an old episode of Match Game was on. We were all commenting on how cocky the strapping young lad who was that night's contestant was. Turns out it was a young Brian Billick, and he was a prick then. But I digress. Any time I see this man lose is a good day for me.
Next there are the Patriots. They played horrible, yet beat my Super Bowl pick, the San Diego Chargers. This disappointed me because I love LT and Schottenheimer. I think they are two of the classiest individuals in sports. This also made me sad because the only man in football I hate more than Billick is Bill Belichick. I can't believe the NFL lets him dress like someone who just climbed out of a cardboard box on Crenshaw Ave. Plus he is cocky too. Now, I'll admit he's a hell of a coach, possibly the best x's and o's guy the NFL has ever seen. But I have noticed that he is one hell of a crybaby too. Mangini didn't obey King Bill and Belichick tries to make him to be a prick. I'm sure a lot of you heard LT's postgame comments and although it does sound like sour grapes, there is an element of truth to what he said. The Patriots acted like assholes after the game and they are truly a reflection of their coach. I really hope Indy kicks the shit out of them. And if Indy does win, I'm sure King Bill's true colors will come out.
Now the NFC. Congrats to the Saints. They have been exciting to watch all season long and will definately give the Bears a challenge, but I don't think they will win.
I need to totally disagree with the article below. Although I think that people who believe in "Bear Weather" are complete dopes, I do believe that the Bears have a weather advantage in this game. The Saints high powered offense is reminiscent of the 1999 Rams, and by that I mean they are much better indoors than they are in the elements. If the Bears were playing a team that played outdoors, even if it was a warm weather team, I would agree that weather would have no affect on this game. But I do strongly think that an outdoor team has a large advantage over a dome team in the middle of winter. If good Rex shows up (don't blame him for that interception that was Muhammed's fault. I'm sure Muhsin will find some way to blame Orton for his bad play.) the Bears should have no problem advancing to the Super Bowl.
On a personal note, I've been asked many times in my life who my favorite sports team is, and it has always been a toss-up between the Bears and the White Sox. Well, now I know who my true love is. In 2005 time seemed to stand still in October. The greatest feeling in my life was seeing that final out after 27 years of being a Sox fan. The whole playoffs, it was a dream. And although I pray the Bears actually pull the whole thing out of their ass and bring the Lombardi trophy back to Chicago after 21 years, this whole run will be a distant second to the 2005 MLB playoffs.
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