College Football Preview

College Football Preview

 

The big college football news this week was the unveiling of the first ranking system from the playoff committee. The list was met with criticism, just as the BCS was, virtually guaranteeing that there really is no way to rank these teams and making everyone happy. For now it’s just the first list, as the weeks go on and teams start taking each other out and the picture gets clearer, if there is still a problem with the list then some tweaks will have to be made going into next season. However, thanks to the initial list we are pretty much looking at our first elimination game this weekend. Let’s take a look at the big games and how I see things playing out for these teams.

First, in the Pac-12 we have the No. 17 Utes of Utah visiting the No. 14 ranked Sun Devils of Arizona State. Utah is looking to end an absolutely brutal losing streak against Arizona St. having gone winless in the series since 1976 (10 straight loses). This could be the year Utah ends the streak as their defense is playing fantastic, leading the nation in sacks, and their special teams, anchored by their great punter, Tom Hackett, is playing well also. The formula is there for an upset to occur, but I am going to give the edge to Arizona State because of the home field advantage. Expect a close, hard fought game with the winner guaranteed a share of first place in the Pac-12 South Division.

In the Big 12, the second best conference in the nation, there is a huge showdown in Morgantown, West Virginia. The No. 7 ranked Horned Frogs of TCU face off against the No. 20 Mountaineers in a huge conference showdown. Not much was expected from West Virginia this season but thanks to victories over Baylor and Oklahoma State they’ve climbed into the national rankings and have a shot at the conference title. Clint Trickett has come back from injury to play extremely well for the Mountaineers and their defense has improved tremendously. TCU will be a tough test. Trevone Boykin is having a great year leading the team in passing and rushing, and the Horned Frogs are coming off an explosive 82 point performance. I expect this to be a shootout but I think TCU comes out on top on the road. Being ranked No. 7 and knowing that the highly ranked teams in the SEC are going to beat up on each other, this is a big opportunity to cement their status as a playoff sleeper. Next week, they face conference leading Kansas State, so they need this game big time. Unfortunately for the Morgantown faithful there will be no singing of Country Roads this week, and hopefully no couches will be harmed in the aftermath.

In the Main Event of the Day, and our first unofficial elimination game of the season, the No. 3 Auburn Tigers travel to The Grove to face No. 4 Ole Miss. Ole Miss somehow garnered a number 4 ranking in the initial release despite coming off a loss to LSU, who thus far, has not been the typical LSU team we are used to seeing. Despite being at home and coming off a loss that makes this a fight for their season I don’t see Ole Miss coming away with a victory. I expect a lot of scoring but in the end Auburn will come out victorious.

That’s all for this week in the College Football Preview. Join us tomorrow as we take a look at the best games of the weekend in the NFL.

Weekend Wrap-Up

Weekend Wrap-Up

 

This weekend was a big weekend for the Giants of San Francisco as they are on the verge of winning their third World Series in five years. Thanks to an offense outburst in Game 4 and a dominating performance from Madison Bumgarner who is quietly becoming one of the greatest big game pitchers of this generation. Kansas City is facing elimination but cannot be counted out just yet with the next two games at home. However, the offense needs to wake up, and fast, if they want to have a chance for a Game 7.

If the Giants can wrap this series up and claim their third World Series I feel Buster Posey needs to enter the conversation and for the moment at least end it as well in regard to the future face of baseball/next Derek Jeter. Everyone wants to talk about Trout and Harper but Posey’s resume would put their combined resumes to shame. This would be a three time champion, Rookie of the Year Winner, Batting Champion, and MVP. Add in the fact he plays the game the right way and is a model citizen and player and I feel there’s no argument to even be made. Give Posey his due.

This week in the world of College Football nothing happened to clear up the muddy playoff picture but with the first rankings due out this Tuesday from the committee, we will have a better idea on where they stand and if they were telling the truth that their rankings won’t really take the polls into too much consideration.

The biggest upset of the weekend was Ole Miss going into Baton Rouge and getting beat by the Tigers of LSU. LSU played a phenomenal game defensively and effectively ran the ball down the throats of the best defense in the country. TCU opened some eyes by putting up 82 points on Texas Tech and serving further notice that they want in on the playoffs. Oregon has gotten its offensive swagger back but defensively they need to clean their act up. They shouldn’t be giving up 42 points to Cal. Mississippi St. survived a road game in Lexington against the much improved Wildcats, and Auburn got all it could handle from South Carolina.

There are still quite a few games left that can help shed some light on the playoff picture especially in the SEC, but come December there will still be fan bases unhappy with where their team ranks. Right now I would personally rank my top 4 as Mississippi St., Florida St., Oregon, and Alabama but I definitely see that changing by the end of the season. Mississippi St. gives up way too many yards and still has to play Alabama and Ole Miss, Oregon has to fend off Stanford, a team that has had its number as of late, Florida St. needs to escape Louisville this Thursday (I don’t think they will), and Alabama has to play LSU,  Mississippi St. and Auburn in the Iron Bowl. Allow me for a minute to break out my crystal ball and predict that come the end of the season the top 4 will be Alabama, Michigan St., Kansas St. and Ole Miss. So in other words, it will be none of those four teams.

Offense was the name of the game in the NFL yesterday as Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, and Drew Brees all put up monster numbers. Brees and the Saints still need to prove they can consistently win on the road but if they keep playing like they did last night and sneak in as the NFC South winner they can be a team to be reckoned with, especially considering if Arizona and Dallas maintain the top two seeds as both play indoors.

Tom Brady continued his torrid play against the Bears yesterday throwing as many touchdowns as he had incompletions (5). Brady and the Pats are getting hot at a good time with Denver coming to Foxborough on Sunday in what could be a game of the year contender. Rob Gronkowski also showed that he is back to being 100% catching every pass thrown his way and accumulating 3 TDs.

Ben Roethlisberger had the best day of anyone in football yesterday throwing for 522 yards and 6 TDs against the best pass defense in the NFL. A lot was said this week in the media and by Coach Mike Tomlin about Roethlisberger needing to keep up with Luck, the arguable MVP frontrunner and gunslinger of the year. Ben answered the challenge and passed the test with flying colors. The Steelers have a rivalry game this week with Baltimore, and this game will be everything the Colts game wasn’t. The Steelers threw their names back into the AFC North circus but a follow up win against the Ravens will cement their status as a division contender.

In the game of the day yesterday, Carson Palmer and the Arizona Cardinals won a nail biter against Nick Foles and the Philadelphia Eagles. Arizona was trailing with a minute or so to go when Palmer saw a coverage he liked and signaled John Brown to go deep. Palmer threw a bomb, Brown beat his defender, hauled in the pass and got into the end zone with the go ahead score. Philly was able to march down the field but with one second left the pass was incomplete giving Arizona the win. Arizona improved their record to 6-1 and head to Dallas this week to face the likely 7-1 Cowboys. 

With a slate of games including Arizona-Dallas, Denver-New England, and Baltimore-Pittsburgh, Week 9 is shaping up to be must see. The Dallas-Arizona winner will put themselves in the driver’s seat for the top seed in the NFC, the Denver-New England winner will put themselves in the driver’s seat for the top seed in the AFC, and the Baltimore-Pittsburgh winner will put themselves in the driver’s seat for the AFC North crown and a first round home game. This Sunday will be a great day to be a football fan.

Weekend Wrap-Up and World Series Preview

Weekend Wrap-Up and World Series Preview

 

 

This weekend was another exciting one in the world of football, both college and professionally. The playoff committee in college football is going to have one hell of a decision to make when the vote comes around if this season keeps going the way it is. In the NFL, we seen an all time record broken at the hands of one of the greatest to ever play the game; or should I say at the arm? In addition to all the pigskin excitement, the World Series starts tomorrow night in Kansas City and it should be a series to remember. Let’s get to the wrap-up.

On Saturday there were many storylines unfolding even before the pass interference, touchdown negating penalty against Notre Dame. First, the Oklahoma Sooners, the preseason favorites in the Big XII, were beaten by Kansas State, a team ready to possibly break the door down on this whole playoff process. Thanks largely to their kicker, who missed two chip shots, Oklahoma fell into a tie for 6th place in the conference and ended any hope they had of securing a playoff spot. Also in the Big XII, West Virginia and the very much underrated Clint Trickett handed #4 Baylor their first loss of the season. The upset was a great moment for the school, but the madness afterwards in the streets of Morgantown was not. When riot police have to be called it’s never a good sign. TCU who should’ve beaten Baylor, rebounded with a win over Oklahoma State, giving themselves a spot in the top 10 and showing just how deep the conference is. Meanwhile, in the SEC, Alabama put an absolute beatdown on Texas A&M. At the half Alabama had already gained over 400 yards of offense and effectively let the world know that they should not be forgotten about, even if their offensive coordinator is Lane Kiffin. Now to the game of the week in Tallahassee. Florida State escaped with a win thanks to a costly pass interference call against the Notre Dame offense. The two things that stood out during this game were the fact that Jameis Winston, despite all his immature, off-field activity, is the real deal. In the second half Winston put on a clinic against the Irish defense. If the kid can get his act together he is going to make an NFL team very happy, even if he couldn’t pass a fourth grade social studies test. Secondly, Notre Dame is a legit team. If they can run the table the rest of the way they should see themselves in the playoff and possibly facing Florida State again in a rematch for the ages.

On Sunday the NFL took center stage in the sports world and there were more than a few things that stood out. The Chicago Bears look to be imploding in front of our eyes. Terrible play, a locker room fight, and a very bad loss to the Miami Dolphins at home are not recipes for future success. Meanwhile, the Green Bay Packers absolutely destroyed the Carolina Panthers. Aaron Rodgers, Jordy Nelson, and Randall Cobb had their way with the defense and Cam and the Panther offense couldn’t muster anything but garbage time points. The Lions took another step towards legitimacy with their late win against the New Orleans Saints thanks to their #1 defense picking off Drew Brees. The race to 7-9 or 8-8 and a division win for the NFC South is going to be a joke the rest of the season. The whole division should be excommunicated from the league for the rest of the year. Kyle Orton led the Bills to a last second win against Minnesota, literally scoring with one second remaining. The Bills are 2-1 with Orton as the starter and have held a lead in those two wins for a grand total of five seconds. The Ravens easily dispatched of the Atlanta Falcons and look like the best team in the AFC not named the Broncos. Speaking of the Broncos, they dismantled the 49ers and Peyton Manning overtook Brett Favre for the all-time lead in touchdown passes. If their defense can keep playing as well as they are, Peyton will find himself back in a Super Bowl. Finally, The Dallas Cowboys became the team with the best record in the NFL as they defeated the Giants in an NFC East battle. DeMarco Murray broke Jim Brown’s 56 year record for most games over 100 yards to open a season thanks to another absolute manhandling by the offensive line at the line of scrimmage. Dallas has the best offensive line in football by an unbelievable margin. With 913 rushing yards on the season, Murray has more rushing yards than 29 teams. He is cementing his name in the MVP talks and showing that this offense can do what others before it couldn’t; it is sustainable come December and January.

Now onto baseball and the World Series. Tomorrow night the Giants open up in Kansas City and send Madison Bumgarner to the mound to face James Shields. Despite not having lost thus far in the postseason, I see the Royals dropping at least one, maybe two games to San Fran. Something tells me this Series will be one that we will remember for a long time. There is not much difference between the two teams but each has an extreme advantage over the other in one area. Kansas City can run circles around San Fran on the base path but Bruce Bochy could outmanage Ned Yost even if he lost half of his brain capabilities. So the question then is this, which is the bigger advantage? I feel that despite how much better a manager may be, if a team is hitting and can run well, even the smart manager pushing all the right buttons won’t be able to overcome that. I’m going to take the Royals in 6.  

The Secret Service

The Secret Service

 

The job of The Secret Service is providing protection to those in positions of power. On America’s Team there are no bigger positions of power than the quarterback and running back. When your quarterback is staying upright and your running back is taking the league by storm, then you, as The Secret Service are doing your job and doing it extremely well. To serve and protect on the frontlines and to sacrifice your well-being for the sake of others, that is the mantra that is being learned and engrained in the minds of the best of the best. 

Spread offenses and read options may be common practice in the NFL these days but there is one team bucking that trend. There’s one team that isn’t interested whatsoever in gimmicks and reaching into its bag of tricks. There’s one team that isn’t interested in lining up primarily in the shotgun. There’s one team that doesn’t use the pass to set up the run. That team is the Dallas Cowboys. Yes, you read that right. The Dallas Cowboys are going against the grain and having tremendous success in doing so.

The Dallas Cowboys are running the ball down teams’ throats and are extremely successful for two reasons. One, even if they fall behind they are not abandoning their game plan. They know running the ball is their bread and butter and nothing will stop them from doing so. Second, and most importantly, they have the best offensive line in football, and truthfully, it’s not even close. The line is young, powerful, talented, and they are imposing their will on teams. 

I do not want to take anything away from DeMarco Murray because he is a great running back and is having an MVP type season but even he will tell you that his numbers are where they are because of the big, physical line opening up holes for him. Murray leads the league in yards before contact and yards after contact. After contact is all on him because he uses his power and elusiveness well but before contact his line is creating holes that a grandmother could get through untouched.

All 5 members of Dallas’ starting O-Line are young, three are first round picks, and they have allowed DeMarco Murray and also Tony Romo to shine. Last week against the Seahawks Romo had 3 seconds on average to progress through his reads and find the open man. Seattle doesn’t get bullied like that at all. Ever. On Sunday though, the bully got hit bullied back.

Another advantage of such a dominant offensive line is long drives that eat away at the clock and keep the defense off the field. Coming into the season all the talk was that the Cowboys would have the worst defense in the NFL by far. Now certainly the defense is younger and hungrier, but the less time they have to be on the field, the less worn down they are. Make no mistake about it, this defense is still average at best, but DeMarco Murray and the O-Line are turning them into a very confident bunch.

Dallas still has to exercise its demons of December and January, but with Murray running the ball the way he and the O-Line are dominating, there’s no reason to think it can’t happen. This is a different Dallas team than we’ve seen before. The more the wins pile up early and the more confidence that is built up early will only help when December rolls around.

 It’s funny to think of the Dallas Cowboys as an underdog or a feel good story but that is the narrative this season is providing. They are a throwback to a time when teams would punish you up front and run right through you. Their success may be a surprise, but the even bigger surprise is that everyone knows how to stop them; they just can’t do it effectively. Dallas is letting you know here’s what we’re going to do and we dare you to stop it. So far, no one has been successful, and as long as The Secret Service is doing its job, that’s the way it should be. HOW ‘BOUT THEM COWBOYS!!!!

This is a Great Weekend to be a Sports Fan

This is a Great Weekend to be a Sports Fan

 

Tonight the Championship Series in the American League will begin in Baltimore when James Shields takes the mound for the Royals to take on Chris Tillman and the Orioles. No matter how this series turns out, either the longest or second longest pennant-less streak in baseball will end. Baltimore is the favorite to win the series but I don’t see it that way. Baltimore has a power advantage but Kansas City is a much better contact team. Kansas City has a deeper rotation and a better bullpen as far as I’m concerned and most importantly, Kansas City has the clutch hitter of the playoffs in Eric Hosmer. Also, Kansas City has an outrageous advantage in speed and if their guys get on they are going to take off at will. This will create more run scoring opportunities and the Kansas City offense will take full advantage. Both home stadiums should provide raucous atmospheres due to the length of time each fan base has gone since being in this moment. I see this series going six and Kansas City reaching the World Series.

Over in the National League, the Championship Series begins on Saturday with the all world pitching matchup of Madison Bumgarner against Adam Wainwright. For the 5th year in a row one of these teams will represent the National League in the World Series but I don’t see this as evenly matched as the American League is. I feel St. Louis can dominate this series with much better hitting and a better all-around pitching staff. After Wainwright the Cardinals can turn to Lance Lynn, possibly the most underrated pitcher in the game, and John Lackey, one of the premiere big game pitchers. San Francisco is too hit or miss offensively to stay with the Cardinals, and we will have an all Missouri World Series. Cardinals in five.

Last Saturday was one of the craziest days in college football history. Starting with Arizona’s win in Oregon on Thursday, ranked teams started dropping like flies, and lower ranked teams seized the moment and took out their higher ranked counterparts. This Saturday will be right up there with it as far as action, suspense, and potential upsets. There are two matchups of undefeated teams, and another undefeated team heads on the road to one of the most hostile environments in college football.

Auburn has looked from top to bottom like the best team in the country. Nick Marshall has improved tremendously and is not nearly as dependent on the run game as he was last season. The defense hasn’t lost a step and Auburn is looking to crash the national championship game once again. First though, they are going to have to travel to Mississippi State and face the surprising Bulldogs. Mississippi State is coming off a dominating performance against Texas A&M, handing them their first loss of the season. Auburn won the last meeting but this is not the same Dak Prescott or Bulldog team. Prescott has improved dramatically and I believe with the home crowd behind him will lead Mississippi State to victory.

Next up is a Big XII showdown between two top five undefeated teams. The Red River Shootout this is not. Neither Texas nor Oklahoma are the undefeated teams doing battle in this matchup. No, that distinction belongs to TCU and Baylor. TCU is a big surprise this year and is coming off a nail biting victory over Oklahoma who was ranked #4 at the time, while Baylor has been playing steadily and avoided the upset that has hit so many teams. TCU is going to need a big game from star QB and all around threat Trevone Boykin if they want to come away with a victory. Bryce Petty will need to rebound from a mediocre game against Texas as well to give Baylor a chance. I’m going to give the edge to TCU here despite Baylor being at home. TCU comes away with the shootout victory and puts themselves in the driver’s seat in the Big XII.

Finally in the other highly anticipated matchup of the weekend, Ole Miss travels to Texas A&M and takes on the Aggies and the 12th Man. Led by one of the top defenses in the country and veteran QB Bo Wallace, the Rebels are on a roll. Coming off a huge win for the program against Alabama with College Gameday in attendance at The Grove, they now travel to one of the most infamous atmospheres in all of college football. Led by freshman Kenny Hill, Texas A&M hasn’t lost a step despite losing Johnny Football. This could very well be the game of the day, and I’m giving the edge to the Rebels. Hill has played very well but being a freshman and facing a defense unlike one he has seen so far will lead to some mistakes. The Rebels will take advantage and keep their magical season going.

This Sunday the NFL doesn’t offer as much intrigue as Saturday in college does but there are still some games that can pique the interest of those in need of a Sunday football fix. The Patriots travel to Buffalo to take on the Bills in a divisional matchup, the Bears look to rebound from their collapse against Carolina by traveling to the Georgia Dome and taking on the Falcons, and in the laughingstock game of the day, Peyton Manning and the Broncos travel to MetLife Stadium to dismantle the pathetic Jets and their even more pathetic secondary. We will now take a look at the three games of the day and what they will mean in the long run.

The first game we will look at is one that will make all of you laugh as far as being featured anywhere, but the Jacksonville Jaguars travel to the Music City to take on the Titans. Now why on God’s green earth would anyone consider this to be a feature game? Let me explain. This game will be the showcase for Jaguars fans to see what they have in their future. Blake Bortles has looked more than competent, which is more than can be said about Tennessee as a whole. With Charlie Whitehurst starting and coming off a collapse of epic proportions against Cleveland, Tennessee is all but dead. The Jaguars know this is a very winnable game and will come out hungry and aggressive. Bortles will have a great game and the defense will force some turnovers, leading to Blake Bortles first victory in the NFL.

Next up, we travel to the Emerald City as the surprise Dallas Cowboys take on the defending Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks. Despite being a surprise team thus far, Dallas’ four game win streak will all but likely end. Seattle is a terrible matchup for this team and Seattle should be able to take away the one thing Dallas does very well, which is run the ball. Despite having the best offensive line in football and one that has had its way with every defensive front thus far, Dallas will be brought back down to earth by the Seahawks. Now that my reverse jinx is in effect, my Cowboy fandom has to kick in and say let’s shock the world boys.

Finally, in the game of the day, or should I say night, the New York Giants head to Philadelphia to face the Eagles. The Eagles are tied for first in the NFC East at 4-1 but have not played at all like a 4-1 team. If it wasn’t for defensive or special teams touchdowns, there’s no telling where this team would be. Lesean McCoy has had a terrible year thanks to Philly needing to use a patchwork offensive line and Nick Foles realized the clock struck midnight on his fairy tale so the interceptions are starting to come. The Giants on the other hand are coming in hot and playing as well as any team in the league. They’re hurt by the loss of Rashad Jennings but Andre Williams has played well since Jennings went down. This game will be close due to its rivalry nature but I’m going to give the edge to the Giants. Come Monday morning we should be waking up to a three way tie at 4-2 in the NFC East.

WEEKEND WRAP-UP

WEEKEND WRAP-UP

 

This past weekend in sports was one for the ages. When Oregon lost at home to Arizona in a game that they were almost four touchdown favorites in, we should’ve known something was up. It began there and ended last night when the Patriots put themselves back on the map and in the driver’s seat in the AFC East. In between we were treated to excitement comparable to being a kid on Christmas morning. Let’s get to the wrap up beginning with Major League Baseball and the wrap up of the two ALDS series.

The Detroit Tigers came into the playoffs with the worst bullpen of all the playoff teams and it showed in their ALDS matchup against the Orioles. In both games 1&2 the bullpen could not hold a lead and put the Tigers in an 0-2 hole heading back to the Motor City. Yesterday the offense showed that it stayed in Baltimore to maybe enjoy a few more days at the Inner Harbor. A 2 run home run by Nelson Cruz in the 6th inning was enough to give the Orioles the win and the series. In the other ALDS series you had the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, who ran through the American League and wrapped up home field throughout the playoffs, and the Kansas City Royals. The Royals were coming off their exciting wild card game win against Oakland but most didn’t give them a shot against the Angels, who had the far superior hitters, at least on paper. Thank God they don’t play games on paper though because the Royals went out to Anaheim and brought their hot bats with them. Kansas City completely stole away home field taking the first two games in Anaheim, led by the suddenly unstoppable Eric Hosmer. Coming back to KC with a chance for a sweep had the home crowd in an absolute frenzy and C.J. Wilson never had a chance. Wilson couldn’t even make it out of the first inning after giving up 3 runs and having poor control. The Royals onslaught continued and they became the second team in the ALCS, and also the second team to sweep its opening round series. When Kansas City and Baltimore meet, with game 1 on Friday, it will be the team with the longest pennant drought against the team with the second longest. Something will have to give on the way to the Fall Classic and one of these fan bases will be bearing witness to history.

This week in College Football was the week where anything potentially amazing that could happen did.  There were upsets galore, possible championship dreams shattered, and more excitement than could be humanly handled. It all started Thursday night when Arizona strolled into Oregon and handed the Ducks their first loss of the season in a game they were believed to have no chance in. Then Saturday came along and all hell broke loose. UCLA lost to unranked Utah, Alabama and the most overrated coach/coordinator in the history of the game, Lane Kiffin got embarrassed by Ole Miss, LSU was completely demolished by Auburn (the team that looks the most complete thus far), South Carolina suffered their 3rd loss of the year, burying their championship hopes with a loss to Kentucky, USC lost on a last second Hail Mary against Arizona St., Notre Dame won a wet and sloppy contest against the Cardinal of Stanford, and TCU handed Oklahoma their first loss of the season. This weekend threw the entire playoff picture into shambles and almost all but guarantees at least one single loss team and possibly two could make the playoffs. Right now if the playoffs started I would have to say Auburn, Florida St., Notre Dame, and either Miss. St. or Ole Miss as the fourth team. However that will change once again this weekend when Auburn faces off against Miss. St., Ole Miss travels to A&M, and Baylor and TCU square off in another top ten matchup of undefeated teams. Make sure your seatbelts are buckled folks because we’ve officially hit the point in the season where we need to make sure we’re strapped in tight and keep our hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times. 

Sunday in the NFL was another week of action and drama as per usual with this league. There are no undefeated teams left and only three one loss teams. Of those 3 one loss teams, (San Diego, Philadelphia, and Dallas) only San Diego has looked truly championship quality. Dallas and Philadelphia both have their issues but will no doubt take the position they are in right now. The one thing that is certain so far in the season is that the NFC is clearly the far superior and deeper conference. One AFC team who people had left for dead was the New England Patriots, and all they did was come out and dismantle the previously undefeated Bengals. Watching that game early on, when Brady ran for a first down and jumped right up and gave an emphatic fist pump, that’s when I knew New England wasn’t losing this game. With their power running and two tight end formations they may be right back on track to finish atop the AFC. I would also like to extend congratulations to Peyton Manning for throwing his 500th TD pass against the Arizona Cardinals. The individual accomplishments are piling up but hopefully he can get that second ring that has eluded him in order to fully top off his resume as one of the greatest to ever play the game. Also, congratulations to Jason Witten, my absolute favorite player in the NFL by the way, for eclipsing the 10,000 receiving yard mark, joing only Tony Gonzalez and Shannon Sharpe in that exclusive club. Tonight on Monday Night Football I see the Redskins keeping things interesting but ultimately falling short against the Seahawks and further burying themselves in the NFC East race. I’m going to end on this note: My top 3 picks right now for the Most Valuable Player through Week 5. I would give Philip Rivers a slight lead over Andrew Luck at the moment with DeMarco Murray coming in 3rd. Rivers is my leader just based on the fact that the Chargers have gone through 183 running backs and 398 offensive lineman, and specifically centers. What he has been able to do even in the face of those shortcomings has been nothing short of brilliant and the award is his to lose right now.

Now You Know My Name

Now You Know My Name

 

Madison Bumgarner was not a name well known around the casual baseball fan circles before last night. Diehard baseball fans and subscribers to Extra Innings knew his name and knew it well, but last night the whole world got to see what the rest of us already knew. Underrated doesn’t even begin to describe Bumgarner. He put his name on the short list of best pitchers in all of baseball.

During the pregame a lot was said about the atmosphere in Pittsburgh and last year’s wild card game was brought up. The Pirates fans got inside the head of Johnny Cueto and took him out of the game before it even started. There was actually talk, and pretty laughable talk at that, about whether the same would happen to Bumgarner. What these analysts forgot was the fact that Bumgarner, despite only being 25, is already in the league since 2010 and is a two time World Series Champion. This is not a guy who is going to get rattled in the moment. In fact, Bumgarner thrives in it. When asked about the crowd in Pittsburgh and how raucous they would be, Bumgarner responded by saying quite simply, “that’s what makes it fun.” Those are the words of a man who I want on the mound for my team in a do or die situation.

From the first pitch Bumgarner dominated an underrated Pirates lineup. He finished the game going complete giving up only 4 hits and striking out 10. While Tuesday’s game in the AL was known for excitement and comebacks, Wednesday night was all about pure dominance. Never knowing what you’re going to get is the beauty of the MLB Playoffs, but with Bumgarner on the mound, everyone now knows exactly what you’re going to get.

WHAT DID I JUST SEE?

WHAT DID I JUST SEE?

 

 
 

 

The question above had to be stated countless times last night during the AL Wildcard Game between the Oakland Athletics and Kansas City Royals. So many things happened, both good and bad to illicit such a reaction, but one thing is for sure, that was one hell of a game.

To get the bad part of the what did I just see equation out of the way, make no mistake that as great and exciting as that game turned out to be last night, it may have been the worst managed game in the playoffs in a long time. Ned Yost would be mostly to blame for that but Bob Melvin certainly didn’t make it easy on him to win the worst manager award. Both Oakland and Kansas City were able to overcome their managerial inefficiencies and produce a game for the ages and one that will not soon be forgotten.

Oakland seemed to find their offense, especially Brandon Moss who has been battling a hip injury for some time now. However, thanks to Kansas City’s speed and heart, no lead was safe. Kansas City was able to capitalize on the injury to Geovany Soto who was starting strictly because of his ability to control the run game over Derek Norris. Once Norris was put in then Kansas City went on the attack. That is of course when they weren’t bunting guys over every chance they got.

Kansas City was the hungrier team and battled their hearts out for a well deserved win. They now move on to face an Angels in a series that will be all about speed versus power. Mike Trout finally gets a taste of the postseason and I feel he will not disappoint, but the Royals can win this series if the defense plays well and Yost gets out of his own way.

Tonight is the NL Wild Card Game between the San Francisco Giants and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Good luck to both of these teams trying to follow the game last night, although to their credit there aren’t many teams who could. For my money the key to this game is the top of the Giants batting order. If Gregor Blanco and Joe Panik can get on base for the heart of the order then I don’t see any way San Francisco can lose. They are sending their 25 year old two-time World Series Champion ace to the mound in Madison Bumgarner and this kid will not feel any pressure or butterflies. He will also make very few mistakes, so Pittsburgh will need to capitalize on those if they want to have a chance. This game should be more of a low scoring affair than last night was, and unlike in the AL where either winner would have a chance against Anaheim, I don’t see either of these NL teams having a chance against Washington come the NLDS. San Francisco gets the W tonight before bowing out to the buzzsaw that is the Washington Nationals next round.

NFL WEEK 4 RECAP and AL WILD CARD PREVIEW

NFL WEEK 4 RECAP and AL WILD CARD PREVIEW

 

 

 

This week in the NFL we were faced with many byes, a game in London, and no new controversy enabling all of us to continue raking Roger Goodell through the coals. So, in other words, not as fun of a week as those previously. However, we did learn a lot about a number of teams and can see the paths most of these teams will be taking the rest of the year. The NFC South is a division no team wants to win. The Saints and Panthers have underachieved tremendously, Atlanta, along with Pittsburgh in the AFC are the two streakiest teams in the league and you never know what you’re going to get week to week, and Tampa Bay is a bottom three team in the league. The NFC East will be more competitive than most people imagined as both Dallas and New York have emerged as a top team alongside Philadelphia. Let’s not be so quick to hand Chip Kelly this division so early. The Colts and Andrew Luck look like they will be making their third straight trip to the postseason thanks to a mediocre division and a Texans team who will continue to come back to Earth with Ryan Fitzpatrick under center. The Patriots continue to look very un-Pats like this season as Tom Brady has no offensive line whatsoever in front of him and can’t even get past his first read without fearing for his life. If Ryan Tannehill can keep playing like he has against these Pats and the Raiders this week then this is Miami’s division to lose, but that is a pretty big if though. The NFC North will be a lot of fun with the Lions, Bears, and Packers fighting it out as the season goes on. The Broncos had the week off but the Chiefs and Chargers both showed that they cannot be taken lightly. Next Sunday can’t get here fast enough as there are some good games on the slate, but now onto the most important sporting event of the week, the MLB Playoffs.

Tonight the AL Wild Card will be decided when the Oakland A’s travel to Kansas City to take on the Royals in what is sure to be an amazing environment at Kauffman Stadium. Oakland fell apart in the second half and finds themselves in a play-in game that they really had no business being a part of. Leading the league in run differential and having the best record in baseball not too long ago is not what you want to be hearing about your squad come the end of game 162. Kansas City broke the 29 year playoff drought they were going through and is more than ready to play this game, especially with Big Game James Shields on the mound. When the Royals traded for Shields this was the exact type of scenario they envisioned. Knowing they could hand the ball off to a true ace with the season on the line and a guy that has previously done well in the situation is very comforting for Kansas City. However, as bad as Oakland has been in the second half they are also sending a guy to the mound that has thrived in pressure situations and big games. Jon Lester was built for these situations. It also helps that many of Kansas City’s best hitters are left handed and should be neutralized by Lester. This will be a close game and very well pitched but I see Oakland coming away with a victory and traveling to Anaheim to face their division rival Angels in the ALDS.

NFL Week 4 Preview

NFL Week 4 Preview

 

This week’s preview is going to be an all NFC addition due to the byes of some significant AFC teams and the quality of football overall being better in the NFC to begin with. We’ll be taking a look at what I feel will be the three best games of the day and how I see them turning out.

Green Bay Packers (1-2) vs Chicago Bears (2-1)

-          One of the best rivalries in all of sports adds another chapter to its legacy tomorrow. Green Bay travels to the Windy City after a very bad loss to the Lions in Detroit. The Bears are coming off two primetime wins in back to back weeks, both on the road. Green Bay has looked terrible offensively especially running the football but this could be the week to turn things around. Chicago is one the worst teams when it comes to stopping the run game and Eddie Lacy should have some opportunities to have the breakout game of his season. Chicago should be able to take advantage of their receiving weapons against Green Bay’s pass defense which is pretty bad itself. I expect Eddie Lacy to have a good game but in the end I think Chicago will be too much for the Cheeseheads and will pad their lead in a very mediocre division.

Philadelphia Eagles (3-0) vs San Francisco 49ers (1-2)

-          Philadelphia comes into this game at 3-0 but has yet to play their best football. The offensive line is severely banged up and could lead to trouble for their running game. Nick Foles is also pretty banged up after a hard hitting divisional game against the Skins last week. I definitely see the Eagles leaving this game with their first blemish. In order for that to happen San Francisco is going to have to solve its second half woes. The 49ers have been dominated in the second half of every game this season, including the Week 1 defeat of the Cowboys. They cannot allow that to happen again this week or their season will be all but over.

 

New Orleans Saints (1-2) vs Dallas Cowboys (2-1)

-          The Sunday Night Football matchup this week will be a doozy. Two high powered offenses and two average to below average defenses going head to head. Dallas has looked better on defense than most believed they would be and could definitely be a dangerous team if the defense can perform somewhere in the 18-23 range as far as league ranking. Even though Dallas is at home, even though they have the leading rusher in the league, and even though it will not be a blowout like we saw last year in the Super Dome, I have to believe New Orleans comes away with a victory here. Expect a lot of points and expect Jimmy Graham to be the difference as Dallas has had a lot of trouble covering opposing tight ends. If Dallas puts J.J. Wilcox on Graham 1 on 1 especially in the red zone, Graham will eat this team alive.

College Football Preview

College Football Preview

 

This week isn’t exactly the sexiest week as far as college football matchups but there are a few games that everyone should have their eye on. I don’t see too many upsets on the slate but a few top ranked teams shouldn’t expect a cakewalk. Now on to the games.

Minnesota (3-1) vs. Michigan (2-2) 3:30PM

-The Golden Gophers travel to The Big House this week where everything is in chaos. The Wolverines are coming off a loss to Utah, a loss that essentially has made Brady Hoke a dead man walking. Tickets for this game are being given away with the purchase of a Coke, and no, that’s not a joke. The winningest program in college football history has to give tickets away. Minnesota should provide a tough test for the Wolverines but I don’t see them losing back to back. Hoke should be safe for another week.

(1) Florida St. (3-0) vs N.C. State (4-0) 3:30PM

-This could be the week for Florida State. Jameis Winston returns from his one week suspension and will be walking into a lion’s den, or should I say a wolf den. The crowd will be out of their minds with the #1 team in the land visiting and Florida State could easily come away with their first blemish. However, I don’t see it happening because the Florida State defense is just too strong. Expect this to be very close though and a low scoring affair.

Missouri (3-1) vs South Carolina (3-1) 7PM

-South Carolina struggled early on but may have righted the ship after their Game of the Year win against Georgia. The team seems to be clicking on all cylinders and despite Maty Mauk being a very good and underrated quarterback I see the Gamecocks coming away with a victory in a high scoring game.

That’s it for this week enjoy the games folks.

Captain Kirk and the Deadskin Enterprise

Captain Kirk and the Deadskin Enterprise

 

 

Before the NFL season started there were grumblings both in Washington and around the NFL about whether Kirk Cousins was a better QB than RGIII, especially in the system being implemented by Jay Gruden. Whether the answer was true or not, the organization invested way too much into Griffin just to cast him off to the bench. He was going to get every opportunity and have the longest leash possible. However, because Griffin is Mr. Glass from Unbreakable, his almost guaranteed injury came early in the season, and forced Washington’s hand. They had no choice but to play Cousins. Unfortunately for Griffin he may have to take a seat next to Wally Pipp in the sporting lore. If Cousins continues to impress the way he has, Griffin will be packing his bags out of Washington and finding employment elsewhere.

When Griffin went down and Cousins came in, Jay Gruden didn’t necessarily sound like a head coach who just lost his franchise player and was on the verge of his season being over. In Gruden’s mind he knows Cousins is a much better fit to be running his offense but couldn’t state it publicly given the investment in Griffin. Cousins and the Skins hung in punch for punch with the high powered Eagles offense last Sunday in what was definitely the game of the year thus far. Although he came away the loser Cousins showed just how effective he can be.

This week, with only three days’ rest, Cousins and the Skins face another division opponent in Eli Manning and the New York Giants. Thus far the Giants have been a disappointment but they are coming off their best game of the season. That may have more to do with Ryan Fitzpatrick coming back down to Earth than their actual play outside of Rashad Jennings but a win is a win. I see the Giants problems continuing tonight heading to The Nation’s Capital.

The Redskins have done a fantastic job of stopping the run which will be the #1 priority with Jennings coming to town. Eli hasn’t been terrible in the new offense but his weapons certainly have been. Forcing him to win the game and rely on guys he may still not have complete confidence in a recipe for success. Add in the fact that the Giants defense has had a problem getting to the QB and forcing turnovers (Fitzpatrick aside), and Cousins should have enough time to hit his receivers along with The Butler Alfred Morris finding holes and running all over Big Blue.

The NFC East may not be what it once was but there is still competition here. The Eagles cannot take their 3-0 start for granted. The Redskins are lurking and have shown they can hang with them, and Dallas could still surprise some, although the jury is still out on them at 2-1. Either way I see this being a long night and a long season for the most likely cellar dwellers from Jersey.

 

Final Score Prediction: Skins 31 Giants 17

Oh Captain! My Captain! Reflections of a Hero

Oh Captain! My Captain! Reflections of a Hero

 

We all know the story of Neverland and its famous residents. Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, and the Lost Boys all call it home, and today I wish I did as well. If I lived in Neverland I would never have to grow up. My childhood would be an endless loop of current memories playing out over and over again in real time.  What exactly does Neverland have to do with baseball you ask? Let me explain.

Today, September 24th, 2014, is a day I saw coming but never wanted to reach its destination. Today was the day that Derek Jeter may have played his final home game at Yankee Stadium. There is rain in the forecast tomorrow threatening to wipe out the finale against the Orioles. I have been a lifelong Yankee fan, and Derek Jeter became a part of my life at the age of 10. When you’re 10 years old you don’t have a care in the world. Adulthood is so many exits away on the highway it doesn’t matter how long the drive is. Take it slow, take it all in, and most importantly, cling to adolescence as hard as you can for as long as you can. I’m almost 30 now and adulthood is front and center sucking the life out of me one day at a time. Gone are the days of Little League and Power Rangers. So too are the days of playing outside until the street lights came on. Everything I loved at age 10 was now an afterthought; everything except for Derek Jeter.

Yankee fans have some practice with having to let go of childhood idols. Last season it was Mariano Rivera who bid us farewell, but this season it’s different. It’s Derek. Maybe it was getting to see him play for 9 innings every day that made him stand out more in relation to Mo. Either way, this one is going to hurt more. The last remaining piece of childhood those my age had left will be no more.  The fight with adulthood was pretty even, with just the slightest advantage to the opposition. However, adulthood has now tired us out and is ready to deliver the knockout punch.

This is where Neverland comes in. If I could live there the end wouldn’t be near. I could continuously live out opposite field base hits, jump throws, The Flip, and The Dive. I would never grow old and neither would Derek Jeter.

The sad part is, just like every other place we wish we could be, or every other path we wish we could have taken in life, its wishful thinking. We grow up, players grow old, times change, it’s inevitable and there’s no stopping it.  

I could go on and on about the stats, the championships, and the class, but we all know full well about that. This isn’t about that. This is about a hero going out on his own terms and taking a piece of all of us with him.

“Never say goodbye because goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting.” This quote from Peter Pan is as good of a way to wrap things up as any. We will not be saying goodbye Derek because we refuse to let you go away or be forgotten. You may not be on the field again starting a baseball game after September 28^th, but you will forever be starting in our hearts and in our minds. “Heroes get remembered, but legends never die.”

WEEKEND WRAP-UP

WEEKEND WRAP-UP

 

This weekend was certainly filled with drama and action both on the diamond and the gridiron. Teams in both baseball and college football saw their postseason chances fade away and the playoff races in baseball have become slightly clearer.

The Yankees and Braves were embarrassed on the road and can say goodbye to the postseason barring a miracle the likes of which has never been seen based on their horrific offensive outputs. Clayton Kershaw all but locked up both the NL Cy Young and NL MVP awards with his 19th win of the season. Teammate Adrian Gonzalez went on the record to say that anyone who doesn’t think Kershaw deserves both awards is an idiot. Strong words but I have to agree with Gonzalez. The Oakland A’s continued their second half downfall and are lucky that Toronto and Cleveland aren’t very good otherwise they would be playing golf come postseason play. While the Braves were watching their postseason hopes wash down the drain, the Nationals beat up on the Mets in their home away from home Citi Field. The Nationals have run over the Mets in Flushing and make the huge Citi Field play small with their power outbursts.

In college football Virginia Tech and USC both suffered defeats at the hands of less talented opponents. Both teams were coming off the highs of huge road upsets and just didn’t have enough to get it done. Oregon continues to look like the best team in the country (sorry Florida State fans) and should have no problem locking up a spot in the four team playoff. Georgia and South Carolina not only played in the game of the day but a game for the ages. Big plays, heartbreaking penalties, and bad weather; This game had everything you could ask for as a fan.

In the NFL there were two major surprises this week. The Bills dominated the Dolphins in front of a raucous and electric crowd to move into sole possession of first place in the AFC East. The other surprise was Drew Brees and the Saints falling to the Browns, giving them a record of 0-2. The team that beat New Orleans in Week 1, the Atlanta Falcons fell victim to the Cincinnati Bengals who could very well be the best team in the league outside of Seattle and Denver. Speaking of Seattle and Denver, they will meet in a Super Bowl rematch this Sunday in Seattle and with the Seahawks coming off a loss to the Chargers, I would not want to be Peyton Manning and that Denver offense. The Jets almost were able to pull off a huge upset in Green Bay but thanks to TimeoutGate, they once again find a way to shoot themselves in the foot. Finally, on Sunday night the 49ers hosted the Chicago Bears in the first regular season game in their new stadium. Early on the 49ers looked dominant and ready to blow out the Bears but some timely penalties and a Bears squad that looked like it woke up after Cutler took a huge hit to the sternum turned things around and came away with a victory. Chicago really had no business winning that game but they showed a lot of heart and toughness, especially Cutler after taking that big hit and both Marshall and Jeffery for playing through injury. There are a lot of good games on the docket next week and all I can say after two weeks is this….Thank God football is back.

NFL Week 2 Preview

NFL Week 2 Preview

 

Just like Friday will be College Football Preview Day here at Out of Bounds, Saturday will be NFL Preview Day. We will take a look at select games, make observations and predictions, and if by the end of the year our overall record is terrible, we’ll deny any of this ever happened.

 

Miami Dolphins (1-0) vs Buffalo Bills (1-0) - 1PM

-I see this game being part of the overwhelming phenomenon known as overreacting to Week 1 syndrome. Miami defeated New England, actually I take that back, Miami dominated New England in a Week 1 victory, and people will claim that Buffalo got lucky against the Bears and were just hyped for Week 1. Buffalo’s defense is severely underrated even without standout Kiko Alonso and will keep them in most games as long as they are getting at least average play from E.J. Manuel. The Buffalo crowd will be one of the more raucous in its history knowing that the team is now staying in Orchard Park and getting a visit from cancer survivor Jim Kelly. Friend of the site, founder of A Daly Dose of Hoops, and avid Dolphins fan Jaden Daly may not like us much for making this prediction but we see this as an easy win for the Bills.

Detroit Lions (1-0) vs Carolina Panthers (1-0) - 1PM

- Another game that will be an overreaction to Week 1 here as the Lions are nowhere near as good as they looked against the Giants. Matthew Stafford on the road against a very good defense and one that is absolutely sick and tired of hearing from everyone that they can’t repeat last year is recipe for disaster for this Lions team. Cam Newton returns from his rib injury and will exploit Detroit’s secondary and will lead Carolina to an easy victory. One final thought on the Panthers before we move on but I would like to show some praise for Luke Kuechly. The man is an absolute beast and just as dominant as J.J. Watt, he just has 83% less publicity. Something tells me he would rather it be that way but not everyone is overlooking what he is doing, and continuing to do on the field.

Arizona Cardinals (1-0) vs New York Giants (1-0) - 1PM

-Consider this game to be our best bet of the day. The Giants return home after an absolutely abysmal performance in Week 1, they have everything to prove here especially after Tom Coughlin called out their effort as embarrassing. This team always finds a way to do enough after a bad loss and I see this game being just that type. Add in the fact that Arizona is coming off a short week where they played a late West Coast game and are playing early on the East Coast and this spells a Giants victory and a huge win for Tom Coughlin’s coaching prospects for 2014.

College Football Preview

College Football Preview

 

Every Friday in this space we’re going to take a look at some of the top college football games of the weekend. We’ll offer some analysis breaking down the matchup and make our pick as to who we think is going to win the game. This weekend has one main event game, a few noteworthy matchups, but mostly a lot of filler. Despite a lack of marquee matchups this Saturday will certainly be filled with excitement as every Saturday in college football is. Let’s get to the matchups.

East Carolina (1-1) vs (17) Virginia Tech- 12:00PM

-Virginia Tech comes into this game riding high. In what was their biggest win in years, the Hokies went into the Horseshoe in Columbus and knocked off the Ohio State Buckeyes. Even without Braxton Miller it was a shocking result because Ohio State still has plenty of elite talent and Virginia Tech is known to not perform well in big games. East Carolina is certainly the type of team to come in and knock them off that emotional high. Coming off a loss to South Carolina where they had the Gamecocks on the ropes, East Carolina knows they can play with anyone. I see a close game throughout and Beamer Ball making the difference. Virginia Tech wins a close one thanks to a special teams play that has been their signature during the Beamer era.

Iowa State (0-2) vs Iowa (2-0)- 3:30PM

-The rivalry game with the Cy-Hawk trophy on the line. This year the two teams come in looking completely different. Iowa State is winless and coming off losses to North Dakota St. and Kansas St. Iowa is 2-0 coming off wins against Northern Iowa and a skin of their teeth victory over Ball State. Despite the records I expect this game to be close, as most rivalry games are. I do think however, Iowa State is going to throw everything they have at Iowa and that will be the deciding factor. Iowa State with the upset on the road at Kinnick Stadium.

(6) Georgia (1-0) vs (24) South Carolina (1-1)-3:30PM

-There were a lot of expectations for South Carolina and the Ol’ Ball Coach coming into this season. Then Kenny Trill strolled into Columbia and put his name on the map, along with putting a beat down on the Gamecocks defense. South Carolina then followed that up with only a 10 point win against East Carolina. They have no pass rush with the loss of Clowney and their corners are getting burned and giving up chunks of yards. Georgia is coming in with an opening week win against Clemson, which I feel won’t look as good at the end of the year as it does now early in the season. Georgia is another team like Virginia Tech that doesn’t always shine in the biggest moments. Tomorrow I feel won’t be any different. Spurrier is going to have his team ready to play and I feel this will be the statement game that South Carolina will need to put itself back on the map. South Carolina wins big.

Reflecting Back on 9/11 and How Sports Helped Us Heal

Reflecting Back on 9/11 and How Sports Helped Us Heal

 

September 11, 2001 is a day that America will never forget. The images and sounds of that day will never leave us and will always find their way back to us no matter how much we try to forget. Here in New York it was especially hard because on top of everything, we either knew someone directly or through someone else that was affected by the losses of that day. The terrorists were unable to break us or our spirits but by God they bent them as much as was possible.

Sports played a huge role in that bend but don’t break process because it provided an outlet and an escape from everything that was running through our minds day in and day out. When Mike Piazza hit the home run against Atlanta at Shea Stadium it was the first opportunity for all of us, as both New Yorkers and Americans to stand up and cheer. For that brief moment all was forgotten and everything went back to normal. Then the Yankees went on to play in possibly the greatest World Series of all time, and one that as a diehard Yankee fan, I’m still bitter they lost.

I’m not sure closure is a word that could ever be used when talking about or thinking about 9/11 but the night that Seal Team 6 captured and killed Osama Bin Laden may be as close as we were going to get. Hearing the fans in Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia cheering “USA! USA!” as they all got word of the events on their smart phones is another image we will not soon forget. We got our revenge and even though it wouldn’t bring our loved ones back, it helped us recover that much more.

Everyone who died on 9/11 or as a direct result of it in war is far more courageous than the rest of us and their names and memories will live on forever. We are the greatest and toughest nation in the world and always will be, no matter what terrorists, whether they be foreign or domestic, try to do. We will always be the land of the free because we are the home of the brave. God Bless America.

Sacrificing for Now and How It Can All Go Wrong

Sacrificing for Now and How It Can All Go Wrong

 

The date was July 31^st, or as most of us sports fans know it, Trade Deadline Day. The names Jon Lester and David Price were bandied about as potential players who could be on the move, so when they were traded it wasn’t really a huge surprise. The surprise was the teams they were traded to. Early on in the day Lester was traded from Boston to Oakland in a stunning move by Billy Beane. If his trade earlier in the month for Jason Hammel and Jeff Samardzija was seen as an all-in type deal, what the hell could this be described as? The A’s immediately became the favorites to reach the World Series and were the talk of baseball. This did not sit well with Dave Dombrowski and the Detroit Tigers as they themselves had an ace up their sleeve, quite literally, trading for David Price of Tampa Bay and giving their rotation the last three American League Cy Young winners. Things have a funny way of working out though as since that day both teams fell out of first place in their respective divisions and are hanging on to wild card spots. I don’t foresee a scenario where both miss the playoffs entirely but there is enough time left in the season for one of these teams to truly bottom out and realize that they were outdrawn on the river by a team whose hand wasn’t as impressive going in.

Oakland sacrificed offense in order to load the chamber of the gun, knowing that pitching can carry you through the postseason, but what good are those bullets if you don’t get a chance to use them? Bats have gone cold and a lead that they thought they could sustain has turned into a defecit they cannot overcome. Detroit had the starting pitching to compete and win a pennant, what they didn’t have was a functional bullpen. Any team that is able to keep a game close against the Tigers has to like their chances come the later innings. So what does the team do? Not nearly enough to fix its biggest weakness and is now involved in a dogfight with the hungry Kansas City Royals for the AL Central crown.

When these trades were made there was back and forth over both teams doing it because of the other. Oakland was tired of losing to Detroit and not being able to overcome that Tigers mountain and Detroit in retaliation for Oakland emptying their barrels and going full speed ahead on 2014. Fans dreamed of these teams and great pitching staffs facing off in the ALCS with a chance to reach the World Series on the line. The storyline wrote itself, it couldn’t get any better. Billy Beane could finally reach a World Series and he would have to go through his playoff nemesis to do it. That’s the thing though about dreams and wishes, they don’t always come true. The ultimate ALCS battle could now turn into a one and done game with everything on the line, and with the way things are going, the winner will be for naught anyway as the Angels are running a demolition derby through the rest of the American League and look more than primed to reach the Fall Classic once again.

If the matchup happens in the Wild Card Round we can only hope the rotations will work out in such a way that it will be Jon Lester against David Price. Hired gun versus hired gun. Mercenary against mercenary. That’s how it should be. Mortgage your future for present results and it’s only fair.