It’s time to pen a few of the impervious thoughts racing around in my head. I’ll begin with the good:
Ohio State’s Terrelle Pryor’s profound performance last Saturday earned him the Big 10 Offensive Player of Week. The honor marks the first time since Beanie Wells in November 2008 a Buckeye has been awarded the accolade. Pryor’s six touchdown passes against Eastern Michigan gave him the weekly honor, something no other Buckeyes quarterback has ever received. Of course, who else would the Big 10 choose than the player who commandeered an 83 point slashing of an opponent? Ohio State’s 83 points was the highest total put up by the scarlet and gray since 1950—and the team the Buckeyes faced that day was Iowa. OSU pens up conference play against Illinois this Saturday.
It smells like Guillen spirit on the South Side (that’s a Nirvana reference for the musically-deficient readers) The colorful Chicago coach is set to return to the Whitesox for the 2011 season. This is a good thing for the Sox, and for baseball. Ozzie Guillen could be described as basically any “o” adjective in the dictionary. He’s outrageous, outlandish, obnoxious and outspoken. Ozzie’s over-the-top style of managing is also outstanding. He isn’t just a passionate observer of the game, like most of today’s skippers. Nope, Ozzie goes out of his way to be stubborn. Guillen over-manages at times, sitting his more talented players in place of experienced veterans. His crazy antics have often gotten Guillen into truckloads of trouble, unnecessarily. But still, the Venezuelan native has a tremendous heart when it comes to winning baseball games. Guillen is a two time World Series champion manager, including just five seasons ago with the pale hoes. That same 2005 season, he was dubbed the AL Manager of the Year. The Sox have a winning record since Guillen took over the team in 2004. The Whitesox will not be competing in the post-season under Guillen in 2010. Ozzie wasn’t the best manager in his division (Ron Gardenhire deserves that honor). But would Whitesox fans really want to see the offensive heart of the team leave? Certainly, the coach is culpable for a lousy season, but Ozzie knows the x’s and o’s of managing. I would trust him with my team. You might not like his demeanor, but you can appreciate his spirit.
I’m happy for Roy Halladay. Halladay has been one of the hottest hurlers this decade and has finally punched his ticket to the playoffs with the Phillies. If anyone deserves a World Series ring, it’s this CY Young pitcher. However, I do not care to see Philadelphia win the World Series….which leads me to
And now for the bad:
The Phillies are clearly the team to beat. Any club anticipating a World Series championship will likely go through the city of brotherly love. And with the NL earning home-field advantage, that’s a scary thought for this Yankees fan.
I’ve learned through the years not to lose sleep at night over my team losing. So when the Cowboys dropped their first two games, I didn’t cry or pout. I did, however, lose hope in them. Dallas damaged their colossal aspirations and are in a dire position despite winning their first game last Sunday. The Cowboys are not a great team. They will not win the NFC East in stomping style, like most analysts predicted in the preseason. Tony Romo continues to prove he’s a mediocre, mistake-prone thrower. The offensive line is unraveling and porous in pressure situations. Special teams is terrifyingly tainted and the defense is inconsistent at best. But the most harmful impairment are the glaring penalties. In the NFL, you cannot win games when you have flags called against you. Just ask the Packers , who last night suffered a woeful loss to the Bears because they were whistled one too many times. Dallas is the same way. The ‘Boys lost in week one when Alex Baron was tagged with a hold call at the end of the game. That type of carelessness is costly in the NFL. The Cowboys will not be competitive if they continue to be crippled with detrimental calls.
A.J. Burnett. Really, what else is there to say? Maybe I could ask why this guy is even given the ball in the first place. Awful A.J. has done zippo for the Bombers and deserves every rip against him. Burnett is a pitiful 1-7 with an inexcusable near 7.0 ERA since August. The Yankees’ lefty took the mound last night and was smacked around in a 7-5 loss to the Bluejays. His former team battered him for seven runs in just under three frames. If Joe Girardi kept Burnett out of the post-season rotation (assuming the Yankees do in fact clinch) I would not complain. Burnett has allowed a first-inning run in 21 of his 32 starts this season. Who is to say he won’t do the same in division series, where runs are at a premium and one run often is the difference between a win and a loss? You could argue Burnett is only partially to blame for last night’s loss because the inept offense was fanned nine times. I beg to differ. The Yankees still put up five runs. If it weren’t for Burnett’s second shortest outing of the season, they wouldn’t have had to dig out of such a large hole in the first place. Pitching counts in baseball because it sets the tone for the offense. I can see why the Yankees are underperforming at the plate. Why should they try when their pitcher is pounded in every one of his starts? And even with a legitimate lead, an incompetent bullpen isn’t going to cut it.
Parting Points: Check out the new Gin Blossoms album out today. It sounds great.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
Dolphins Dumped in Division Draw
The New York Jets joined the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots atop the AFC East. New York finished off the Dolphins in a 31-23 week three victory Sunday night in Miami. Dustin Keller grabbed a pair of touchdowns and Braylon Edwards had 87 receiving yards to pave the way for the 2-1 Jets, who forced Miami out of first place. Edwards hauled in a 67 yard touchdown pass from Mark Sanchez to give New York the lead for good in the third quarter. Running back, Ladainian Tomlinson capped off the night with a one yard touchdown run with 1:55 remaining in the contest.
Chad Henne completed 26-of-44 passes for the Dolphins and had his best game of the season in Miami’s first loss. Henne spread the ball to seven different receivers and twice found the end zone for touchdowns. The Miami signal caller struggled through the first quarter against the Jets typically stout coverage in the red zone. He seemingly missed a touchdown when he overthrew former Ohio State wideout, Brian Hartline, on the game’s first drive. Former Dolphin, Jason Taylor, sacked Henne in the first quarter to damage the drive for Miami. Henne improved, going 9-of-10 through the air as the Dolphins got on the scoreboard late in the second quarter.
Sanchez was brilliant for the second week in a row for Gang Green. The USC alum tied a career-high with three touchdown passes and tossed for 256 yards in his third consecutive start without a pick. Sanchez hooked up with Keller on a 24 yard touchdown pass in the first quarter to put the Jets ahead 7-0. The Jets’ quarterback connected with Keller again in the second quarter on a 12 yard pass and 14-0 New York edge. The Dolphins answered with 17 straight points, including a three yard pass from Henne to Anthony Fasano and a Dan Carpenter 44 yard kick that cut the Jets’ lead to four points at the half. The Jets defense didn’t blitz Henne and the Dolphins’ offensive line protected the quarterback long enough for him to make plays.
Ricky Williams fumbled the football in the third quarter for Miami, but a replay challenged overturned the call and the Dolphins proceeded down the field to the end zone. Henne sparkled, converting three third downs before completing a 11 yard pass to Brandon Marshall. Marshall had his best game since arriving in Miami via Denver. The receiver led all players with 166 yards on ten receptions. With Miami clinging to a 17-14 advantage, the Jets launched a one-play drive midway through the third quarter to forge ahead. Sanchez hit his maligned receiver on an out route down the left sideline for his third touchdown of the game.
Carpenter footed a 20 yard field goal to end the third quarter scoring and pull Miami within a point of tying the game. After a Miami blocked punt, Jets’ placekicker, Nick Folk, planted a 30 yard field goal through the uprights with eight minutes remaining in the final stanza. The field goal exchanges continued with Carpenter’s third, a lengthy 50 yarder that again cut New York’s lead to one. But the defense from New York stopped Miami’s offense to fend off their last attempt. The Jets stopped the Dolphiins on four consecutive plays in the red zone, culminating with a Drew Coleman interception of Henne. Tomlinson pounded home the final touchdown of the night to seal the deal for Gang Green.
Parting Points: Song for Monday- “Green Grow the Rushes” by REM
Happy Birthday to Michael Jack Schmidt.
Chad Henne completed 26-of-44 passes for the Dolphins and had his best game of the season in Miami’s first loss. Henne spread the ball to seven different receivers and twice found the end zone for touchdowns. The Miami signal caller struggled through the first quarter against the Jets typically stout coverage in the red zone. He seemingly missed a touchdown when he overthrew former Ohio State wideout, Brian Hartline, on the game’s first drive. Former Dolphin, Jason Taylor, sacked Henne in the first quarter to damage the drive for Miami. Henne improved, going 9-of-10 through the air as the Dolphins got on the scoreboard late in the second quarter.
Sanchez was brilliant for the second week in a row for Gang Green. The USC alum tied a career-high with three touchdown passes and tossed for 256 yards in his third consecutive start without a pick. Sanchez hooked up with Keller on a 24 yard touchdown pass in the first quarter to put the Jets ahead 7-0. The Jets’ quarterback connected with Keller again in the second quarter on a 12 yard pass and 14-0 New York edge. The Dolphins answered with 17 straight points, including a three yard pass from Henne to Anthony Fasano and a Dan Carpenter 44 yard kick that cut the Jets’ lead to four points at the half. The Jets defense didn’t blitz Henne and the Dolphins’ offensive line protected the quarterback long enough for him to make plays.
Ricky Williams fumbled the football in the third quarter for Miami, but a replay challenged overturned the call and the Dolphins proceeded down the field to the end zone. Henne sparkled, converting three third downs before completing a 11 yard pass to Brandon Marshall. Marshall had his best game since arriving in Miami via Denver. The receiver led all players with 166 yards on ten receptions. With Miami clinging to a 17-14 advantage, the Jets launched a one-play drive midway through the third quarter to forge ahead. Sanchez hit his maligned receiver on an out route down the left sideline for his third touchdown of the game.
Carpenter footed a 20 yard field goal to end the third quarter scoring and pull Miami within a point of tying the game. After a Miami blocked punt, Jets’ placekicker, Nick Folk, planted a 30 yard field goal through the uprights with eight minutes remaining in the final stanza. The field goal exchanges continued with Carpenter’s third, a lengthy 50 yarder that again cut New York’s lead to one. But the defense from New York stopped Miami’s offense to fend off their last attempt. The Jets stopped the Dolphiins on four consecutive plays in the red zone, culminating with a Drew Coleman interception of Henne. Tomlinson pounded home the final touchdown of the night to seal the deal for Gang Green.
Parting Points: Song for Monday- “Green Grow the Rushes” by REM
Happy Birthday to Michael Jack Schmidt.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Fourth & Final
It was the fourth game of the series, and final of the season, between the Yankees and Rays Thursday night. New York settled for a series split after dropping a 10-3 decision in the Bronx. The Rays’ seven run sixth inning overpowered the Bombers and trimmed Tampa to within a half-game of the division. The win also gave the wildcard-leading Rays a 10-8 season series edge against their AL East rivals. Yankee ace, C.C. Sabathia, allowed seven runs on ten hits while laboring through five innings. Sabathia was outdueled by Rays’ 18 game winner, David Price. Price yielded eight hits in six innings, limiting the Bombers to three runs while fanning seven.
Marcus Thames provided the Bombers with a 2-0 advantage with a second inning homerun, and the Yankees added a tally in the fifth on Nick Swisher’s single. Sabathia gave one run back in the third on Ben Zobrist’s single, before allowing a season high seven runs when the night was over. New York’s 3-1 lead vanished in the top of the sixth. Sabathia’s pitch count stood at 76 against the relentless Rays heading into the fateful frame. Carl Crawford helped rally the Rays with a single off Sabathia. Evan Longoria followed with a double to place runners in scoring position visiting Tampa. Rocco Baldelli plated Crawford with a soft grounder, and Willie Aybar pummeled the Yankee lefty with a base hit to tie the game. Kelly Shopach then walked to load the bases. Sean Rodriguez fought off a full count to draw a walk and bring in another Rays’ run against Sabathia. Joba Chamberlain, on his birthday, was summoned from the Bombers’ bullpen to replace the starter with Tampa ahead 4-3. B.J. Upton greeted Chamberlain by slugging a double off the reliever. Upton’s double increased Tampa’s lead to 6-3 as they batted around in the sixth. Crawford plated two more runs in the frame and finished the with three hits on the evening.
In the bottom half of the sixth, the Yankees threatened by loading the bases. Mark Teixeria tried to help the Bombers grab a few runs back, but Price got the All-star switch-hitter to fly out to end the inning. Javier Vazquez worked the New York seventh, matching a major league record by hitting three straight batters. Shoppach was pegged to force in a run before pinch-hit sensation, Dan Johnson, lofted a sacrifice fly for a 10-3 Rays’ lead. Vazquez regained control to finish off the Rays in the eighth and ninth, but the Yankee offense couldn’t string anything together against Tampa’s bullpen. Joe Girardi, New York skipper, pulled most of his starters by the final innings. New York has six games remaining against Boston, and three with Toronto. The Rays’ schedule is a lighter one and includes contests with Baltimore, Kansas City and Seattle. It appears the Rays have a leg up in the division race, but there are still nearly two weeks of baseball remaining on the season.
Parting Points: “Vitality shows not only in the ability to persist, but in the ability to start over.”- F. Scott Fitzgerald
Marcus Thames provided the Bombers with a 2-0 advantage with a second inning homerun, and the Yankees added a tally in the fifth on Nick Swisher’s single. Sabathia gave one run back in the third on Ben Zobrist’s single, before allowing a season high seven runs when the night was over. New York’s 3-1 lead vanished in the top of the sixth. Sabathia’s pitch count stood at 76 against the relentless Rays heading into the fateful frame. Carl Crawford helped rally the Rays with a single off Sabathia. Evan Longoria followed with a double to place runners in scoring position visiting Tampa. Rocco Baldelli plated Crawford with a soft grounder, and Willie Aybar pummeled the Yankee lefty with a base hit to tie the game. Kelly Shopach then walked to load the bases. Sean Rodriguez fought off a full count to draw a walk and bring in another Rays’ run against Sabathia. Joba Chamberlain, on his birthday, was summoned from the Bombers’ bullpen to replace the starter with Tampa ahead 4-3. B.J. Upton greeted Chamberlain by slugging a double off the reliever. Upton’s double increased Tampa’s lead to 6-3 as they batted around in the sixth. Crawford plated two more runs in the frame and finished the with three hits on the evening.
In the bottom half of the sixth, the Yankees threatened by loading the bases. Mark Teixeria tried to help the Bombers grab a few runs back, but Price got the All-star switch-hitter to fly out to end the inning. Javier Vazquez worked the New York seventh, matching a major league record by hitting three straight batters. Shoppach was pegged to force in a run before pinch-hit sensation, Dan Johnson, lofted a sacrifice fly for a 10-3 Rays’ lead. Vazquez regained control to finish off the Rays in the eighth and ninth, but the Yankee offense couldn’t string anything together against Tampa’s bullpen. Joe Girardi, New York skipper, pulled most of his starters by the final innings. New York has six games remaining against Boston, and three with Toronto. The Rays’ schedule is a lighter one and includes contests with Baltimore, Kansas City and Seattle. It appears the Rays have a leg up in the division race, but there are still nearly two weeks of baseball remaining on the season.
Parting Points: “Vitality shows not only in the ability to persist, but in the ability to start over.”- F. Scott Fitzgerald
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
The Ails of Autumn
I’ll never be able to tell you how I feel,
For even if I could break through the tears you brought,
I wouldn’t be able to show you the shedding of my heart.
Through the winds that wily whispered,
Wholly offering my love for your dear regard,
The frailty of my falling was stronger than the autumn brushing you beside.
It is not quite time to usher in our season,
For all I knew, I wish not to know again,
Because when it’s clear the wringing of my eyes begins.
Happy Fall all!
For even if I could break through the tears you brought,
I wouldn’t be able to show you the shedding of my heart.
Through the winds that wily whispered,
Wholly offering my love for your dear regard,
The frailty of my falling was stronger than the autumn brushing you beside.
It is not quite time to usher in our season,
For all I knew, I wish not to know again,
Because when it’s clear the wringing of my eyes begins.
Happy Fall all!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Super Saints Survive Sixth Straight
New Orleans nipped the 49ers for the sixth straight time on Monday night at Candlestick Park. Drew Brees spoiled San Francisco’s bid for their first win when he connected with Marques Colston on a 30 yard play in the final minutes. Colston’s reception set up Garrett Hartley’s game winning 37 yard field goal as time expired to give the visiting Saints a 25-22 victory. New Orleans is 2-0 for the second consecutive season, while the Niners are 0-2 for the first time in six years.
Brees threw for 254 yards and a pair of scores. The 31 year old former Purdue signal caller completed 28 of 38 passes and orchestrated the game winning 51 yard drive. The Saints climbed out to a 9-0 lead in the first quarter after a Reggie Bush touchdown followed up a two point safety on the game’s third play. New Orleans capitalized on San Francisco turnovers throughout the game. San Francisco finished with four turnovers on a night the franchise honored Hall-of-Fame receiver, Jerry Rice. Niners’ quarterback, Alex Smith, was picked off by Roman Harper in the first quarter, and Malcom Jenkins recovered a Niners’ fumble before the half. The 49ers outgained the Saints by nearly double in yards, and Smith showed glimpses of promise. Still, the Saints’ high-octane offense and tight defense was too much for Mike Singletary’s Niners. San Francisco didn’t help their cause either. Delanie Walker fumbled at the eight yard line in the second quarter, and two of Smith’s passes were deflected for interceptions deep in Saints territory. New Orleans, meanwhile, appeared in midseason form to keep the Niners winless.
Smith went 23-for-32 with 275 yards through the air. His only touchdown pass came in the second quarter, when he hit Frank Gore from 12 yards out to cut the Saints’ lead to 9-7. Gore, one of the league’s top rushers, ran for 112 yards on 20 carries. For Gore, it was the 21st time he raced for over 100 yard, breaking a franchise record. It was Anthony Dixon, the Niners backup rusher however, who scored the team’s second touchdown of the game. Dixon crossed the endzone in the third quarter to lift San Francisco to a 14-9 advantage. The Saints answered with Brees’ three-yard pass to David Thomas with less than two minutes in the third quarter to retake the lead.
Hartley notched a pair of field goals in the final quarter as New Orleans seized a 22-14 lead with 2:22 remaining in the game. Bush was carted off the field in the fourth with a leg injury after carrying the ball just five times for four yards. Smith needed just 53 seconds to move the Niners 82 yards. The eight play drive concluded with Gore’s 7 yard touchdown run with 1:19 left. The Niners went for two and Smith’s dart to Vernon Davis was overturned after an initial incompletion. At 22-22, the teams looked poised for overtime until Brees led the Saints on a 7 play drive down the field to set up the winning field goal. Hartley, who booted the game-winner against Minnesota to send the Saints to the Superbowl, barely made it through the uprights on Monday. But he did, and the Saints went on to win their second game of the season.
Parting Points: Gut feelings- The Phillies and Yankees will take their divisions.
Song of the day- “Yesterday’s Letter” by 98 degrees
Brees threw for 254 yards and a pair of scores. The 31 year old former Purdue signal caller completed 28 of 38 passes and orchestrated the game winning 51 yard drive. The Saints climbed out to a 9-0 lead in the first quarter after a Reggie Bush touchdown followed up a two point safety on the game’s third play. New Orleans capitalized on San Francisco turnovers throughout the game. San Francisco finished with four turnovers on a night the franchise honored Hall-of-Fame receiver, Jerry Rice. Niners’ quarterback, Alex Smith, was picked off by Roman Harper in the first quarter, and Malcom Jenkins recovered a Niners’ fumble before the half. The 49ers outgained the Saints by nearly double in yards, and Smith showed glimpses of promise. Still, the Saints’ high-octane offense and tight defense was too much for Mike Singletary’s Niners. San Francisco didn’t help their cause either. Delanie Walker fumbled at the eight yard line in the second quarter, and two of Smith’s passes were deflected for interceptions deep in Saints territory. New Orleans, meanwhile, appeared in midseason form to keep the Niners winless.
Smith went 23-for-32 with 275 yards through the air. His only touchdown pass came in the second quarter, when he hit Frank Gore from 12 yards out to cut the Saints’ lead to 9-7. Gore, one of the league’s top rushers, ran for 112 yards on 20 carries. For Gore, it was the 21st time he raced for over 100 yard, breaking a franchise record. It was Anthony Dixon, the Niners backup rusher however, who scored the team’s second touchdown of the game. Dixon crossed the endzone in the third quarter to lift San Francisco to a 14-9 advantage. The Saints answered with Brees’ three-yard pass to David Thomas with less than two minutes in the third quarter to retake the lead.
Hartley notched a pair of field goals in the final quarter as New Orleans seized a 22-14 lead with 2:22 remaining in the game. Bush was carted off the field in the fourth with a leg injury after carrying the ball just five times for four yards. Smith needed just 53 seconds to move the Niners 82 yards. The eight play drive concluded with Gore’s 7 yard touchdown run with 1:19 left. The Niners went for two and Smith’s dart to Vernon Davis was overturned after an initial incompletion. At 22-22, the teams looked poised for overtime until Brees led the Saints on a 7 play drive down the field to set up the winning field goal. Hartley, who booted the game-winner against Minnesota to send the Saints to the Superbowl, barely made it through the uprights on Monday. But he did, and the Saints went on to win their second game of the season.
Parting Points: Gut feelings- The Phillies and Yankees will take their divisions.
Song of the day- “Yesterday’s Letter” by 98 degrees
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Braves Benefit from Blunder
Jason Heyward’s three run homerun capped a six-run fourth inning on Friday for the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field in New York. The Atlanta rookie helped the Braves win 6-4 over the Mets, and stay three games behind the Phillies in the NL East race. The Braves still lead the NL Wildcard and pushed their advantage to a full game over the Padres. All six runs in the fourth frame were unearned after an error by Mets’ third baseman, David Wright. Tommy Hanson turned in six innings of five hit ball to get the win for Atlanta. Billy Wagner earned his 34th save with a perfect ninth frame.
The Mets led 1-0 in the second following an Ike Davis walk and a pair of base hits by Josh Thole and Lucas Duda. New York added two more runs in the frame off the Braves’ right-hander. Mets’ pitcher, Jon Niese added a single and Jose Reyes drove in the third run to give the home team a 3-0 edge. Atlanta would get all three runs back and then some during a four-hit fourth.
Wright misplayed a ground ball by leadoff man, Matt Diaz, to begin the inning. The Mets recorded two outs before Derrek Lee scored on a Melky Cabrera RBI single for the first Atlanta tally. After he withstood a shaky second inning, Hanson drew a full count walk to load the bases in the fourth. The Braves’ comeback rally was just starting. Omar Infante doubled off Niese to score a pair of runs, and Heyward followed with a three run blast. It was the 18th of the season for the young right-fielder.
Hanson allowed one run in the bottom of the fourth. Duda smacked a 2-0 offering for a solo homer, his first of the season. It provided the Mets some temporary life in a game that already saw Atlanta skipper, Bobby Cox, ejected during the second inning. But the Braves’ bullpen handled the rest, posting zeros through the final five frames. Hanson is now 10-11 as a starter. He won for the just the second time in his last 14 games and was previously 0-4 in his last six road starts. Niese fell to an even 9-9 on the season as the Mets’ four game winning streak was snapped.
Parting Points: A bunch of duds on the college football slate today…
The Mets led 1-0 in the second following an Ike Davis walk and a pair of base hits by Josh Thole and Lucas Duda. New York added two more runs in the frame off the Braves’ right-hander. Mets’ pitcher, Jon Niese added a single and Jose Reyes drove in the third run to give the home team a 3-0 edge. Atlanta would get all three runs back and then some during a four-hit fourth.
Wright misplayed a ground ball by leadoff man, Matt Diaz, to begin the inning. The Mets recorded two outs before Derrek Lee scored on a Melky Cabrera RBI single for the first Atlanta tally. After he withstood a shaky second inning, Hanson drew a full count walk to load the bases in the fourth. The Braves’ comeback rally was just starting. Omar Infante doubled off Niese to score a pair of runs, and Heyward followed with a three run blast. It was the 18th of the season for the young right-fielder.
Hanson allowed one run in the bottom of the fourth. Duda smacked a 2-0 offering for a solo homer, his first of the season. It provided the Mets some temporary life in a game that already saw Atlanta skipper, Bobby Cox, ejected during the second inning. But the Braves’ bullpen handled the rest, posting zeros through the final five frames. Hanson is now 10-11 as a starter. He won for the just the second time in his last 14 games and was previously 0-4 in his last six road starts. Niese fell to an even 9-9 on the season as the Mets’ four game winning streak was snapped.
Parting Points: A bunch of duds on the college football slate today…
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