This Hurts

I haven't posted much since the Cubs lost game 2. It's been a rough week to be fair. Getting swept in the first round two years in a row is just unreal. Last season it was a bit of a surprise for the Cubs to even be there, nobody really thought it was going to happen. Even though we lost three straight, the signs were in place that the team was about to be really good. And this season they were. It was unlike any Cubs season I've ever seen. Never have they been hands-down the most dominant force in the league throughout a season. 97 wins? Unheard of in my lifetime.

I'm not going to go into a season recap. Everybody knows what happened all season, and everyone witnessed one of the biggest flop performances of my lifetime. With everybody getting ready for the NLCS to get going tomorrow night, the pain is really starting to sink in. The team announced they were picking up Rich Harden's option for next season, and it's just devastating to realize what happened. Literally as I write this, Stu Scott and John Anderson just made a mention of the Cubs incident (the poll of the night was who would win the World Series, and Anderson asked where the Cubs were and said people were probably still looking to pick them). The whole experience was a surreal, catastrophic embarrassment. The Dempster walks in game one, the infield errors in game two, and the brief appearance of Rich Harden in game three. That's what I have to remember what once was an incredible season.

Now the Cubs have to figure out what to do to fix the problem. I wish I had an answer, but I don't even know what to do. I have my doubts about the team's ability to respond to the choke job that was 2008. But how do you break up a team that just won 97 games? There clearly weren't any problems all season, and you can't trade players around based on perceived clutch ability. So we have to go into the season with the same team we have now, and we probably won't be able to go out and splash the market because of questions regarding ownership. But here's wishing for the dream situation. Mark Cuban comes in and rescues this franchise from itself.

Cuban could bring a new attitude to the team and the fans surrounding the team. Instead of waiting for the worst, he could bring the money and energy to a ball club desperately looking for a winning culture. At the end of the day, the Cubs just won back to back division titles, and that's something I never thought I'd say. If Cuban can close the sale in time for free agency, which is completely possible, the Cubs could make a splash. These are the small comforts I have to hold on to right now, as I still try and get my head around what happened.

The last thing I want to say on this topic, and I have no intentions to write about baseball for the next 3 weeks, is that I don't want to hear anything about a curse. Curses are for children and witches. Not baseball teams. The Cubs weren't cursed, they just choked. They were untalented, not unlucky. The whole city froze up, and it effected the team, and after that game one loss we came off the tracks. I don't want to talk about it anymore, I've spent enough time dwelling on it. For now, there's football.

Week 6 Upon Further Review...

Six weeks through the season, and there are two unbeaten teams remaining. At the start of the season nobody would have thought the Titans and Giants would be the longest to go without losing. They're being chased by the Colts and Cowboys, many pundits' picks for this season's Super Bowl. It totals up for what should be really compelling football over the season. I honestly don't remember the last time a season was so wide open. How many times have you looked at a scoreboard this season and asked yourself, "Wow I didn't see that going like that." It's all making for one of the more fun seasons to follow in a long time. There's no absolute, dominating force, and it breathes hope into a deep pool of top tier teams. I know for me, by the time Sunday Night Football is coming on, I'm already looking at next week's schedule and thinking point spreads and playoff implications. It's just nice having football (it also doesn't hurt when your team rattles off a 44-6 win, after your baseball team re-writes the book on choking).

The Best Team in Football?
I wrote a baseball article with that title about some other team a few months back. I'm concerned with my bold decision to do it right now about my New York Football Giants. The Giants are the most complete team in the league right now. Every player on the team buys into the system, and they know how to win. They protect the ball, they can stop the run game, they can pound the ball with the run, and Eli has quietly turned into one of the better quarterbacks in the league. Manning didn't even play in the fourth quarter yesterday, and went 19/25 with 265 yards and two touchdowns. He's thrown one interception this season, making him the best interception/pass attempt ratio after Jason Campbell. The three-headed monster combined for 241 yards yesterday on 33 carries. The Giants are third in the league in rushing yards after the Falcons and Redskins. The only difference is that the Falcons and Redskins have played five games to the Giants four. Everything is clicking for the Giants right now, but still, I await legitimate competition. It's nice to blowout the Rams and Seahawks, but I'm waiting for that stretch of games when we see the Steelers, Cowboys, and Eagles. The Redskins win looks a lot nicer these days, but aside from that game the schedule has been cupcake city.


Hail to the Redskins
I feel dirty just writing that out. I love the fact that the Skins have beaten up on the Eagles and Cowboys already this season. Jason Campbell has arrived, evidenced by the stat shown above. The talent of this team comes down to the line. Their offensive line is a group of absolute manimals. The left side of that line features the closest thing to an immovable object I've ever seen. Chris Samuels is a complete beast, and sends I don't know how defensive players could get around him. Clinton Portis is running the ball like it's 2001 and he's in Miami. Whether you believe it or not, the Redskins are 4-1, and they're playing good football. The NFC East still has lost only one game outside of the division, Philadelphia's short-handed loss to the Bears last week. They've played all their road division games, beating the Eagles and the Cowboys. They're thinking division, not wildcard, in D.C.

The Single-Wing Formation
Is anybody else absolutely infuriated by the shenanigans in Miami? I'm desperate for a good defensive coordinator to get their hands on this team. Unfortunately for those who enjoy 21st century football, this pop warner formation is winning games for the Dolphins right now. With all that said, when I see Ronnie Brown run this garbage I can only think about Michael Vick's agent. I hope he is taping every one of these games, so that when Vick gets out of prison he can go from camp to camp and say, "Imagine running this formation with Mike Vick being the guy able to run it or throw it, along with a tailback, and your quarterback. " It's at least something to think about, right?
This was the picture that came up from Google when I typed in Single-Wing...

The Falcons Aren't So Bad
I'm ready to drink the Matt Ryan kool-aid. Not just a dixie cup either, I'm ready to chug the whole pitcher. He looks poised in the pocket, doesn't panic, never puts the ball into bad situations, and has a tremendous arm. He's surrounded by a good offensive line, a dynamic running back, and a good receiver in Roddy White. Out of nowhere, the situation in Atlanta doesn't look as poisoned as it once was. That was a quality win yesterday, in Green Bay, against a team that was once thought of as one of the better clubs in the NFC. I don't think they're going to be able to fight for a playoff spot in this year's stacked NFC, but they have a good foundation to build on for the next few years.

The Upper Class

1. New York Giants (4-0) They're doing it in dominant fashion too. They lead the league in point difference.

2. Tennessee Titans (5-0) Best record in football. Even if it wasn't pretty in Baltimore yesterday.

3. Washington Redskins (4-1) They beat the Eagles and Cowboys on the road, and that is impressive.

4. Carolina Panthers (4-1) Nobody is even paying attention to them do it either. Great run game, great defense, and Steve Smith is all the way back.

5. Dallas Cowboys (4-1) Still some turmoil in the Big D, but they have so many weapons down there it barely matters.

6. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-1) Everyone of their games is leading the entire Pittsburgh into cardiac arrest. This team is desperate for their bye week. Big Ben Berger is sooooo good.

7. Denver Broncos (4-1) This is first team of the second tier really. All the teams above it have a legitimate chance to win the Super Bowl, I'm not feeling that with the Broncos.

8. New England Patriots (3-1) I was more impressed with the way they won. The bye week served them well, and they should return to their more dominant ways soon.

9. Buffalo Bills (4-1) I know it's a long way to drop, but it all depends on the health of Trent Edwards. Put JP Losman into the starting lineup, and this might be as high they get for the rest of the season.

10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2) They came oh so close to beating the Broncos in Denver, keeping the high-flying Broncos to only 16 points. They're a good team, and that NFC South is looking good.

Battle of the MVP's
There's no doubting that right now Drew Brees is playing better than any other quarterback in the league right now. He is completing nearly 75% of his passes, and is fourth in the league in passing yards, after counting yesterday's games. Adrian Peterson is a horse and is fourth in the league in rushing yards, also after yesterday's games. It's run the ball and play defense against air the ball out and play absolutely no defense. They're both incomplete teams, but it should make for a tremendously interesting game. I like the Vikings to start turning their ship around. They're better than that 1-3 record, and they make their push on the extremely winnable NFC North starting tonight.

Full Circle

WE SHALL PREVAIL!

It's been about 24 hours since Game 1 started, and my emotions have really come full circle. It's just short of three hours until gametime, and I've decided I have to put last night behind me in the same way the players do. Everyone seems to be really positive today in CubbieLand, including the most important man of the night, Carlos Zambrano. He said he's feeling great, Soto says he looks great, and I believe them. Last time Carlos came into a game with this much rest, he ended up throwing a no-hitter.

I went back and read what I wrote last night, and I still agree with everything I said. Even though, when I said it, I didn't believe it at all. Last night, and most of today, I was inconsolable. But the more I read the Cubs blogs, and the articles, and the fanzines, and all that other stuff, the more I find myself agreeing with people who are saying, "it's only game 1." There's a reason they play these things out over a best of 5, so that the best team is most likely to come out on top. Only Cubs fans would sit here and beat themselves up for losing one game, like it's the end of the world. There's no reason we don't go out there tonight, and absolutely murder this Dodgers team. Again, I can't stress the importance of the crowd tonight. They have to be more lively this evening. If we have the regular Cubs crowd, the way they're supposed to be, and Z is throwing strikes, the Cubs will be fine. I'll be able to tell you from the first pitch how this game is going to turn out.

Just wanted to get all that off my chest. I hope to God this isn't the last meaningful game of the season, because it's really been too special a year to go down like that. Must keep the faith, this team is different, and tonight we prove it.

Cubs, Dodgers Game 1

I'm coming to grips with the loss. At first it was devastating, but I've allowed it to simmer in for a few hours now. The Cubs season hinges on this game tomorrow, and I'm ok with that. If they can win than it's quite possible that this loss was the worst it will be of the playoffs. A team responds to a loss like that in one of two ways. They turn in a dominant performance the following night and assert their superiority for the remainder of the playoffs. Or, more frequently, they go belly-up before they get out of the gate. I'm confident though, we find the answer tomorrow night.

The crowd knew it was coming from the first pitch. It was a weird overcast night, extra chilly in the air, and it didn't feel right from the beginning. To my dad's credit, he called Dempster being off from the first inning. My dad doesn't watch that much baseball anymore, but he still has an eye, and he was right last night. Dempster was all over the place, consistently missing spots. The Cub bats were actually alive and well. They just weren't hitting in the right spots. The Edmonds near homer in the 8th, what would have made the score 6-4, was painful because of the way the wind sucked it out of the air. And Alfonso Soriano's 0-5, 2 K'S, and 3 runners left on was no help either. Still, Lee, Ram-Ram, Edmonds, DeRosa, Theriot, Fontenot, and even Dempster got hits. The bats are healthy, and that's a very positive sign. On top of that, the Cubs' third best pitcher went tonight. As good as he is at home, we have Zambrano and Harden going the next two games. I love our chances with them on the mound.

Our work will be cut out for us tomorrow night. Chad Billingsley has been no push over this season. He's 5th in the league in strikeouts and 7th in the league in ERA, and wins. He's also 8th in the league in walks, and the Cubs got this far because of their ability to get on the bases, and gain walks from pitchers. It's his first playoff start, and it needs to be in a raucous Wrigley Field. I understand Cubs fans went into the game tonight a little jittery, and maybe expecting to just walk all over the Dodgers. Wrigley has to be the same place in the playoffs as it was during the season, a 56-win fortress. With a Big Z who's absolutely starving to get out there and dominate this game, I like our chances to even this series out. (read the interviews with him, he knows what people are saying, and he knows what's at stake. He has to be there tomorrow night, or he gets the bust label)

The key tomorrow night will be Big Z. I have extreme confidence that he will be in his top-of-the-line form for the game. I think Lou knows the right things to say to these guys, and I think the crowd at the stadium tomorrow night knows their part too. The worst is over, we've passed high tide. Either that, or the count goes to 101. Now I have to figure out how to sleep.

Shea Goodbye

I did not want to talk about this, but it was been with me since I saw the ball settle into Cameron Maybin’s glove around 5 o’clock on Sunday. For the 3^rd year in a row I saw my Mets lose an elimination game, only this year came with a little different emotion. In 2006 after the Mets lost a game 7 at home in the NLCS and last year after the epic collapse I felt angry. I was tired of rooting for teams that found a way to break my heart every season, and I did not recover until the beginning of this Baseball season.

In 2008, however, it was a very different feeling. Unlike most Met fans, I understood that the 07 collapse was a fluke thing and this version of the team, armed with Johan Santana, would surely make me forget about 2007. Looking back on April I don’t think I have ever been more excited or optimistic about the start of any of my teams seasons…boy am I a gullible idiot.

The season started off in disappointment with Pedro getting hurt in his first start and the team playing under .500 ball. David Wright and Ryan Church were the only ones hitting and Carlos Delgado was on the cusp of being released. The Mike Pelfry experiment looked as though it was a big mistake and he was about to be sent back down to the minors. Still the Mets did enough to float around the .500 mark and I was confident they just needed one little spark to get everything rolling.

Almost 3 months into the season, the Mets received that spark with the firing of their worthless manger Willie Randolph. Omar decided to go with the experience of bench coach Jerry Manuel and I was unsure about the choice, but willing to take anything that wasn’t Randolph. Sure enough things began to run on all cylinders as the Mets went into the All Star break riding a 10 game winning streak and a season high 7 games over .500.

Things were clicking under Manuel and the Mets looked poised to take the NL East crown. They stormed through August going 18-10 and saw themselves sitting atop the Division with a 2 game lead. The dreaded month on September had arrived and the only thing on everyone’s mind was shaking the ghosts of 2007. At the mark of 17 games left to play, where everything went wrong last year, the Mets were 82-64 with a 4 game lead in the loss column over the Phils.

Fast forward two weeks later to Friday September 26 and the Mets had let the division all but slip away. Entering the last weekend at Shea they sat 1 back with 3 to play and even in the Wild Card chase with the Brewers. To avoid making this a summary on the season, I will assume everyone knows how the weekend ended as all us Met fans got to Shea goodbye.

As the game ended, I sat speechless staring at the screen. I was not mad, I was not upset, I was stunned and disappointed. I know I should have expected this but 2008 was supposed to be different. Many want to sit and point fingers and say that Wright or Reyes did not hit in the clutch, or the bullpen blew it again, or the rotation other than Santana could not go deep into games, but the bottom line is something is just missing from this team.

I can say that if they had Jerry Manuel all year things would have been different, but that is not just another excuse. The bottom line is the team had a 4 game lead with 17 to play and a 2 game lead with 7 to play and ended up blowing both. I cannot tell you what caused this and what to do to fix it. I can list players they need to acquire and players they need to rid themselves of, but if bringing in Johan Santana did not do the job I cannot imagine what player will.

The whole last day of the season I was debating weather I would watch the closing ceremonies of Shea after the game if the Mets lost. Once the game ended I did not want anything to do with the Mets or sports in general. Somehow though in a room with a Yankee, Cub and Red Sox fan the post-game show was left on and I began to watch the ceremony.

After watching Mike Piazza and Tom Seaver walk out to Centerfield and shut the gates of Shea Stadium for the last time I was full of emotion. I was still disappointed and in shock from the loss, and all I could think about was how great it would have been for the 2008 team to be apart of that ceremony. On the other hand I had a tear in my eye because that same team that has disappointed me so many times would never play another game in the only place I knew them to play.

As the festivities ended I put all that disappointment behind me and said goodbye to Shea. After another tragic weekend and season I realized that there is nothing the Mets can do to make me stop caring. With tears in my eyes I sat there and got closure on the 2008 season and the last thing I can remember thinking was “I cannot wait until 2009.”

BPL Power Rankings: Round 6

Really quickly, no explanations, just the movers and shakers in this week's rankings. It'll probably be like this until the MLB Playoffs are done.

1. Chelsea- 14 Points
Last Week- 1

2. Aston Villa- 13 Points
Last Week- 3

3. Liverpool- 14 Points
Last Week- 4

4. Hull City- 11 Points
Last Week- 6

5. Arsenal- 12 Points
Last Week- 2

6. Manchester United- 8 Points
Last Week- 7

8. Blackburn Rovers- 10 Ponits
Last Week- 12

9. Manchester City- 9 Points
Last Week- 5

10. Portsmouth- 9 Points
Last Week- 15

11. Wigan Athletic- 8 Points
Last Week- 11

12. Sunderland- 7 Points
Last Week- 10

13. West Brom- 7 Points
Last Week- 18

14. Fulham- 6 Points
Last Week- 9

15. Everton- 7 Points
Last Week- 13

16. Middlesbrough- 6 Points
Last Week- 14

17. Stoke City- 4 Points
Last Week- 16

18. Bolton Wanderers- 4 Points
Last Week- 17

20. (tie) Newcastle United- 4 Points
Last Week- 20

20. (tie) Tottenham Hotspur- 2 Points
Last Week- 19

2008 MLB Playoff Preview

As much as this hurts, it is my duty as a PineRider to give comprehensive on major sporting events, no matter how badly my team tanks (Mets post also coming soon). So as we gear up for another October here is how everything is going to play out...

American League

Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago White Sox

The White Sox will come into this series with the momentum of winning three elimination games against three different teams in three days. They also come in as the only team where the majority of their own city will not be focused on them, but instead on the other team in town. With that being said I think it is important for them to keep the momentum up and get off to a quick start tomorrow in Tampa. The pitching staff is going to be the Sox keeping that momentum, but what could lead to their demise as well. They will be throwing Javier Vazquez in game 1, a guy that pitched to a 4.67 ERA and has his own manger tell the world he is not a big game pitcher. I have been saying all year that the Sox pitching is not going to hold up, and while they have proven me wrong so far I believe it will finally catch up to them. Another story for the White Sox will be the two future Hall of Famers in Thome and Griffey making one final run at a World Series. Both players were the stars of the show in yesterday's win over the Twins and will look to continue that heading into Tampa.

The only problem is the Rays will have something to say about that playing in their own park. I know that they may not sell out the place and there is actually a catwalk in play, but this team was dominant at the Trop in 08 winning a major league high 57 games at home. Couple the home dominance with a very strong top 3 in the rotation and you have a recipe for winning. They one question mark I have heading into October is the bullpen. With Troy Percival being banged up most of the second half, the Rays went with Dan Wheeler as their closer. While Wheeler had been very good as the setup man his performance as closer has been shaky at best. This would scare me in October if I were a Ray fan especially with the three other veteran teams with dominant bullpens in the AL.

The outcome of this series is going to come down to pitching, as most do. The Rays have a very strong staff and while most worry about their inexperience, I believe this team is well managed and that along with the home field advantage will be too much for the White Sox to handle.

Prediction: Rays in 4


Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Boston Red Sox

It really does not get any better than this as maybe the two best teams in Baseball will meet in the other ALDS series. The Sox have dominated the Angels in the post-season twice in the last 4 years, but the Angels have dominated the Sox so far in 2008 winning 8 of their 9 meetings.

The thing that is troubling to me is how long it has been since the Angels have played meaningful Baseball. I know that might not mean anything at the end of the day because this is a veteran club with a great manager, but it could cause a small let down in a short series. Other than that this team is absolutely stacked. The top 3 on the staff is as dominant as it gets and the lineup is put together with perfect balance. Of course what makes the Angels so dominant is the strength of the pen. If they have a lead going into the 8th inning pack your bags and get read for the next game. Scott Shields and K Rod are as unhittable as it gets at the back of the pen and Darren Oliver and Jose Arredondo have been very good in the middle innings. If they get off to a quick lead and get solid starting pitching they are almost impossible to beat.

The key for the Sox will be the health of Mike Lowell and Josh Beckett. Lowell adds another right handed RBI bat in the lineup and takes some of the pressure off JD Drew who has disappeared in the second half. Even without Lowell this lineup is very strong. Ellsbury has proved to be a menace on the base paths and Papi and Youk are as good as it gets driving in runs in big spots. Of course I cannot leave out the play of second basemen Dustin Pedroia. In my mind Pedroia is the MVP of the AL and has already proven he can produce in October.

Even with the strength of the lineup however, none of that will matter if Josh Beckett is still bothered by his lingering injuries. Beckett has been the most dominant post season pitcher of this generation and if he is unable to go, or not effective the Sox are going to struggle to get out of Anaheim.

This should be a fun one as both lineups are very good and both teams are well managed veteran clubs. My brain tells me to take the Angels because on paper they are the best team in the game, but there is something about this Red Sox team that will not allow me to pick against them. Look for Beckett to be solid and the lineup and Papelbon to carry them to the ALCS.


Prediction: Red Sox in 5

National League

Philadelphia Phillies and Milwaukee Brewers

Besides meeting in the first round of the NL playoffs, these two teams have something else in common as well. They both played very well the last week of the season and showed my Mets what playoff teams do to win a race.

The biggest reason for the Brewers success down the stretch was obviously the work of their big lefty C.C. Sabathia. The last two weeks of the season C.C. pitched 28.2 innings allowing just 6 runs in just 12 days. Going into this series, there is not another pitcher playing that I would want on the mound over Sabathia (Beckett is not 100 percent) and he is dangerous in a 5 game series. The only problem is he has pitched so much on 3 days rest that the Brewers have to be careful he does not break down. He will be going again on short rest in game 2, and if this series goes 5 he will undoubtedly be seen in game 5. The problem will be getting to a game 5 for the rest of the staff.

On the other side there is not a hotter hitter in Baseball than Ryan Howard. He comes into October having the September from god and is one of the best clutch hitters in the game. If the top of the lineup continues to get on base Howard will continue to drive them in and the Phillies will continue to score tons of runs. What will give the Phils problems will be the pitching. I know they are well rested since the Mets didn't even make them work to win the East, but outside of Hamels there are many inconsistencies. Brett Myers had been pitching well since he came back from the minors, but his last two starts were a disaster.

The X factor for the series is Phillies closer Brad Lidge. Lidge has been perfect this year and will continue his dominance into the playoffs. Look for a lot of runs in some of these games and this series will definalely not be lacking in excitement.

Prediction: Phillies in 4


Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers

Hey, Chicago, what do you say
The Cubs are gonna win today.

Go, Cubs, go
Go, Cubs, go
Those might be the words uttered by the other PineRider, but I certainly cannot deal with another title for Sami, epically a Cubs World Series. Yes I will be rooting against the Cubs all October, but it is going to be difficult because this team is very good. Like the Angels in the AL, the Cubs have a well balance team from pitching to defense to the bench. My only concern with them going deep into October is the bullpen. Carlos Marmol has been dominant all year and should continue that in the playoffs. I just am having a hard time having much confidence in Kerry Wood. I know he has been solid all year, but when it comes down a championship team I feel like you need a dominant closer to get you through October.

I am speaking long term, however, about the Cubs. As far as the NLDS I think they can beat the Dodgers if they started only half of their regulars. People are getting excited about this team because of the star power of Joe Torre and Manny Ramirez. I know Manny has had the best second half I probably have ever seen, but after him this does not really look like a playoff roster. Sure the likes of Kemp, Loney and Dewitt are very solid players, but to beat this Cubs team they are a few sluggers short. A lot of people are raving about the staff, but they are a bunch of number 2 or 3 guys missing an ace.

Let us not forget that the Dodgers won 84 games playing in the worst division in Baseball. If they beat the Cubs than I will finally concede that there is a bigger power out there causing curses and hexes over certain things. For now take your money to the bookie and put it on the Cubs.

Prediction: Cubs in 3

Predicting the Rest of October

ALCS- Red Sox over Rays in 6
The Sox sluggers will be too much and they will wrap it up before Tampa can get back home for a game 7.
ALCS MVP- David Ortiz


NLCS- Cubs over Phillies in 7
This will prove to be an exciting series with a lot of offense. In the end the Cubs are too good for anyone in the NL and will move to their first World Series since the summer W.W II ended.
NLCS MVP- Derrek Lee

World Series- Red Sox over Cubs in 6
I am going to stick to my original prediction of Sox over Cubs (heard on PineCast Vol. 1). In the end it will be another disappointment for the people from the Windy City and the PineRider from New Jersey.
World Series MVP- Jonathan Papelbon

Cubs CD, Expert Picks, and the Playoff Roster

This will be the last 'build-up' post about the Cubbies. After this it's all meat and potatoes, fellas. Three quick final notes, well kinda quick. First, this morning I chose my Cubs playoff cd. Last season, during the extremely brief Cubs 2007 run, I decided I would start selecting a cd whenever one of my teams started a playoff run. For the 2007 Cubs, it was Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here". For the Giants Super Bowl 42 run it was U2's The Joshua Tree. For the 2008 Chicago Cubs, it's going to be Peter, Bjorn, and John's "Writer's Block." For some reason it jumped out at me, and that's really how I go about picking this thing. It's a cool way to tie a team to a certain musical memory, give the run a little more of an identity. Now whenever I hear songs off of those first two albums, I instantly jump back in memory to those two events. It's a cool idea, and I suggest it to anybody who's into music and sports.

The experts over on ESPN released their playoff predictions today. Nothing toooooo stunning, a few people picked the Dodgers to win it, and someone picked the Rays. For the most part everyone picked some sort of combination between Red Sox/Angels and Cubs for the World Series. Peter Gammonds, who is usually a Cubs supporter picked the Dodgers to win that series, as did Jim Caple. Consider yourselves to be on my crap list guys. The Cubs got the most picks for the win though. Here's a link to the espn picks, as usual copy and paste it into your browser,
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs2008/news/story?id=3619261

If you look on the left hand side, under the ESPN headlines and the Baseball headlines, you can see a link to a Jayson Stark article where he picks the Chicago Cubs to win the Series. Check it out, pretty good stuff, even kind of funny.

The Cubs' playoff roster also came out this morning. I'm not completely sure with all of Lou's choices on the roster, but as usual, In Lou We Trust. Seriously though, I don't know about his choice to bring Bobby Howry, Sean Marshall, and Jason Marquis. I would've liked to have left one of them (Bobby Howry) at home in favor of another bat. Lou also picked Felix Pie over Micah Hoffpauir, I'm fine with that, but again we could've brought Hoffpauir instead of one of the pitchers that we probably won't be using. DeRosa and Soto are apparently 100% and ready to go, as is Z, who is refusing to talk to reporters right now. I love it. I'll see you guys later tonight, probably around 1030.

Playoff Preview

G hit the more in-depth preview. I'm too much of an emotional wreck right now to do anything to deep so here we go. Quick shots, as the Phillies are about throw out the first pitch.

National League Division Series

Brewers 3 Phillies 2
Assuming C.C. pitches twice, I think they can beat the Phillies in one of the other three games. Even though I think the Brewers stink.

Cubs 3 Dodgers 1
The Dodgers are good enough to win a game at least. I'm still scared of them winning the series. Logic tells me not to, though.

American League Division Series

Angels 3 Red Sox 2
Helluva series. I like the Angels as the best team in baseball though.

White Sox 3 Rays 2
As much as I love the Rays, I do believe in experience. White Sox have it in spades.

National League Championship Series

Cubs 4 Brewers 1
Don't forget Milwaukee is Chicago-2, so the Cubs will basically have 7 home games if necessaary. I've said all year I don't believe the Brewers are that good. No Sheets, a staggering C.C. (I hope), and a hot Cubs team, put the Brew-Crew to rest for another 26 years.

Angels 4 White Sox 0
Not even close.

2008 World Series

Yeah, right. Like I'm going to pick against the Cubs or jinx them by picking them? If it happens to be Angels Cubs I'll write something, if not, then I'll see you in April.

Nice Post

I really thought all day on how best to encapsulate the feelings I'm going through today. Complete nerves up and down and I just can't get over it. They aren't regular playoff nerves because of the expectations, and the emotions that go with this team this year. Instead of explaining it, I'm going to let this guy from bleedcubbieblue.com do it. Great post up there today about how important this is to Cubs fans, and I couldn't figure out a better way to say it. Enjoy (just copy and paste the link below into your browser)

http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2008/9/30/625219/this-might-actually-be-wha

Does No World Series= Failure

I've gotten this question a few times over the last few days, and the guys over on CubsCast.com brought it up a few days ago on their podcast. (Excellent podcast about the Cubs, for Cubs fans by the way, check out CubsCast it's available on iTunes) So the question being brought up is whether or not this season is a failure if the Cubs don't win the World Series. Honestly, I'm not even thinking that far down the line yet. I'm worrying about the Dodgers first. If I had to be honest though, I'd say that anything short of making it to the World Series and putting up a good effort in the Series would be disappointing. Anything short of making it to the World Series, would probably be coming up short. It's tough to say that any of the 3 other teams in the National League are as good or as balanced as the Cubs, so that's my logic for saying they should make it to the World Series.

The funny thing to think about is, would I rather get swept out in the World Series, or do I want to get so close that I can say for a few years, "Oh yeah, the Cubs were 4 outs away from winning the World Series." I think I'd feel better if the Cubs were done and dusted in four quick ones in the Series, than went the full way where I had to think about it for the next 20 or 30 years. So to focus on the question, yes anything short of making it to the World Series would be failure to me. This team needs to exercise the demons of the past 63 years, and just make it to the Series. They don't have to win it, that might be too much to ask and I understand that, but they have to get there. That's it for now, I'll be back later today

Five Things That Scare the $#!% Out of Me

We're two days away from the baseball playoffs kicking off. We'll have a few preview for everybody up once we know who's going to be in. The White Sox and Twins are still battling it out for the AL Central crown, and we're waiting for that saga to play itself out. The following though, is a list of five things that scare the bejesus out of me going into the playoffs.

1. Manny being Manny
Call me crazy but would you be that shocked if Manny hit .550, knocked 4 home runs, and scored 15 rbis in a 5-game set? I just have that awful fear of this guy in my gut, that he's going to win Game 1 at Wrigley single-handedly and the Cubs' playoff push will be dead in the water before it even starts. I can't stress this enough, it is unbelievably important that the Cubs win Game 1 on Wednesday. Am I really worried about losing to the Dodgers? Not really, but I might be worried about beating ourselves against the Dodgers. The storyline for that team just seems too good, and I am sick about the possibilities of the coming week.

2. Z Gets Hurt
I could see Derek Lowe going out to Wrigley and throwing one of his playoff gems at the Cubbies, and Ryan Dempster losing a close one at home. If the Cubs go down 1-0 and then Z re-injures his arm during Game 2, things could get ugly. Chad Billingsley isn't that bad, he's actually pretty good. This Dodgers thing can get ugly quick.

3. The Potential Storyline
This Manny, Torre, LA storyline has too much potential. Not to mention the storyline of the Cubs collapsing once again. Can't you picture Game 4 in LA, with TBS treating us to a repeating montage of billy goats and Steve Bartman? I've seen this before haven't I? It just seems too perfect, and if you think I'm not concerned about being on the SI cover you're nuts.

4. Geovanny Soto's Hand
The pulse of this team, Talented Mr. Soto, may be the biggest piece to this team. The Cubs boast 5 guys who hit 20 home runs, Edmonds had 19, and depth on the bench at almost every position on the field. At catcher however, Soto offers so much more than almost any other catcher in baseball. When he is missing, Blanco doesn't quite stack up in the same way. When Soto is in the lineup, this lineup is devastating, when he goes down, the Cubs miss him. If he misses time in the playoffs, it may be panic time.

5. The Gates of Hell open up, and the Apocolypse begins
Yeah, I still think that's the most likely way for this to all end. I mean, I could really picture, Game 5 World Series at Wrigley, as Fukudome is about to make the last out the Four Horseman rip him apart at the torso. That would have to be the way this ends right? Even if it does, I like our chances with Lou v. The Horsemen, if there's one out between him and the trophy, I think he's going at it with those horsemen in a hard way.

Once the previews go up on the site, I'm going to start posting constantly. At this point it's all butterflies, but my goal is to be able to post frequently enough that I can go back and look at this thing day-by-day. That's also assuming it lasts more than 3 days, either way I look forward to posting where I'm at mentally, often.

Shea What?

I know G isn't going to write about it, and somebody needs to. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't hear from G for a little while. He's on a strict watch at this point as we transitition him into full football mode. I'm here to talk about the Mets' "Collapse." I put it in quotes, because I don't think it was a genuine collapse. Actually, I completely agree with Mr. Wilpon's assessment of the club. This team was 34-35 when they canned Willie Randolph back on June 17. They closed out the season at 89-73. For those of you who can't calculate, that adds up to 55-38 since Jerry Manuel got the job. Seventeen games OVER .500, and that's with no bullpen for the last two months of the season! Mets fans are jumping over bridges because of the way this team gave away the division and then the wildcard, but they had absolutely no bullpen to help them close out games. You cannot blame Jerry Manuel or Omar Minaya for this team not making the playoffs.

Who Doesn't Love Jerry Manuel?


This team is one pitcher, and a couple bullpen pieces away from being the best team in the NL. They have a tremendous core with Wright, Beltran, and Reyes. People who are saying it's time to break that up are ridiculous. There is no reason to do that. Delgado is a question mark, but since he will cost $12 million to resign or $4 million to let go, it's worth the $8 million to bring him back. I figure Omar Minaya will throw money at Francisco Rodriguez, and probably sign a few other potential bullpen guys. All they need is one of those guys to work, add him to K-Rod, find a guy in the minor leagues who can toss a solid 7th inning, and you're back in action in the bullpen. After that this team could use a bat for the corner outfield position, and another starting pitcher. I highly doubt Oliver Perez makes a return to the team, as Scott Boras is asking for an absurd amount of money. If his demands are lowered, and I can't imagine any team in baseball paying that $15 million ransom, he may come back, but I doubt it. Apparently, the Mets are interested in acquiring the services of Derek Lowe, and I think he would be a tremendous fit at CitiField. If those few moves fall into place for the Mets, do you have any doubt that the Mets will win 95-100 games next season?

And I know Mets fans are looking at this and saying, "I don't want to talk about next season, I did that last year and look where it got me." The difference between what happened this year and last, is simple. Last season was a complete collapse at the hands of everybody on the Mets. That team just crumbled apart last season from every angle. This year, the team was dead in the water, and Jerry Manuel dragged them all the way back. Almost to the playoffs, after your second pitcher, your closer, and your stud outfielder (Ryan Church was playing tremendous before he had the awful concussion) all went down with injuries. The bullpen completely unraveled and cost this team win after win. When you consider how bad the bullpen was, and how inconsistent the starting pitching was, it's incredible that this team came together to win 89 games.

The point is this. I know it's infuriating to hear right now Mets fans, but relax, take a deep breath, and realize that this team is a top contender. The last note about this whole Mets debacle. I understand the game was a 1 o'clock start, and there was no Sunday Night Baseball, and you didn't want people to have to come in at 10 am for the Shea Goodbye ceremony. But how do you not go through with that whole charade BEFORE that game? There is NO WAY the Mets lose that game after that ceremony. Even with the crowd as depressed as it was, that ceremony blew the lid off the place. It was tremendous (better than the Yankee Stadium ceremony, something Yankees brass should be ashamed of). It was just weird and depressing to watch that whole song and dance after one of the more crushing losses in the history of the franchise. I'll lend the Mets a line I've had to hear a few times in my life, wait 'til next year.

I'll be honest, I'll miss this stadium

Upon Further Review...

I think something that is going to start coming out more and more over the next few weeks is the level of parity this league has reached. We've been talking about it for quite a few years at this point, the possibility that almost any team has an opportunity to turn it around from one year to the next. With the stuttering start from the Patriots and Colts, the league has a wide-open feel to it. Even the current favorites, aren't favorites by much. The Cowboys and Giants are good, but you would be hard pressed to find a fan of either team that is completely confident in their abilities. Both have shown cracks and faults, and there are enough scrappy teams in this league, that anybody can beat anybody else on any given day. Except for the Rams, I don't think they're going to have too many wins. Still, even the Raiders, Dolphins, Browns, Bengals, and Chiefs can beat most of the teams in the league on any given Sunday. As good as this is for the game, I guess, I think the league is always better when there's a juggernaut around. What I'm basically saying is, I think I miss Peyton and Tom. On a final note, I found out that Matt Mosely of ESPN calls his weekly NFC East blog, Upon Further Review. Since I saw it after I first started to write mine, and since it's Matt Mosely, and I don't think THAT many people read his blog. I'm choosing to stick with the name. Also, I'm a little too lazy to come up with another name.

The 'Skins Circle the Wagons
No question this was the biggest outcome of a pretty lackluster Sunday of football. This Redskins team has been consistently solid over the last few years, and most people were only talking about the new coach and the change in offensive game plan. When they came out looking as poor as they did against the Giants, I think most people immediately wrote them off for the season. Even I did a little, after I had just picked them to win the wildcard before the season started. Now it looks like Jason Campbell not only knows the offense, he is dominating it. It also doesn't hurt that Clinton Portis has been punishing defenses this season. Portis can boast 369 yards and 3 touchdowns over 4 games, not so shabby. The defense was stingy last season, and has done nothing but upgrade itself with the addition of Jason Taylor. Even with all those positives about the Redskins, the real story is the Cowboys. At first glance, one would probably be quick to blame the Cowboys defense for surrendering 26 points to the 'Skins, but how about the Cowboys' inability to control the clock. I've made comments about the way to beat this team is to slow down the game and keep their offense off of the field. It's impossible to beat them in a shootout, they have too many weapons. But if you can slow the game down, and force them to keep the ball out of Marion Barber's hands, they are beatable. Tony Romo is good, but he's starting to show a knack for throwing some bad picks. Final note on this game, Terrell Owens did a little bit of complaining after the game about not getting the ball enough. He caught 7 balls for 71 yards and a touchdown. Cris Collinsworth commented during Football Night in America that there were 20 balls thrown in the direction of T.O. to go with his 7 catches. That accounted for a third of the Cowboys offense on the night. 33%. Remember my comments that this team is a few bad losses away from breaking down. There is nobody to captain this ship when it might be necessary, and that could be a real problem down the road in this tough NFC East.


J! E! T! S! 6! 6! 6! 6!
Brett Favre finally gives fans all over New York what they've been looking for all month. Favre threw up a career high 6 touchdowns in a 56-35 shootout in the Meadowlands. Very impressive performance by the Jets against a foolish Cardinals team. Everyone knows by know about the Cardinals' decision to stay on the East Coast following their game against the Redskins last week. I know travel can be annoying, but really its a few hours on a private jet. How can anybody think it to be a good idea to spend 9 days on the road in the middle of a season? In baseball or basketball, those east/west coast swings can be devastating to any sort of momentum a team has. Why would a team give themselves a self-imposed road trip? Funny sidenote to Favre's 6 touchdowns. People across America picked up Chanci Stuckey this week in their fantasy leagues. On a day when even Eric Mangini had a TD reception, Stuckey finished with 2 catches for 12 yards. Very disappointed in the Jets defense for the second week in a row. 56 Points is nice and all, but the game was 34-0 at the half. The defense allowed 36 points in the second half, not a good sign.

Those Tennessee Titans are Good
Another excellent performance by the Titans this week this time against a good Minnesota Vikings team. They do everything necessary to be a winning team, and they do them very well. They can rush the ball as well as anybody in the league, with the power and speed combination of LenDale White and Chris Johnson. It's going to be very tough for defenses around the league to come up with answers to those backs. They have a dependable quarterback who doesn't make stupid mistakes in Kerry Collins. I definitely have a soft spot for this team on that fact alone. But the real story with the Titans is their defense. They are in the top 5 in every defensive category. That includes first in takeaways, second in points per game allowed, and second in sacks. That means they are keeping teams behind in games and forcing quarterbacks to throw the ball. The takeaways and sacks are indicators of the enormous pressure that defensive line is putting on quarterbacks. This team has all the tools to go deep into the playoffs. One question they are going to be forced to answer at some point however, is what to do with Vince Young.


The Broncos Are a Little Soft
How do you surrender 198 rushing yards to the Kansas City Chiefs? How do you let that team score 17 in the fourth quarter? I just don't understand how you let a team so inept as the Chiefs do that. I believe in Larry Johnson, and I know he's good, but did this Broncos team even watch a video going into this game? You beat the Chiefs by keeping the ball out of LJ's hands, and Herman Edwards is always quick to yank the ball out from his running back and give it to whatever terrible quarterback he has playing. The Broncos outscored two of the better offenses in football the past two weeks, and they struggle against the Chiefs? They clearly thought they had this game won before they even got to Arrowhead. Makes me wonder about the coaching out there, and I have serious reservations about that defense. Key stat of this game, Damon Huard 21/28 for 160 yards and one touchdown. DAMON HUARD?!?! The Broncos have allowed 34.3 points per game at this point and allowed opponents to complete nearly 75% of their passes. As dynamic as Denver's passing attack is, they can't run the ball, and they can't stop anybody. That's a problem.

The Chargers Escape from Oakland
They got out of Oakland with the W by the skin of their teeth. Oakland gets a week to think about back to back weeks where they had the win, and they let it go in the fourth quarter. I think that comes with a young team, both on the sidelines and on the field. They'll learn how to close out games as they mature a little bit more, and these are the pains that come with rebuilding. I think the team is actually heading in the right direction personnel wise. It would be a real shame to see Al Davis fire Lane Kiffin, because he seems to be one of the better young coaches in the league. Since the week one blowout against Denver, he's had this team playing competitively. As the season wears on I think JaMarcus Russell will show that he can play at this level, and Run-DMC will begin to settle into the starting lineup. As for the Chargers, they get the win on the road and do so by coming back to score 25 in the fourth quarter. Shows a lot of confidence and poise on the part of that team, no small thanks to LaDanian Tomlinson. There are a few interesting games coming up for this Chargers team, going to Miami next week, hosting New England in a rematch of the AFC Championship Game (sorta), and going out to Buffalo. I think we learn everything we need to know about this team over those three games. If they are really the best team in the AFC, they need to come out of that with 3 wins, and be at 5-2 on the season.

The Upper Class

1. Tennessee Titans (4-0)- They do everything they need to, effectively. Circle your calendar for October 27, that's when they play the Colts

2. New York Giants (3-0)- Sole possession of first in the vaunted NFC East, and they didn't even have to play.

3. Buffalo Bills (3-0) The way they struggled in the first half left me a little leery over the prospects of the Bills. Second half blowout reconfirmed my belief that this team is a top-5 club.

4. Washington Redskins (3-1) They've won three straight, and beat the Cowboys in Dallas. Massive game for them next week against the Eagles.

5. Dallas Cowboys (3-1) With everything I said about this team, I still don't see another potential loss for them for some time. October 26 they host the Bucs, and November 2 they go to Meadowlands to battle the G-Men.

6. Philadelphia Eagles (2-2) They had a chance to win the game against a very good Chicago defense, in the last throws of their game. Without their best player, and with their quarterback injured. That loss actually made me think they're better.

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-1) This team has quietly rattled off three straight W's since losing the opener on the road in New Orleans. They get Denver and division rivals Carolina in the next two weeks.

8. San Diego Chargers (2-2) They should be 3-1, if not for the madness that is Ed Hochuli. This offense is scary good, still questions about Ted Cotrell's defense.

9. Carolina Panthers (3-1) Banner day for Delhomme, Steve Smith, and Mushin Muhammed. I don't see the NFC wildcards coming from anywhere besides the East, so that division showdown against the Bucs is that much more important.

10. Denver Broncos (3-1) When you have an offense that is that good, you have to be in the top 10. When you have a defense that is that bad, you have to be number 10.

A Long Night In Pittsburgh?
It has the potential to be that way for Big Ben. There is no doubt that Baltimore defense spent the week studying tapes of the Steelers' loss to the Eagles. The Baltimore defense boasts a better group than the Philadelphia crew, as well as a more effective running game (remember the Eagles played that game without Brian Westbrook). The Steelers come to the game with a banged up defense, a banged up quarterback, and a rookie running back. This has the looks of what could be a loss for the Steelers. It is going to be a huge test for Mike Tomlin, and I think he passes it in front of the hometown crowd. I hope so at least, I had big expectations for them after the first two games.

NFL Power Rankings Week 3

After two early season showdowns one team has emerged better than the rest. Some teams are ranked as high as they are going to be all year, while some are as low as they are going to go.

Mike Shanahan is a cheater...

No.	Team	Last Week
1.	Cowboys 3-0- See they can play defense. Great statement win against one of better teams in the Conference.	1
2.	Giants 2-0- Playing an overtime game against the Bengals is not ideal, but a win is a win. I know he is just a kicker, but John Carney has done a nice job so far.	3
3.	Titans 3-0- They can run it and they are one of the best defenses in the league. They get a test this week hosting the Vikings in what should be an ugly game.	9
4.	Broncos 3-0- They have now cheated twice to win, but they are still undefeated. As much as I think this team is a fluke they have beaten the Chargers and Saints.	10
5.	Eagles 2-1-Big win against the Steelers. Jim Johnson showed everyone why he is the best defensive coach in Football. They better pray the Westbrook isn’t out for a long period of time.	5
6.	Bills 3-0- The surprise team so far in 2008. They are undefeated, but they did struggle to beat the Raiders and rank 30th in total offense.	11
7.	Steelers 2-1- Big game Monday night against the Ravens and without Willie Parke they have to make sure they protect Ben or he might not make it out alive.	2
8.	Packers 2-1- All eyes in Green Bay not rest on Al Harris. If he is out for the season he will be a huge loss for the defense. I am curious to see how Aaron Rodgers responds to his first loss against a tough Tampa team.	4
9.	Panthers 2-1- They got to see what a real defense can do to a running game as the Vikings held them to just 47 yards on the ground. They will get healthy against the Falcons and Chiefs in the upcoming weeks.	8
10.	Buccaneers 2-1- Brian Griese threw the ball how many times? I know they won the game but that is not going to work all season.	15
11.	Chargers 1-2- They cannot play defense but they sure can score the ball. They could be 3-0 and Phillip Rivers is becoming an elite QB.	12
12.	Patriots 2-1- After a great coaching job against the Jets, Belichick got embarrassed by Tony Sparano.	5
13.	Colts 1-2- Bob Sanders is the key to the defense and that really showed as the Jags had two backs go for over 100. The week 4 bye came at exactly the right time for Peyton’s crew…they will be back at the top.	6
14.	Redskins 2-1- After a stinker in week 1, Jason Campbell looks like he is grasping Jim Zorn’s offense. Maybe I was wrong about this team?	18
15.	Cardinals 2-1- Tough loss to the Skins because they had a chance to win the game. They stayed in Washington for their second consecutive east coast game against the Jets in week 4.	14
16.	Jaguars 1-2- They saved their season going to Indy and winning. If they get that kind of effort from Jones-Drew and Taylor they will be the team everyone thought they would be.	20
17.	Vikings 1-2- Like the Jags, this is another team that saved their season against a tough team. Gus Frerotte played decent in his first game as starter. All he has to keep thinking is “Be Trent Dilfer circa 2000."	19
18.	Saints 1-2- First Colston now Shockey. Will Brees and Bush be enough to hold the fort down until everyone gets healthy?	13
19.	49ers 2-1- Mike Martz has this offense playing really well and they just embarrassed the Lions. Looking at their next 4 games however (@ Saints, Patriots, Eagles, @ Giants), it is hard to believe they will keep it up.	22
20.	Ravens 2-0- They have not lost yet and have two divisional wins, but that all changes this week going into Pittsburgh. They get to follow that game up with the Titans and Colts…I see 2-3 in their future.	23
21.	Falcons 2-1- I know they have 2 wins, but beating the Lions and Chiefs does not impress me. They will be lucky to win another game before November.	27
22.	Jets 1-2- I know they got beat pretty good by the Chargers, but being 1-2 at this point was what I expected. The game against the Cardinals this week is going to show how good or bad they really are.	16
23.	Bears 1-2-After beating the Colts they have dropped two very tough games against the Panthers and Bucs. It does not get easier this week as they host the Eagles. Look for Orton to make some mistakes.	17
24.	Dolphins 1-2- Great job by Tony Sparano and the Dolphins against the Pats. Ronnie Brown is back and will be the starter the rest of the season.	29
25.	Seahwaks 1-2- Does anyone need a bye more than this team? Julius Jones is starting to play well but they need to get Branch and Engram back soon.	25
26.	Raiders 1-2- They came o so close to beating the Bills and going to 2-1. Instead Lane Kiffin has to answer questions about his own job status. He will not be the coach by the time they go to New Orleans in week 6.	26
27.	Texans 0-2- Matt Schaub has just 1 TD and 5 INTs, but he has played two of the toughest defensives in the league. Things don’t get easier this week as they had to Jacksonville.	24
28.	Browns 0-3- After losing to Dallas and the Steelers, they were supposed to beat the Ravens. Instead Derek Anderson layed a stinker throwing for 125 yards and 3 picks. If they do not beat the Bengals, we will see Brady Quinn in week 6.	21
29.	Bengals 0-3- They played better in week 3 as Palmer finally got the ball to Houz. I still don’t think they can win with Marvin Lewis at the helm.	30
30.	Lions 0-3- They have lost to the Falcons AND the niners this year. Not even Matt Millen could survive that garbage.	28
31.	Chiefs 0-3- I hate Herman Edwards.	31
32.	Rams 0-3- They have been blown out every game they have played this season. They have given up almost 1400 yards in 3 weeks.	32