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

September 23rd MLB Power Rankings

The 2008 season is coming to an end and there are a few interesting races still yet to be decided.

***Disclaimer-If the Mets do not make the playoffs, this will be the last Baseball post from me until 2009.***

And down the stretch they come....

No.	Team	Last Week
1.	Cubs 95-61- They have wrapped it all up in the NL and now the fun begins. The key to breaking the 100 year drought rests on the shoulders of Zambrano and Harden.	1
2.	Angels 97-59- I know they have the best record in Baseball and should get the number 1 ranking, but I am a little worried about how many real games they have played this year.	2
3.	Rays 94-62- Congratulations for your first winning season/playoff berth in franchise history….Now you get to play the big boys.	3
4.	Red Sox 92-65- All I know is they better catch the Rays for the division or they will be playing the Angles in the Division Series.	4
5.	Phillies 89-69 – Just when I thought this team was dead they go 13-6 in the month of September. They will get in but they don’t have enough pitching to win a series.	9
6.	Mets 87-70- Everyone has to stop saying this is the same as 2007. There are many differences, but the most important one wears the number 57.	6
7.	White Sox 86-70- They are playing under .500 and 23rd in runs scored in the month of September.	7
8.	Twins 85-72 – Even with the pitching all but disappearing, they find themselves 2.5 out and hosting the White Sox. This series will be fun.	8
9.	Dodgers 81-75- All year I made fun of this team and I should have known better than to count out Joe Torre. After that 8 game losing streak at the end of August they have gone 15-5 and will enter the playoffs red hot.	18
10.	Brewers 86-71 – They had the Wild Card all but locked up but have tanked it away going 6-14 in September.	5
11.	Yankees 86-71- They had the perfect ceremony to close out the stadium…until the classless move of not acknowledging Joe Torre. Have fun playing Golf guys.	11
12.	Blue Jays 83-74- Cito Gaston deserves to be back in 09, but this team has to stop finishing with a win total in the mid 80s. Next year they have to challenge for a playoff spot.	14
13.	Astros 82-74- Bud Selig and Ike ruined their chance at another miracle run at a playoff spot.	15
14.	Florida 81-76- I can’t stress enough how great of a job Fredi Gonzalez did keeping this team in the race all year.	12
15.	Indians 79-78- They have the second best record since the break with 38 wins.	17
16.	Cardinals 81-76- The lack of pitching finally caught up with them, but great job by LaRussa. Remember all the talk in March about Pujols being hurt?	10
17.	Diamondbacks 79-78- Since getting put back in the rotation Max Scherzer has struck out 28 guys in just 3 starts. Webb Haren and Scherzer is scary for 2009.	13
18.	Rangers 76-82- All year I talked about this team possibly finishing .500 but they fell short down the stretch. Does anyone remember the name Josh Hamiltion? Well he has just 29 RBIs since the break.	16
19.	Reds 74-83- I’ve said it 1,000 times, but I love the core of this team heading into 09.	24
20.	A’s 75-82 – Boy o boy this team’s offense stinks. They have scored a league worse 214 runs since the break.	22
21.	Rockies 71-85- No magic this year. They will bring back Holliday and Atkins in 09, but I really don’t think there is a better than average pitcher on the staff.	20
22.	Royals 72-86- They have played really well in September and will finish with their best record since 2003	27
23.	Tigers 71-85 – What a joke 2008 has been for this World Series hopeful.	19
24.	Braves 70-88- They actually have a winning record at home….which means the road record is absolutely awful. They will look play spoiler against the Phills now that they have beat up the Mets.	25
25.	Giants 70-86- Ladies and Gentlemen, your 2008 NL CY Young winner…Tim Lincecum	23
26.	Orioles 67-90- What happened to this team? They have just 22 wins since the break.	21
27.	Pirates 65-92– Paul Maholm has pitched to a 3.6 ERA in 200 innings. Quick, put him on the block.	26
28.	Padres 61-95- They are going to lose 95+ and finish about 20 games out of first. Come on did you think I could do a whole power rankings without a shot at the NL JV.	28
29.	Nationals 59-98- …	30
30.	Mariners 57-99- They are going to beat the Nats as the first team to 100 loses. What a disappointment 2008 has been.	29

BPL Power Rankings: Round 5

1. Chelsea- 11 Points
Last Week- 2
The streak continues! Chelsea continue their unbeaten form at home, dating back to February of 2004, as well as remaining the only team to not have a loss in calendar year 2008. Big draw against United, and anyone who watched would probably agree that Chelsea were the better team.

2. Arsenal- 12 Points
Last Week- 3
Sure, they lead the league in points and goal difference. But they haven't beaten anyone truly impressive. Keep racking up the goals against Newcastle and Bolton, but I haven't forgotten that loss to Fulham


3. Aston Villa- 10 Points
Last Week- 4
This team just continues to impress me. Still, I'd like them to tighten up in the back, 7 goals allowed in 5 games is too many for a team to really press for a top 4 finish.

4. Liverpool- 11 Points
Last Week- 1
Don't draw to Stoke City. Just like Villa's seven goals allowed is too many, Liverpool's 5 goals scored is wayyyy too little. What happened to the Torres/Keane/Kuyt/Gerrard scoring spectacular?

5. Manchester City- 9 Points
Last Week - 5
Wow, 6 goals against Portsmouth? That's a dominating performance, and it seems as if the offense is making that the norm, scoring 2, 3, 3, 1, 6 in their first six games.

6. Hull City- 8 Points
Last Week- 7
GO TIGERS! I love this team's story. Every week I expect them to fall off, and they come out with another big performance. If they keep Arsenal under 3 goals, maybe even score one themselves, I officially crown this team as "for real."


7. Manchester United- 5 Points
Last Week- 6
I know that I said they were outplayed by Chelsea, and they were, but anytime you have a 1-0 lead at the Bridge going into the 80th minute, well that's just impressive. Coming out with a draw when you're missing half your team? Even more impressive.

8. West Ham United- 9 Points
Last Week- 11
ZOLAAAAAA! How can you not love the fact that Zola is back? By the way, after Manchester City guess which team has the second best collection of goals? West Ham and Arsenal are tied with 11. Surprised? Me too.

9. Fulham- 6 Points
Last Week- 8
Would've felt so much better about this team if they could've snuck a single goal past a poor Blackburn defense. Still, 6 points with a game in hand isn't so bad either.

10. Sunderland- 7 Points
Last Week- 13
You see, I put them at 13 and said it may have been too high. I was rewarded with a convincing 2-0 victory over a tough Middlesbrough team. Great game this weekend in Birmingham against Aston Villa.


11. Wigan Athletic- 5 Points
The unluckiest team in the Premier League refused to be broken by Spurs, and I still stand by this team being one of the better teams on the second half of the table.

12. Blackburn Rovers- 7 Points
Last Week- 17
Eh, by default I put them here. There's just too many bad teams that need to be panned that I'm putting underneath them. This team stinks, but at least they have 2 wins.

13. Everton- 7 Points
Last Week- 15
Another terrible performance against a promoted team. What is going on in Everton? I'm a big fan of manager David Moyes, but how long before the seat starts getting a little warm? Second highest amount of goals allowed, 11, after only Portsmouth's 12 who let in 4 to Chelsea and 6 to City. So really, Everton are the consistent worst at keeping out goals.

14. Middlesbrough- 6 Points
Last Week- 10
I've been saying all year that the Stadium of Light in Sunderland is going to be one of the tougher places to play in the League. Southgate & Co. learned that last week. They get a chance to prove their point that they belong on the top half of the table by hosting West Brom this week.

15. Portsmouth- 6 Points
Last Week- 9
They dragged themselves from the dead, all the way up to the 9 spot on my rankings and then go out and get absolutely handled by free-flowing city. I pointed out earlier that they lead the league in 12 goals allowed, but a closer look reveals that aside from the plethora against Chelsea and City, they've only allowed one against United and one against Middlesbrough.

16. Stoke City- 4 Points
Last Week- 18
Draw against Liverpool AT Anfield! Tremendous job by the Potters. Still think they stink, and are destined for the Coca-Cola Championship.

17. Bolton Wanderers- 4 Points
Last Week- 16
They lost to an Arsenal team that has been fuego. They even had the lead for a little while. Can't fault them for all that. Defensively they aren't that bad, but they are in desperate need of goals.

18. West Bromwich Albion- 4 Points
Last Week- 14
A draw against Aston Villa would have been nice, but they were good enough to stay in the match. I'm still waiting for the high-flying offensive attack I was promised before the season started. 5 Goals Scored through 5 matches played? Not so much.

19. Tottenham Hotspur- 2 Points
Last Week- 19
They are 20 on the table. Two points. Zero wins, 2 draws, and 3 losses. My question is this about Spurs, if you knew Berbatov wouldn't want to play, why did you sell Robbie Keane? They both wanted out? How do you not spend the 50 million pounds you bring in from those transactions and by yourself a striker? How does this happen?


20. Newcastle United- 4 Points
Last Week- 20
It looks as if the deal selling the club from Mike Ashley onto that Nigerian conglomerate is about ready to go through. They need something to happen, otherwise one of the most storied clubs in the Premier League will be playing against the likes of Leicester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers next season.