The Offseason Begins

With the World Series Champions crowned it is now time to move on to the excitement of the offseason. The offseason is where you can get the answers to the big questions in the baseball world, such as who will file for free agency, who will make the big trade, or what prospects from the minor leagues will make the move to the big show. Here is a general rundown of what all is taking place this offseason.

Oct. 30- Nov. 13. This is the period in which player who have fulfilled their previous contracts can file for free agency. It is also the negotiating window in which the teams can try to persuade their free agents to stay with them.

Nov. 3-6. This is when the General Managers Meetings take place in Dana Point, California. One issue that will be discussed at these meetings is the possibility of bringing instant replay into the game of baseball because of several controversial calls during the World Series.

Nov. 5-18. This is the time when the MLB gives out several awards. These awards include MVP, Gold Gloves, Cy Young Award, Rookie of the Year, etc.

Dec. 1. This is the deadline for clubs to offer salary arbitration to their ranked free agents.

Dec. 5. This is when the executive board of players union holds its annual meeting in Orlando, Florida. This event is normally under the radar, but if there are great enough concerns, it can yield proposals which are taken to ownership.

Early Dec. Hall of Fame Ballots. Voting-eligible of the Baseball Writers' Association of America receive the mailed ballots for the 2009 election. Some possible inductees for this year are Mo Vaughn, Greg Vaughn, David Cone, and Rickey Henderson.

Dec. 12. This is the deadline for teams to offer contracts to position players. Players who were not offered or did not accept contracts, are put on the free agent list.

Feb. 14. And finally spring training begins.

If you have questions about who is going to end up where and you want the answers, stay tuned to find out. The biggest question I want answered is which team is going to spend the most money to get Manny Ramirez to play for them. I will try to keep you posted on the latest baseball news throughout the offseason.

He's Back, but He Hasn't Changed

Samurai Mike, you're at it again. When i heard that Mike Singletary was going to become the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, I was super stoked. He was a madman as a player and I can't wait to see him be an amazing coach. And this Sunday he showed me why I was so excited.

Vernon Davis, the tight end for the 49ers, slapped a player from the other team in the facemask after play. This caused his team to get a fifteen yard penalty for unnecessary roughness. When Davis got over to the bench, Singletary lit into him. He showed him what was up. He sent Davis to the locker room and told him that he was going to do be better for the team in the showers than he would be on the field if he was going to play like that. I love this decision by Mike. He sent a message to the whole team that they were going to play the game his way, right. And if anybody goes against that, he doesn't have any problem sending them off the field.

After the game, Singletary went on a rant during his press conference. He completely called out Vernon Davis and his entire team. I love that in a coach. He is the boss of that team and now they know that. I love to see that fire in football. He had every right to be mad at his team, they got killed! By a horrible Seahawks team!

I hope that Mike stays there forever (unless he wants to come to the Bears of course). He's bringing the fire that he had when he won a super bowl in Chicago and he's taking it to the head coach position. I hope we see more of this. More guys that played the game with incredibly intense passion going on to lead teams. No one could do a better job than them. Start it off right Mike.

Game 5 Called Early but Will Continue

In the regular season if a game gets rained out or delayed but you have played 5 full innings, the game is official and whoever is leading gets the win. Well this isn't the case with game 5 of the World Series. The game was called in the bottom of the sixth inning with the game tied at 2-2. So the game would have been finished later anyways. But what if the Rays hadn't just tied the game before the delay? The commissioner of baseball, Bud Selig, made it clear that he was planning on finishing the game later no matter what the score was when the game was called. He said:

"Well, I guess putting everything else aside, It's my judgment. I have to
use my judgment. It's not a way to end a World Series. And I think I have enough authority, here, frankly, so that I'm not only on solid ground, I'm on very solid ground."

I totally agree with Bud's decision to continue the game later. When it's the series everybody has been waiting to see all year long you can't just end it after six innings. It doesn't seem like that big of deal because the game was tied. But if they would have said the game is over and the Phillies were leading, it would have been the end of the World Series. That is definitely no way to end the fall classic. I know if I was in the World Series I wouldn't want to win the final game because of shitty weather. I would want to play the whole game and earn my World Series ring. Even though it seems like it was an easy decision because the game was tied, I think it was the right decision. If the Phillies would have been winning at the time of the cancellation, Selig would have been under a lot more pressure. Good job Bud.

Cristiano Ronaldo is to stay at United

Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted he sees himself staying at Manchester United next season. The 23 year old was at the center of this summer's longest running transfer saga as Spanish giants Real Madrid sought to obtain the Portugal superstar away from Old Trafford. Ronaldo revealed at the time that he was keen to play for Madrid, but ultimately announced he was going to stay with United for "another year at least". However, Ronaldo's latest comments have made it seem like he is here to stay, for a little longer at least. When asked where he was going to play next season, Ronaldo said: "Only God knows the future. I insist that I am a Manchester United player and now I think that next year I will continue here." "He listened to my arguments and I listened to his. Now I understand that it was the correct decision. I am with Manchester United body and soul." His comments are made about Sir Alex Ferguson.

As a United fan I'm so glad that he is finally back. And I don't understand why he wouldn't want to come back. Manchester United were only the champions of Europe last season, which he helped quite a bit in. Hopefully more United fans can finally accept this and see it as a good thing instead of the normal complaining the he flops and he's immature. Every soccer players flops, one thing that I hate about the game. And he's 23 years old, and easily is one of the best players in the world. If I had that kind of talent, fame, and fortune at the age, heck, I would probably more immature than him. But Ronaldo is showing progressions in becoming mature. Personally I think he matured during the champions league last year, he was calm in crucial moments and he had some extremely important goals. So I say, fabulous choice Ronaldo!

MLS playoff race

The playoff race is coming down to the final weekend and the teams involved are Kansas City, New York, DC United, Real Salt Lake, and the Colorado Rapids.

The Kansas City Wizards have a seemingly easy way in, win and they are in. But they are traveling to to play the New England Revolution who are still fighting for home field advantage for the playoffs, so this will be new easy task. Plus Kansas City boats a league worst road record of 1-8-5, so chances on the road against the Revolution does not exactly play well into their favor.

The New York Red Bulls control their own destiny as well. If they win at Chicago on Thursday then they are in as well. But their situation is almost identical to Kansas City's. They travel to Chicago and New York boasts the 2nd worst road record in the league. And Chicago is fighting for home field advantage is the playoffs so this next match surely will not be easy for the Red Bulls.

DC United has a little tougher way to get into the playoffs. Not only do they need to win, but they need help as well. United has the third worst record in the playoffs, so apparently to make the playoffs it is extremely important to win on the road. IF both Kansas City and New York win then DC United can kiss their playoff hopes goodbye. But first and foremost they need to blow out the Columbus Crew which probably won't happen considering they are the best in the league.

As Real Salt Lake's poor head to head record against New York and Kansas City means that a wildcard spot is out of reach for Real. That means that unlike the endless permutations out East, Real Salt Lake's path is simple. If Real Salt Lake forces at least a draw on the road against Colorado this weekend, they'll make the playoffs for the first time in their history. Otherwise, they'll end up watching the postseason at home for the fourth year running.

And lastly, we have the Colorado Rapids. This team is tougher to kill than Freddy Krueger. Left for dead numerous times during the season, a 2-1 road win this past weekend over Chivas USA kept Colorado in the race. A similar result this coming weekend will see the Rapids leap over Real Salt Lake and snag the final guaranteed spot in the West. The Rapids are certainly capable of getting a win this weekend, but they'll need to shed the memory of last year's season finale against Real Salt Lake, when Real Salt Lake beat Colorado at Dick's Sporting Goods Park and dumped the Rapids out of the playoff race.

Phillies Upset About World Series Introductions

Phillies forty year old Matt Stairs was sitting in the dugout a few minutes before the start of game 1 of the World Series. He was playing in the Fall Classic for the first time in his 16 years in the majors and was looking forward to his name being called out in front of all of the fans. But then the Phillies PR representative came into the dugout and said that only the starting players would be announced on the field and on national television. He waited his whole life for this moment to come and just like that it was gone. Stairs and the rest of the Phillies reserves were allowed to walk out onto the field but they were not introduced to the TV audience or even the crowd.

If you were in Stairs' position, how would you feel about this particular issue. I would be extremely pissed off, and I assume most other people would be too. He waited his whole MLB career for this moment to come and at forty years old he probably won't get to many more chances to here his name called in the World Series. I think if your team makes it to the World Series, everybody that is a part of that team should be recognized because you are one of the only two teams still standing at the end of the season. This is what Stairs had to say about the whole situation:

"It's disappointing and some guys were extremely mad about it. I think it's
bootleg when you have the World Series and guys are jogging out to the line and they don't take the extra five minutes to introduce the players."

The Phillies aren't just going to let this go. They are going to try and do something about it, which I think is the right thing to do because the players got shortchanged. The Phillies have asked their union to petition Major League Baseball on their behalf. A few players talked to reliever Ryan Madson, who is the teams alternative player rep, and he called his lawyer to see what they could do. He hasn't herd back from him yet, but they are planning on fighting for some sort of change in the introductions. Madson had this to say:

"It's kind of weird guys that played 20 years-- you get called out for Little League all-stars when you're 12 years old-- and we're on the biggest stage in the
world, and they didn't do it for some reason."

I totally understand were Madson is coming from. I played on a little league all-star team and we always got our names announced whether we played or not. If you can take the time to announce a bunch of little league kid's names, then why can't you announce the names of the players that made it to the biggest stage possible.

What to do during a bye week

I'm sorry but it's time to mention those two words that every football fan hates, bye week. The only week that your beloved team isn't on. It's the worst you feeling in the world. You wake up in the morning knowing that you will have to do yard work that the wife has been getting at you to do for weeks. There's no way out of it during a bye week. But what should you do when you are all done raking leaves and cleaning out gutters? Well here are some suggestions:

1. Scrimshaw - Who doesn't love carving things out of whale bones? WHO? You could get creative. Instead of boring old sailor carvings, you could carve your favorite player. I know that as a Bears fan, i would love to see Walter Payton inscribed forever in the bone of a whale. They make the perfect belated birthday gift, for anyone!

2. Create an interpretive dance - Call up some of your friends...and create! I don't care who you are, everyone looks good doing an interpretive dance. The neighbors would get a kick out of it too. Who wouldn't love to see an overweight, middle-aged man dance the blooming of a flower to "Surfing with the Alien" by Joe Satriani?

3. Look at pictures of cute kittens - Now don't laugh. This is probably one of the best things ever. Personally i'm a dog man but some of these pictures are absolutely hilarious. This is a great way to waste an afternoon. I've wasted 23 years of my life searching for my personal holy grail, the cutest kitten on earth.

4. Spend time with your family - JUST KIDDING!

5. SLEEP(my personal favorite) - Don't ever get up. You had a rough week of work and a rough day watching college football yesterday, you earned it. Get some rest for once, those leaves can rake themselves.

Beckham now to sign with AC Milan?

AC Milan has taken interest in David Beckham and will soon find out if they have permission to borrow Becks for 3 months, but now Ancelotti has said that he would like to keep Beckham permanently. Beckham is considering joining Milan so that he can stay in contention for an England squad place during the U.S. Major League Soccer close season. "We can confirm that talks are taking place with Milan with regard to a short-term loan move at the start of next year," a statement on Beckham's official website said on Friday.

"Perhaps we will only be useful to him because we will train him but he could be useful to us, even if it was only for one game." "We will not consider him a tourist but a fully-fledged player who will insert himself into the squad without problems and compete with the others." Ancelotti said.

I'd say the loan for Becks is a pretty good move. I mean, this is an excellent opportunity for him to return to legit soccer and playing for AC Milan is better training than any type of an MLS workout could ever be. But to actually sign with AC Milan? I would definitely have to say yes. Of course I still think he should have stayed with Real Madrid because I'm more partial to La Liga than I am to Serie A. But still, AC Milan is one of the top clubs in the world, so why not play for them. I mean come on, LA Galaxy or AC Milan? MLS or European football? Yeah, I would have to go with AC Milan.

Break Time

Hey all, "The" Football Einstein here. Today i would like to extend my most sincere apologies to anyone who has ever read something that i have written. I don't know what has been happening these past few weeks but it is all complete and utter bullshit. How is my record on the season 1-3? I'm stepping up to the plate and picking hard games and this is how i've been repaid. I tend to not believe in conspiracy theories but this strikes me as odd. Me, the self proclaimed smartest man alive, picking this many consecutive games incorrectly. Something's up. This doesn't happen. Even the experts agree with me. Now i don't just pick with the experts, but we have the same logic in the way that we pick. I even try for an upset every once and a while. But this has just gotten outrageous.

What could it be? I'm doing everything right. For example, last week i picked the Colts. They had all of their offensive starters back. There was no way that they should have lost that game to the Packers. But they went out there and got killed. What happened? Did there coach tell them to go out there and lose? Or maybe he didn't make it obvious. He just made some decisions that cost them the game because he had money on the Pack. Now i don't mean to throw Tony Dungy under the bus here, but if i see him i am going to literally throw him under a bus for ruining my record.

So i've decided to take this week off because this stuff has gotten in my head. I need the break so i can come back better than ever. That's right, i might actually get another one right.

Tacos for Everyone

Can you believe it! A free taco from Taco Bell for everyone in the United States! Yes I'm telling the truth. Thanks to the stolen base in the 5th inning of the World Series by the Tampa Bay Ray's shortstop Jason Bartlett, everyone in the US gets a free taco. For the second consecutive World Series, Taco Bell offered the "Steal a base, Steal a taco," promotion for the first stolen base of the series. Taco Bell's chief marketing officer, David Owen's had this to say,

"Last year we gave away millions of tacos to America, and based on the wild popularity with consumers, we're bringing back the promotion. With consumer sentiment near all-time lows, 'Steal a base, Steal a Taco' is our way of extending the magic of the World Series to everybody by celebrating the game and rewarding fans, no matter which team you root for."

So next Tuesday from 2pm to 6pm at any participating Taco Bell be sure to claim your free crunchy seasoned beef taco, I know I will. When I first read this story on mlb.com I was feeling really down and stressed out because of all my homework, but this just raised my spirits immensely. There is no way I'm going to miss out on this.

I think this is a great idea and that many other restaurants should think about doing something like this. It's a great way to advertise and people love free food. I was thinking about how much food it would take to give everyone in this country a free taco. I concluded that it would probably be enough to feed several starving countries. That gave me an idea. How about instead of giving everybody in our country a free taco, we help feed the hungry people in other parts of the world. I mean lets face it, I don't think America needs anymore reasons to eat fast food. Why give out free food to people who are overweight and need to stop eating so much and give the food to people who need it?

Kellen Winslow: Life Saver

This week, Kellen Winslow, the tight end for the Cleveland Browns, was suspended for their next game because of comments that he made about the team. Winslow was recently ill and it was revealed that he was out with a staph infection. And apparently, their have been 7 staph infections over the last few years in Cleveland that the team was trying to cover up. They didn't want the public to find out about how filthy their locker room was. I mean 7 cases of staph. That's a very danegerous situation for anyone that goes into the locker room. I wouldn't want to show up everyday and risk getting a staph infection just because I have to go to work.

But the part of this that really makes no sense to me is that Winslow was suspended for what he said. Now I'll admit that he could have said what he said better. Telling the media that the owners of the Browns treated you like a a piece of meat isn't the best way to express your point. But i do like that you said something. This problem needed to be revealed and you did it. But why would they suspend you? I guess that i can understand why they didn't like it but you were completely right! You said what was needed to be said and now you're being punished. If it's any consolation, i'm proud of you.

But you are appealing this suspension. You're an NFL player and you want to play, I can understand that. Your bosses are clearly in the wrong in this situation. It's good to see that you are sticking up for yourself. You're a great player on a god awful team. They need you to play to even have a chance and you want to play because that's what you do. You did a great deed telling the media about the filth in your locker room. It needed to be said and it could be saving lives. And this is what you get? A suspension? Sounds like a low blow from an even lower franchise.

Two expansion slots open in MLS

The 2011 Major League Soccer season might seem far in the distance, but it's less than two and a half years away. Two cities will be chosen to join MLS by 2011 and the path to selecting those two cities is going to hold the attention of soccer fans in every current and potentially future MLS market for the next two months.

Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, who made his fortune co-founding Home Depot, has the sports marketing savvy and local pull that has MLS believing he could cultivate a burgeoning soccer market. And why wouldn't the MLS be interested in an NFL team's owner, I mean they only makes millions upon millions a year. But the thing working against Atlanta is that they really have not worked out good locations for a stadium.

You could say Miami might a little chance of placing a bid. Why do you ask? Having a billionaire backing the bid isn't enough on its own to make Miami a strong contender. But combine billionaire Marcelo Claure with the international pull of Spanish powerhouse FC Barcelona, and you suddenly have a bid MLS must take seriously. Hmm, FC Barecelona you say? Yeah I am in on this one.

Next on the list is Montreal, who is most likely a front runner in one of the two bids. Montreal boasts rich owners, an established soccer fan base, an existing infrastructure courtesy of a successful USL team and, perhaps most importantly, an existing stadium that can be increased in size.

Portland has a fair shot at one of the bids. While other candidates are leaning on billionaires and innovative stadium plans, the Portland bid is leaning heavily on its most impressive asset: the city's rabid soccer fans. There is little arguing that the USL Portland Timbers boast one of the strongest fan bases in North America, and its established rivalry with incoming MLS expansion team Seattle Sounders FC has the Rose City looking like an easy call.

Last but least is St. Louis. You have to feel for the soccer fans in St. Louis, who must be completely perplexed by how a city with so much soccer history and such a reputation for supporting the sport hasn't already joined the MLS. The simple answer is money. It's unclear whether there is a prospective owner with sufficient financial backing to not just bring MLS to St. Louis, but help an MLS team succeed there.

Another Pro Athlete Arrested

Yankee's right-handed pitcher, Joba Chamberlain, was arrested for driving under the influence, speeding, and having an open container in his vehicle. And yes I too am sick and tired of hearing about pro athletes getting arrested and being in all other types of scandals. Although Chamberlain messed up big time, at least he realized what he has done and I believe he is truly sorry for is actions. Chamberlain was quoted apologizing for his mistake.

"I to apologize to the New York Yankees and the fans for an error in judgement and for putting myself in a difficult situation. I intend to properly resolve this situation, and do not intend to be in such a situation again. My goal is to focus on pitching for the Yankees in the 2009 season."

I think this statement was sincere. He made a mistake and is accepting his consequences like an adult should. Chamberlain is only 23 years old so he is young and can learn from this experience and use it to become a better role model for all of his fans. The Yankees co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner said that the organization plans to support him and give him any help he may need. Steinbrenner said that everybody deserves a second chance and I have to agree with him on that. Nobody is perfect and everybody is going to make bad choices. As long as you learn from those choices and not let them happen again you deserve a second chance and sometimes maybe even a third.

Rooney is perfect in October

Celtic, Everton and West Ham look out, Wayne Rooney has scored in every match he has played in October this year and last year and I do not see him stopping this trend any time soon. The striker's latest goal opened the doors for United against West Brom and capped a seven-day period in which he also scored four for England. This is the guy who the fans of the Reds revolve around. Even with all of their talent, if Wayne is having a bad day, then most likely the fans and the team is having a bad day. To even keep this streak going after all of last weeks international play is insane. International team chemistry is completely different compared to your club's chemistry. You do not practice with your international squad nearly as much, and your teammates are people that you normally play against, or for the non english players they hardly see or play with their teammates. So this streak just shows you how brilliant Wayne Rooney really is.

But of all people to say that Rooney's streak will soon come to an end, it is Sir Alex, the team's manager, that says Rooney's streak will surely end soon. "In fairness to his (early season) critics, Wayne does tend to score goals in spurts which is probably a sign of his immaturity," said Sir Alex. Considering he is only 22 and he is arguably the face of english football that is a little understandable that he's immature. But what I've learned with Rooney is that you never really know what is coming. Every great football player will go through their hot and cold streaks, but with Rooney you just never know, so I really would not be surprised if he kept up this streak for awhile.

Here are Wayne's goals in October of 2007 and so far in 2008: October 2007 Goals
1 - United 1-0 Roma
1 - United 4-0 Wigan
1 - England 3-0 Estonia
1 - Russia 2-1 England
2 - Aston Villa 1-4 United
1 - Dyn. Kyiv 0-4 United
1 - United 4-1 Middlesbro

October 2008 Goals
1 - Blackburn 0-2 United
2 - England 5-1 Kazakhstan
2 - Belarus 1-3 England
1 - United 4-0 West Brom

Maybe with his brithday on October 24, this is just one way for him to celebrate it.

Football Einstein: Week 7

This week features a pretty solid slate of games. One that i really like is the game between the Colts and the Packers. Once again, i have all of the knowledge and insight necessary to pick a winner.

This looks like it could be a high scoring affair. Peyton Manning leads the high powered Colts offense into Lambeau Field against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. Both of these offenses can put up ridiculous numbers of points on any given Sunday. The scary thing about these two offenses is that they have weapons everywhere. Harrison, Wayne, Clark, and Addai for the Colts, and Grant, Jennings and Driver for the Pack. The talent on this side of the ball is unbelievable. But i have to give the edge on offense to the Colts. They are finally completely healthy and i expect them to play like the super bowl Colts in this one.

Defense is also a good matchup. But not because both teams are loaded with talent. This matchup is interesting because neither team is that great. They both come in allowing 330+ yards per game. That is just good enough to get them rankings in the low 20's. I can't give anyone the edge because i think that it might not even look like there is a defense on the field sometimes. Expect points and lots of them.

So this one is going to be a shootout. I think the Colts have the better offense and just enough defense to pull this one out. And they're healthy again now, so you know that they're jacked up for that. Expect the Colts to beat the Packers in a high scoring game.

Colts 38 Packers 31, season record 1-2, shut up

Manny Being Manny

Have you ever herd the phrase, "That's just Manny being Manny." You usually here it after Manny Ramirez does or says something that is really stupid such as making a really easy play look like something only superman can pull off. Whenever he makes an error or a really bad play, he always just kind of smiles and jokes around about it which is good in some cases. In baseball you have to have a short memory and forget about your bad plays so they don't effect you, but Manny takes it to far. His actions after a bad play tell me that he just doesn't even care when he makes an error. He just carries on like he didn't do anything wrong.

Even though Manny is a terrible fielder, there is one thing I have to face, and that is Manny is a good hitter... and he knows it. You can just tell by the way he struts around that he thinks he is the best in the game, but the thing is he just might be the greatest. He has all the numbers and stats to back up that argument. Even though I'm not a Manny Ramirez fan, I have to admit that he is an amazing hitter and arguably the best in the game.

The big question now is what's next for him now that the Dodger's season is over and he is a free agent. It's obvious that the Dodger's fans want him to come back for next year. After their final game of the season the Dodger's fans were all chanting, "Stay Manny stay." It may seem obvious that the Dodger's should just sign him again but it isn't that easy. They might not be able to afford him if there is a higher bidder. It's amazing that they were able to get him this year. Only time will tell where Manny will end up, but one thing is for sure, he will be able to contribute greatly to whichever team signs him.

My Broken Heart

If you don’t mind, today I’d like to express my disappointment towards the St. Louis Rams. What the hell? You were my pick to go winless this year and look at what you did. You upset the Redskins 19-17 on Sunday. Great job, that’s a huge win but seriously, why would you do this to me? Do you have any idea what this does to my reputation? I picked my pony and I picked you and this is how I get repaid? There were plenty of other teams that I could have gone with but my money was put on you and now I’m out a ridiculous amount of money. Somebody in this organization owes me big time now.

Another thing I want to know is where did this come from? You didn’t play one good game all season. You got the crap kicked out of you for 4 weeks and then you went straight to a huge upset. You were giving up 35 points a game before this week. You were only scoring about ten. All signs pointed to you getting whooped once again. You should have just given up. But no. You couldn’t do that could you? You had to make me look like and idiot.

Who do I have to pick now? The Lions? The Bengals? They’re bad but come on, they’ll win. You were my favorite team for four weeks and you screwed it up. You lost a fan this week St. Louis. I wasn’t very devoted but I was a fan dammit.

You broke my heart St. Louis, now I have to wait until next year to have my dreams come true.

The Game I've Been Looking For

Finally the Rays and Red Sox were able to give me what I wanted. A good game. As the postseason looms on I keep watching games where one team blows out the other. This is not what I want to see in the playoffs. I want to see games going into extra innings and players coming through in the clutch to put their team on top.

Of course there have been a few games that were kind of exciting but the one that tops the list was Saturday's Game 2 of the ALCS between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox. The game lasted 11 innings and took 5 hours and 27 minutes to complete.

"It felt like an eternity--just back and forth," said B.J. Upton of the
Rays. "They scored runs, we'd score, they'd score--it was like that the
whole game."

If this doesn't classify as an exciting game I just don't know what does. This game was all offense as both starting pitchers, Beckett and Kazmir, struggled early in the game. Both teams scored 2 runs a piece in the first inning. I like to see teams score early and often and that is exactly what happened in this game. The final score ended up 9 to 8 with the Rays on top. The game ended with a sacrifice fly in the 11th inning off the bat of B.J. Upton which scored pinch-runner Fernando Perez from third base.

The Ray's designated hitter had this to say about their well earned victory: "Nobody said it was going to be easy. Unfortunately, we didn't want it to be five hours, but it is what it is. The best thing you can do when you play five or six hours is get the win, and we got that."

So as the playoffs keep winding down and we get closer and closer to crowning the world champions I hope to see many more games like this. It just makes baseball so much more exciting when teams score 8 or 9 runs a piece. These kind of games are what the October classic is all about.

Manchester United players on international teams

Wayne Rooney was labelled "goal-shy" by some sections of the English press during the week but the United striker found the goal twice as England won 5-1 against Kazakhstan at Wembley. Rooney wasn't the only United player on target, either. Rio Ferdinand broke the deadlock on 52 minutes after an unconvincing first half that saw the Three Lions booed into the break. Wayne played a big part in pressuring his marker to allow an own goal 12 minutes later, before getting on the score sheet himself with a neat header from Wes Brown's cross. His second, a goal from close-range, arrived just moments before he was substituted.

John O'Shea and Darron Gibson were both on field throughout Republic of Ireland's 1-0 win over Cyprus. Liverpool's Robbie Keane scored the crucial goal at Croke Park. In the same group, Dimitar Berbatov captained Bulgaria to a 0-0 draw to Georgia. Nemanja Vidic enjoyed the same result as his English colleagues, 3-1 against Austria.

Cristiano Ronaldo had a frustrating night, however, as Portugal tied 0-0 at home by Albania. He ran Carlos Queiroz's side from start to finish and was joined on the field from the 55th minute by substitute Nani.

Elsewhere, Edwin van der Sar kept his second shutout in two games as Holland secured a 1-0 victory in Norway, thanks to Mark van Bommel's second half goal. Anderson was an unused substitute in Brazil's goalless draw against Colombia in Rio de Janeiro, and Patrice Evra also found himself on the bench for the duration of France's 3-1 friendly win over Tunisia in Paris.

Football Einstein: Week 6

This week there aren’t a whole lot of games that draw my attention, so I’m going to pick a game that I actually have some interest in for once. I’m allowed to do that, right? I’m of course talking about the Bears and the Falcons.

No one expected the Falcons to be any good coming into this season. They were bad last year and now they’re starting a rookie quarterback, but they have surprised everyone by coming out of the gates at 3-2. And a big reason for that is their offense. Michael Turner has been absolutely lighting up defenses on the ground. He is part of a rushing attack that averages 180 yards per game. Matt Ryan is playing well too. He will make the rookie mistakes but he is doing a good enough job of managing the offense. It also doesn’t hurt that he has a playmaker in Roddy White to throw to. The Bears are also surprising a lot of people on the offensive side of the ball. Matt Forte is a gift from god who has taken over at running back, done a solid job rushing, and he also leads the team in receptions. Kyle Orton has improved a lot too. He was the leading passer in the NFL last week with 334 yards through the air. The receivers are also doing a very good job. After losing Bernard Berrian and Muhsin Muhammad, one would think that they would have no one to catch the ball but everyone has stepped for Orton. I don’t think that there is a very clear cut edge on offense.

Defense is a different story. The Bears come in with the 4th ranked rushing defense in the league so something has to give on the ground. Hint: it won’t be the Bears. Their defense is much too good to let the Falcons run all over them. This is the Chicago Bears defense and right now, they are actually playing like the Chicago Bears defense. Atlanta better watch out. The Falcons defense isn’t awful but they rely a lot on the big play and if Matt Forte doesn’t fumble and Kyle Orton doesn’t throw picks, both of which have been happening recently, it could be pretty rough day at the office for the Falcons. The edge on defense is easily for the Bears.

Atlanta’s special teams are pretty good. They have a good return game with Jerious Norwood but let me know when they get Devin Hester and Robbie Gould. Advantage Bears.

So when it all boils down to it, it’s going to be a tough, smash mouth game. The Bears have the pretty tough challenge going into the Georgia Dome but I think that they can go in there and come out on top. Bears 24 Falcons 16, Season Record: 1-1

Met's Pitcher Behind Bars

By now most baseball fans have herd about the controversy with Ambiorix Burgos (New York Mets pitcher). He is currently behind bars and will be for three months awaiting trial for a hit and run accident that killed two women. But of course there is some more drama going on behind the scenes. There is a rumor afloat that it wasn't an accident. One of the victim's mother has accused Burgos of intentionally running over her daughter because she refused to go out with him.

The sad thing is whether Burgos hit them intentionally or not he doesn't seem to feel bad at all. He was quoted saying,

"I am going to come out of this fine because my conscience is clear, and I'm not
worried that this will affect my career because I haven't done anything."

Well I don't know about you but if I hit somebody by accident and they died, I would feel absolutely terrible even though it wasn't my fault. He actually tried saying that he wasn't even the driver. He claims that he was in the back seat and his cousin was driving. Well if that was true then why would he flee the seen then? His actions and his words just don't see eye to eye. He even goes as far as saying that people are exaggerating things because he is the only Major League pitcher from Nagua.

This isn't the only trouble that Burgos has gotten into. He also faces assault and harassment charges in New York for throwing his girlfriend to the ground. But that's not all folks. He faces another illegal weapon possession charge.

As a sports fan I am so tired of tuning in to sports center and seeing things about athletes going to jail for stupid stuff. As a professional athlete, little kids are looking up to you whether you know it or not. What kind of example are you setting for these kids who want to be like you and do what you do?

Nine year old to join Manchester United?

Rhain Davis has been invited to join Manchester United's famed academy, the breeding ground of current Red Devils star Ryan Giggs and 1966 World Cup-winning England hero Bobby Charlton. Sir Alex Ferguson is a pro at recruiting younger kids and turning them into world class athletes. Paul Scholes who starts in the middle for Manchester joined up at the age of 14 and is now 33. Maybe if he makes it for 5 years and retires at the age of 38 it'll be time for Rhain Davis who will be 14 in 5 years. Rhain was actually born in England to a Manchester United crazy family but moved to Brisbane when he was age four. I can't even fathom what it would be like to have talent like Rhain at that age. Actually, I wish I had his talent right now as a matter of fact. His touch and his presence on the ball is just so smooth and natural, it's absolutley ridiculous. And that skill has allowed him to be able to train with Manchester United. Manchester United! The best club in the world! At the age of 9 he gets to train and watch the greats like Wayne Rooney, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, and Cristiano Ranaldo. I mean, I find it awesome enough to get up at eight in the morning and be able to watch them from halfway around the world. But to train with them? I simply can not imagine how amazing that would be. I really hope he progresses in the right way and is able to turn his already incredbile talent into world class talent in the future. Who knows, maybe he will be the next Rooney, Giggs, or even Scholes.

Part of Me Saw This Coming

Marvin Harrison. He’s a staple in the Indianapolis Colts franchise, he holds a ton of receiving records, and he’s been to 8 Pro Bowls. But his next job might be playing for a prison team. That’s because Marvin Harrison is being sued for shooting a man back in April. Apparently, according to the victim, Marvin shot him and then one of his friends shot him again. That’s convenient because Marvin’s story is that one of his friends took the gun and shot the man. So it’s just a crazy coincidence that the victim’s story covers up both sides that Harrison could take. I’m not trying to take sides but that seems a strange to me.

But what I really want to know is how did Marvin Harrison do this? This man is a carbon copy of Ken Griffey Jr. from that one Simpsons episode. He doesn’t look like he would do anything like this. And even if he would, don’t jump into the game with attempted murder, Marvin. You gotta start off slow, with tax evasion or some bull crap like that. There are clear steps that crazy football players take. You might have mad ups, but you can’t jump up that many steps.

Is there a dark side to Marvin Harrison that we don’t know about? Is that quiet, record setting receiver leading a double life? The Associated Press says that the incident occurred near a bar that Harrison owns. Alcoholic?

Marvin when did you make this change to the dark side? Did you make the change when the Colts brought in all these young gun receivers that make you look like the old lady from Mama’s Family on the field? Or did you make it when you realized that you suck now? Or maybe you were always like this. Maybe this is the true Marvin Harrison coming through.

But I guess that this isn’t bad news to everyone. I hear Burt Reynolds’ team needs a new wide out.

USA Swimming Bans Hi-Tech Suits for Youth

USA Swimming banned hi-tech suits for age-groups at its annual convention in Atlanta on September 28th, according to the Washington Post. About 65 to 70 percent of USA Swimming's house of delegates, which consists of hundreds of voting members representing swim clubs at all levels across the country, voted to ban suits that extend past the neck, shoulders or knees. USA Swimming's Club Development Director Pat Hogan said that delegates were concerned that the Speedo LZR suits, among others, which can cost as much as $500, would drive promising youngsters who couldn't afford them out of the sport and possibly avoid proper stroke development. Here is a statement from Hogan, "We're in a position where we want to grow participation in our sport." We don't need to have false barriers to participation. The cost of those high-tech swim suits, for a young swimmer, doesn't really make sense. We've helped protect and create a level playing field in 12-and-under competition where truly the type of suit you wear doesn't make a difference."

I think this is completely ridiculous. At young ages these "hi-tech" suits are basically used at the end of the season. Hence, why you'll find at the high school level or younger that these suits are commonly known as "end of the season suits", or "performance suits". Just because you go out and spend 500 bucks on a suit does not mean you are going to go faster than someone that uses a suit that its 24 bucks. Sure, I would buy an end of the season suit when I was in highschool, but that was for the conference meet, sectional meet, and then at state when one of our relays made it. And no, I did not go out and spend 500 bucks on a full body suit, or legs suit. I went and got a $50 speedo. And with only spending 50 bucks, I was still able to beat kids that wore the expensive suits. It's all about how hard you worked during those 5 months of the season, not some expensive piece of fabric. Also it depends a lot on your coach knowing your limits and how well they can taper you at the end of the season. Tapering involves a gradual reduction in an athelete's workout demands in order to allow the body to recover from the stress, and I was fortunate enough to have such a great coach.

The fact that they feel the need to ban these suits is nuts. It's all about the feeling during a race. We had the MVP swimmer of our conference on our team and he tried a full body suit. Guess what, he hated it. It made him slower. So what one feels compared to another wearing a suit can be completely different. So they should allow kids to figure out what they think feels right. It shouldn't be up to other people. People make such a big deal about it, they give the impression it's the suit that makes the swimmer. But what we need to be stressing is the hard work and practice is what makes up the swimmer, not some stupid piece of fabric.

Simpson Guilty in Robbery Trial

OJ Simpson, the former football star and hall of famer, has been found guilty of armed robbery and kidnapping. It took them 13 years, but a jury finally got one right. Simpson said prior to the verdict, "I'm afraid that I won't get to go to my kids' college graduations after I managed to get them through college." Well Mr. Simpson, you probably should have taken that into thought before you go around killing people and robbing people with guns. I suggest you find someone to go to their graduation and have them tape it, and then they can send it to you in jail.

Said attorney Gloria Allred, who has represented the family of his slain ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson. "Justice was delayed, but in this case it was not denied. Now that he may spend the rest of his life in prison, the law, and not O.J. Simpson, will have the last word." Hmm, I would have to say that delayed in a complete understatement. 13 years is a little longer than just delayed. I mean, should it really take this long to convict someone years after they wrote a book that mysteriously goes into detail about how he would have killed Nicole and Ronald? Seriously, normal people do not do that.

Too bad OJ, for all of that money you made during your years of playing football it is not really going to help you buy comfort in jail. I hear you get to live in some stylish white concrete walls, a nice little toliet in the corner, a hard bed, and who knows, maybe if you are lucky you can get a window you will hardly be able to see out of. All I really have to say is, later is better than never.

Phillies Movin' Along

Just like that the Philadelphia Phillies ended what was one of the Milwaukee Brewer's best season in a long time. The Brewers where down by two games but they were able to escape elimination for one more night. The next night, Brewer fans packed Miller Stadium with their thundersticks in hand to try and cheer their team to a second victory and prolong the series yet again. But they just could not get it done. The Phillies didn't fool around this time. They jumped on top in the first inning and never let the Brewers back in the game. With the fans going crazy in the first inning with there loud thundersticks, Jimmy Rollins stepped to the plate to begin the game against the Brewer's pitcher Jeff Suppan. He hit his second career lead off home run and silenced the crowd. This set the tone for the next three innings. Suppan was able to avoid further damage in the first inning and worked out of a first-and-third jam in the second, but then gave up back-to-back two out home runs to Pat Burrel and Jayson Werth in the third. Prince Fielder gave the Brewers their first run in the seventh inning when he went deep for a solo home run. But the very next inning Pat Burrel went deep for his second home run of the game. The Brewers would add on a run of their own in eighth but did not get any closer than that. The final score was 6-2 and all of the Phillies runs came via the home run. The Phillies starting pitcher, Joe Blanton was a major factor in keeping Milwaukee quiet. He gave up just three hits in the first six innings before he gave up the long ball to Fielder. The Phillies manager, Charlie Manuel, said the key to the game was Rollins' lead off home run. He said, "I think the Rollins homer really got us going. When you talk about the intensity, I think -- It's hard to explain sometimes. When a game starts, it's not like you're really not ready to play... But today we come out and I think Rollins' home run definitely set us off." (full quote).

The Phillies now move on to play the Los Angeles Dodgers, who swept the Cubs, in the NL Championship Series. So far through the first round of the playoffs all of the series have been pretty one sided. The Dodgers wasted no time getting past the Cubs as they swept them in three games. The Phillies only surrendered one game to the Brewers. The Red Sox lead the Angles 2 games to none. And the Rays are leading the White Sox 2 games to none. As we move on to the second round of this postseason I'm hoping for some better match ups and some closer games. So far there just hasn't been any really exciting games like I was expecting. One match up I'm hoping to see is the Rays and the Red Sox. They both are in the same conference and have somewhat of a rivalry between them. Rivalries and playoffs just spell out excitement.

Do You Suffer?

Apparently, I’m the only man in America that watches the NFL and doesn’t suffer from erectile dysfunction. I have to be. Why else would I tune into a football game and see a commercial for Viagra or Cialis every ten minutes? That means every ten minutes I have to watch the same long commercial with two people in bathtubs on the beach or the gray haired husband and wife who dance to get in “the mood”.

These commercials are just unbelievable. I don’t have a bathtub on the beach and if I did, I wouldn’t use it. I’m a shower man. And I sure as hell don’t waltz to get my motor running. But then again, that’s just me. If you’re going to make me watch these commercials all the time, at least make them a little more believable. Be honest in your commercials Viagra. I know how this stuff works. You take it then you sit around playing monopoly until it kicks in.

I can’t be the only guy who feels this way. All of us football fans know these commercials by heart. We all know the famous words, “If you have an erection lasting longer than four hours…” And what if DID have an erection lasting longer than four hours? It would be by choice! Don’t try to run my life Viagra. And what better time to think about your penis than when you’re watching 22 sweaty, ripped men run around on a football field, getting dirty and tackling each other. Ok, that got too graphic.

I’m sorry I’m ranting but I really hate these commercials. I don’t have ED, I don’t need Viagra or Cialis, and I really don’t want to have to sit through these dopey commercials every Sunday. Put them on the golf channel or some channel where all the viewers might actually be interested. Just let me watch my game with a few manly commercials for beer and beef jerky slipped in there, then I’ll be happy.

Despite injuries, Manchester United is still rolling

After all the recent injuries Manchester United has had, they still have managed to continue their game winning streak to 4. Last week against Aalborg Paul Scholes left early into the game which we later found out suffered medial ligament damage and will be out for approximately 10 weeks, Rafael Da Silva left later into the game, and Wayne Rooney left in the second half with an ankle injury.

Yesterday Manchester beat the Blackburn Rovers 2-0 in quite a downpour of rain. The starting lineup was Van der Sar; Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra , Fletcher, Anderson, Giggs, Rooney, Ronaldo, and Berbatov.

Sir Alex chose for an attacking lineup to extend a three game winning streak, with Dimitar Berbatov and Cristiano Ronaldo selected upfront alongside Rooney, who overcame an ankle injury sustained in Tuesday's win against Aalborg. Darren Fletcher slid a clear wide and Giggs forced a great save from Brown, but the Reds took the lead from the following corner. Just after the hour mark came the second goal. Brown sped out of defence and found Ronaldo, who then passed it off to Rooney to stylishly finish into the top corner. Rooney Rooney Rooney, what can't this kid do? Yes I say kid, he made his debut with United at the age of 18, and is now only 22, yet he plays like a world class athlete already. That goal is his third in a week and is even more impressive just coming off an ankle injury. Blackburn could count themselves lucky to suffer only a two goal loss after being absolutely dominated throughout the match. The beginning of the season had me a little worried about Manchester United, but week in and week out they keep proving me wrong, and this United team looks like it is approaching its' world class form.

What Were They Thinking?

There are usually a lot of things on my mind, but this week there is something big that i just can't get over. Throwback jerseys. Specifically those nightmares that the New York Jets were wearing on Sunday. Now i don't know too much about fashion, but i do know that those black and gold travesties are not lookin' too good. When i turned on the game and i first saw those jerseys, i threw up in my mouth...seriously. What makes these teams say, "You know what, we haven't worn the ones that look like shit in a while. Let's put those on today!"

Now i don't mean to go on a rant here, but somebody has to tear the Jets apart for deciding to wear those. I understand that they wanted to pay homage to the Jets of old but i'm willing to bet that those guys didn't like wearing those disgusting jerseys either. At least when they were so grossed out from wearing them that they threw up, their puke blended right in with their shirts. I'm also willing to bet that all of the Jets fans who showed up to the game didn't know where their team was, and that's not just because they're from New York (Let it sink in New Yorkers...you're mad now aren't you?).

The Jets did play a great game in those jerseys though. But they had too because if they didn't, they would be ripped apart all week, not just for losing, but for wearing such ugly uniforms too. They would have been hit with the double-whammy, just like Anquan Boldin...ok that was really mean. For the first time in my life i feel bad. I better rap this up before my tears short circuit the keyboard.

Are there any good throwback jerseys in the NFL? If you find any let me know because i don't think that there are. The uniforms that the Jets wore this past Sunday remind me of hairless cats (ewww!!!). Well i apologize for going on a rant, i lied (i usually do). But just know that if i ever see the Jets wearing these jerseys again, i will personally kick every one of their players in the crotch. So New York...watch out.

P.S. My most sincere apologies to Anquan Boldin and his family.

Eight is Enough

A while back I wrote a post about how the Chicago Cubs always seem to crack under pressure late in the season but this year could be different. Well guess what, this year isn't any different. As of now the Cubs have their backs against the wall in the first round of the playoffs. They lost their first 2 games of a best of 5 series against the Los Angeles Dodgers and are now facing elimination.

By now, almost everybody knows about the Cubs 100 year world series drought, but they are also in another drought. The Cubs have lost 8 straight playoff games dating back to 2003 against the Florida Marlins. Many Chicago fans don't want to be reminded about the 03 playoffs but I'm going to tell you about it anyways because it makes me happy. The Cubs were leading the series by 3 games to 1. Then in game 5 Josh Beckett took the mound for the Marlins and pitched a complete game only giving up 2 hits. The Cubs didn't take the loss to harshly because it took the series back to Chicago where they had a chance to win the pennant in front of their home crowd. In game 6 the Cubs led the Marlins 3-0 going into the eighth inning. But Florida rallied for 8 runs to take a permanent lead of 8-3. The Cubs went on to drop game 7 when the Marlins again rallied from behind to win the game and move on to the World Series. Chicago's postseason woes continued last year when they got swept in the first round by the Arizona Diamondbacks. And of course now they are trailing the Dodgers 0-2 in the first round of this years playoffs.

Can the Cubs manage to pull off a comeback and win 3 in a row. It wouldn't be the first time a team has made that kind of a comeback in the playoffs. In 2004 the Boston Red Sox trailed the Yankees 0-3 in the second round and they went on an eight game tear to win the world series. So can the Cubs do it? Of course they can but I really doubt they'll be able to pull off that miracle.

Look who's talking now

This week there is an interesting match up and it isn’t even going to be a close game. I’m talking about the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Cincinnati Bengals. This game is appealing because it features two of the biggest loudmouths in the NFL, Chad Johnson and Terrell Owens. Both of these players have been talking a lot recently so let’s look at what they’ve been saying this week.

TO almost started crying again after the game last week (a loss to the Redskins) because he didn’t think that the team tried to get him the ball enough. I don’t know what he is talking about. The Cowboys got him the ball or tried to get him the ball on over one third of their offensive plays. He would have gotten the ball more if he had better hands and didn’t drop so many passes. He needs to shut up and play. I do enjoy some of his antics but I have really gotten tired of listening to him complain all the time. Don’t throw your teammates under the bus when you get the ball thrown your way 20 times and you don’t do anything with it.

Chad Johnson has also been running his mouth this week too. But he hasn’t been trashing his teammates. He has been talking about how he is going to be the old Chad and run his mouth more. He wants to do that to try and pump his team up because they are playing terrible football right now. But I’m curious, when did he stop? I don’t remember there being a time when he wasn’t running his mouth and trash talking all the time. But we’ll see if this works. He says that he wants to go to the center of the field and kiss the star when he scores. I would love to see him do that but that would mean that the Bengals would have to score so I don’t think he needs to worry about what lipstick to wear.

So as far as football goes, this is a very one sided matchup. But if you go beyond that it is interesting. TO and Chad have done a good job of hyping up a game that won’t be interesting at all to watch. It would however be interesting to hear the game. Just put a microphone on the field and let me listen to what Chad and TO say. Then I might be entertained.