Just to add an exclamation point

In a Jayson Stark article from Monday, he cited some research from Bill James Online.


If Major League games only last six innings, the Mets would lead the division by 11.5 games.
If games only lasted eight innings, the Mets would lead the division by 6.5 games.

Here's another interesting statistic I researched on my own:
The Mets are 0-2 this season in games where they give up a grand slam to the opposing pitcher.

Every time you think "Today will be different. The Mets' bullpen will keep a one-run lead today," they blow your mind and rape any confidence you have by giving up four runs to the Braves in the eighth inning.

Any other team with a one-game lead and six games left, two of which are being started by Johan Santana, would be punching their ticket for October.

As for the Mets, this is their mind set: "We're going to win our Shea finale on Sunday. Johan is pitching. But will we really have anything left to celebrate at that point?"

Santana will probably get shelled by the Cubs today, who are completely stacked from the right side. It will be a miracle if the Mets can go 3-3 the rest of the way. That won't earn a playoff spot.

I am the epitome of a disgruntled Mets' fan. I can't talk sports right now. I don't have it in me.

Week 3 Picks

After a winning week 2, let's keep this up, huh?

Tennessee (-5) over Houston
Arizona (+3) over Washington
Carolina (+3.5) over Minnesota
Atlanta (-5.5) over Kansas City
New England (-12.5) over Miami
Buffalo (-9.5) over Oakland
Cincinatti (+13.5) over NYG
Chicago (-3) over Tampa Bay
New Orleans (+5.5) over Denver
San Francisco (-4) over Detroit
Seattle (-9.5) over St. Louis
Jacksonville (+5) over Indianapolis
Cleveland (+2.5) over Baltimore
Pittsburgh (+3.5) over Philadelphia
Green Bay (+3) over Dallas
San Diego (-9) over NY Jets

Vol. II

Meet the Mets,
Greet the Mets,
Come on out and beat the Mets!

Hola! Bienvenidos a "Collapse, Volume II," starring those lovable losers, Los Mets!

Amidst another collapse, a little less impressive than last year's, and possibly overshadowed by that of the Diamondbacks and the Brewers, the Mets are having another domino effect.

It starts with the bullpen. New York relievers have been blowing games all year long, and just like last year, that's how it started. As the morale dropped, the starting pitching faltered. Then it drifted slowly but surely into the offense. I'm currently witnessing the beginning of stage three, where one of the most potent lineups in the National League can't put more than a single run on the board against the Washington Nationals, a team that has given up the second most runs in the league (Colorado).

I'm never big on trashing players I normally like and support, so I need to choose my next words wisely. But first, let me get this off my chest:

I've never supported Luis Castillo as a Met. I liked him...on my fantasy team...about eight years ago. He shouldn't have a four year, $25 million contract. He's getting traded in the offseason...if anyone will take him. Our GM doesn't work Brian Cashman-like miracles here (Randy Johnson, Kyle Farnsworth, Jaret Wright), though Omar Minaya does have the Guillermo Mota-for-Johnny Estrada trade under his belt (the Mets released Estrada about a week after acquiring him--how valuable does that make you feel, Guillermo Mota?).

Trashing the bullpen is too easy, so I won't contribute to my impending Carpal Tunnel.

I'm leaving the offense alone, because today was the first really embarrassing game for them. Wright has been hot, Delgado has been carrying the team, and Reyes and Beltran have been making timely contributions.

Onto the starting pitching. Pedro Martinez reminds me of a pitcher I watched contribute more than his fair share to last year's collapse, a man by the name of Tom Glavine.

I appreciate all that Pedro has done in his career, even some of the diminutive contributions he's allegedly made in his years in Queens (yeah, ouch.). Right now, he isn't much appreciated by Mets fans. Pedro is a competitor, and his consistently poor performances have to be eating him alive. The Mets won't resign him this offseason. I'll be one of the least happy people in the world if they do. I don't want Pedro to leave on bad terms, because the last thing anyone needs is the media perpetuating a war of words between Pedro and the Mets. Pedro should just realize he isn't effective anymore, and call it a career. No needs to stick around getting beaten around like Glavine, Jose Lima, or pitchers of that sort.


I feel a little better now. Still, the Mets are in the middle of a 12-game span where they only play the Nationals and the Braves. I hoped they would go 10-2 over the dozen games. Halfway through, they're only 3-3. They're trying to give the division to the Phillies again. The last thing those pompous...(taking the high road here) need is another comeback division title. The only thing happening right now is the Brewers collapse. It has allowed the Mets some breathing room, so the Wild Card AND the division are both available to ride into October. However, as I cut myself off from saying before, the Phillies are cocky, and don't need inflated egos. The Mets need to either win the division, or beat the Phillies in the NLCS to shut them up.

I had a lot more I wanted to say, but T.O. (fantasy purposes) is making it very hard for me to write an angry blog right now.

LONG LIVE NED YOST!!!
(just kidding, he should have been fired last year)


I need to start blogging about football. Look for that this week.

Week 2 Lines

After a disappointing week one for me (for multiple reasons!), here we go with week 2.

Kansas City (-3.5) over Oakland

Tennessee (+1) over Cincinnati

Minnesota (+1.5) over Indianapolis

New Orleans (Pick) over Washington

Green Bay (-3) over Detroit

Chicago (+3) over Carolina

NY Giants (8.5) over St. Louis

Buffalo (+5) over Jacksonville

Tampa Bay (-7) over Atlanta

San Francisco (+6.5) over Seattle

Arizona (-6.5) over Miami

New England (+1) over NY Jets

Denver (Pick) over San Diego

Pittsburgh (-6.5) over Cleveland

Philadelphia (+6.5) over Dallas

NFL Week One, Facebook Mini-Feed Version

Chad Ocho Cinco has changed his name to Chad Johnson.

Chad Johnson and Reebok are no longer friends.

Jessica Simpson posted on Tony Romo's wall:
"We're gonna kill the Indians today, right baby?"

Michael J. Clark posted a comment in the group "Patriots 19-0 in 09!"

Michael J. Clark has left the group "Patriots 19-0 in 09!"

Bernard Pollard has 2982 new friends.

Brett Favre and Jerricho Cotchery are now friends.

Mike Holmgrem created event "Open Wide Receiver Tryout!!!!!"

Scott Linehan is hoping Donovan McNabb would just get hurt already!!

Vince Young wants his mommy.

Michael Turner posted on Ernie Sims' wall:
"Later bro!"

Jon Gruden and Jeff Garcia are no longer friends.

Torry Holt and Chad Johnson have added "Without a Trace" to their Favorite TV Shows.

Terrell Owens wrote on Usain Bolt's wall
"Yo, make sure you tune in! LOL!!!!"

Rashard Mendenhall is wondering why his Willie Parker voodoo doll isn't working yet.

Braylon Edwards has removed "catching the ball" from his interests.

LeBron James and Pacman Jones are now friends.

It's Complicated between Giselle Bundchen and Tom Brady.

Steve Smith wrote on Ken Lucas' wall:
"Great win today. I still want to punch you in the face."

Kurt Warner is saying an Our Father for Matt Leinart.

Matt Leinart is looking for his Beer Bong.

Peyton Manning is hoping John Madden doesn't demand his promise ring back.

Brett Favre has created the group "Aaron Rodgers Blows"

Brett Favre has changed the name of his group to "Aaron Rodgers Got Lucky in Week One But Still Blows"

Eddie Royal has joined Facebook.

Man...

I feel bad for Roy Halladay.

He has a career earned run average of 3.51, a record of 129-64, and he's done it all while playing for the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East since 1998, which hasn't exactly been an open race over those years.

Halladay DID win the Cy Young award in 2003, but thanks to names like Roger Clemens, Johan Santana, Pedro Martinez, Bartolo Colon, C.C. Sabathia, and the forever dominant Barry Zito, he's only got the one trophy.


Here we are in 2008, where Halladay has posted an 18-9 record so far with an e.r.a of 2.64 on top of it. Unfortunately, there's a man named Cliff Lee throwing over in Cleveland who is 21-2 with a 2.28 e.r.a.!

Though I desperately want to, I can't argue that Lee is a shoe-in for the Cy Young award this season. Halladay is having a remarkable season, but once again, he's second best.

This is how Mike Mussina must have felt throughout the 90's, how 98 Degrees felt next to N*Sync and the Backstreet Boys, and how the Mets feel next to the Phillies (thanks, Mike Schmidt).

Browsing through Halladay's stats last night, I thought I found the kicker that could potentially overtake Lee when the voting is done. Halladay's last five starts have been against the Rays, at the Yankees, at the Rays, against the Yankees, and at Boston. He is 5-0 in those starts with a 2.25 e.r.a.

His team has risen from the depths, and is now 10 games over .500, good for third in the A.L. East. The Blue Jays have scored 127 runs in Halladay's 29 starts, which is a little less than four and a half runs per game. That's decent run support for someone with such a low e.r.a., but the Jays have been shutout three times when Halladay takes the hill.

He has 21 quality starts, eight complete games, leads the league in innings pitched and WHIP, and is third in strikeouts.

Sounds like a solid Cy Young resume.

But then I looked at Lee's statistics.

Aside from the 21-2 record and the 2.28 e.r.a., Lee has 23 quality starts with a little extra run support (149 runs in 28 starts), and ranks second to Halladay in WHIP, innings pitched, and complete games. He has only 31 strikeouts less than Halladay, and the Indians' bullpen has actually blown two saves for Lee, whereas the Blue Jays' bullpen has been rock solid, never giving up one of Halladay's leads.

When all of the numbers are this close and neither team is in a pennant race, you've gotta give the nod to the wins and losses. Sorry, Roy. Maybe next year.

Time For More Crappy Picks!

One of the things I have been looking forward to this year is showing the world how terrible I am with picking the games.

NYG (-4) over WASHINGTON: While I think that the Giants will not finish over .500 (!), I really see the Giants winning this game.

SEA (+1) over BUFFALO: I do like the Bills, but I get burned way too much by the Seahawks. They just don't lose games that I think they will lose.

DETROIT (-3) over ATLANTA: The Matt Ryan era will not start well.

CINCINNATI (-1.5) over BALTIMORE: You can't trust a rookie to win their first game in the season. Neither of these teams will be any good this year anyway.

PHILADELPHIA (-7.5) over ST. LOUIS: The Rams defense can't stop anyone at all. Philly takes this easily.

PITTSBURGH (-6.5) over HOUSTON: Could be a good game, but I think Pitt will win by a TD.

JACKSONVILLE (-3) over TENNESSEE: Your AFC South winner will have a tough game against the Titans, but the Jags will pull this out.

NEW ORLEANS (-3) over TAMPA BAY: The high flying offense will get off to a better start in 08. Could they get to a worse start?

NEW ENGLAND (-16.5) over KANSAS CITY: The Pats couldn't stop anyone this preseason, but come on. Brodie Croyle against the Pats? Come on, man.

NEW YORK JETS (-3) over MIAMI: Interesting game this week. Lots of subplots.

SAN FRANCISCO (+2.5) over ARIZONA: One of my few "upsets" this week. SF will take this game.

SAN DIEGO (-9) over CAROLINA: A Steve Smithless Panthers team scares exactly nobody. Come on.

DALLAS (-5.5) over CLEVELAND: I still don't believe in the Browns.

INDY (-9.5) over CHICAGO: Terrible Bears offense vs. a better than average Colts defense? Easy pick.

MINNESOTA (+3) over GREEN BAY: The Tarvaris Jackson/Aaron Rodgers matchup is about as exciting as...well, the second Monday night QB matchup.

DENVER (-3) over OAKLAND: If you are watching this game, you are either a fan of Denver or Oakland, or you have a gambling problem.

Legit NFL Preview NFC Edition

Scroll down to see my AFC Preview....for some reason, it was posted below Travis' opening weekend post.

NFC East
1. Dallas Cowboys (11-5): The Dallas Cowboy 3 ring circus is back in full force. With troubled stars like TO, Pacman, and Tank, this team looks a lot like America's Team of the 1990s. It's tough to predict any other team coming out of the NFC because right now, there isn't a more talented bunch then the Boys in the NFC. If Patrick Crayton steps up and has a good season this year, I can't see them missing the Super Bowl.

2. Philadelphia Eagles (9-7): This Philly team, if McNabb stays healthy all year, is another one of those dangerous teams. While they just went 8-8 last year, it was a fairly impressive 8-8. Brian Westbrook might be the most dangerous weapon in the league. I see good things from the Iggles this year.

3. New York Giants (8-8): If you want to call me biased, that's fine. Sorry Giant fans, but without Strahan and Osi, this team is not a playoff caliber squad.

4. Washington Redskins (8-8): A tough schedule for the Skins this year. Their first 3 road games are all divisional games. This pesky team, which went to the playoffs 2 of the past 3 years (I was surprised too when I realized that), will rollover for exactly no one. This is Jason Campbell's year to step up.

NFC North
1. Minnesota Vikings (9-7): Had the Vikings somehow gotten Brett Favre, I would rate them a bit higher than where they are. The truth is, I don't trust Tavaris Jackson as a reliable playoff quarterback. Their defense, especially their front line, is unstoppable though.

2. Green Bay Packers (8-8): They will miss Favre more than they realize. That's not a shot at Aaron Rodgers, but they went through a significant downgrade at the quarterback position. It will be a struggle for the Pack to make the playoffs again this year.

3. Detriot Lions (6-10): You have to feel for the fans in Motown. They haven't had a quality football team there in years. Last year was supposed to be their year, but they just collapsed down the stretch. Kitna can still make things happen with his arm, but he throws too many picks. On a lighter note, kudos to the Lions for taking a chance on a chubby writer/director as their starting running back. Wait, it's a different Kevin Smith?

4. Chicago Bears (4-12): When your quarterback and running back is Kyle Orton and Matt Forte, you're not going anywhere this year.

NFC South
1. New Orleans Saints (10-6): The Saints ended last year strong after starting 0-4. They have so many offensive weapons and a healthy Deuce McAllister will really help them out this year. Reggie Bush should not be a featured back, but a change of pace back instead.

2. Carolina Panthers (9-7): I immediately regret giving the Panthers a winning record. Jake Delhomme is coming off of Tommy John surgery, Steve Smith is suspended for two games, and they lost DeShawn Foster. But their schedule is kind of easy, so I got to give them a winning record.

3. Tampa Bay Devil Bucs (7-9): While they return most of their playoff team from last year, something tells me that the Bucs were overachievers last year. I'm not trying to hate on Jeff Garcia, but they just don't have the offense to make a return trip to January football.

4. Atlanta Falcons (3-13): I do like Matt Ryan, but this will be a long year for the BC alum.

NFC West
1. Seattle Seahawks (10-6): Seattle might be the most boring good team in all of sports. Nobody really cares about Seattle. They're just there. But every year, they finish atop the West.

2. San Francisco 49ers (9-7): Shocker of the year! I see J.T. O'Sullivan (who Matt Berry and Bill Simmons hilariously suggested has a name that sounds like a bar/restaurant) as a guy who will not make mistakes (a game manager). I really think this is the year that the Niners step up.

3. Arizona Cardinals (7-9): Hey, remember when everybody loved Matt Leinart?

4. St. Louis Rams (5-11): If Bulger, Holt, and Jackson play every game, they can actually be a 9-7 team, but I doubt all three of them will be injury free this year.

Playoff Picks
Wild Card Weekend
Philly over Seattle
New Orleans over Carolina

Divisional Round
Dallas over Philly
New Orleans over Minnesota

Conference Championship
Dallas over New Orleans

Super Bowl
New England over Dallas

I am a homer.

Opening weekend

College football is in the air! There aren't many great matchups this weekend, but after App. State beat Michigan on opening day of last season, you never know what will happen.


There are a couple of great games within the top 25 and a couple good ones outside of the rankings:

Michigan St. @ Cal (-7) [+/-55]
I like Cal at home, and Michigan State has enough offense returning from last year to put some points on the board. Cal and the over.

NC State @ South Carolina (-13) [+/-45]
NC State deserves a little more credit than this, but South Carolina is a much improved team this season. At home, opening day, I like them to win big. South Carolina and the over.

Tennessee (-5.5) @ UCLA [+/-46]
Interesting matchup here. The oddsmakers don't respect UCLA's new coach and new offense. I'm not gonna join the haters. UCLA and the over.

Alabama @ Clemson (-5.5) [+/-46]
Probably the best game we'll see this weekend. Clemson has a lofty expectations coming into the season, and Alabama has that SEC blood running through its veins. Defense and ground game control the tempo. I'm taking the upset in Carolina. 'Bama and the under.

Illinois @ Missouri (-7.5) [+/-60]
I'm not gonna start hating on Ohio State YET, but I can still rip the rest of the Big Ten to shreds. They can't even compete with the mid-level Big 12 teams. Missouri and the over.

and the steal of the week:


obviously

Virginia Tech @ East Carolina (+11.5) [+/-50]
I will not vouch for the Hokies' offense until I watch this game. Frank Beamer redshirted QB Tyrod Taylor, the phenom who showed flashes of brilliance last season as a true freshman (to take pressure from competition off of senior QB Sean Glennon), and one of Tech's starting Wide Receivers was arrested for driving drunk or something like that. VT's D will do the job against ECU and the ground game should put up big numbers. I'll be shocked if Carolina puts up double digits.
VT and the under.

A.J. Pierzynski is the dirtiest player alive

So here are my picks for NFL division winners (and why)
It looks a lot like the final standings from last year, but the good teams didn't get worse, and the bad teams didn't get much better.

...except for the Dolphins, but they didn't get THAT good.

NFC East: Dallas Cowboys (Osi Umenyiora, Jessica Simpson)

NFC North: Daaaaa Bears. (Kevin Jones, Brett Favre, Mike Ditka)

NFC South: New Orleans Saints (Jon Vilma, Reggie Bush)

NFC West: Seattle Seahawks (Mike Holmgren, plus nobody else in the division is any good)

AFC East: New England Patriots (Jets, Dolphins, Bills)

AFC North: Pittsburgh Steelers (Seahawks/Patriots syndrome...8 wins could take this division, but the Steelers will show off and win 10)

AFC South: Jacksonville Jaguars (the Colts will really win the division though. I just feel bad for the Jags, Titans, and Texans...look for three teams to make the playoffs out of this division again)

AFC West: San Diego Chargers (Denver got better, but not good enough to beat LT and the Bolts twice. 5-1 in the division always helps your chances to win)

Legit Football Preview AFC Version

Just like most Yankee fans, I can not wait for the NFL Season to kick off. Going into this season, there are many valid questions. Can the Patriots get vindication for their Giant choke job last year? Will Brett Favre lead the Jets to the playoffs? Will Matt Leinart take advantage of his free time to perfect his keg stand technique? Let's delve right in.

Predictions by Division

AFC EAST

1. New England Patriots (11-5): Yes, I know that they've laid more eggs this preseason than the Red Hook Varsity Football team under the "tutelage" of Josh Mandel (had to). But if Brady is under center for Week One, this New England team has to be considered the favorite yet again. Their defense needs to stand together and adopt their "bend not break" strategy last year.

2. New York Football Jets (10-6): Perhaps 10-6 is a lot to ask of a team that was absolutely unwatchable last season. But without the drama of a quarterback controversy and a significant upgrade under center, this scrappy team will make an impressive little run to the wild-card. Jerricho Cotchery could become the next Antonio Freeman/Donald Driver/Greg Jennings.

3. Buffalo Bills (9-7): Shhhh. Don't tell anyone, but the Bills almost snuck into the playoffs last year. They really are a quality bunch of players, with Marshawn Lynch becoming an absolute specimen. If Trent Edwards can make the leap to good quarterback, don't be surprised if the Bills overtake the Jets this year. Plus, if Paul Pozlusky can play the entire year, their defense will be very underrated.

4. Miami Dolphins (4-12): I like Chad Pennington. Maybe it's because I didn't have to root for him for four years, but I kind of like the guy. However, he is not the one that will make the Dolphins into a team that anyone cares about. It should be a long season in the city where the heat is on, all night on the beach til the break of dawn.

AFC NORTH

1. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6): The Steelers may have faded down the stretch faster than Sugar Ray in the early 2000s (apologies to Mark McGrath...and fade away), but they have all the tools to make a return trip directly to the top of the AFC Norest. Gotta love Big Ben.

2. Cleveland Browns (9-7): I'm not completely sold on the Browns. Yeah, they have a high flying offense, led by Braylon Edwards, Kellen Winslow, and Jamal Lewis, but they can't stop anyone at all. Everyone is high on the Browns this year, but I think 9-7 might be a stretch.

3. Cincinnati Bengals (7-9): Another team with a high flying offense (Carson Palmer, Chad Ocho Cinco, TJ Houshmandkdhbfoadhfldjajldfeh) that might get burned by their stationary defense. Also, they are weaker at the RB position than most teams, relying on Chris Perry to carry the major rushing load.

4. Baltimore Ravens (7-9): A look at their offense and it's a who's who in great college football players over the past five years. McGahee. Smith. Flacco. Rice. Unfortunately, Tulsa is not on their schedule this year.

AFC South

1. Jacksonville Jaguars (11-5): You read that correctly. This is the year that the Jaguars overtake the Colts for first place in the AFC South. David Garrard quietly had a phenomenal season last year, the tandem of MoJo and Freddy Taylor are the best platoon in football, and the defense is tough. Plus, I love the fact that their head coach has a name that sounds like a cocktail. I'll take a Jack Del Rio on the rocks, please.

2. Indianapolis Colts (10-6): If Manning is himself, this team will have no problem winning their fair share of games. The X factor here is Bob Sanders. Although I believe him to be grossly overrated as a player, you can't argue that his presence is felt on the field by the defense.

3. Tennessee Titans (8-8): Nobody had a more disappointing 2007 season than Vince the Prince. After having arguably the most successful 2006 of any football player (Rose Bowl, leading the Titans to respectability), he just did not make the leap that everyone expected him to. Is this the year that Mr. Young becomes the stud that he can become?

4. Houston Texans (7-9): Matt Schaub proved last year that he is a legitimately good starting quarterback. But I don't think there are enough parts around him to build a contender. Not yet, at least.

AFC WEST

1. San Diego Chargers (11-5): LDT is determined to make up for his early exit in the AFC Championship game. This Chargers team has a lot of weapons on both sides of the ball and are a dangerous team for anyone. I'm concerned about Shawne Merriman's decision to play through his injuries. Hopefully, the guy doesn't end up regretting his decision.

2. Denver Broncos (8-8): The Mile-High City is desperate for a return to glory. Jay Cutler is supposed to make the leap this year, but I've heard that before. I'll believe it when I see it. This Denver team is not easy to prognosticate. They could really have 4 more wins or 4 more losses and I wouldn't be shocked.

3. Oakland Raiders (7-9): While their defense scares precisely nobody, I like their young nucleus of Russell, McFadden, and Ronald Curry to put some points on the board. Oakland fans should be happy with where their team is at right now.

4. Kansas City Chiefs (5-11): Just not enough weapons for Larry Johnson and Tony Gonzalez to hang out with. Should be a long season for the Chefs.

Wild Card Round
JAX over NYJ
IND over PIT

Divisional Round
JAX over SD
NE over IND

Conference Championship
NE over JAX

People who need to shut up

Vin Scully - Who does he think he is? What does he think he's being paid for? He's certainly not there to observe that after hitting no more than .277 and as low as .203 in each month from April to July, Jeff Kent magically turns around and hits .410 in August. Well, okay, it's fine that he observes that, but HOW DARE HE attribute Kent's sudden success to the arrival of Manny Ramirez! Slugging up almost 100 points, on-base percentage up over 100 points...the answer is quite clear--his wife told him that if he didn't pick up his game, he couldn't ride his new motorcycle when the season ends. Come on, any 40-year old can randomly double his production 2/3 of the way through the season. It's certainly not thanks to a steady feast of fastballs because Manny is here. Jeez. Stupid Vin Scully! How long has he been doing this? He doesn't know what he's talking about.

Philadelphia fans - What kind of fans boo a player for poor production? What a bunch of ungrateful bastards! Jimmy Rollins has every right to attack them! "They're frontrunners," Rollins said in an interview on Fox Sports Net's Best Damn Sports Show Period. "When you're doing good, they're on your side. When you're doing bad, they're completely against you."

It's like they're paying to see him play or something.

And who can blame Jimmy for saying that?! After hitting .296 with 30 homers, 94 rbis, 139 runs scored, 20 triples, and 38 doubles last year, winning the MVP, he's hitting .263 with 8 homers, 42 rbis, 56 runs scored, 8 triples, and 27 doubles this year. Why on earth would the fans boo him? He's only making $8 million this year. What do fans expect? Him to help them win a pennant? New Yorkers are lucky Jimmy doesn't play there, because he'd REALLY tear them a new one if they dared to boo him.

Umpires - Boycotting the conference call to get the wheels turning on implementing instant replay...how selfish of them! All MLB is asking is that they create a completely new rule mid-season with the playoff races heating up and every game meaning something. It's not like the UMPS would be blamed if there is a malfunction in the instant replay and the call gets screwed up anyway. Nobody blames the umps for screwing up calls now, so why would they shoulder the blame if the technology craps out on them?! Baseball games are too fast, anyway. We need some more timeouts to run into a clubhouse to make a phone call or watch replays for two minutes. Who cares if all the nuts and bolts aren't ironed out? The pressure needs to be taken off Bud Selig's shoulders and put onto the shoulders of people who are paid less.

'Lympics

Can I just say that my reactions while watching Nastia last night parred on Bela Karolyi's (if you haven't seen the video, you have to). Who'd a thunk that I'd get so into gymnastics? My favorite part of the night though had to be Bob Costas throwing it back to Al Trautwig by saying "And now let's see the elegant Nastia Liukin and the adorable Shawn Johnson." Adorable? Thanks for the journalistic objectivity, Bob. She's 16 years old. Just throwing that out there. Costas kind of sounded like that creepy 40 year old guy at the varsity girls soccer game that is not anyones father/uncle/teacher. Now that that's done, congrats to Nastia for having one of the most bad ass names ever and for kicking some 4'9" adorable gymnast butt.

Agree with Travis on Misty May-Treanor (I hate Matt Treanor) and Kerri Walsh. I've loved those two for years. Phelps is other-worldly, but people already knew that. I'm making a bold prediction, though. Michael Phelps will win silver on the 100 butterfly. He's still godly, but if people learned anything from the Super Bowl, perfection is near impossible. The Redeem Team (not sure how I feel about that name yet) has the racist Spain team coming up next. In this day, how can a whole entire team of adults think that making slanty eyes in their team picture wouldn't be a problem? Pau Gasol says that he wasn't a big fan of what they were doing, but he didn't speak up. That's extremely easy to say after everything went down.

Finally, good on my favorite tennis player James Blake (journalistic objectivity!) for knocking off Roger Federer yesterday. The changing of the guard is happening, people. Federer will never be the dominant force he once was anymore. And I could not be happier.

The Dodgers are my new second favorite team!

Props to them for bringing the Phillies down to earth, though I'm not sure if I'd rather face them or the D'Backs in the playoffs now that they have Manny--and Nomar is healthy, Loney, Blake, Kent, and Martin are producing...What's next?

Andruw Jones hitting higher than the Mendoza line when he's healthy?


nahhhhhhhh

Now the Mets need to just keep winning. Swept the Nats and now the lowly Pirates are up next. This is a great chance for them to garner a significant lead in the division. Philly goes to San Diego which doesn't seem too tough on paper, but you never know.

Maddux vs. Moyer
Young vs. Kendrick
Baek vs. Hamels

On paper it looks like a sweep for Philly, winning two of three at worst (losing the first game). San Diego has no offense, though, and their best hitters are left-handed which is money in the bank for Moyer.

Pelfrey vs. Davis
Martinez vs. Duke
Santana vs. Karstens

Karstens isn't invincible anymore, but it should be an interesting series with all the pressure on the Mets.


As for the west, the D'Backs go to Houston and the Dodgers host Milwaukee, whose eight-game winning streak was just snapped. The Dodgers manage to avoid C.C. and Sheets, but the Brewers are one of those teams that has a bunch of hit or miss pitchers in the 3-5 slots.

Webb vs. Rodriguez
Petit vs. Backe
Johnson vs. Oswalt

I think due to the pitching matchups, Houston has a decent shot to take two games this series.

Billingsley vs. Parra
Lowe vs. Bush
Kershaw vs. Suppan

L.A. benefits from the pitching matchups, each coming off of decent games. The Dodgers' pitching staff has done a great job of limiting the potent offenses, so they're hoping that happens again against a dangerous Breweres squad.

I'll give L.A. two wins in that series, overtaking Arizona to stand alone in first place. But they have to watch out, Penny throws against Colorado in game one of the next series.

I'll check out the A.L. soon. This Minnesota/ChiSox race is very underrated.

P.S. The Olympics are so good. Gymnastics and Swimming are fun sports to watch. Beach Volleyball is epic. Misty May and Kerri Walsh rock. I'll squirt tears if they lose.

New York Jets Preview featuring Timbaland