How Did I Become a Cavs and Vikings Fan?

I stumbled upon this passage in a Bill Simmons article:

Question No. 11: What was the funniest thing you've read about the World Cup this month?

I liked Michael Davies' take on England's demise: "Americans will never completely understand how crap it is, most of the time, to be English. We might have cute accents and be good at cocktail parties. But we are mostly losers." That slayed me. England's fatalistic, self-loathing, S&M-style attitude toward its national team tops Buffalo Bills fans, Minnesota Vikings fans or even Cleveland fans.

What did I get myself into?

Oh, The Irony

I just read a piece over at ESPN.com about a man in South Africa who was beaten to death by his family after putting on a world cup match.

When I first read it, I thought he was killed for turning a match off, not putting one on. Nope. He was killed for putting it on.

But the irony? His family wanted to watch a religious program. How righteous of them, you know, beating him to death and all.

Bracketology 101

March Madness brackets do funny things to a person’s head.

For people like me, who know next to nothing about college basketball, the “anyone can win” mentality gives hope that this year could be the year you win your pool. For people who watch college basketball throughout the year, that “insider knowledge” seems like enough to separate you from the rest of the pack and win your pool that way.

Too bad things don’t normally work out like that.

It’s common bracketological theory that you need to pick upsets. Up until last year, that seemed like a safe bet. However, for the first time in history, all four #1 seeds last year made it into the Final Four, which effectively threw that theory out the window.

This year, when it looked as though that was going to happen again – as all #1, #2 and #3 seeds advanced to the Sweet 16, and all four #1 seeds made it to the Elite 8 – Michigan State and Villanova upset their respective #1 seeds (Louisville and Pittsburgh) to advance to the Final Four.

So what is a bracketeer supposed to do? Well, there are a few things that even a novice bracketeer can pick up on. First of all, there are inevitably the “upsets” that really aren’t all that… upsetting. Teams that are seeded #9 or #10 could easily beat their first-round opponents; in fact, two #9 and three #10 seeds advanced to the second round this year.

Then, every year, there are the unexpected upsets – those that see #4 or #5 seeds fall. This year, only one #4 seed fell (Wake Forest lost to Cleveland State) but three #12 teams knocked off #5’s (Arizona beat Washington, Wisconsin beat Florida State and Western Kentucky beat Illinois).

How do you know which of these teams to pick? Well, sometimes, it’s blind luck. Had I done any research at all and found out that Cleveland State was the Vikings, I would have picked them (I’m a Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Vikings fan). It might have looked absurd on my bracket, but I wouldn’t have had the Vikings winning a second-round game. Worst case scenario: Wake Forest’s superiority holds up and they advance, so I hope they get knocked out quickly.

Western Kentucky, as obscure as it sounds, is a very strong basketball school. Last year, WKU knocked off fifth-seeded Drake University in the first round, then advanced to the Sweet 16 by knocking off San Diego, a fellow Cinderella story. This year, led by Orlando Mendez-Valdez and A.J. Slaughter, the team not only beat Wake Forest in the first round but was poised to do the same to #4 Gonzaga, until the Bulldogs hit a go-ahead lay-up with only 0.9 seconds on the clock to eliminate WKU. What’s the moral of this story? If you see Western Kentucky on a bracket in the future, don’t hesitate to pick them – regardless of how much of a long shot they may seem.

Here’s a tip that seems obvious (and if you’ve read this far, you know this by now): unless you have some great inside tip, always pick the top three seeds in each region to advance – at least in the first round. No #1 has ever fallen to a #16 (though several teams this year came a little too close for comfort), and only four #2 seeds have fallen to a #15 (with the most recent coming in 2001 when Hampton beat Iowa State).

The hardest part of the tournament to predict is when the games really come down to the wire, and a team like #3 Villanova is playing #6 UCLA. Sure, Villanova was a higher seed, but things still seemed close. At times like these, however, you have to look at external factors. Like what? Consider that Villanova was essentially hosting the match (it was played in Philadelphia) and that home-court advantage should be more than enough to propel them to the next round.

What’s great about bracketology, though, is that even if you follow these guidelines, do your research and make educated guesses, things still might not fall into place. That’s what gives March the madness, if you will, and makes the tournament fun for everyone to watch.

Breakout MLB Stars

Aside from just being a Yankees fan, I describe myself as a fan of younger talent in Major League Baseball. I really like it when I see a young player (or, better yet, a team full of young players, like the Rays late year) put it all together and show that they belong. Each year, I try to sort of scout out the upcoming young talent in baseball. I want to know who I should be looking for when I watch games, but I also want to know who to draft for my fantasy team.

With that said, here’s a list of players I’m looking forward to catching in this upcoming year. It’s not like anyone on this list won’t be on everyone else’s lists of a similar nature, but the bond these players all share is the fact that they’re all on my fantasy team, which you can view here.

Anyway, without further ado, here we go!

Chris Davis (1B/3B, Texas Rangers) – Davis was one of the guys who flew under the radar for me last year. I ended up with him on my team only because I found out that his seemingly mediocre stats were compiled in only half a season. Stretched out over a whole year, he would have wound up batting .285 with 34 HR and 110 RBI. Not bad.

Alex Gordon (3B, Kansas City Royals) – Gordon’s one of the guys in the majors with the most talent and the least production. He’s the kind of guy who seemingly makes this type of list annually, as each year is going to be his inevitable breakout season. It’ll come… at some point. 2009? Sure, why not?

Jay Bruce (OF, Cincinnati Reds) – I’m not really sure why, but I call him “the great American hope.” I think it might have something to do with the skepticism everyone has as far as power hitters and home run numbers go. If the current batch of players are all lumped together in one tainted bundle, Bruce is the guy who will lead the next group out of the abyss. Last year’s 21 home runs was a great start.

Billy Butler (DH, Kansas City Royals) – For someone who’s supposed to have one of the best eyes in baseball, a .275 and 11 home runs just isn’t going to cut it. However, the dude has been raking this Spring Training, hitting .395 with 4 home runs in 73 at-bats. I’ll take that.

Matt Wieters (C, Baltimore Orioles) – He’s this year’s best bet to follow in the footsteps of Ryan Braun and Evan Longoria as the mid-May call-up who instantly proves he belongs. Wieters is really the best thing the Orioles have going, so it’s only a matter of time before he gets his due.

Matt LaPorta (1B/OF, Cleveland Indians) – The last I’ve heard, it isn’t even a sure thing that LaPorta is going to make the Indians’ major league roster this year. However, if he does, from what I’ve heard, he’ll be a fun one to watch. He’s probably the guy on this list I know the least about, but supposedly he has Joe Mauer-like hitting abilities… with power. That’s scary.

Max Scherzer (P, Arizona Diamondbacks) – Last year, I had great hopes for Scherzer. My one friend and I were set to watch each of his starts for the Diamondbacks. After being called up mid-season, he strikes out something like 7 guys in 4 1/3 innings in his first appearance. We were psyched. But then he fails to stick in the rotation and he gets hurt. What a lame way to end the year. Here’s to a better 2009, Max!

David Price (P, Tampa Bay Rays) – Everyone got a taste of what he could do by watching him in the playoffs last year. Though he’s currently in the Rays’ minor league system, he’ll be up soon enough and will wow fans yet again. That’s one thing I hate about baseball – the stupid clause that guarantees a player more money if he is called up before a certain date. That’s really the only reason he’s in the minors right now. The kid can play. Call him up. Don’t be cheap, Tampa.

NL Central Preview

CHICAGO CUBS – After a hundred years of no World Series titles, could 2009 be the year?

Sure, why not?

The Cubs won 97 games last season, and the only major key to their team that they lost was closer Kerry Wood. However, the team has more than adequate help in replacing his role. Relievers Carlos Marmol and Jeff Samardzija both proved to be effective in shutting down batters last season, so one or the other will be able to step up and fulfill the role.

The Cubs also added to their team by continuing their trend of adding a big-name outfielder to their team each year. Following in the footsteps of Alfonso Soriano (2007) and Kosuke Fukudome (2008), Chicago went out and added Milton Bradley.

Now, Bradley’s had issues controlling his temper in the past. However, if he buys into the idea that this could be the year to end the over-a-century-long drought, he could provide exactly the type of pop that the lineup needs.

Though the Cubs will face some tough challenges in the NL Central, they should be more than able to repeat their title as division champions.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS – Albert Pujols.

That’s pretty much all you need to know about the Cardinals and the success they have.

Sure, there are other players on the team. Most notably, their outfield is quite strong. They have pitcher-turned-hitter-slash-amazing-return-story Rick Ankiel (who smashed 37 home runs last season in only his second season as a hitter in the majors) as well as Ryan Ludwick (who hit 25 home runs and played very well throughout much of his rookie season in 2008).

However, regardless of how much these players may do, there is truly no player as vital to his team in Major League Baseball as Pujols is to the Cardinals. As both the leader on the field and in the clubhouse, any success that the Cardinals have (most recently, their 2006 World Series title) can be pretty much directly attributed to Pujols.

With that said, his supporting cast isn’t strong enough for the Cardinals to make another World Series run this season. Never count them out, though, as Sir Albert will have a say in the matter.

MILWAUKEE BREWERS – What do you do when you make it to the playoffs, only to get knocked out by the eventual World Series Champions in the first round?

Why, add the all-time saves leader of course.

After being traded to the Padres in his rookie season, Hoffman had spent the remainder of his 16-year career in San Diego. However, after failing to reach a deal with the team, Hoffman signed a one-year contract with Milwaukee, effectively bringing Hell’s Bells to the Midwest.

Despite having a talented lineup – including Ryan Braun (71 home runs and a .301 average in his first two seasons) and Prince Fielder (who has hit 84 home runs over the past two seasons) – the Brewers will struggle to match last season’s 90 wins, primarily because of the loss of CC Sabathia.

Sabathia, who came over midway through last year, sparked the team’s playoff run with an 11-2 record over the season’s final three and a half months. However, after signing with the Yankees, his wins (not to mention all the innings he ate up) will have to come from somewhere else. Despite having a talented team, the Brewers will face a tough task in returning to the playoffs.

HOUSTON ASTROS – Though the Astros had a fairly successful season in 2008 (ending up with 86 wins), they found themselves three games behind in the Wild Card race when everything was said and done.

The team should enjoy a full season of Carlos Lee, who will be an imposing force in the middle of the lineup. In 2007 (his first year as an Astro), he hit 32 home runs in a full season of play; last year, he hit 28 in only 115 games. Combined with Lance Berkman and an ever-improving Hunter Pence, Lee could be the focal point of a very productive lineup.

The anchor of the Astros’ rotation has been Roy Oswalt for the past eight seasons, and 2009 will be no different. Standing at a career 129-64 record, Oswalt has been one of the most reliable and dominant pitchers in the league throughout his career.

The problem with the Astros, however, is that they don’t really have that number two starter to follow in Oswalt’s footsteps. The team signed Mike Hampton this past off-season, but he has made only 13 starts in the past three seasons (all last year), compiling a 3-4 record. Hampton enjoyed previous success in Houston (including a 22-4 record in 1999), so if history repeats itself, the Astros may have made out like bandits on their investment.

CINCINNATI REDS – This team’s future lies in the hands of Jay Bruce. Bruce, the All-American home run-hitting outfielder is the cornerstone on a team without a whole lot of help.

The Reds lost their most proficient home run hitter from the past few seasons as Adam Dunn signed with the Nationals this off-season. Though Bruce hit 21 home runs in a relatively short amount of time (108 games after being called up from the Reds’ farm system), it’ll be hard to replace the time of pop Dunn provided the team.

Perhaps in an effort to replace Dunn, the team signed speedster Willy Taveras to a two-year deal. Taveras is exactly the opposite type of player that Dunn is; he has hit only 7 home runs in 541 career games (Dunn could have hit that many in a week) but stole a career high 68 bases last season in Colorado. Dunn, on the other hand, has stolen 58 bases in his eight-year career.

For the Reds to be able to challenge for the division title, their young and talented rotation (Homer Bailey, Johnny Cueto and Aaron Harang most notably) will need to continue to mature. Look for the Reds to be strong in a few years, but not in 2009.

PITTSBURGH PIRATES – Oh, these poor Pirates. Following a year in which they went 67-95, they really didn’t do much to improve their team.

Sure, they added Eric Hinske to their lineup, but he’s a career .254 hitter. Hinske was added to a lineup that was already fairly talented – one that included Nate McLouth (coming off a career year where he hit 26 HRs and stole 23 bases), Freddy Sanchez (who hit .344 in 2006) and Ryan Doumit (who hit .318 with 15 HR in only 115 games last season).

Doumit is perhaps the team’s most talented and important player. After missing the start of last season with an injury, Doumit came back healthy and posted strong numbers down the stretch.

In order for more people to learn about this hidden talent that the Pirates have – and, more importantly, for people to care about baseball in Pittsburgh – the team will need to shake things up more than they did this off-season. Adding Hinske won’t cut it.

AL Central Preview

CLEVELAND INDIANS – After playing good-but-not-great baseball last season (and ending up with an 81-81 record), the Indians took some bold moves this off-season to improve their team.

For starters, the team snagged both Mark DeRosa and Kerry Wood from the Cubs. As one of the league’s great utility men, DeRosa will be able to fill in any gaps that the Indians may have but will predominantly play second base for Cleveland. Wood, on the other hand, is the real prize acquisition, as he gives the team a dominant closer for the first time in recent years.

The team will also get a better year out of Travis Hafner (it would be difficult for him to match his abysmal results from last season) and should get full seasons from starting pitcher Fausto Carmona and catcher Victor Martinez, each of whom missed time last year due to injuries.

Look for the Indians to win the AL Central in the same way the White Sox did last year – by being the best team in a mediocre division.

MINNESOTA TWINS – After tying the White Sox for the division title last year, the Twins lost to that same Chicago ballclub in a one-game playoff, eliminating them from playoff contention. This season, though the team has not added anyone of note, they should be better than the White Sox.

Why? Well, aside from losses the White Sox took (see below), the Twins have not lost anyone from their roster. Also, the team has filled in holes in their roster (most notably at third base and in the bullpen) by calling up prospects from their farm system. The rest of their young players should continue to improve as well; Francisco Liriano will undoubtedly continue to blossom into one of the best pitchers in the league.

The Twins definitely have what it takes to challenge the Indians for the division title in 2009. However, if they’re unable to catch the Indians for the division lead, their record probably won’t be good enough to compete for the Wild Card chase.

DETROIT TIGERS – Last year, the team traded for Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis. Despite the praise they received for these acquisitions, things didn’t work out so well for them, as they ended up with a 74-88 record and found themselves at the bottom of the division.

This year, the only place for the Tigers to go is up! Considering the talent that they have on their team, it’s not unreasonable to expect them to possibly even challenge for the division title. For that to happen, though, they’ll need to get the most out of their pitching staff – most notably, Justin Verlander can’t have a repeat of last season (who went 11-17 with a 4.84 ERA last season after going 18-6 with a 3.66 ERA in 2007), and Dontrelle Willis will need to improve on the horrendous 9.38 ERA he posted in eight games last season.

The Tigers have too many question marks to be ranked ahead of the Indians or Twins. This isn’t to say that they can’t win the division – it’ll just require everything to come together perfectly.

CHICAGO WHITE SOX – Though the team won the AL Central last season, calling them the best team could be a stretch. Rather than winning based on merit, they won because every other team was worse than they were. Along with the Dodgers (who won the NL West with a mere 84 wins), they were the only division winner to fail to reach 90 wins (they had 89).

This off-season, the team re-tooled to save money and plan for the future. They traded Nick Swisher to the Yankees and Javier Vazquez to the Braves, while failing to really add anyone who will impact the team this year, aside from possibly Bartolo Colon.

Look for the White Sox to have a good year, but unless something clicks, they will not be making the playoffs.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS – After finishing out of last place last season for the first time since 2003, they’ll probably find themselves back again in 2009.

Sure, the team added guys to bolster their lineup – guys like Mike Jacobs and Coco Crisp. However, all that did was further cement the Royals in the heart of the mediocrity that is the AL Central.

Their pitching staff is probably the best element of their team. Anchored by Gil Meche (who is 23-24 with a 3.82 ERA in two seasons with the Royals) and Zach Greinke (who was 13-10 with a 3.47 ERA last year), the team has a good rotation. Add in to that mix the presence of All-Star closer Joakim Soria, and the Royals have something cooking.

Too bad the stew’s not ready quite yet.

NL East Preview

NEW YORK METS – Two years in a row, Mets fans have endured the same story – a fallible bullpen has eradicated any hopes the team (and its fans) had of a playoff appearance.

So what did GM Omar Minaya do? He went out and signed the best reliever available, who just so happened to have set a record for most saves in a season.

Francisco Rodriguez, fresh off his record 62-save season as a member of the Angels, will help anchor the bullpen that has caused fans countless woes in recent years. As though his end-game dominance wasn’t enough, the team also traded for J.J. Putz to serve as K-Rod’s set-up man.

Though arriving with less glamour than Rodriguez, Putz may in fact be more dominant than the man he is setting up for. In his last full season as a closer (he missed time in 2008 due to an injury), Putz was 40 of 41 in save opportunities and posted a ridiculous 1.38 ERA, 0.70 WHIP (Walks + Hits / Innings Pitched) and .153 batting average against. As good as K-Rod’s numbers have been, his career bests don’t come anywhere close to any of those numbers.

Adding these two dominant relievers to the team essentially shortens each game the play to seven innings. If the Mets are able to develop a lead and hold it through seven, there’s a very high possibility that these two will be able to ensure that things stay that way.

As Yankees fans know, two dependable relievers available nearly every day takes the tension out of pressured situations at the end of important games. Considering this was the Mets’ primary weakness last season, the fact that they were able to dramatically improve this area suggests that this may be the year for the Mets to finally make the jump to the playoffs.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES – They just won the World Series! How could they not be favored to win the division again?

Their projected second-place finish isn’t a dig against the Phillies but instead more of a testament to how improved the Mets are. Also, the Phillies haven’t actively improved their roster this off-season.

Pat Burrell, who had played all nine of his professional seasons with the team prior to this year, left the World Champions and signed a two-year contract with the World Series runner-up Tampa Bay Rays. Though the team won’t miss his .252 batting average, his 33 home runs definitely helped in the middle of the Phillies’ lineup.

In an effort to replace him, the team signed Raul Ibanez to a three-year deal. Though he arrives without much hype – primarily due to his time spent playing in Seattle and Kansas City for 13 years – he may in fact be better than Burrell. He has hit 20 or more home runs in each of the past four seasons but has also driven in over 100 runs each of the past three years and done so with a .288 average.

By comparison, over the last four years, Burrell hit 27 more home runs (124 to 97) but drove in 32 less runs (427 to 395) and hit 27 points less (.261), all while playing on a far better team overall.

With Ibanez being a more than adequate replacement for Burrell, Phillies fans should not expect a recession at all. However, due primarily to the fact that the Mets so dramatically improved their weakest point, the Phillies will probably need to fight for the Wild Card if they are to make the playoffs in an effort to defend their title.

ATLANTA BRAVES – The Braves have seen their own share of ups and downs this off-season. Though the team lost John Smoltz – who had played his entire 21-year career with the organization – they were able to replace him with Derek Lowe. Though this may not seem like an adequate replacement at first, keep in mind that Lowe is six years younger and has pitched close to – though not as well as – Smoltz over the past four seasons.

Since Lowe signed with the Dodgers before the 2005 season, he is 54-48 with a 3.59 ERA. Smoltz’s record in the same timeframe is far superior (47-26) but his ERA is comparable: 3.20. Lowe looks even better by comparison when health is examined; Lowe has made at least 32 starts in each season he has been a starter (since 2002). Smoltz, on the other hand, made only five starts last season before being placed on the DL. After being re-activated and making one relief appearance (a blown save), he had to be put on the DL again for the rest of the season.

Smoltz’s health last season was a major reason why the team failed to reach .500 for only the second time since 1986. Another main factor was the extremely poor play of outfielder Jeff Francoeur. After putting up good numbers during his first two and a half years in the majors, Francoeur struggled last season, hitting only .239 with a career low 11 home runs. This season, it would be hard for him to play any worse, so anything he does will be an improvement on last season.

Francoeur doesn’t need to be the focal point of their lineup, however. Alongside perennial All-Star Chipper Jones and the team’s young and talented catcher, Brian McCann, Francoeur can be a complimentary piece in the offense. The team even added more lineup help by recently signing Garret Anderson to a one-year deal. Anderson, a career .293 hitter, will be able to lend veteran leadership and a consistent bat in the middle of the team’s order.

Though the Braves should not be expected to make a run at the division, there is an outside shot they could challenge for the Wild Card if things go their way. A combination of new players – and improved seasons by players already on the roster – might be enough to make this team a contender.

FLORIDA MARLINS – The Marlins have probably done the least in the division in terms of trying to improve last year’s ballclub. They finished 84-77 last year, but after failing to make any significant moves (and seeing their division rivals each improve in one way or another), it will be hard to mirror that feat this season.

One thing that can be said about the team is that it has one of the most talented young players in the league: Hanley Ramirez. A career .308 hitter with 40/40 potential, Ramirez was elected to his first All-Star Game (of many to come) last season. Having signed a six-year contract before last season, Ramirez will be the cornerstone of the franchise until at least 2014.

Other than Hanley, the Marlins have several other players who will help the Marlins make another run at a winning record this season. Second baseman Dan Uggla hit 32 home runs last season after getting off to a dismal start, and sophomore outfielder Cameron Maybin will only improve on the raw talents he showed last season.

Perhaps the strongest and most promising element of the Marlins team is their rotation. Anchored by Josh Johnson, who went 7-1 last season after missing the first two-thirds of the season due to injury, their rotation is stocked with arms that have tremendous upside. Guys like Andrew Miller and Anibal Sanchez have the potential to be front-end starters several years from now, so being able to develop their skills on a team with no real expectations will be exactly what they need.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS – For the first time in several years – perhaps since they moved from Montreal – Nationals fans have a team they can begin to get excited about. This is especially important after considering the Nats led the league in losses last year with 102.

While not much was going right for the team last year, they did have some promising young players. Third baseman Ryan Zimmerman has the potential to turn into one of the best young players in the league, but neither his sophomore season or last year’s campaign were as good as his rookie season.

Lastings Milledge, who was acquired from the Mets in exchange for Ryan Church before last year, led the team in home runs, RBIs and stolen bases last year, and only has room to improve. Fellow outfielder Elijah Dukes, who was added halfway through last year, has talent that is only matched by his unpredictable nature. If he’s able to tap into his fullest abilities without letting his craziness take over, the Nationals could have one of the best and youngest outfields in the league.

This year, the Nationals added even more pieces to their (slowly) developing equation: Adam Dunn and Daniel Cabrera. Neither of these players are going to put them over the top and suddenly make them a playoff contender. However, by signing these guys, the Nationals are essentially saying that they’re no longer willing to accept losing and are instead willing to do something to change it.

To expect the Nationals to climb out of the basement this year would be expecting far too much. However, look for them to lose less than 100 games, which will at least be an improvement on last year’s abysmal efforts.

AL East Preview

You may be thinking that it’s too early for an MLB preview, but you forget that February and March exist in the sports world to get fans excited for baseball season!

NEW YORK YANKEES: No team made a bigger splash this offseason than the Yankees. Between their incredible spending, Joe Torre’s “The Yankee Years” and A-Rod’s steroid ordeal, the Bronx Bombers have found themselves in the headlines of sports sections for months now.

Considering how much talent the Yankees had last year, their team was a mess. They were too busy worrying about how to win both last year and five years from now that they didn’t commit fully enough to either to win at all. Had they traded Phil Hughes for Johan Santana, last year may (and probably would) have turned out better.

This off-season, the Yankees showed how badly they want to win right now. Adding CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett to an already decent rotation gives the Yankees a formidable five-man rotation now of Sabathia, Burnett, Chien-Ming Wang, Andy Pettitte and Joba Chamberlain. The front four in this rotation allows the Yankees, if they’d prefer, to move Joba to the bullpen and plug in a wild card fifth starter (like Hughes). Considering how many wins the first four should rack up, anything they’d get from their fifth starter would be gravy.

As though adding two front-end starting pitchers to the team wasn’t enough, the Yankees also bolstered their (already dominant) lineup with Mark Teixeira. Teixeira was everything they needed in a first baseman – young, a great defender and a good hitter. Landing him also meant other teams (most notably the Red Sox) fell short, which only further improves the signing.

The biggest question as far as the Yankees are concerned is how all of these stars will mesh. The Yankees were truly greatest when everyone on the team played selfless baseball and were able to put the team ahead of personal stats. If this combination of immense talent can put the team first, there’s no reason to think the Yankees can’t make a splash this year.
Look for them to make the playoffs. To actually succeed this year, though, they will need to play better team baseball when it matters most.

BOSTON RED SOX: Regardless of everything the Red Sox have going against them – an aging rotation, a hurting superstar – they still have a lot in their favor. The team boasts one of the best (if not THE best) closers in the game (Jonathan Papelbon), the defending American League MVP (Dustin Pedroia) and some of the best young pitching talent out there.

The Red Sox may have the best rotation in the league. If everything goes well for them, they have the potential for four dominant starters – Josh Beckett, John Smoltz, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Jon Lester. Like the Yankees, the strength of their big four does not require that the fifth rotation slot be solidified. Between Clay Buchholz, Brad Penny and Tim Wakefield, chances are that Boston will have someone to step up and give the team many quality starts in that fifth hole.

Of all their pitchers, Lester has the most promise. After completing his miraculous return from lymphoma, Lester not only started in the final game of the 2007 World Series but also threw a no-hitter this past May. Considering that he just turned 25, he has only begun to start his development.

Lester and fellow youngster Pedroia will be the faces of the franchise for years to come. Their growing talents, combined with a fearless Papelbon and a strong lineup featuring guys like Kevin Youkilis and Jacoby Ellsbury, will make the Red Sox a force in the AL East both this year and in years to come.

However, the Red Sox have more question marks than the Yankees. Will Ortiz manage to stay healthy and dominant for a full season? Will Jason Bay produce enough to make teams want to pitch to Ortiz? How will their rotation hold up?

The Red Sox have more than enough talent to easily overtake the Yankees in the AL East. However, between the questions surrounding the Red Sox and the motivation the Yankees will feel after missing the playoffs last year, Boston will find it hard to win the division this year. Look for them to make a push for – and probably get – the Wild Card.

TAMPA BAY RAYS – They made the World Series last year. They have immense young talent. How can they finish third in the division?

Last year’s incredible turnaround from every other year in the history of their franchise was definitely unexpected. However, once people began looking at the job Joe Maddon was doing with his team, the outcome had a definite correlation with the hard work and all-around team effort that his team put out there.

This year, the Rays have to prove that last season was not a fluke. The team is talented enough to do this, but now teams will be gunning for them. Rather than seeing a series against Tampa Bay as an opportunity to take things slow, the rest of the league will amp up and try to tackle the best team in the American League from last season.

Can they do it? Sure. Will they do it? That’s another question. It’s hard to ask any team to win a pennant in back to back seasons. Combine that pressure with how young the Rays are and it may be too much for Tampa Bay to handle right now.

Without a doubt, the Rays have the best foundation for future success in the AL East. The same can probably be said about the American League as a whole, and potentially even the entirety of Major League Baseball. However, much of that success will come when everyone on the team develops the talent they all possess. Though that may not happen this season, it won’t be long before they are the cream of the crop in the American League.

Whether or not they are able to repeat as AL Champions, they will yet again be a fun team to watch. As though they didn’t have enough young talent, the team is adding phenom David Price to their rotation. After posting a 1.93 ERA in 14 innings last season, he bettered those numbers by registering a 1.59 ERA in just under six postseason innings.

Between Price and the rest of the Rays, look for Tampa Bay to play tough, competitive baseball this year. Barring a complete recession from last season, they should at least be able to compete with the Red Sox for the Wild Card, and maybe even with the Yankees for the division crown.

TORONTO BLUE JAYS – Considering the fact that the Blue Jays’ biggest news this off-season was losing Burnett to the Yankees, it should come as no real surprise that they might struggle in 2009.

The Blue Jays have never been bad in recent years. From 2005 through 2008, they’ve been a combined 24 games over .500 while playing in one of the toughest – if not the toughest – divisions in the league.

Their rotation is probably the strongest element of their team. Bolstered by perennial All-Star Roy Halladay, the Blue Jays also have very solid two and three starters in Jesse Litsch and Shaun Marcum.

The team also boasts a strong outfield anchored by Vernon Wells and Alex Rios. Both of these guys are five-tool players (meaning they can hit for power, hit for average, run, field well and thro well) and give Toronto one of the league’s stronger outfields. The biggest question here is whether or not Vernon Wells will be able to stay healthy. He missed 54 games last season, most due to a leg injury, and recently re-aggravated that injury in Spring Training.

If Wells can stay healthy and if their rotation can remain strong, the Blue Jays should be able to string together another respectable campaign. However, based on an overall lack of talent and considering the difficult division they find themselves in, it would be unreasonable to expect anything better than a fourth-place finish for Toronto in 2009.

BALTIMORE ORIOLES – The Orioles don’t have a whole lot going for them. One of their big goals this off-season was to land Teixeira, but that didn’t work out.

There are diamonds in the rough on this team, however. Most notably, they signed outfielder Nick Markakis to a six-year, $66.1 million extension, effectively making him the face of the franchise.

Their bullpen should also be improved in 2009 as they welcome back Chris Ray, who missed all of 2008 after undergoing Tommy John surgery in August 2007. Teaming Ray with All-Star George Sherrill should strengthen the Orioles’ end-game and help ensure that any leads they are handed will remain as such.

The name to watch this year, however, is Matt Wieters. Wieters, like Ryan Braun two years ago and Evan Longoria last season, will be an early-season call up and will take over for Gregg Zaun at catcher sooner rather than later. Listed as the top-ranked prospect on Baseball America’s Top 100 Prospects List, Wieters will make an immediate impact when he is called up.

If Baltimore wants to make a serious run at the division any time soon, though, they will need to surround Wieters and Markakis with more talent. As things stand now, the Orioles will probably find themselves as cellar-dwellers yet again.

Rise Up to the King's Throne

The Slam Dunk Contest has lost its step over the past few years.

Sure, there have been incredible dunks in recent years. Who could forget Jason Richardson defending his 2002 title with his insane toss-between-the-legs-one-handed-over-his-head dunk in 2003?What about Steve Nash’s header – off a backboard pass, no less – to Amaré Stoudemire in what may have been the coolest teammate help ever? Or, the next year, in 2006, Andre Iguodala dunking off a pass from behind the backboard?

However, despite these incredible (and immensely creative) dunks over the past few seasons, you would have to go back to 2000 and the Vince Carter Show to find the last dominant performance by a single player.

What has happened in recent years? It’s hard to say. Nate Robinson and Dwight Howard have won three of the past four years (Gerald Green won in 2007), but each relies on gimmicky approaches to the contest. Though still impressive in every sense of the word, Nate Robinson merely tries to jump over someone taller each year. Dwight Howard, on the other hand, continually re-iterates how high he can dunk and continually reverts to dunking on a twelve-foot rim – or marking his freakish athletic ability with a sticker more than halfway up the backboard.

Next year, though, things may change. After years of saying he would not compete – most likely for fear of losing – LeBron James has announced that he will partake in the Slam Dunk Contest. Arguably the biggest name in the league, LeBron may be exactly what the league names to bring excitement back to the event.

Up through Vince Carter’s legendary performance, I remember eagerly waiting for the Slam Dunk Contest and being amazed by the participants’ creativity and ability. However, the magic just isn’t there any more. Part of it can be attributed to the fact that with each passing year, less and less original dunks are out there, but that shouldn’t be enough to take the fun out of what should be the most original way for NBA players to show off.

LeBron’s entry would be a definite step in the right direction. However, in order for the event to reach its full potential, a rival would need to step up and challenge him.

Imagine how much fun it would be to see a “Best Of” Slam Dunk Contest, featuring LeBron, Kobe Bryant, Vince Carter and Josh Smith. More than anything else, getting big names would drum up excitement and get people to care about the event once again.

Whether or not someone will step up and challenge “the King” remains to be seen. As far as the NBA and its fans are concerned, though, nothing would be better for the sport or more entertaining. Will someone please challenge LeBron’s throne?

A lightning ROD of controversy

Love him or hate him, Alex Rodriguez was supposed to give Major League Baseball a clean slate. He was the one looked to who was going to bring purity and meaning back to the most hallowed career number in baseball – 762* (or 755, if you prefer). A-Rod was five good years away from passing Barry Bonds and re-capturing the title as someone who deserved it.

Now he’ll be lumped into the same class as Barry Bonds forever.

In case you missed it, Sports Illustrated published a report showing that A-Rod took performance enhancing drugs (PED) back in 2001-2003, during a time he felt “tremendous pressure to perform” and live up to his new 10-year, $252 million contract. His positive tests occurred at a time when there were no repercussions in place and Rodriguez will not be punished for any of his illegal actions. At least, not by Major League Baseball; fans may not let him off the hook that easily.

Since Rodriguez entered the major leagues, he was seen as an immensely talented golden boy that everyone could love. From his early days on the Mariners with Ken Griffey Jr. to his three-year stint in Texas to his current run in New York, he was the player that you could hate because he was a little too good. Everything seemed easy for him and he was compiling gaudy numbers at a record-breaking pace. He even became the fastest player to ever reach the 500 career home run mark when he did so in the 2007 season.

However, now he has (at least) three years tarnished in his career – three years where he hit a total of 156 home runs and won an MVP trophy for the last place Texas Rangers.

If those years were stricken from the record books, A-Rod would be left with 397 career home runs and a 33-year-old body. If he were to break Barry Bonds’s career mark, he’d have to average over 40 home runs per year for the remainder of his newest 10-year deal. Though no one would put it past A-Rod to accomplish such a feat, he has failed to reach that mark in three of the past five seasons, tallying totals of 36 (in 2004), 35 (2006) and 35 again (2008).

A-Rod’s immense talent was overshadowed only by the constant controversies he found himself immersed in. Whether it was him slapping a ball from Jason Varitek’s glove; calling, “Mine!” against the Blue Jays, causing a pop-up to drop; his wife’s profane shirt; or the Madonna saga, Rodriguez has continually found himself in the news for all the wrong reasons.

This latest A-Rod drama may be perhaps the most serious of all, though, and the one he can’t charm his way out of. He did what Miguel Tejada and Mark McGwire never did – he admitted his use, which is the first act to his fans’ acceptance. Though apologizing is not enough to erase his transgressions or remove the tainted association fans will have of him, it is a definite step in the right direction.

The biggest question that remains, though, is what will happen when he (inevitably) breaks the home run record. How will the Yankees feel, considering the $30 million bonus in Rodriguez’s contract if he breaks the record in pinstripes? Will Major League Baseball – and, more importantly, its fans – respond with a warmer reception than the one they gave Bonds?

If fans and MLB place an asterisk next to his name, as they’ve done with Bonds, McGwire and company, the player with perhaps the greatest chance to break Rodriguez’s eventual record will be Albert Pujols (currently 29 years old with 319 career home runs). Or, perhaps further down the road, maybe someone like the Reds’ Jay Bruce (who hit 21 home runs in his rookie campaign last year) will eclipse all records.

Only time will tell. Maybe the best way for Rodriguez to win over Yankees fans’ hearts is to don a World Series ring come November.

Championship Analysis

I’m glad Arizona won. I thought they could, and I thought they would but I wouldn’t have bet the ranch on it. Things looked good for quite a while, then they looked really bad for quite a while, but then they ultimately ended up good.

It still boggles my mind how Larry Fitzgerald is seemingly always open on every play. I understand that a lot of that is the fact that he’s a fantastic route runner, but if you’re Philadelphia (or Carolina, or Atlanta), how do you NOT cover him?! You know the ball’s going to go to him when they need a play, yet he’s more often than not single-covered or there’s very weak safety help over the top / the safety isn’t close enough to actually impact a play. I don’t know how many times I counted that, near the goal line, he lined up in what appeared to be single coverage. All Kurt Warner would have to do is toss it up there and Fitz would bring it in. Why aren’t you double-covering him?!

I do have to give the Eagles credit, though. I think for the first time all postseason, a team went into halftime not playing well and came out playing far better. It seemed to me that a lot of times earlier in this postseason, there would be certain things that teams would need to think about at half, like ways to stop certain guys or ways to get other guys involved, but would come out and go back to the same routine they had been running in the first half. Not the Eagles. They were down big at the half (18?) and came back and scored three unanswered touchdowns. THAT’S a halftime adjustment! I think they had dug themselves into too deep a hole, though, and ran out of gas (or Arizona, as they rightfully should have been, decided not to lose a game they were leading by 18 in).

The Ravens / Steelers game was pretty much what I thought. I thought the Ravens could win, but I was surer of the Cards winning than them (if that makes any sense). The Steelers are, essentially, the Ravens with a more mature quarterback and (arguably) a weaker defense. I’m not saying the Steelers’ defense isn’t good, but if push came to shove, I’d take Ed Reed over any defensive player in the league.

The game was decided by the fact that Roethlisberger made no mistakes and Flacco did. That has a lot to do with the fact that Flacco’s a rookie and that he was bound to make those mistakes at some point this postseason. It’s not like he completely put the game out of reach, but when you’re facing a team as good as the Steelers, throwing two interceptions isn’t going to help much.

But boy, that was a fun game to watch! Those two teams really hate each other. It’s pretty awesome. I mean, there is the down side to this – just ask Willis McGahee – but seeing that kind of physical play is incredible to watch.

So now, it’s Steelers / Cardinals in the Super Bowl. I think you have to give the Steelers the edge here, since they were able to stop the all-offense Chargers with ease. The Cardinals have very surely proven, though, that they are not the team a lot of people (including myself) think of when they think of the Cardinals. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a close game – with somewhere in the neighborhood of 21-20 or something – but I think the Steelers have it.

Championship Weekend

Things have not gone well for me this off-season, but that’s not going to keep me from picking just to pick and finally get another game right. I think I’m 2-6 this postseason in picks, and both right picks were the Ravens. That’s not the only reason why I’m picking them again this week, though.

I’m picking the Cardinals and the Ravens, which I guess means I’m picking both underdogs.

I really think that the Ravens are the team to beat right now. I’m not really sure why, considering the Titans very easily could have beaten them, but I think that they have the momentum. A lot has been made that Flacco is the new Roethlisberger, and a lot of the comparisons are justified. I think that RIGHT NOW, the Ravens defense is better. Also, I think that the Ravens running attack is better. I don’t know where Willie Parker was all year, but he showed up last week. I don’t know if he can two weeks in a row.

The Chargers also hung around with the Steelers last week, and if it wasn’t for the third quarter (which very well may be the worst / most unlucky 15 minutes of football I’ve ever seen a team play), it’s very possible that they’d be hosting the Ravens this week.

As for the NFC, I basically just don’t like the Eagles very much. They’re on a roll right now, and I think that they’re a justified favorite in this game. However, I don’t know if they have the tools to stop the Cardinals’ passing attack. Eli’s struggles with the wind last week was the big reason why the Giants couldn’t beat the Eagles, but playing in a dome and facing a far superior passing attack, it’ll be far harder for the Eagles to keep up with the passing game.

My track record hasn’t been stellar this postseason, so here’s to hoping I turn things around.

Joe Flacco

Dear Baltimore,

Do you see the good things that happen when you take the training wheels off of Joe Flacco? Maybe you should do that more next week if you want to make the Super Bowl.

Sincerely,

Me

Divisional Playoffs

Okay, so really, things can’t go much worse than they did last weekend.

I went 1-3 in picks and in the only game I truly wanted one team to win, the Vikings managed to outplay the Eagles and still fell short. Awesome.

Today’s first game sees the Ravens dancing (literally, I just saw Ray Lewis dancing) into Tennessee to take on the last-to-be-defeated-in-the-NFL Titans. The Ravens were the only pick I got right last week, and I’m going to pick them again today. They pretty handily took care of the Dolphins last week (mostly behind Ed Reed) and I don’t see a huge difference in the offenses between the Titans and the Dolphins.

The only way that I think the Titans are going to have a chance to win is to get off to a quick start and make Flacco play from behind. That’s going to be hard to do against the Ravens’ defense, though. We’ll see.

Tonight’s game is the game I care the least about of the four this weekend. I didn’t think the Cardinals would be able to keep up with the Falcons last week. I think the Panthers are better than the Falcons. I’m picking the Panthers.

The Cards did, in fact, show up last week, but I don’t think if they have what it takes to stop Carolina. I was going to say, “I don’t think they have what it takes to stop DeAngelo Williams” but they did a great job on Turner last week. I don’t really understand the Cardinals. They’re so streaky, and they’re really only in the playoffs because their division is one of the worst amalgamations of teams I’ve seen in sports.

I’ll write up my picks for tomorrow’s game sometime before the Giants’ game tomorrow, but in case I don’t get a chance to, I’m picking the Giants and the Chargers (and that Chargers / Steelers game should be great).

Overtime

I was originally planning on writing about something else today, but after seeing a short segment on Showtime’s “Inside the NFL,” I felt obligated to write about the whole overtime mess in the NFL.

I’m really not sure why so many people are against implementing the college football playoff system in NFL games. I guess it’s a matter of tradition and everything, but the way things are done now are just stupid. Jim Nantz was talking about how this upcoming off-season, he feels that they will in fact change the NFL rule to follow the way it’s done in college and it will be known as the “Peyton Manning rule.” I really hope he’s right.

It’s really not fair for a team to play all season long, all game long, show that they are, in fact, equal to the other team, and then not even get a chance to touch the ball. You’re telling me that in crunch time, Peyton Manning wouldn’t put together a scoring drive to win a game? It’s really not fair that he single-handedly saved the Colts season and put them into the playoffs, yet he doesn’t even get to take a single snap in overtime.

I’m not someone who really supports college football. I would say I watch no more than five games a year, unless I hear about someone (Reggie Bush, Ted Ginn) who I really want to see as many times as I can. In no way (except overtime, of course) do I feel that college football is better than (or, truly, can even rival) the NFL. However, when it comes to overtime, it isn’t even the same ballpark (or not even in the same league, a la Jules Winfield).

When I’m watching a college football game, unless I’m rooting for a certain team, I’m kind of hoping that the game goes into overtime because I know it’ll be exciting. Even if it’s only one overtime period, I know that it’ll be a really great five minutes of football. Compare that to the NFL, where I dread overtime. Both teams get too conservative or one team never even gets to touch the ball. It doesn’t seem fair.

How much fun would it have been if the Dolphins made it to a college-style overtime before truly unveiling the Wildcat offense? That would have been must-see TV… but then again, all college-style NFL overtimes would instantly become must-see. I remember watching the entirety of the Bengals-Eagles overtime period earlier this year, and I’d be hard-pressed to recall a more boring fifteen minutes of football I’ve ever seen.

It really wouldn’t be that hard, and aside from traditionalists who’d never want to see a thing in the league changed, I really don’t think there’d be a backlash. In fact, I’d even bet that after those traditionalists saw an new NFL overtime or two, they’d be hooked.

It’s gotta happen, and it’s gotta happen soon.

Peyton Manning

Colin Cowherd is an idiot.

I was just driving and listening to ESPN Radio, and it really makes me wonder why such a global entity could allow such a biased fan to have his own radio show.

Cowherd makes no attempt to mask the fact that he’s a Giants fan. Today, he was talking about how he felt Peyton Manning did not deserve the MVP. He started listing players he felt were more qualified for the award – aside from Chad Pennington, he named Eli Manning, Brandon Jacobs and Justin Tuck. Three Giants? Seriously?

But that’s not even the worst part of it. He went on to say that if you asked 100 people right now, all 100 would rather have Eli in a pressure situation than Peyton. Now, I’ve heard of fanboyism before, but this one takes the cake. Seriously, no one wants a three-time regular season MVP and perhaps the greatest quarterback I’ve ever seen? Really? No one? Who are we asking, 100 Giants fans? I think that’s the only person who’d truly want Eli over Peyton. I’m not saying Eli’s bad – I’ve given him a hard time the last few years because he just does so many goofy things (like forcing up a bad throw while being sacked that’s easily returned for a pick-six) – but Peyton’s just better.

As for Peyton Manning, I felt that he deserved the MVP. I don’t know if it was as clear-cut as the voting made it seem, but there’s no doubt in my mind that if the Colts didn’t have Peyton, they would struggle to get to six wins. In a year where his go-to wide receiver was aging every week and his offensive line was depleted and his starting running back missed time, Peyton was the rock that kept the Colts’ offense together.

I think Chad Pennington deserved to garner more than four votes. I’m not saying he’s the reason the team improved by ten wins – it also had a great deal to do with Joey Porter’s incredibly improved season as well as Bill Parcells’s improvements (most notably his hiring of Tony Sparano). However, if you take Pennington away from the Dolphins, there’s no way they’re even sniffing the playoffs. He’s as important to his team as Peyton, which is why I’d have been fine if he had been the MVP.

Even though I don’t have a say in the matter, I’d have voted like this:

1. Peyton Manning
2. Chad Pennington
3. Adrian Peterson