12.30.2012

Updated Week 17 Key Match-Ups With Results

NFL Key Games To Watch For: Week 17 Edition

*Updated with Results 10:34pm MT 12/30/12*

Well I went 6-1 in picking these games with my only miss being in the +Houston Texans at +Indianapolis Colts game. This means Houson slides down to the 3rd seed for the playoffs, Denver takes the #1 seed and New England takes the #2 seed. This will force Houston to play in the Wild Card round next Saturday against the +Cincinnati Bengals. Wild Card round coverage will follow later this week!

Houston at Indianapolis- 1:00pm ET

This game features two teams that have already locked up playoff births, but for Houston this is a very important game. A win means they lock up home field advantage on their path to the Super Bowl. For Indianapolis, this is more of a tune-up game on their way to the playoffs. But the last thing Indianapolis wants to do is to give their division rivals take the #1 AFC seed. For me, this is time for Houston to prove that they are the best team in the AFC and put a beating on Indy on their own field. If not, people are going to continue to question them as the best in the AFC. I still have my questions about this team because they have been wildly inconsistent and have beat some bad teams by narrow margins, and have allowed many teams that shouldn't measure up to them stick around. If Houston can go out and handle Indy, I think they have to be a favorite to reach at least the AFC Championship game.

Prediction: 28-17 Houston Wins. Maintain #1 Seed

Actual: 28-16 Indianapolis Wins. Houston slides to #3 Seed, Indy maintains #5 seed.

Kansas City (2-13) at Denver (12-3)- 4:25pm ET

On paper this game should be a huge blow-out in Denver's favor, and I think it will be. Many things are on the line for Denver though, and that is why it is a key game to watch. With a win for Denver they lock up a first round bye, and if Houston loses in addition to Denver's win the Broncos will be the #1 seed and secure home field advantage through the AFC Championship game. If the Broncos lose, they can still be the #2 seed with a Patriots loss, but if the Patriots win with a Broncos loss, Denver slips to the #3 seed. This could be very bad for them because then they lose the first round bye. If they do win in the first round as the #3 seed, they must be on the road for their next game.

Although I think this will be an easy win for Denver, division games are sometimes very tough to pick. Kansas City has nothing to lose and should be willing to take risks they normally wouldn't. A Peyton Manning led team shouldn't overlook an opponent, but there is also that risk for Denver. Being a Raiders fan, I really want to see Kansas City pull this one off, but I'm not holding my breath.

Prediction: 34-10 Denver Wins. Maintain #2 Seed

Actual: 38-3 Denver Wins. Obtains #1 Seed and home field advantage throughout AFC playoffs

Miami (7-8) at New England(11-4)- 4:25pm ET

This is another game that should be a forgone conclusion, but the NFL has done a good job of scheduling division rivals towards the end of the year so that teams will play for pride. Miami has been surprisingly good at times this year and they should have a shot if they play their game and run the ball well. Especially with the performances that the Patriots have been throwing out there lately. Last week was an embarrassment for the Patriots, as they almost lost to a 2 win team in Jacksonville. The performance sparked Tom Brady, and afterwords he and other veteran leaders scolded the team for the poor performances in the past few weeks.

I think the Patriots will rebound with all that is on the line. With a win they could be anywhere from the #1-3 seed depending on what Houston and Denver do. New England will play motivated and barring a huge performance from Miami I think they will sneak away with a win, especially at home in front of their fans.

Prediction: 24-20 New England Wins. Maintain #3 Seed

Actual: 28-0 New England Wins. Secure #2 seed & 1st round bye.

Green Bay (11-4) at Minnesota (9-6)- 4:25pm ET

Although Green Bay has secured the NFC North, they still have one more thing to accomplish, a first round bye. With a win, they will obtain that as well as home field till the NFC title game. Teams that still remain in the mix for the #2 seed are San Francisco (10-4-1) and Seattle (10-5). Minnesota needs a win or an array of losses coupled with their own to maintain the #6 seed. The easiest way for them to ensure that they remain in it is win. The Bears, Giants, and Cowboys are looking to swoop up that final spot if Minnesota lets it slip through their grasp. 

This game is usually a close one, with many lead changes. Both teams feature high power threats on offense. For Green Bay, they feature one of the top passing attacks in the league. Featuring Aaron Rodgers and his cast of above average receivers, they are very difficult for even the most stout defense to stop. 

For Minnesota, they face a man on a mission to break a record against a bitter rival. Adrian Peterson is 208 yards short of Eric Dickerson's all time record. The Vikings will look to ride him to victory, and give him a chance to make history on the last game of the regular season. Buckle up folks, this one is going to be a fun game to watch. I think Adrian will get the record and keep Aaron Rodgers off the field enough to lead the Vikings to an upset win, and keep Green Bay from getting the first round bye.

Prediction: 24-21 Minnesota Wins. Become #6 Seed Green Bay Becomes #3 Seed

Actual: 37-34 Minnesota Wins. Seeding as above

St. Louis (7-7-1) at Seattle (10-5)- 4:25pm ET

This is a story of two teams heading in very different directions. St. Louis has been somewhat surprising to me that they have won 7 games this season, as they have looked far from a 7 win team at times. While Seattle looks primed to make a run at history this year, simply dismantling the last three teams they have played (including division leading San Francisco.)

This game to me shouldn't even be competitive, but because it has playoff implications it must be included. If Seattle takes care of business and San Francisco loses, Seattle will be crowned NFC West champions. Couple that with a Green Bay loss, and Seattle will be the #2 seed heading into the playoffs. More about that below. 

Prediction: 42-7 Seattle Wins. Become #5 Seed

Actual: 20-13 Seattle Wins. Become #5 Seed

Arizona (5-10) at San Francisco (10-4-1)- 4:25pm ET

Another matchup featuring a heavy favorite in San Francisco. This is another game that I think will just purely be one-sided. Arizona has looked pathetic after winning their first 4 to start the season. Besides one good showing against Detroit, this team has been dead on arrival for most of their 11 contests after that 4-0 start. 

San Francisco has looked anything from awful to unbeatable since making the move at QB to put in rookie Colin Kaepernick after Alex Smith sustained a concussion. They have been wildly inconsistent under the rookie signal caller, but it shouldn't be much of a stretch to think that they can handle this visiting Cardinals team. I won't spend much time here because I don't believe that this should be much of a game. 

Prediction: 35-10 San Francisco Wins. Become #2 Seed

Actual: 27-13 San Francisco Wins. Become #2 Seed

Dallas (8-7) at Washington (9-6)- 8:20pm ET

Dallas at Washington could be a game that we talk about for years if the winner does anything special in the playoffs, and I would call this the Game of the Week. It's going to be on prime time television for Sunday Night Football, and they couldn't have picked a better match-up to feature. 

These two teams have been bitter rivals for what seems like ages, and this game should come down to the wire. During their last meeting on Thanksgiving, Washington ran away with the game until the very end when Dallas made a desperate comeback that fell short. Robert Griffin III will be healthy and it should be another high scoring shootout. This is a winner-takes-all game, as the winner will advance to the playoffs and the loser goes home for the long offseason. 

As a fan, I would love to see Washington win this game and head to the playoffs. They have a solid young core of exciting players in RGIII and Alfred Morris, I don't think they have a good enough team to make a solid playoff run, but they are exciting and stay in most games. I also like seeing new blood in the playoffs, and the Skins haven't gone in a while. Plus, it's never bad seeing the Dallas Cowboys lose. 

Prediction: 27-21 Washington Wins. Secures #4 Seed

Actual: 28-18 Washington Wins. Secures #4 Seed


Black Monday Coaching Decisions

GM's and Coaches on the Way Out

Highly Possible-

A.J. Smith & Norv Turner (San Diego Chargers)- Turner and Smith are all but a certain casualty. When Norv Turner took over this team, they were coming off of a 14-2 season. He and Smith have turned this team into a garbage fest, one terrible move after another. I'm surprised he lasted through last year, quite honestly and I'd be surprised if any other team would give either of these guys a chance.

Andy Reid (Philadelphia Eagles)- Andy is out after 14 years with the Eagles. He is a great coach, and will probably land with another team in the coming days. Honestly I think he should take a year off and wait for a better opportunity, unless he can get on with the Cowboys. But, if he takes the Cowboys position, I think Jerry Jones should give up some of his control to Reid. That could be an interesting pairing, one that would probably benefit Dallas.

Jason Garrett (Dallas Cowboys)- This one is not official yet, and may be one that takes some time to decide. Ultimately, I think Garrett loses his job. He has a lot of talent on the roster in what was a very weak division this year and had an 8-8 record. Garrett has taken a huge fall from when he was once the most sought after coordinator for a head coaching position, to now he'll be lucky to hang onto his job. He will catch on with someone else as a coordinator though.

Tom Heckert & Pat Shurmer (Cleveland Browns)- Cleveland is cleaning house again. After a few disappointing seasons under these two, they decided to collect the cards and reshuffle. This could be an interesting job to have as there are pieces in place to have a successful run. A new quarterback is a must though. With Alex Smith, Michael Vick, Carson Palmer, Matt Cassel and more to soon be on the market if the teams decide to cut ties with them, this team could grab up a veteran to take the reins.

Scott Pioli & Romeo Crennel (Kansas City Chiefs)- For now it looks like Pioli may hold onto his job, but Crennel is a foregone conclusion. Tough hand dealt to Crennel as the team rebounded late last year under him, but then the team cut ties with Kyle Orton who led the team to those few late wins last season. This team has a lot of talent on defense and some weapons on offense, given the right coach and a new quarterback, this team could have a lot of success next season.

Lovie Smith (Chicago Bears)- Lovie is out in Chicago after a 10-6 season and narrowly missing the playoffs. My thoughts are that he didn't deserve to lose his job. This is a great team on both sides of the ball, but they commit too many turnovers. This is another quarterback problem in my opinion. Jay Cutler commits way too many of them and he has a track record of losing. I don't see Jay Cutler winning a Super Bowl, to me he is not a winner. His attitude and lack of interest is off-putting to many people including me, and most people don't like him.

Ken Whisenhunt (Arizona Cardinals)- Whisenhunt is a great coach, but this is a terrible team. After winning their first 4 games. They went on to lose 11 of their next 12. I don't think any coach deserves to keep his job after losing 11 of 12. I believe he will flourish on a new team that is better constructed such as the Bears or Chiefs.

Buddy Nix & Chan Gailey (Buffalo Bills)- Chan Gailey is out, Buddy Nix appears to be safe for now. This team feels to me like a team that under-performed this year but there is talent here. With a new coach they can either take steps forward or steps back. They have a few weapons on both sides of the ball to build around, but I don't know if they are ready to compete anytime soon.

Mike Tannenbaum & Rex Ryan (New York Jets)- Tannenbaum is gone, and Rex Ryan appears safe for now. He will have to meet with the new GM to discuss his job, but I don't see him holding onto it unless the new GM doesn't see any better options. I think Ryan is a good coach when he's worried about coaching, but he's usually just worried about running his mouth. This team is probably going to clean house on the roster, because this seems like one of the teams with the worst team chemistry. I don't know if they will get rid of Mark Sanchez because of his contract, but he's not a starter anymore.

Gene Smith & Mike Mularkey (Jacksonville Jaguars)- Smith is out for sure, Mularkey safe for now. This team was awful this year, but Chad Henne came in and gave them a spark. It looks like Gabbert is not the quarterback of the future, and they will have the #2 overall pick in the draft coming up so we'll see what they do with it. But I don't see this team getting much better soon.

Possible (Unlikely)


Dennis Allen (Oakland Raiders)- Oakland has been linked with Jon Gruden once again, and although they have denied that they have had any contact, it could be an interesting pairing. Gruden was the last coach to have a winning season in Oakland besides Bill Callahan in the one season following Gruden (riding on his coattails.) I would be interested to see a reunion, although that would be pretty unfair to Dennis Allen. Oakland is looking for a stable environment to rebuild around, and making another one season coach is not a good start. But, if you can pull Gruden away from the booth to coach up this team, I think you have to grab that opportunity. Allen doesn't have a huge contract so that won't be a major issue, but he wasn't given a very good hand to play with if this was his only season in Oakland.

Mike Munchak (Tennessee Titans)- For now Munchak appears to be safe, but after more discussions he may be let go. More on this as it progresses.

12.29.2012

Attending Sporting Events for Dummies - 101


I have made it a tradition for the past couple of years to make an annual pilgrimage to Salt Lake City, Utah, to root for my favorite sports team (AKA: The Utah Jazz). I went twice when I was a young lad, back in the days of Stockton, Malone, and Hornacek. Once saw the Spurs, then sporting David Robinson and a young Tim Duncan. Another time saw the Washington Wizards, starring none other than...... On second thought no one special ever really played for the Wizards. Maybe MJ but that wasn't anything special, and he wasn't on the team yet. So, we'll leave it at "I saw the Wizards". As an adult, I decided to make this a regular thing. So, with some experience under my belt, and making some preparations for my next adventure, I find it fitting to share some tips I have learned.

Tip #1 - Buying the Tickets
First, who do you want to see play your team. That's sort of the obvious choice right their. But don't get all ticket happy and log on to your teams website to buy tickets. Sure, the ticket price may be $8, but once you get to checkout, after taxes and fees, that ticket may very well be $20. For me, I have bought all my tickets off of Ebay. Look around, and make sure your searching for the correct event. A lot of times, that $8 ticket really will only cost you $8 this way. I have found some season ticket holders will sell unwanted tickets this way, which will put the ticket at a relatively low price. But basic economics applies as well, supply and demand. If you want two nosebleed tickets to see the Miami Heat, you may be paying a great deal this way, as oppose to the Charlotte Bobcats. If you want to see a high profile team, DO check those team sites first, or try to get them during pre-season sales. Second hand sellers will make as much profit as they think they can. And make sure your seller is reliable. scorebig.com is another source you can try to get your tickets at a steeply discounted price. In short, shop around!

Tip #2 - Lodging
Especially when traveling distances to attend an event, you may want to take in to consideration if you want to stay a day or two. My experience is it snows every time, with out fail. Do some hotel shopping. Best practice, find the most inexpensive hotel possible that is as close to the arena as possible. Our last visit, we were a block from the arena, and the mall. Advantages to doing this is parking your car at the hotel avoids garage fees, and the huge traffic mess. We were back to our room before we would have even been able to find our car, if we didn't do this.

Tip #3 - Fill Up, Pack Light
Concessions at event are pricey. Very very pricey. Don't wait to eat until you arrive  but also don't drink so much that you need to hug the urinals. They don't have monitors in the restrooms, and the only action you hear is the guy in the third stall down. Don't indulge in the game if your on a budget. Essentials will keep you some green. Also, don't bring to much in. Everything you have walking in, is what you will walk around with. You can't just park your stuff and trust that it will be their when you come back.

Tip #4 - Your Surroundings
Where you sit, sort of determines how you should be acting. Upper bowl is actually pretty quiet for a sporting event. We had conversations with our neighbors last time we were up their. Standing and shouting only makes you look stupid. Lower bowl, on the other hand, you look quite stupid if your NOT standing and shouting. In addition, the excitement in lower bowl is unbelievably amazing. You will loose your voice, guaranteed.

Tip #5 - Attire
Preferably wear clothing that supports the home team, or be horribly ridiculed by the locals. At least make sure whatever team your sporting IS ACTUALLY playing... (true story) Recycle old clothing if at all possible. (My apologies to whoever this is for using you without permission)

Tip #6 - Watch Your Step
People put things wherever their please, so watch where you walk when trying to navigate through the isles. Spilling a persons beer is pretty close the equivalent of killing their mother. After all, it cost them $6 for that one cup.

Tip #7 - Take a Picture With the Mascot



12.28.2012

#39- A Stellar Career Could Be Over

Today I read an article on Steven Jackson hinting at a possible retirement after this season. Here is the link on NFL.com http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000117789/article/steven-jackson-hints-he-could-retire-from-nfl-at-age-29.

I would recommend reading this article by Marc Sessler. I especially enjoyed Steven Jackson's remark about going out like Barry Sanders, with people wanting more. As opposed to going out too late as so many athletes have. Although only the individual knows when they are ready to put up their cleats.

I just wanted to take a moment to discuss a truly amazing athlete who carried a team through hard times, and then into a rebuilding era. He was the face of his franchise when there were no other star players in St. Louis.

As long as Steven can carry the ball for 10 yards this week, that will make for his 8th 1000 yard season in a row. This is a remarkable feat in itself, especially in the pass-oriented league we watch today. He has over 10,000 yards in his career, along with 56 touchdowns over the last nine years. Add in another 3000+ yards in receiving and you have a running back that was deadly in all facets of the game. Aside from his ability with the ball, Steven is an excellent blocker out of the backfield. He always seemed to be able to pick up the blitz, or assist a lineman with a blown block. A true team player who took abuse for 9 years between the tackles.

I think Steven Jackson's effect on this team will continue even if his career is fated to end this off season. He has been effective enough in the run game to allow his young and talented quarterback, Sam Bradford, the ability to get the ball to his wide receivers. When you played the Rams, you stacked 8 men in the box. You had to, or #39 was gonna have the highlight reel.

Some may argue that the Rams haven't really been a threat since Steven Jackson has been there. While I would be hard pressed to try to argue that, can you imagine the Rams without him the last nine years. Where would that offense have been? How about the beginning of Sam Bradford's career, how much tougher would he have had it without Steven drawing the defenses attention away.

As a fan of the game in general, I truly enjoyed watching Steven Jackson play for the last nine years. I would love to watch him play for a few more, but if it is his time to walk away, I just want to say thank you Steven.


A thankful fan,
Kyle Gilmore




NFL Week 17 Key Matchups & Results

NFL Key Games To Watch For: Week 17 Edition

*Updated with Results 10:34pm MT 12/30/12*

Well I went 6-1 in picking these games with my only miss being in the +Houston Texans at +Indianapolis Colts game. This means Houson slides down to the 3rd seed for the playoffs, Denver takes the #1 seed and New England takes the #2 seed. This will force Houston to play in the Wild Card round next Saturday against the +Cincinnati Bengals. Wild Card round coverage will follow later this week!

Houston at Indianapolis- 1:00pm ET

This game features two teams that have already locked up playoff births, but for Houston this is a very important game. A win means they lock up home field advantage on their path to the Super Bowl. For Indianapolis, this is more of a tune-up game on their way to the playoffs. But the last thing Indianapolis wants to do is to give their division rivals take the #1 AFC seed. For me, this is time for Houston to prove that they are the best team in the AFC and put a beating on Indy on their own field. If not, people are going to continue to question them as the best in the AFC. I still have my questions about this team because they have been wildly inconsistent and have beat some bad teams by narrow margins, and have allowed many teams that shouldn't measure up to them stick around. If Houston can go out and handle Indy, I think they have to be a favorite to reach at least the AFC Championship game.

Prediction: 28-17 Houston Wins. Maintain #1 Seed

Actual: 28-16 Indianapolis Wins. Houston slides to #3 Seed, Indy maintains #5 seed.

Kansas City (2-13) at Denver (12-3)- 4:25pm ET

On paper this game should be a huge blow-out in Denver's favor, and I think it will be. Many things are on the line for Denver though, and that is why it is a key game to watch. With a win for Denver they lock up a first round bye, and if Houston loses in addition to Denver's win the Broncos will be the #1 seed and secure home field advantage through the AFC Championship game. If the Broncos lose, they can still be the #2 seed with a Patriots loss, but if the Patriots win with a Broncos loss, Denver slips to the #3 seed. This could be very bad for them because then they lose the first round bye. If they do win in the first round as the #3 seed, they must be on the road for their next game.

Although I think this will be an easy win for Denver, division games are sometimes very tough to pick. Kansas City has nothing to lose and should be willing to take risks they normally wouldn't. A Peyton Manning led team shouldn't overlook an opponent, but there is also that risk for Denver. Being a Raiders fan, I really want to see Kansas City pull this one off, but I'm not holding my breath.

Prediction: 34-10 Denver Wins. Maintain #2 Seed

Actual: 38-3 Denver Wins. Obtains #1 Seed and home field advantage throughout AFC playoffs

Miami (7-8) at New England(11-4)- 4:25pm ET

This is another game that should be a forgone conclusion, but the NFL has done a good job of scheduling division rivals towards the end of the year so that teams will play for pride. Miami has been surprisingly good at times this year and they should have a shot if they play their game and run the ball well. Especially with the performances that the Patriots have been throwing out there lately. Last week was an embarrassment for the Patriots, as they almost lost to a 2 win team in Jacksonville. The performance sparked Tom Brady, and afterwords he and other veteran leaders scolded the team for the poor performances in the past few weeks.

I think the Patriots will rebound with all that is on the line. With a win they could be anywhere from the #1-3 seed depending on what Houston and Denver do. New England will play motivated and barring a huge performance from Miami I think they will sneak away with a win, especially at home in front of their fans.

Prediction: 24-20 New England Wins. Maintain #3 Seed

Actual: 28-0 New England Wins. Secure #2 seed & 1st round bye.

Green Bay (11-4) at Minnesota (9-6)- 4:25pm ET

Although Green Bay has secured the NFC North, they still have one more thing to accomplish, a first round bye. With a win, they will obtain that as well as home field till the NFC title game. Teams that still remain in the mix for the #2 seed are San Francisco (10-4-1) and Seattle (10-5). Minnesota needs a win or an array of losses coupled with their own to maintain the #6 seed. The easiest way for them to ensure that they remain in it is win. The Bears, Giants, and Cowboys are looking to swoop up that final spot if Minnesota lets it slip through their grasp. 

This game is usually a close one, with many lead changes. Both teams feature high power threats on offense. For Green Bay, they feature one of the top passing attacks in the league. Featuring Aaron Rodgers and his cast of above average receivers, they are very difficult for even the most stout defense to stop. 

For Minnesota, they face a man on a mission to break a record against a bitter rival. Adrian Peterson is 208 yards short of Eric Dickerson's all time record. The Vikings will look to ride him to victory, and give him a chance to make history on the last game of the regular season. Buckle up folks, this one is going to be a fun game to watch. I think Adrian will get the record and keep Aaron Rodgers off the field enough to lead the Vikings to an upset win, and keep Green Bay from getting the first round bye.

Prediction: 24-21 Minnesota Wins. Become #6 Seed Green Bay Becomes #3 Seed

Actual: 37-34 Minnesota Wins. Seeding as above

St. Louis (7-7-1) at Seattle (10-5)- 4:25pm ET

This is a story of two teams heading in very different directions. St. Louis has been somewhat surprising to me that they have won 7 games this season, as they have looked far from a 7 win team at times. While Seattle looks primed to make a run at history this year, simply dismantling the last three teams they have played (including division leading San Francisco.)

This game to me shouldn't even be competitive, but because it has playoff implications it must be included. If Seattle takes care of business and San Francisco loses, Seattle will be crowned NFC West champions. Couple that with a Green Bay loss, and Seattle will be the #2 seed heading into the playoffs. More about that below. 

Prediction: 42-7 Seattle Wins. Become #5 Seed

Actual: 20-13 Seattle Wins. Become #5 Seed

Arizona (5-10) at San Francisco (10-4-1)- 4:25pm ET

Another matchup featuring a heavy favorite in San Francisco. This is another game that I think will just purely be one-sided. Arizona has looked pathetic after winning their first 4 to start the season. Besides one good showing against Detroit, this team has been dead on arrival for most of their 11 contests after that 4-0 start. 

San Francisco has looked anything from awful to unbeatable since making the move at QB to put in rookie Colin Kaepernick after Alex Smith sustained a concussion. They have been wildly inconsistent under the rookie signal caller, but it shouldn't be much of a stretch to think that they can handle this visiting Cardinals team. I won't spend much time here because I don't believe that this should be much of a game. 

Prediction: 35-10 San Francisco Wins. Become #2 Seed

Actual: 27-13 San Francisco Wins. Become #2 Seed

Dallas (8-7) at Washington (9-6)- 8:20pm ET

Dallas at Washington could be a game that we talk about for years if the winner does anything special in the playoffs, and I would call this the Game of the Week. It's going to be on prime time television for Sunday Night Football, and they couldn't have picked a better match-up to feature. 

These two teams have been bitter rivals for what seems like ages, and this game should come down to the wire. During their last meeting on Thanksgiving, Washington ran away with the game until the very end when Dallas made a desperate comeback that fell short. Robert Griffin III will be healthy and it should be another high scoring shootout. This is a winner-takes-all game, as the winner will advance to the playoffs and the loser goes home for the long offseason. 

As a fan, I would love to see Washington win this game and head to the playoffs. They have a solid young core of exciting players in RGIII and Alfred Morris, I don't think they have a good enough team to make a solid playoff run, but they are exciting and stay in most games. I also like seeing new blood in the playoffs, and the Skins haven't gone in a while. Plus, it's never bad seeing the Dallas Cowboys lose. 

Prediction: 27-21 Washington Wins. Secures #4 Seed

Actual: 28-18 Washington Wins. Secures #4 Seed


Turning Brooklyn

Brooklyn Nets Fire Head Coach Avery Johnson

"If I was owner I wouldn't have fired me." Avery Johnson said something along those lines in a press conference after being fired as head coach from the Brooklyn Nets. Dear Mr. Johnson... I'm not sure many people go to their boss and say "I think I deserve getting fired." I'm not sure what to think of the Nets. I think they need to fire Jay-Z for starters... Especially ban that dude from putting his hands into developing any more video games (See NBA 2k13). But, I personally think the management in the Nets organization has been boggling (btw, thank for the Favor). They have been huge at going after whatever big name they can. They got D-Will, eagerly going after Dwight Howard. Now, they are desperately going after Mr.Phil Jackson. I almost feel like they have been playing too many video games, just trying to get whatever big name they can on the team. With that, I can't help but think that this was their intentions. Fire their coach in hopes you can land the big one... Like they do with their players... Guys, work on rebuilding!!! Past that, they got some fish out there that may be worth digging around if indeed acquiring Phil Jackson falls through, which I predict I will. Will any of it do any good? Stop getting so star happy and you guys might start being okay. Which by the way, my Jazz have been equal or better than after depositing Sir Williams into Brooklyn. Something's going wrong a little higher in the organization here. Fix things a little higher up. That's my thought on that. The owners are jokes...

On a side note, I want to hand a congrats out to our boys in Laramie. I was very pleased when I saw the Wyoming Cowboys among Duke, Michigan, and Arizona as the remaining undefeated teams in college hoops (12-0). Great job Pokes!

Hideki Matsui Retires

Hideki "Godzilla" Matsui Calls It A Career

Hediki Matsui, a star in two lands has finally rode off into the sunset. After clubbing his way into the majors from his homeland Japan, and stints with four different teams, including a one year stop with my Oakland A's, he has decided to retire. He was a constant professional, and adjusted quickly to the constant media and fan pressure to perform under the bright lights of New York. Hideki was the first true power hitter to come from Japan, and he did not disappoint. He hit 332 home runs in his 10 year Japanese career, and tacked on another 175 at the MLB level. He also hit for a respectable .282/.360/.462 line in his 10 year MLB career. The peak of his career came in 2009 when he led the Yankees to a World Series victory in which he took home World Series MVP honors. The Yankees rewarded him by letting him walk in free agency in which he found a new home for the LA Angels. 

The rest of his career in the majors was statistically uninspiring as he saw all of his major batting categories fall in value. I would like to think that he did have an impact on all the teams that were lucky enough to have him on board. He was grateful for every opportunity given to him, and was a great clubhouse presence according to many of his previous teammates. He did provide a few exciting at-bats for Oakland back in 2011 that I can remember, for a team that was less than exciting to watch. 

Whatever he may do in the future, I'm sure he will succeed at. There is a good chance that he will return home to Japan and manage for a baseball team there. We may have not seen the last of Matsui in a major league uniform, although his return will be in a coaching role. For the right team, I believe he could be a great hitting coach. Here's to Godzilla and all the great memories he provided, even though most of them were in a Yankees uniform. 

Favortie Memory in Sports

I have had many memorable times involving sports, whether that be playing or as a spectator. However, nothing can compare to the first time I was able to watch a Miami Dolphins home game. When you add the fact we were playing our bitter rivals, the JETS!!!

Oct. 12, 2009-
1st Quarter- We started the game in terrific fashion. We came out and on our opening drive scored on a Ronnie Brown touchdown. However the Jets were able to answer back with, as much as I hate to admit, a very nice touchdown catch by Braylon Edwards. After the ensuing kickoff we were able to drive the field and set up a 35 yard field goal from Dan Carpenter, making the score 10-7 with 1:00 left in the first quarter.

2nd Quarter- The second quarter was very slow and became a battle of field position. Throughout the entire quarter the only points scored were a pair of Jay Feely field goals to put the Jets up 13-10 at the half.

3rd Quarter- After 3 punts in a row, Miami was able to finally get into the red zone as the 3rd quarter ended. Both defenses played tremendous football in the 3rd quarter.

4th Quarter- In the fourth quarter, the game really began to heat up. On the second play of the fourth quarter, Chad Henne was able to hit Anthony Fasano for short yard touchdown putting the Dolphins up 17-13. The Jets were far from finished. With two 30+ yard completions by Mark Sanchez, they were already knocking on the door after a handful of plays. This set up a Thomas Jones 1 yard touchdown to give them back the lead, 20-17. The following drive was extremely uncharacteristic of the Dolphins. We rarely had success with the deep ball. However Chad Henne dropped back and let fly a beautiful 53 yard touchdown pass to Ted Ginn Jr., beating Darrele Revis on the play. At this point I was screaming so loud that I lost my voice within moments. Up 24-20 we had stolen the momentum. After a lackluster drive by both teams the Jets were put into scoring position by an ill timed pass interference call. Thomas Jones would walk into the endzone putting the Jets back up 27-24 after the extra point. With 5 minutes left in the game, Miami turned to its Wildcat formation. While Henne dipped and dunked passes for short yardage in our conventional offense, Ronnie Brown executed the wildcat to perfection. 1st down after 1st down began to pile up until in one last triumphant moment, Ronnie Brown ran a wildcat keeper up the middle to score the final touchdown with 6 seconds remaining. 31-27 would be the ending score of this remarkable Monday Night showdown between two bitter AFC East Rivals. I had been to one NFL game prior to that game, and to many more since. None of them are as vivid in my mind as this win against the Jets.

I would love to hear about your favorite Sports moments. Please Share in the comments section.

12.27.2012

Relaunch & Introductions

The Fans Talk Sports Blog

Bill Montoya- 

My name is Bill Montoya. I am an avid sports fan with special interest in Major League Baseball. I do enjoy most sports including: NFL, College Football, Minor and Major League Baseball, NBA, College Hoops, and more. For the most part, I will be covering MLB but I will contribute to other sport posts as time permits.

I am a college student, husband, and father with a near full time job so I am often pressed for time. But additions will be made on my part as much as possible.

My favorite sports teams are all pretty much Bay Area teams. I love the Oakland Raiders, Oakland A's, and Golden State Warriors. I also have an interest in the San Jose Sharks for NHL. Also, because I'm from Wyoming I love the Cowboys in all sports. Being born in Utah I also have a soft spot for the Utah Utes.
Because this is a blog with the focus on the fans, these will be the teams that I have the most knowledge in and the teams I write the most about. But, we will all do our best on this site to have unbiased opinions towards our teams when it comes to analysis.

I am excited to make the new additions to the cast, and to welcome back the others. Their introductions are below!

Kyle Gilmore-

Well first and foremost, I'd like to thank Billy Montoya for asking me to help him out with this blog. I look forward to bring my opinions on the football world to your computer screen. Some you may like, others you will hate. But before I get started I thought I'd let you all know just a bit about me.

Starting with the most important. I am a life long Miami Dolphins fan. I bleed aqua and orange. There is not anything I can think of that I am more passionate about. Through the highs and lows I will always stand by them. And yes we have had our fair share of lows. But that will be entirely different article. Besides, there is light at the end of the tunnel Phin fans.

Being a native Wyomingite, I do follow our Cowboys. Go Pokes!!!! However, I do try to keep up on the Miami Hurricanes and Oregon Ducks. Mostly I just enjoy watching future NFL prospects.

I don't watch much basketball now days, but I grew up an Orlando Magic fan. Huge Penny fan. P.S., you broke my heart Dwight.

Last but not least, assuming the NHL ever starts back up (Mostly kidding), I am a Pittsburgh Penguins fan. Mario Lemieux changed the way hockey was played. He will always be the greatest to ever play in my opinion. However my tastes have started to slide to the defensive side. Marc-Andre Fleury and Kris Letang are my favorite Pens now days.

I hope this gives you a little insight into who I am. I look forward to sharing my thoughts with anyone willing to listen.

Phins Up,

Kyle Gilmore


Nathaniel Ogden-

Hey everyone! Despite the name you see directly above this line of text, my real identity is Nat. It’s shorter. I’m married, work full time, musician/producer, and do a little gaming on the side, now adding sports blogging to my resume. Anyways, I’m really looking forward to bringing the world of basketball and NBA to everyone and contributing to this as much as possible.
I’m stationed where I was born and raised, the “307” as some locals call it. I prefer the term “Wyoming”. I grew up a fan of basketball, and the Utah Jazz. The glory days of Stockton to Malone are over, but I still consider myself a part of Jazz Nation. I’m a fan of many other NBA teams as well. I’m also a bit of a NFL fan. I don’t really have a team I pledge my allegiance to. Growing up I’ve gone from liking the Seahawks, Packers, Cowboys. Now I would say I’m somewhere between a Steelers and a Vikings fan…
All the while, I look forward to being here!

Showtime Returns to LA

Showtime Returns to LA

A couple years back, I despised everything the NBA had to offer from California. If the league was going to drop 4 teams, they would all be in the golden state. Not true anymore.
A couple years back, the Clippers were the butt of butt jokes even butts would take offense too. We know the story from there. Along came a strapping young lad from Oklahoma, bearing the number 32 on his jersey. Able to leap cars in a single bound.  Frequently tops the Sports Center “Top 10”. Blake Griffin made Clippers basketball exciting. Then, the superstar of Chris Paul was traded in from New Orleans. I remember that day very well. I remember seeing videos of Blake literally jumping in excitement shouting “Lob City!!! Lob City!!!” I remember the look on Chris Kaman’s face, holding up his new jersey, the newest member of the Hornets… Not very pleased… Sadder than a child who just dropped his candy bar, spilled his milk, and found out someone stole his puppy. But aside from the Hornets loss, excitement in the newly crowned Lob City was building. We all knew, the Clips were going to be good.
But did we see them being THIS good?
As of this moment, those other guys from LA that share the stadium with the all powerful Lakers currently lead the league, with a record of 22-6 (.786%), not to mention setting a franchise record 14 win streak. To add to that, they're doing so with style. I don’t need to remind anyone of the embarrassment one such Blake Griffin has provided to the likes of Kendrick Perkins and Pau Gasol (twice). On December 25 when the Clips beat the Denver Nuggets, the original “show time” Magic Johnson said show time is back! Not in Laker Land though.
With their winning ways this early in the season, the question is legitimate. How far can the Clippers go? Obviously the chemistry is amazing with this team. Everyone is involved, everyone is flying. It seems like no matter when you watch a game, you're going to see something amazing from someone.  They are just cozy and having a blast out their! So are they championship material? I’m going to go ahead and say yes. These guys could very well win some gold. Do I think it’s going to be this year? No. Honestly right now, I don’t have any good guesses as to who’s going to do it this time around. But this year, I’m going to say the Clips are going to make a very deep playoff run. Maybe conference finals. Being as young as they are, I just don’t see them making the finals yet. But I see them getting enough to get even hungrier.
If you have yet to see the Clippers play, do it. Buy a ticket. Buy a lower bowl ticket. Get as close to the action as you can. Last season I was fortunate enough to have this opportunity. My heart still rattles. Section 9, Row 23 is where we parked.  We originally had tickets for the nose bleeds, but with this being my wives first NBA game, go BIG. Made a deal with a guy on the corner (which I really don’t recommend, and happy it didn’t backfire) and got ourselves right behind the red guys bench (23 rows up mind you). You could actually read the jerseys, you could see the emotions. Tip-off, Clippers have first possession. So what’s the first thing they do? Paul lobs to Blake for the first two. My phrase of the night was “WHAT THE?!?!” I said that so much I annoyed myself! Funny thing about Blake is he really is one of the nicest guys I’ve seen play. He bumped into someone on the court, he would literally turn to them and apologize… Until he started going to the rim… Beast mode…
Really, seeing this Clippers squad needs to be on your bucket list. If you don’t have a bucket list, make one just for this purpose. Now is the perfect time to be a Clippers fan. Aside from my primary rants about the wonder that is Blake Griffin, his teammates are just as amazing to watch. It’s getting more  where you see a lot more on the top ten then Blake. You have to be a fool not to root for someone as fun to watch as these guys. Watch out for them. They're making waves, and they're only swelling.

Logo changes coming for the Miami Dolphins

 
                                                                 Possible Logo Leaked


Current Logo
Photo Courtesy of www.yourlogoresources.com

As a Dolphins fan, I have been impatiently waiting for any news on the logo change since before the 2012 season, when I had first heard of the possibility. Well now there has been a leaked photo. It comes from two sources, The New York City Fan Club, and Paul Lukas'(An apparent athletic aesthetics guru) twitter feed. Mike Dee, CEO of our beloved Dolphins, is reportedly updating us very soon according to his tweet from Monday. Until then all we can do is speculate as to the validity of this logo.


Possible New Logo
Photo Courtesy of the MIAMI HERALD

I personally have never had a problem with our log, however I have always been more partial to our 70's era logo. A great deal of that could be because it will always represent the time frame when the Dolphin's reined supreme. Due to the fact the first news I had heard, was that it would be a mixture of new and old. That just so happens to be something we could use, on more than our logo.

Now if this happens to be the final logo that we move forward with, it will have mixed reviews from the fans.
I have heard everything from joyous comments to complete roasts of the idea of even changing the logo. I personally feel that this truly does incorporate our vintage look with a modern twist. I enjoy the subtle change to the sun. Adding the smaller radiations creates an edgier look. When it comes to the dolphins design itself, I like the direction they have chosen to take. It would move away from the cartoon, helmet wearing imagery of my childhood, and go back to simpler design much like the original logo. All that, while still making a much sleeker and modern version. For this Dolphins fan the logo change only fits the theme of our organization. We are rebuilding, admittedly or not, and like our franchise, our logo needs something new. We have made strides in the right direction as a franchise and perhaps we need a new "symbol" to raise on our flags to represent the "Philbin era". Or maybe this is just the writings of a fan trying to forget the Wannstedt, Saban, Cameron, and Sparano years.
Photo Courtesy of www.Skinit.com



As Always, PHINS UP,

Kyle Gilmore


Getting to know Kyle Gilmore

Introductions


Well first and foremost, I'd like to thank Billy Montoya for asking me to help him out with this blog. I look forward to bring my opinions on the football world to your computer screen. Some you may like, others you will hate. But before I get started I thought I'd let you all know just a bit about me.

      Starting with the most important. I am a life long Miami Dolphins fan. I bleed aqua and orange. There is not anything I can think of that I am more passionate about. Through the highs and lows I will always stand by them. And yes we have had our fair share of lows. But that will be entirely different article. Besides, there is light at the end of the tunnel Phin fans.

      Being a native Wyomingite, I do follow our Cowboys. Go Pokes!!!! However, I do try to keep up on the Miami Hurricanes and Oregon Ducks. Mostly I just enjoy watching future NFL prospects.

      I don't watch much basketball now days, but I grew up an Orlando Magic fan. Huge Penny fan. P.S., you broke my heart Dwight.

      Last but not least, assuming the NHL ever starts back up (Mostly kidding), I am a Pittsburgh Penguins fan. Mario Lemieux changed the way hockey was played. He will always be the greatest to ever play in my opinion. However my tastes have started to slide to the defensive side. Marc-Andre Fleury and Kris Letang are my favorite Pens now days.

     I hope this gives you a little insight into who I am. I look forward to sharing my thoughts with anyone willing to Listen.

Phins Up,

Kyle Gilmore



      


12.26.2012

AL West Offseason Update

AL West Offseason Update

Houston Astros-

Notable Addition(s):  Carlos Peňa
Notable Loss(es):  N/A

The newcomers to the division have made little improvements on their roster from last year in which they went 55-107. This roster is loaded with young talent, but much of it hasn't translated to the big leagues yet. They are apparently happy moving forward with just the addition of a DH in Carlos Peňa for now. It may be a few years before they are even competitive, especially in this loaded division. I don't see them winning many games this year with this roster, they will be lucky to squeak out a few wins within the division.



LA Angels-

Notable Addition(s): Josh Hamilton (TEX), Joe Blanton (LAD), Jason Vargas (SEA)
Notable Loss(es): Zack Greinke (LAD), Kendrys Morales (SEA), Dan Haren (WAS), Torii Hunter (DET), Maicer Izturis (TOR)

The Angels have not been afraid to spend money this offseason. They acquired Josh Hamilton from division rival Texas for a 5 year $125 million contract, and Jason Vargas from the Mariners. They also doled out 2 years and $15 million to Joe Blanton who looks to be more of a 4th or 5th starter in most other teams rotations. The amount of money they gave him showed how desperate they were for pitching. Vargas looks to be an upgrade as he's coming off what was probably his best year in the Majors, but they also had to give away a good middle of the order bat in Kendrys Morales to get him. Hamilton does give the Angels what could be the best 3-4 punch in the Majors with him and Pujols. The Angels got better on offense, but their pitching has not.
One major difference I expect from last year, I don't think this team will start off as awful as it did last year. They should be in the thick of things straight from the beginning. They will probably start the year as division favorites, and may finish in first place.

Oakland Athletics-

Notable Addition(s): Hiroyuki Nakajima (JAP), Chris Young (ARI)
Notable Loss(es): Jonny Gomes (BOS), Stephen Drew (BOS), Brandon McCarthy (ARI), Brandon Inge (FA), Dallas Braden (Injury), Cliff Pennington (ARI)

Many people are overlooking the A's because they haven't made many moves this offseason, but this is a very talented team. Last year they didn't really hit their stride until late June, and after the All-Star break, they had the best record in baseball. I would have liked to see them bring Jonny Gomes back, simply because he was a great right handed DH vs. lefty pitchers and he was a great clubhouse presence. I look for the A's to make one more signing to platoon the DH with Seth Smith again this year. Potentially they could bring Inge back on a one year basis, and cut him loose if things don't work out. He could be a great cheap signing, with veteran savvy to pass along to many of the young A's hitters. The loss off McCarthy shouldn't hurt too bad with Brett Anderson back and ready to go, especially with McCarthy's recent injury problems. Drew signed with Boston as well. With his asking price, and the addition of Nakajima, I see his void as already being filled.
The A's silently have stockpiled arms, and look to be very good at pitching again next year. Pitching keeps teams in games no matter how bad the offense is, and the A's offense looks only to get better with the emergence of Cespedes, Moss, Reddick, and more as well as the addition of Chris Young from Arizona. He should add some depth to give the loaded outfield some rest as well as being a decent added bat and an above average defender. This could be a very exciting year for the Athletics if they can hold off Texas and LA. I think this is a repeat year for Oakland, as they should have the team to take the division again.

Seattle Mariners-

Notable Addition(s): Jason Bay (NYM), Kendrys Morales (LAA)
Notable Loss(es): Jason Vargas (LAA), Brandon League (LAD)

The Mariners could be a very interesting part of the AL West division. They have a lot of unproven talent that they have been building up. They also had a great second half of the season last year making a serious push for a .500 record after an abysmal start. The addition of Kendrys Morales from the Angels coupled with Jesus Montero, the M's could finally have a decent 3-4 option in the middle of their lineup. Losing Vargas looks to be tough to overcome though, he was their 2nd best option behind King Felix in the rotation, and had his best major league season last year. They also lost some talent in the bullpen with League leaving town for the Dodgers. The Mariner's seem to have become worse in pitching and marginally got better on offense with the addition of Bay and the trade for Morales. The trade benefited both teams, but I don't think it put either team over the top. I see the Mariners as an improved team from last year, but I don't think it will be enough to challenge for the division crown.

Texas Rangers-

Notable Addition(s): Joakim Soria (KC), A.J. Pierzynski (CHW), Lance Berkman (STL)
Notable Loss(es): Josh Hamilton (LAA), Michael Young (PHI), Mike Adams (PHI), Ryan Dempster (BOS), Mike Napoli (BOS),  Scott Feldman (CHC)

After sitting back and letting free agent after free agent sign with other teams, Texas finally jumped in the pool. They signed their catcher for next year (Pierzynski) after losing Napoli to Boston. They held onto Giovanni Soto, but went ahead and signed A.J. to be their primary catcher. He looks to be an upgrade at the position, as he's always been a solid starter and an above average bat at the catcher position. Napoli has seen his 3 year $39 million contract become in jeopardy because of a hip issue that was discovered during his physical, so Texas may end up better off after letting him walk and signing the veteran Pierzynski away from the Chicago White Sox.
This teams is also dangerous because of their farm system. This may be why they let so many free agents walk, because they are seriously loaded with near-ready prospects for the major league level. They look to feature a still very dangerous lineup even sans Hamilton, and should be near the top of the offensive standings.
However, their pitching may be their weakness again this year. They will be getting Colby Lewis back, but Neftali Feliz will most likely miss significant time after his Tommy John surgery from last season. They also lost two of their starting pitchers from last year in Dempster and Feldman, plus lost one of their better bullpen arms in Mike Adams. The team's offense will keep them in most games, and often bail the bad pitchers out, but over a long season it is tough to win without a decent pitching staff. Texas should stay in the race till the end, but I don't think they'll have the arms to win the division.

Predictions:

1st Place: Oakland Athletics
2nd Place: LA Angels (WC)
3rd Place: Texas Rangers
4th Place: Seattle Mariners
5th Place: Houston Astros

Oakland has the best pitching staff in the division, both the rotation and bullpen. They have enough offense to win close games, and above average defense. This continues next season and they ride it to back-to-back division titles.

12.17.2012

A's Lose Out On Drew, Sign Nakajima

Drew Signs with Boston, A's Sign Nakajima

Update: A's sign Hiroyuki Nakajima to a two-year deal at $6.5 million with a third year option for $5.5 million. Incentives and escalators are included in the deal. This fills the void left by Drew less than twelve hours after he signed with Boston. This was a great signing, it was at one third the price that Drew commanded. Nakajima is a player in the prime of his career, with a lot more upside than Drew.

Original Story:  After losing out on Jonny Gomes and Brandon McCarthy earlier in free agency, the A's pursuit of free agent shortstop Stephen Drew came to an end today. Drew has reportedly signed with the Red Sox on the basis of a one year $9.5 million contract. Earlier in the offseason, the A's and Drew both declined his mutual option for one year at $10 million, forcing the A's to pay him a $1.35 million buyout. Do the math and Drew still comes out ahead after singing for the smaller amount with Boston, at a whopping $10.85 million for the season. Although I agree that Drew would be overpaid at the $10 million option, the need for a shortstop called for overpaying a little for him. In the end it was really up to Drew, declining that option assured he was not going to be here next year at the $10 million price tag. After trading away Cliff Pennington to Arizona in the Chris Young deal, the A's left themselves little other options. 

Yunel Escobar was an option that came seemingly cheap because the Marlins didn't want him, but Beane let him slip to the Rays. Asdrubal Cabrera is also an option with the Indians looking to clean house with the addition of new manager Terry Francona, but the asking price will likely be too high. I would like to see Cabrera in an Athletics uniform, but not at the expense of giving up one of our stockpiled pitching arms. 

So what options do the A's have now at shortstop? They could look at an in-house option in Grant Green, but he figures to be more of a utility man option. He did surprisingly well in AAA last year, and got some extra action in the Arizona Fall League, he held his own. This may be the reason Billy Beane is sitting back and watching the market unfold, but I think a more experienced player should be signed. Green looks like he may be able to have an impact, but it's very difficult to lean on a player with no major league experience at a middle infield position. Look at Donaldson last year. He did awful when leaned upon early in the year to the tune of a .069 batting average before being sent down. He came back with a vengeance late in the year and looks to be the A's third baseman of the present and future. But you can't put that pressure on a young player to be "the man" especially with no MLB experience. Hiroyuki Nakajima is also available from Japan, but there are rumored to be many teams interested and he may be difficult to sign if the A's get into a bidding war. My feeling is that most teams view him as a utility infielder, so if they A's see him as a starting SS then they may be able to steal him away for a relatively decent price. 

I trust in Billy Beane, as he's been doing this for many years. He could have a trade up his sleeve that he is in discussions with right now, I don't know. What I do know is that the shortstop position needs to be filled, and losing out on Drew was a major blow to the A's chances next year, especially if they cannot find someone that can fill in at that role until the promising Green or Addison Russell are ready. Don't let us down Billy!

11.17.2012

Conference Realignment: Here we go again

A few years ago the Big Ten conference shook the college sports world by announcing they were considering expanding their membership.  Rumors were flying around they were looking into going to add up to 9 schools to get to 20 members. They settled at just adding one university, but the dominoes haven't stopped since.

The Big Ten conference started all of the conference realignment, and just when we thought all was done and we could move on with our lives, the Big Ten is at it again.  Rumors have it that they are in negotiations with Maryland of the ACC and Rutgers of the Big East about joining.

These are not big name schools by no means, but the repercussions of this rumor is going to be huge in the college sports landscape.

All realignment moves are for one of the following reasons.  They are either doing it for the money or for survival.

The Big Ten originally added Nebraska for the brand name and the lucrative conference championship game.  Plus this added inventory to their already money making Big Ten Network.  Nebraska was looking for a way out cause they felt Texas ran the conference.  This was a move made in heaven.

The Pac-10 didn't want to be left behind so they grabbed Colorado who was begging to get out from underneath Texas as well and Utah so they could get into the Denver/Salt Lake markets.  More markets, new network = more money.

This ticked off BYU so they left the Mountain West Conference to go independent in football.

This is when a crazy chain of events happened, and very fast.  Boise St. leaves the WAC for the MWC.  BYU decides to join the WAC for all sports except for football, but in retaliation the MWC takes Fresno St, Nevada, and Hawaii from the WAC causing BYU to change their plans.  The WAC has to have Texas St. and Texas-San Antonio jump up to FBS ranks.

The following year things got even more crazy.  Texas A&M couldn't stand being the red headed step-sister of Texas anymore so they ask to join the powerful SEC.  Months of legal issues later A&M joins the SEC followed by Missouri.

Once again, the SEC couldn't pass this up as it got them into Texas and the St.Louis/Kansas City market as they are wanting to start their own network.

TCU accepts an invite from the Big East but later pulls out and joins the Big 12.  Syracuse and Pittsburgh jump to the ACC causing the Big East to panic.  Then West Virginia bails for the Big 12 but not before them and the Big East sue each other.

Completely bent over the Big East had no choice but to add tons of school to redo their image.  Here comes Boise St and San Diego St for football only (makes so much sense for them to be in the Big East).  Houston, SMU and UCF are joining for all sports.  Temple joined this year to replace West Virginia.  Navy is joining as a football only in 2015.

The MWC then took Utah St and San Jose St from the WAC.  Louisiana Tech, North Texas, Florida International are joining C-USA.  Charlotte and Old Dominion are stepping up to the big boy ranks in the CUSA.

The WAC will no longer sponsor football leaving Idaho and New Mexico St without a home for football.

Notre Dame not to be left out left the Big East and is going to join the ACC in all sports except for football.

And now Maryland and Rutgers are rumored to be joining the Big Ten.

For the Big Ten this is all about getting into new markets and adding inventory.  But once again if this comes to fruition more chips will fall and will fall fast.  Someone will have to replace each of those schools in their respective conferences.  And then those conferences will have to replace their respective teams and so forth.

We've already lost the WAC as we know it, could we possibly lose another conference in all of this mess?  Could some schools back out of their agreement with the Big East and re-join their old conferences?  Will we see two conferences merge into one just to stay alive?

What always seems like a good move for a conference will always have a negative impact elsewhere.  We've seen conferences such as the Mountain West rise up and challenge the "big boy" conferences just to watch them tear it down.

Even with no-name schools like Maryland and Rutgers possibly joining the Big Ten, I think this one might be the biggest of them all.  The next 12 months are going to be crazy as conferences try getting settled in for the new BCS contracts that begin in a couple of years.

Expect the unexpected, as I'm pretty sure your going to see one of the big conferences adding someone that makes you scratch your head.  Even more than Boise St and San Diego St going east and West Virginia joining a Texas-based conference.  \

Grab your popcorn and enjoy the show that all of these money hungry universities are about to put on!

11.14.2012

Melvin MOY

Bob Melvin Wins AL Manager of the Year

Receiving 16 of the 28 first place votes, the Oakland A's skipper took home the trophy for AL Manager of the Year. This was the only possible outcome in my opinion. Not to take away from the job that Buck Showalter did, but Melvin won the toughest division in baseball this year with a very miniscule payroll and a roster loaded with rookies.
Not only did Melvin deal with the no name roster into a AL West powerhouse, he dealt with some major blows along the road. Spring training started with the loss of Scott Sizemore for the season, and sent the team scrambling for an option at third. They went with Donaldson and Sogard, some relative unknowns that figured to be minor leaguers coming into spring training. Barton and Kia'ahue were to split the duties at first base and Kurt Suzuki was coming off his worst year as a pro offensively. The team started out with a very rough record, and a less than potent lineup, but Melvin kept the players going and they eventually turned it around in the late part of June after being nine games below .500.
With the addition of Brandon Inge, Brandon Moss, Stephen Drew, and the emergence of Reddick, Cespedes, Cook, Parker, and Milone, the A's and Melvin took off. They turned around the season in a hurry during the last four months of the season. Melvin managed two platoon situations and kept both players happy in both situations. Gomes and Smith worked well as the DH platoon, and Carter and Moss worked out as well. Also, he dealt with the Colon suspension right after Bartolo had started pitching his best all year. Another blow towards the end of the year was dealt to Brandon McCarthy with a line drive to the head that knocked him out for the rest of the season. The A's also did without Dallas Braden who was figured to be back in play before the All-Star break at the least, but ended up having another season ending surgery.
With 5 rookie pitchers at the end of the year, in Straily, Parker, Milone, Blackley, and Griffin they managed to sweep the Texas Rangers in a three game set for the division. For me, that all but locked up the award for Melvin. I look for him to do more of the same next year, and hopefully he's a repeat recipient.

11.04.2012

Raiders Lose 42-32

Raiders Comeback Falls Short

In what I thought would be a fairly easy game for the Raiders to win at home, they showed me once again that I still have no idea what kind of team they are 8 games into the season.
The game started well enough with the Raiders shutting down the Bucs first drive after punting themselves. They then got the ball back and drove down for a quick field goal by Janikowski to give themselves a 3-0 lead.
Tampa was quick to respond, and on 3&15 from their own 15. Freeman connected with Vincent Jackson for a 64 yard toss. Another 20 yarder to Jackson a few plays later put the Buccaneers on top 7-3. Good news is, the Raiders came back and got the lead 10-7. Bad news, Doug Martin.

After halftime, one Doug Martin took over the game. He put up 3 runs over 40 yards for TD's in the second half and helped the Bucs pull away. On the day, Martin had 251 yards and 4 touchdowns with a few receptions sprinkled in for good measure. The product of Oakland had a homecoming party in a big way.

Oakland made it interesting late bringing it to within a 3 point game, and even had the ball with 2:43 left in the 4th quarter on their own 40 yard line. Only to have Carson Palmer unravel after throwing over 400 yards and 4 touchdowns. He threw interceptions on consecutive drives to end any chance of a comeback.

This was an ugly game, but the Raiders keep hanging tough and stay in games. I don't know what to expect from them anymore. One week they look like an upper level team and then the next they look like they don't know what defense or offense is. Another frustrating year is underway for sure. Don't look for relief anytime soon either Raiders fans, the schedule only gets tougher from here on out. Pains me to say this, but I think the cream of the AFC West crop is the Denver Broncos this year... Now I'm going to go promptly remove my fingers after typing that.

By Bill Montoya

11.03.2012

March Can't Come Soon Enough...

March Can't Come Soon Enough...

 
I'm sitting here watching my Warriors beat the LA Clippers 91-83 late in the 4th quarter, and all I can think about is how bad I miss baseball already. It's been little over a week since the San Francisco Giants claimed the World Series trophy over Detroit in what was probably the least dramatic World Series that I have ever seen. I still have that sick feeling in my gut that the best AL team was sitting at home watching their Bay Area counterparts wrap up the trophy in Detroit.
 
Don't get me wrong, I still love basketball. But, baseball will always be my favorite. And after a season like the Athletics had, I can never get enough of good baseball being played by my team!
 
by Bill Montoya

Bartolo Colon Rejoins A's for 2013 Season

Colon Awarded with $3 Million Contract

In a confusing move, Billy Beane decided to bring back Bartolo Colon for the 2013 season. He cited the "added depth" as the major reason for doing so. My only concern is the dollar amount. Not only did Bartolo only make $2 million last year, he was also suspended for doping. So, on top of an increased salary with added  incentive based progressions, the A's are risking a lot in my opinion.
For me, this seems like a big risk. He gets paid more than he did last year, and he doesn't have the benefit of the testosterone he was taking. I mean, he posted a 10-9 line with a 3.43 ERA on PED's what are the chances he performs even up to that level sans the juice? Not likely. Seems like a doomed deal from the start. Another negative to this deal is that it decreases the possibility of bringing back a Brandon McCarthy or getting an equivalent player on the open market.
In a statement made to the press, the A's assured the fans that this move will not jeopardize the re-signing of McCarthy, but I have my doubts. Especially with teams such as the Cubs reportedly interested. McCarthy says all the right things; like he wants to be back and that he appreciates the Oakland fans and family, but at the end of the day if the money is better elsewhere that's usually where athletes end up.

by Bill Montoya

10.31.2012

Oakland A's Season Recap

Oakland A's Dream Season Comes to an Early End

The Oakland A's had great expectations for themselves at the beginning of the season. They were the only ones with a positive outlook on the team that traded 3 of it's better pitchers in the offseason in Gio Gonzalez, Trevor Cahill, and Andrew Bailey. From those trades they brought in Tommy Milone, Jarrod Parker, Josh Reddick, Ryan Cook, and Derrick Norris. An impressive haul of prospects by the magical Billy Beane, but surely those players weren't ready to perform well at the big league level. Oakland had also made a few value signings in Brandon McCarthy, Bartolo Colon, Jonny Gomes, traded for Seth Smith, and to top it off a Cuban phenom at the age of 26 in Yoenis Cespedes. Many of these players seen as has beens, and really just looked to fill roster spots for a year. 

Many expert analysts had this team as a 100 game loser before the season started and picked even the lowly Mariners to pass them up, leaving them as the 4th place team in the AL West that looked to be a pretty stacked division. The Texas Rangers coming off their second consecutive World Series loss, figured to be primed for a repeat after losing only a few key players, but replacing them in house with great alternatives. The Angels had stolen away CJ Wilson from their division rivals in the Rangers, and added one Albert Pujols to anchor their already stacked lineup. 

Adding to the negative vibes before the season had started was the impending San Jose move. Although Oakland businesses and the city have been willing to discuss building a new stadium in Oakland, Lew Wolff is insistent on moving to San Jose. This has angered many of the fans in Oakland for a couple years now, and is the main reason fans are not willing to show up to the games. With all this negativity leading into the season, it's no surprise that expectations were so low. But that is why we play the game...

The season started in Tokyo, Japan in late March. A match-up between the A's and Mariners most likely to promote one of Japan's premier players in Ichiro Suzuki. This was one of a few scheduling blunders by MLB that really got under my skin. The A's were counted as the home team for these two games, some 5000 miles from Oakland. So not only did they have to travel to another country, they also would only play 79 games at home this season. After a split in Japan, they returned home to play more SPRING TRAINING games... again, a questionable move by MLB.

March and April were months to forget, with the A's sitting at 11-13 on May 1st. Once May hit the A's started to show promise, getting on a roll and winning 3 of their first 4 series. Josh Reddick became the first A's player since Jack Cust in 2009 to hit 10+ HR's in a month. He had ignited the struggling offense and the Oakland boys looked like a team that might play well. That's when Cespedes got hurt, and the A's went into a tailspin losing 9 straight between May 22 and June 1st.

At this point, I was waiting for the massive sell off that happens yearly when we drop out of contention. But Billy Beane stuck to his guns and decided to wait till closer to the July 31st trade deadline before making any rash decisions. The players would reward him for that patience.

The season looked the most bleak on June 10th. Sitting at 9 games below .500 and 13 games behind the Rangers the A's had reached a new worst for the season. Luckily they were pulling into Colorado, a hitters paradise and just what the A's needed in order to get their bats going. Colorado had been a struggling team all year, and they were flirting with a 6 man rotation at the time. Meanwhile for Oakland, Brandon Moss had just been called up a few days previous from AAA Sacramento where he wasn't doing too well. But he did have a clause in his contract that if the A's hadn't called him up by the middle of June, they had to release him. Kila Ka'aiHue had just been placed on paternity leave, and Moss was about to make an impact in a big way.

The A's went on to sweep the Rockies in convincing fashion and things were beginning to look up, a series win against the Padres, and another sweep over the LA Dodgers who owned the best record in baseball at the time, was giving the young team some confidence. As June came to an end, Oakland sat 5 games below .500 at 37-42 but had just completed their first winning month all season.

July was a magical month, the A's went 19-5. This was their 2nd best record in franchise history. Many heroes emerged in Cespedes, Crisp, Reddick, Moss, and Carter. Also, their pitching ranked 2nd in the AL, closely behind a Joe Madden led Rays club. This was the month of the walk-off for the A's in which many of their contests ended in last inning runs. This for me was the most exciting month of baseball I had ever witnessed, besides the 20 game winning streak in the 2002 season.

August was another great month. The A's posted an 18-7 record. They got a major boost in Brett Anderson coming back from a season ending injury last year. He hit the ground running and pitched very well for them. Also this was the month that the bullpen really separated themselves from the rest of the league. Balfour took back the closer role and never looked back after Cook struggled to shut out games, in many opportunities. The last game of August was a 20-2 drubbing of the lowly Red Sox. The A's were really hitting their stride and making major improvement on what was a 13 game deficit for the division lead. Although, they did lose a major contributor in Bartolo Colon who was caught using PED's.

September was more of the same for the boys in Green and Gold. 17 wins and 11 losses. They made the best of their opportunities and beat the bad teams and took one or two from the good teams. They played the Yankees, Tigers, Angels and Rangers and had a losing record against all of them in the month. But still had a winning month and made up even more ground in the chase for a pennant. With 3 games left at home against a very tough Texas team, the A's were trailing by 2 games. It seemed improbably that they would win all 3 to win the division, but this A's group had defied the odds all year.

The last 3 games were magical, like they were from a story you only see in Hollywood. The Coliseum was rocking and it was sold out for all 3 games. The ruckus crowd helped the boys win all 3 in convincing fashion, leading some to believe this was the best team in baseball surging at the right time. I can honestly say, this was the best 3 games of my life. I made up an excuse to leave work so I could witness the games, and I will never regret it.

With all the momentum in the world with the A's, they headed into Detroit. This was another thing that irked me about the season. The A's had "home field advantage" yet they were forced to travel and start on the road across the country. The first two games didn't go well. In fact they dropped them both, and Coco Crisp made the worst play of his life in allowing a ball to drop right in front of him off his glove and allowing Detroit to take the lead in game 2.

The A's dragged back to Oakland licking their wounds from the brutal road games in Detroit, but they were back in front of the greatest fans in baseball. And they would not disappoint. Anderson pitched the game of his career in my opinion, stifling the big Detroit bats over 6 innings. On came the trio of Cook, Doolittle, and Balfour to close out the game and all of the sudden the A's were back in it down 2-1 in the series.

Game 4 was a typical A's walkoff winner. They got down early and never really clawed their way back. In the 9th inning they hung 3 runs on Valverde. Coco was the hero for the second night in a row, after robbing a big homer from Prince Fielder the night before.

But in game 5, their magic had run out. Verlander came to the mound and pitched one of the best games of his career and shut out the A's that looked utterly lost at the plate. A 4 run inning for Detroit undid any hope of a comeback, and for once in the season, the A's had been stuck wishing for more.

For me, this was the year of the A's. Granted they came up short of their goals, but in terms of what everyone else expected (including myself) they destroyed everyone's predictions and made them eat their predictions.

Next year the core of this team returns and they seem primed to improve in every facet with the young pitchers having even more seasoning under their belt, and the young star players in Reddick and Cespedes have more experience. They do have some pending free agents in McCarthy, Gomes, Inge, and Colon. They picked up Balfour's option, and declined Stephen Drew's. Beane does hope to bring back McCarthy, Gomes and Drew if the price is right. With the departure of Cliff Pennington via trade and a weak shortstop market, I believe they have to get the Drew contract situated. But he is represented by Scott Boras, so that may complicate things.

The addition of Chris Young from Arizona also seems to muddle the picture for me. Coco is locked into one more year here in Oakland and is making $7.5 million so he will be tough to trade. Plus, I think he is a major addition to this team because of his defensive play, his bat, his speed on the bases, and his character. So I'm not really sure where Young fits on this team. I see the A's dealing Seth Smith and potentially Coco during the offseason, but the bulk of this team should be back and better than ever.

Here's to another great year in 2013, hopefully this time the trophy comes to the other side of the bay!

By Bill Montoya

10.17.2012

We're back!

After a long layover, we're back to bring you some sports insight from fans for fans. New posts should be up later today and all throughout the week. Stay tuned as we have a few posts we are working on as I type this!  Stuff we're working on:

  • A recap of my Oakland Athletics dream season that was cut short
  • A post about the World Series wrapup