Wednesday, September 03, 2008
David Tyree
Well, the sports world is finally ready to kick back into high gear, what with the very best sport on the planet coming in less than 24 hours. The Sportsmeat bloggers, however, are in midseason form, as we are late in getting any predictions or game picks out to you. Hopefully, those will come tomorrow. In the meantime, I'm here to help prepare you for the season.
First, a recap of last year's picks. Your faithful bloggers ... sucked. We picked exactly 50% of division winners (including all three of us hitting on the Pats, Colts and Chargers, and missing on most all others), and just 44% of all of the playoff teams. BBD won the divisional competion, nailing 5 of 8 (including the Packers) and BT "won" the total playoff picks, hitting 6 of 12. EJ wins a pride point for being the only one to pick a SB contestant (the Pats - though I only didn't pick the Pats as a way to be different. How dumb.) Nobody picked Tom Brady for MVP or Offensive POY (aren't those usually different players? Brady swept.) Likewise, everyone whiffed on Bob Sanders. I hit Adrian Peterson on Offensive Rookie, and everyone missed on Patrick Willis (though I knew he was going to be a beast. What was I thinking picking Gaines Adams??)
Now, some tidbits to get you ready to go. First, SI.com is unquestionably the place to go for sports analysis these days, and that remains true with Peter King's schmaltzy-yet-informative stuff (as well as Don Banks). However, ESPN has a nice feature with around-the-league blogs of training camps. I'm never that into the preseason, but they deliver nice bite sized nuggets on every team in the league.
A quick DYK: Did you know that Brian Westbrook's younger brother is in the league? Its true. He's a cornerback on the Redskins' practice squad. His name? Byron Westbrook. For realz. I don't even know how to jock about that. At least they aren't both named George.
During the preseason, Eagles tackle Tra Thomas blamed a back ailment on ... James Patterson?
This story about recently-cut Lion Tatum Bell swiping two bags full of newly-signed Lion Rudi Johnson's boxers would be funny on its own. But pretty much ever quote is hilarious. Bell seems to be a real treat. In one article shortly before his cut, he bashes Mike Martz and Wilber Montgomery, then blames his horrible preseason on the Lions O-Line.
A few quick notes on things to look for this year:
- Look for the Giants to come back to Earth. The simple fact is they were about the 8th to 10th best team last year, and got real hot when it counted. Even when you look at the playoffs, Eli wasn't anything great. However, here's hoping he continues to improve. The Cowboys are the team to beat in the NFL East, and the entire NFC for that matter.
- That said, keep an eye out for the Saints to return to the form of 2006, and for Drew Brees to be the second best quarterback in the league.
- Adrian Peterson will show that last year was not a fluke.
- Calvin Johnson will emerge as a legitimate top 6 or 7 wide receiver.
- The Pats will again be the best team in the league. Brady and Moss won't replicate their astronomical numbers of last year, but the team will still finish with 13 or 14 regular season wins.
- Brett Favre will not lead the Jets to the playoffs.
- This will be the year that the Jags finally knock the Colts from the top of whatever AFC division they are in.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Blast From the Past
Did anybody else notice:
1) The British Open was this weekend or
2) That Norman is on top of the leader board after 36 holes with David Duval one stroke back after 31 holes.
I did not even know these guys were still playing.
Mickelson is +9 over through 15 in the second round and Mr. John Daly is +25 with four holes still to play. He is in danger of not breaking 90 today.
1) The British Open was this weekend or
2) That Norman is on top of the leader board after 36 holes with David Duval one stroke back after 31 holes.
I did not even know these guys were still playing.
Mickelson is +9 over through 15 in the second round and Mr. John Daly is +25 with four holes still to play. He is in danger of not breaking 90 today.
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Tennis and Mets
Hey. For those who don't know, I moved to Philly. If anyone wants to come see a Phils game, let me know....
Trivia Question: Three National League players rank in the top 10 in the League in both runs and RBIs. They are Lance Berkman, Chase Utley, and this player who garnered no all-star consideration whatsoever.
So I figured EJ was likely to post about this, but since he didn't, I will belatedly. On Sunday, I had the run of the house to myself. The wife was gone, I had cold beer and white cheddar popcorn on hand, and my beloved Mets were on TV. I settled into the couch, and at the end of the inning flipped over to Wimbledon. From that point on, I only saw the Mets game in 2 minute and 2 second spurts. As a casual tennis fan, I was glued to the match. Here's why:
- First, I know enough to know that Federer and Nadal are the unquestioned best players alive. #3 is a long way off. Moreover, in the last year, there have been minor cracks in Federer's fortress of dominance. On top of all that, Nadal destroyed Federer in the French (granted, not Federer's preferred surface), followed that up by rolling through a grass court tournament leading up to Wimbledon, and owned a somewhat surprising 9-4 record vs. Federer in finals matches (a large portion of which were on clay). Simply put, if you were choosing two players to watch play, there would be no choice but these two.
- The match was particularly good for men's tennis. For everyone who complains that tennis has turned into a serving contest, this is Exhibit A that thrilling men's tennis still exists. These two continuously put together extended, entertaining rallies.
- Like boxing, I think that styles make a tennis match. In so many ways, Federer and Nadal are great opposites. Nadal runs all over the court and tries to knock the fuzz off the ball, while Federer pirouettes about, slicing and carving meticulously angled shots. Nadal stomps and grunts and squints and pouts, while Federer's biggest show of emotion is a tiny fist pump. Nadal dresses like a gay house painter, while Federer looks like he's going to the country club, but only for brunch. Nadal picks his ass 3,000 times per hour, while Federer ... doesn't.
- The truly memorable part of the match wasn't just that these are two great champions going 5 sets. Its that they are two champions going 5 sets and playing exquisitely well throughout. Even in the 5th set, they were each making shot after shot, and as John McEnroe pointed out, they both showed almost no signs of fatigue. But the true zenith of the match was the fourth set tiebreaker. With it tied, Nadal made a passing forehand on a dead sprint that my dad (a tennis afficianado) considers one of the five best shots that he's seen in his lifetime. Not to be outdone, in the ensuing championship point, Federer stroked an exacting backhand that passed Nadal and dipped in inches from both the sideline and the baseline. It was at that point that the announcers began discussing the magnitude of the event, and making earnest comments about how they literally considered themselves lucky to be watching live.
- A true sign of the greatness of the competition was the end. For whatever reason, I have an affinity for Federer and an inexplicable dislike for Nadal. I was rooting heavily for Federer throughout. By the end, though, when Nadal served out the final game, I couldn't be bitter. It was just too good. Nadal was too good, and he certainly deserved to win. All in all, an outstanding afternoon (and evening) of sport, resulting in me being thoroughly drunk and covered in white cheddar dust.
Don't look now, but the Phillies have opened the door and the Mets have meekly stumbled into the playoff picture. They took 3 of 4 this weekend from the Phools, and are going on 5 straight as I write (I better not jinx). They look to be heading into the break in a reasonable position. Considering that Fernando Tatis, Damion Easley, Marlon Anderson and the corpses of Luis Castillo, Brian Schneider and Endy Chavez are 6 of the 11 Mets with the most plate appearances, that's not so bad.
David Wright should be an all star. He has more hits, doubles, triples, homers, runs, RBIs, walks, a better OBP and better slugging percentage than Aramis Ramirez, all while playing in a lesser offense. Plus, he's the reigning gold glove holder. All that said, he shouldn't win the vote-off for the last spot. That should go to Pat Burrell, who has been absolutely mashing the ball all year long. Corey Hart shouldn't get a vote.
Johan Santana, though he hasn't thrown too many absolute gems, has been solid for the Mets. He's 6th in the NL in strikeouts and WHIP, and 5th in ERA. The problem is that the Mets have let him down. He's gotten 4.73 runs/9 innings pitched in support, leading to his 7-7 record. While that doesn't sound horrible when compared to Barry Zito's 3.4 runs of support, the surprising stat is that 3 Mets starters rank in the top 6 in support! Pelfrey, Maine and Perez all receive at least 6.2 runs/9 IP, and have only taken advantage of that to the tune of 21 wins and 17 losses.
Unsurprisingly, the answer to the trivia question is a Met. Although he's been a constant disappointment to me all year, seemingly never coming through in big situations when I'm watching, Carlos Beltran is 5th in the league with 64 runs scored and 8th in the league with 62 RBIs.
Trivia Question: Three National League players rank in the top 10 in the League in both runs and RBIs. They are Lance Berkman, Chase Utley, and this player who garnered no all-star consideration whatsoever.
So I figured EJ was likely to post about this, but since he didn't, I will belatedly. On Sunday, I had the run of the house to myself. The wife was gone, I had cold beer and white cheddar popcorn on hand, and my beloved Mets were on TV. I settled into the couch, and at the end of the inning flipped over to Wimbledon. From that point on, I only saw the Mets game in 2 minute and 2 second spurts. As a casual tennis fan, I was glued to the match. Here's why:
- First, I know enough to know that Federer and Nadal are the unquestioned best players alive. #3 is a long way off. Moreover, in the last year, there have been minor cracks in Federer's fortress of dominance. On top of all that, Nadal destroyed Federer in the French (granted, not Federer's preferred surface), followed that up by rolling through a grass court tournament leading up to Wimbledon, and owned a somewhat surprising 9-4 record vs. Federer in finals matches (a large portion of which were on clay). Simply put, if you were choosing two players to watch play, there would be no choice but these two.
- The match was particularly good for men's tennis. For everyone who complains that tennis has turned into a serving contest, this is Exhibit A that thrilling men's tennis still exists. These two continuously put together extended, entertaining rallies.
- Like boxing, I think that styles make a tennis match. In so many ways, Federer and Nadal are great opposites. Nadal runs all over the court and tries to knock the fuzz off the ball, while Federer pirouettes about, slicing and carving meticulously angled shots. Nadal stomps and grunts and squints and pouts, while Federer's biggest show of emotion is a tiny fist pump. Nadal dresses like a gay house painter, while Federer looks like he's going to the country club, but only for brunch. Nadal picks his ass 3,000 times per hour, while Federer ... doesn't.
- The truly memorable part of the match wasn't just that these are two great champions going 5 sets. Its that they are two champions going 5 sets and playing exquisitely well throughout. Even in the 5th set, they were each making shot after shot, and as John McEnroe pointed out, they both showed almost no signs of fatigue. But the true zenith of the match was the fourth set tiebreaker. With it tied, Nadal made a passing forehand on a dead sprint that my dad (a tennis afficianado) considers one of the five best shots that he's seen in his lifetime. Not to be outdone, in the ensuing championship point, Federer stroked an exacting backhand that passed Nadal and dipped in inches from both the sideline and the baseline. It was at that point that the announcers began discussing the magnitude of the event, and making earnest comments about how they literally considered themselves lucky to be watching live.
- A true sign of the greatness of the competition was the end. For whatever reason, I have an affinity for Federer and an inexplicable dislike for Nadal. I was rooting heavily for Federer throughout. By the end, though, when Nadal served out the final game, I couldn't be bitter. It was just too good. Nadal was too good, and he certainly deserved to win. All in all, an outstanding afternoon (and evening) of sport, resulting in me being thoroughly drunk and covered in white cheddar dust.
Don't look now, but the Phillies have opened the door and the Mets have meekly stumbled into the playoff picture. They took 3 of 4 this weekend from the Phools, and are going on 5 straight as I write (I better not jinx). They look to be heading into the break in a reasonable position. Considering that Fernando Tatis, Damion Easley, Marlon Anderson and the corpses of Luis Castillo, Brian Schneider and Endy Chavez are 6 of the 11 Mets with the most plate appearances, that's not so bad.
David Wright should be an all star. He has more hits, doubles, triples, homers, runs, RBIs, walks, a better OBP and better slugging percentage than Aramis Ramirez, all while playing in a lesser offense. Plus, he's the reigning gold glove holder. All that said, he shouldn't win the vote-off for the last spot. That should go to Pat Burrell, who has been absolutely mashing the ball all year long. Corey Hart shouldn't get a vote.
Johan Santana, though he hasn't thrown too many absolute gems, has been solid for the Mets. He's 6th in the NL in strikeouts and WHIP, and 5th in ERA. The problem is that the Mets have let him down. He's gotten 4.73 runs/9 innings pitched in support, leading to his 7-7 record. While that doesn't sound horrible when compared to Barry Zito's 3.4 runs of support, the surprising stat is that 3 Mets starters rank in the top 6 in support! Pelfrey, Maine and Perez all receive at least 6.2 runs/9 IP, and have only taken advantage of that to the tune of 21 wins and 17 losses.
Unsurprisingly, the answer to the trivia question is a Met. Although he's been a constant disappointment to me all year, seemingly never coming through in big situations when I'm watching, Carlos Beltran is 5th in the league with 64 runs scored and 8th in the league with 62 RBIs.
It was bound to happen sooner or later ...
You're an NBA player and you have enough kids -- spread among a number of different mothers with varying level of "talent," both athletic and, likely, otherwise -- one is bound to become a big-time college prospect.
Ladies and gentleman, I give you Shawn Kemp Jr.
Ladies and gentleman, I give you Shawn Kemp Jr.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Today's soccer news
Turkey-Germany, Euro 2008
Not sure if this will make the highlights, but from my perspective, it will be the game's most memorable moment. About two-thirds of the way through the opening half, with the score tied 1-1, a German player and an a Turkish player collided on a header, drawing blood on both sides. The German was cut on the face, so they took him to the sideline and immediately began threading the needle to stitch up his cut. The Turkish player had the benefit of being cut near the back of his head, an area covered by hair, so the Turkish trainer made a quick, efficient fix. He spread the hair, swabbed off some blood, and stapled the midfielder's scalp on worldwide TV. Classic. Who says soccer players aren't tough?
Not sure if this will make the highlights, but from my perspective, it will be the game's most memorable moment. About two-thirds of the way through the opening half, with the score tied 1-1, a German player and an a Turkish player collided on a header, drawing blood on both sides. The German was cut on the face, so they took him to the sideline and immediately began threading the needle to stitch up his cut. The Turkish player had the benefit of being cut near the back of his head, an area covered by hair, so the Turkish trainer made a quick, efficient fix. He spread the hair, swabbed off some blood, and stapled the midfielder's scalp on worldwide TV. Classic. Who says soccer players aren't tough?
Labels: Euro 2008, head stapling, soccer
Saturday, June 21, 2008
McCain/Schilling Ticket in November?
Life is good for Boston sports fans. Kevin Garnett proclaimed on Wednesday that he “knocked the bully’s ass out!,” Big Baby bared all at Thursday’s parade, JD Drew whipped the Philly Fanatics among a chorus of boos, Bill Belichik has a new girlfriend, and Big Grill named his second child after our jet-setting quarterback. Not surprisingly, Curt Shilling tried to steal some of the limelight by announcing that he’s having season ending shoulder surgery, likely ending his career.
I’ve never been a big fan of Big Curt’s promotional activity, but I’m of the belief this guy deserves to be a Hall of Famer.
A look at Schilling’s resume:
- In his 20 year career, Schilling had 216 wins and 146 losses (.597 winning percentage) in 436 career starts
- 3.46 career ERA vs. 4.41 ERA for the league (Note: I got this stat off of baseball-reference.com which ‘park-adjusts’ the league ERA. I don’t know the assumptions they made in this calculation)
- Eight 15 win seasons (only three 20 win seasons)
- 3116 strikeouts in 3261 innings – 14th most strikeouts of all time
- 3 seasons with 300+ strikeouts (only matched by Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson, and Sandy Koufax)
- 6 time All-Star
- 711 walks in 3261 innings – led the league in K/BB ratio of for six straight years and second all time in this category
- Ranked in the top 10 in ERA and WHIP in 10 different seasons. Led the league in wins twice, in strikeouts three times, in fewest walks per nine innings twice, in complete games five times, and in innings pitched three times. Top five of Cy Young voting on 4 occasions.
Schilling arguably ranks among the top postseason pitchers of all time:
- 3 world series rings
- 11-2 in 19 career postseason starts
- 2.23 ERA in the postseason
On the downside, Schilling never won a Cy Young or MVP, didn’t win 250 games, and only won 20 games on 3 occasions. Many also knock his durability in that he made 30 starts in only 7 seasons (and he's a die hard Republican).
I heard a few people argue that his stats are similar to Orel Hersheiser and Jerry Koosman, two pitchers that failed to gain election by the BBWAA. Koosman only had a .515 win percentage. Orel’s only trump card is the fact he had a better ERA (3.48). Oh, and Big Schill pitched more frequently to Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, and Mark McGwire after their head’s exploded.
In the last ten years, Nolan Ryan is the only starting pitcher has been elected to the Hall of Fame (I consider Eckersley a closer). With the exception of wins, Schillings stats look comparable to Carlton, Seaver, Ryan and Palmer, names considered the gold standard of the past generation.
Carlton – .574 win percentage, 1.25 WHIP, 0.79 K/IP, ERA better than the league by 0.48 (see note above about the league ERA)
Seaver - .603 win percentage, 1.12 WHIP, 0.76 K/IP, ERA better than the league by 0.78
Ryan - .526 win percentage, 1.25 WHIP, 1.06 K/IP, ERA better than league by 0.37
Palmer – .638 win percentage, 1.18 WHIP, 0.56 K/IP, ERA better than league by 0.73
Schilling - .597 win percentage, 1.14 WHIP, 0.96 K/IP, ERA better than league by 0.95
My standard for the Hall of Fame has always been that a player must be among the top players at his position for 10 years. In my book, Schilling meets this standard. What do you think?
I’ve never been a big fan of Big Curt’s promotional activity, but I’m of the belief this guy deserves to be a Hall of Famer.
A look at Schilling’s resume:
- In his 20 year career, Schilling had 216 wins and 146 losses (.597 winning percentage) in 436 career starts
- 3.46 career ERA vs. 4.41 ERA for the league (Note: I got this stat off of baseball-reference.com which ‘park-adjusts’ the league ERA. I don’t know the assumptions they made in this calculation)
- Eight 15 win seasons (only three 20 win seasons)
- 3116 strikeouts in 3261 innings – 14th most strikeouts of all time
- 3 seasons with 300+ strikeouts (only matched by Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson, and Sandy Koufax)
- 6 time All-Star
- 711 walks in 3261 innings – led the league in K/BB ratio of for six straight years and second all time in this category
- Ranked in the top 10 in ERA and WHIP in 10 different seasons. Led the league in wins twice, in strikeouts three times, in fewest walks per nine innings twice, in complete games five times, and in innings pitched three times. Top five of Cy Young voting on 4 occasions.
Schilling arguably ranks among the top postseason pitchers of all time:
- 3 world series rings
- 11-2 in 19 career postseason starts
- 2.23 ERA in the postseason
On the downside, Schilling never won a Cy Young or MVP, didn’t win 250 games, and only won 20 games on 3 occasions. Many also knock his durability in that he made 30 starts in only 7 seasons (and he's a die hard Republican).
I heard a few people argue that his stats are similar to Orel Hersheiser and Jerry Koosman, two pitchers that failed to gain election by the BBWAA. Koosman only had a .515 win percentage. Orel’s only trump card is the fact he had a better ERA (3.48). Oh, and Big Schill pitched more frequently to Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, and Mark McGwire after their head’s exploded.
In the last ten years, Nolan Ryan is the only starting pitcher has been elected to the Hall of Fame (I consider Eckersley a closer). With the exception of wins, Schillings stats look comparable to Carlton, Seaver, Ryan and Palmer, names considered the gold standard of the past generation.
Carlton – .574 win percentage, 1.25 WHIP, 0.79 K/IP, ERA better than the league by 0.48 (see note above about the league ERA)
Seaver - .603 win percentage, 1.12 WHIP, 0.76 K/IP, ERA better than the league by 0.78
Ryan - .526 win percentage, 1.25 WHIP, 1.06 K/IP, ERA better than league by 0.37
Palmer – .638 win percentage, 1.18 WHIP, 0.56 K/IP, ERA better than league by 0.73
Schilling - .597 win percentage, 1.14 WHIP, 0.96 K/IP, ERA better than league by 0.95
My standard for the Hall of Fame has always been that a player must be among the top players at his position for 10 years. In my book, Schilling meets this standard. What do you think?
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
How does a football-kicking mule not make this list?
The American Film Institute came out with its Top 10 genre movies today, including sports. Here is their list:
1. Raging Bull; 2. Rocky; 3. Pride of the Yankees; 4. Hoosiers; 5. Bull Durham; 6. The Hustler; 7. Caddyshack; 8. Breaking Away; 9. National Velvet; 10. Jerry Maguire.
I’ve got mull this over a little – and sadly, I’ve never seen Raging Bull, which is a major omission on my part – but I’m still inclined to go with Bull Durham as No. 1. But hey, kudos to AFI for putting Caddyshack on the list. Possible omissions include The Natural, Dodgeball and Gus (a Disney movie about a mule that kicked field goals; I loved that one as a kid).
Your thoughts? Your Top 10?
1. Raging Bull; 2. Rocky; 3. Pride of the Yankees; 4. Hoosiers; 5. Bull Durham; 6. The Hustler; 7. Caddyshack; 8. Breaking Away; 9. National Velvet; 10. Jerry Maguire.
I’ve got mull this over a little – and sadly, I’ve never seen Raging Bull, which is a major omission on my part – but I’m still inclined to go with Bull Durham as No. 1. But hey, kudos to AFI for putting Caddyshack on the list. Possible omissions include The Natural, Dodgeball and Gus (a Disney movie about a mule that kicked field goals; I loved that one as a kid).
Your thoughts? Your Top 10?
