McBlog!

The End

2010-05-24T04:12:00.001-04:00

Note: The following post contains LOST SPOILERS so if you haven’t been watching, stop reading now.

Here goes nothing…

LOST has come to end. After six great years of television, the show came to an end with a 2 and ½ hour grand finale. Many were excited for the show’s conclusion, many were skeptical and many were just hoping the writers wouldn’t it screw it up. I’m not sure where I fit in beforehand and I’m not sure where I’ll fit in afterward. People tend to be polarized by endings to TV shows…you either love it (generally because you feel obliged to) or you hate it (because it didn’t live up to your expectations and that somehow brings down the rest of the show’s run). Me? I didn’t love it, I didn’t hate it.

The ending wasn’t really cryptic or confusing, it was just an ending. But to me, it was an ending that was a mixed bag. To recap quickly, we find out the flash sideways/alternate reality was really just a big meeting place for our characters when they die. Doesn’t matter when these characters die, it’s just where they ultimately end up before they “move on”. Really, the idea and execution of the end of the finale was cute. It was nice to see our characters, free of adversity, just sitting and enjoying each other’s company. It was also a good way to give all of our characters a joint ending. Plenty of characters died along the way (Locke, Juliet, Sayid, Shannon, Libby, Sun, Jin) and others had yet to actually die in the world that we know, but this allowed them to all be together. Again, it was a nice ending…until you think about the island and what went on there.

Sorry to be a party pooper, but John Locke died a while ago in a horrible fashion. His only real joy in life came on the island and it was fleeting. He was paralyzed by his own father, he was murdered by a man who manipulated him over and over again and for what? To get people to return to an island. Problem is, Locke failed in this task. Jack and Ben were the ones who really got everyone together to return. Sure Locke’s death was the catalyst, but when you think about it, it was a terrible way to send off one of the great characters of the show. When we see his “alternate” life, it’s pretty much ideal…mostly because it was designed to be ideal. Was everything real? So they say, but that’s on the viewer. My buddy isn’t spiritual, so he felt nothing toward LOST’s ending. I am somewhat spiritual, and I obviously can’t ignore what I’ve seen already.

This theme of dying in vane extends to the finale and it’s in large part due to the lack of answers we received. If you have read my blog posts in the past, you’ll know I wasn’t too enthralled by the mystery surrounding the island. I was invested in characters and didn’t care what the statue meant, what the light was or why there the wheel could move the island. That doesn’t mean all the questions being posed were ones that didn’t need answers.

For example, the light could never be “explained” and if it was, we would get that midi-clorian explanation that pissed off STAR WARS fans. On the other hand, something that could be explained was why it was so imperative to keep the MIB on the island. All we ever hear is that if he left, everyone would die. Well why? Would he just go on a killing spree? Would his lack of presence on the island be cataclysmic?

Since that question was never answered, it puts a wrinkle on someone like Jack’s death. It puts a wrinkle on a lot of people’s deaths for that matter. Why did the MIB even need to kill the candidates to get off the island? All of these “rules” seemed to work like an honor system more than anything. Sure there are times like in the Black Rock where the TNT fuse goes out, or Michael needing to be “released” but then there are instances of Ben killing Widmore or Jacob beating the crap out of his brother and yes, even killing him. Oh yea, there’s even Jack killing Not-Locke. If they can kill each other, why did the MIB need to go through the giant song and dance? Inconsistencies like that bring forth problems and I really need to know why they happened to be truly satisfied with the ending.

There’s more too. Like why would the MIB turn into a Smoke Monster when thrown into the light (or at least the vicinity) but Jack comes and goes in the same state? Why was Desmond so important? Jack survived the same thing Desmond went through, did he not?

I hate to put a damper on things, but stuff like this irks me and like I said, I just can’t accept the “happy endings” knowing certain characters had anything but. I can’t look at a happy Jin and Sun knowing that Jin’s decision to stay with Sun made an orphan out of their little girl. I can’t look at Locke happily shaking hands with Jack knowing Ben strangled him with a power cord.

The happy endings are as real as we make them and I’m just not willing to make that 100 percent real.

With all of that said….

The finale wasn’t a train wreck and it wasn’t all that bad. There were plenty of aspects I liked and I was very riveted watching the episode. Let’s take a look at some of the other aspects…

• I think it was great that Hurley ended up being the man in charge and I loved Ben’s advice to him. Hurley was a great person and while we never get to see what happens to the island under his watch, I’m sure things went a lot better than under Jacob’s rule.

And while Ben really didn’t have much interaction with Hurley during the show’s run, their conversation at the end marks a big turning point for both of their characters. Ben is finally willing to accept the role of second fiddle and he does so in a sincere manner. Meanwhile Hurley steps out of the shadows and becomes a leader, a role he shied away from but would certainly excel at.

• I’m curious as to why some characters took so long to re-connect in the flash sideways and others connected almost instantly. Juliet and Sawyer, for example, just briefly touched and they once again knew everything about each other. Meanwhile, Locke needed to be run over and then operated on? And what about characters like Miles and Sawyer? Why wouldn’t they ever make that connection? Same with Sun and Jin. I’m not terribly concerned with the reasoning here, it’s just another set of inconsistencies.

Also, while the flash sideways became very compelling over the past few episodes, they ultimately turned into a bunch of make-out sessions. A lot of nice moments for sure, but not quite as fulfilling as I hoped.

• Right before Desmond is lowered into the cave, he speaks to Jack about going to a better place. Even though Jack’s message to Desmond is right, that “what happened, happened” and that there are no shortcuts, that everything matters, we’re given an ending that contradicts the message and it kind of plays off of Jin/Sun orphaning Ji Yeon. Desmond is more than willing to go somewhere to get away from the island, but back mainland he’s with Penny and they have a kid. What’s with our characters abandoning children?

• I really loved that Richard started to age at the end. Heck, it was just nice to see that he and Frank weren’t dead, but Richard’s aging was the icing on the cake. He may have lived for a long time, but he never really did live, you know?

• Nice touch throwing Rose and Bernard (and Vincent) into the episode. I always liked those characters and I’m glad they just continued to live their lives on an island paradise. And hey, they were even included in the church scene at the end.

• So much nitpicking I know, but this one is more than legit: How they hell did they get the tree off of Ben? I’m not crazy in saying they never showed it, right?

• I loved all the call-backs to old episodes, whether was Jack and Not-Locke peering down the cave or Kate delivering Claire’s birth. My absolute favorite though was when Jack was tying Desmond so that he could get pulled back up.

“See you in another life brother”

Kind of took on new meaning in the end, huh? It’s just such a good line though too. You talk LOST with someone, sooner or later you’ll call them “brother” in a Scottish accent.

The other great call-back, of course, was Jack’s death. I always envisioned LOST ending with Locke sitting on the beach, staring out at the ocean perfectly content. That didn’t happen, obviously, but Jack’s eye closing with Vincent by his side? That was pretty damn perfect.

• Another great moment: Juliet and Sawyer pretty much rushing through the formality of the “wanna go Dutch?” convo to get to the kissing. At least, I felt like she rushed through it since they both kind of figured it out beforehand. I just kind of wish that scene came earlier because it was like the 10th make-out scene and it kind of devalued their love.

I know there are a lot of complaints above and not a lot of praise, but I did enjoy the finale. And while the ending didn’t leave me completely satisfied, I will say this…

The ending in no way diminishes the overall experience I have had watching LOST.

Back in my junior year of college, my roommate and good friend Mike was watching the early episodes of Season 2. I had not seen LOST before, but as I drifted in and out of “Man of Science, Man of Faith”, “Adrift” and “Orientation”, I naturally became intrigued. I found a means to watch Season 1 and immediately found myself hooked. I plowed through it in no time and got caught up as fast I could with the second season. LOST viewing quickly became a tradition for Mike, his friend/classmate Andy and me. It sounds cheesy, but watching those episodes together brought Mike and I closer and made me a new close friend in Andy. Together we watched seasons 2 and 3. Together we complained about the random breaks between episodes (seriously, you DVD people have no idea how frustrating this was. LOST didn’t adopt the “24” model of airing every episode consecutively starting in January/February until Season 4. In Season 2 specifically, LOST would air a new episode, take a week off, then air an episode and take a week off. It was awful). And together we ate enough Dominos to feed a small country. Post-graduation, I was left watching LOST on my own. After getting a job that had me working nights, I had no choice but to splurge on a TiVo so I could watch the episodes in a timely manner. Also, with a new blog on my hands, the idea of a LOST recap sounded like a great idea and has been a staple ever since. And as I watched the finale on Sunday night, I couldn’t help but look around the room and realize that all the friends watching the show got turned onto it because of me. At the end of the day, it’s just nice to enjoy something so great with people you care about.

LOST provided me and many others with six great years of television and tons of great moments. As my friends and I were waiting for the recap show to start, we all tried to think of our favorite episodes. I had a few in mind, but I went to IMDB to really narrow down my list. As I combed through the episodes and the seasons, I couldn’t point my finger to just one. I was floored when I saw “Through the Looking Glass” and “There’s No Place Like Home” (the seasons 3 and 4 finales). I loved the Desmond-centric “The Constant” and “Happily Ever After”. There’s “Expose”, which is like the guilty pleasure of LOST and “Walkabout”, which is a staple of anyone’s list. But the more I looked through the episode list, the more I realized that LOST is just such a great tapestry of episodes that it’s near impossible to pick just one. Instead, you really just have to sit back and enjoy the characters and the moments, so allow me to take a minute to praise my favorites of each.

CHARACTERS

If I had to make a top five in no particular order, I’d include Locke, Hurley, Desmond, Ben and Sayid. Why?

John Locke/Terry O’Quinn – He has to be on everyone’s list, doesn’t he? Throughout the early seasons, he’s the character that drew a lot of people in. His mysterious qualities on the island, coupled with our knowledge of his crippling secret (get it?) made him an instant fan favorite. Locke was obviously such a central character to the show and if O’Quinn couldn’t pull off the desire to stay on the island, LOST would certainly have suffered.

Hugo Reyes/Jorge Garcia – Another obvious fan favorite, but it’s only because Garcia pulled off the lovable loser so well. A lesser show would have just left Hurley to be the token fat guy, but LOST and Garcia turned Hugo into a compelling character who had an innate ability to break the tension with a good quip or look. Again, a lot of shows would have left Hugo as just comedic relief, but as the years passed he was left with some heavy lifting in the drama department. Hugo was the one giving the tearful goodbyes to all of our fallen survivors, he was the one trying to break the curse and he was the one who had to deal with the fact that he had to become the new Jacob. So many great moments revolved around Hurley and so many moments became great because of him.

Desmond Hume/Henry Ian Cusick – There were a lot of love stories on LOST, but somehow the one given the least attention was the one we (or at least I) cared about the most. The Penny/Desmond storyline worked so well in part because of Desmond’s pure desire to see her again. Anytime the name “Penny” was said, it was said with this lovelorn despair that was just so perfect. Not only that, but Desmond was just so charming, charismatic and determined. He was a bit player at times, but when he was involved it was easy for him to steal the show.

Sayid Jarrah/Naveen Andrews – I’m always drawn into the strong, quiet foreign types and Sayid fit that bill perfectly. The quiet thing is always what captivated me the most though. Sayid never had a lot of dialogue and when he spoke, he didn’t say much but his facial expressions always said so much more. I was always hoping for something good to happen to Sayid, and while that never really happened, Andrews still knocked every note right out of the park. I’ll never forget the way he said “not for me” when Ben said it wasn’t too late.

Ben Linus/Michael Emerson – I think it’s safe to say that the best acting on the show was done by Michael Emerson. Anytime a character was originally meant to be in the show for three episodes, but everyone was so impressed they signed him to be a central figure until the end, you know you have something special on your hands. The way Ben manipulated everyone was priceless and the way Emerson brought Ben to life was genius. You just cannot say enough about that character and the actor. Ben’s presence gave the show a villain, but he also brought so much more to the table than just saying and doing bad things.

MOMENTS

There’s really way too many for me to recount here and I’d feel bad leaving one off. So for now, let me just talk about two.

First of all, the opening scene of the entire show was simply amazing. So much going on and so much chaos that led to a lot of great call-backs. One of my favorite parts of “Expose” was seeing Nikki and Paolo going through the plane crash, seeing all the same events we saw years earlier from a different point of view. That scene was a huge reason why people kept watching and even now, you can re-watch it and still catch something cool you didn’t see before. Just a perfect scene.

The other moment I want to talk about involves a moment I’d rather forget. I’m a huge baseball fan, as many friends and readers would already know, and I just loved how the Red Sox winning the World Series was woven into the show. At first, the line “And that’s why the Red Sox will never win the World Series” just served as a great way for Christian Sheppard to suggest that things will never change. As the series progressed, it became a lot more. Christian says it to Sawyer when they meet in the bar at Australia and later on, it became the phrase that led Sawyer to realize that Christian was Jack’s father. At the time, Jack and Sawyer were at odds with each other and this connection went a long way in bringing them together a bit. Even later on in the show, the Red Sox winning proved to be a turning point. As Jack wastes away in the Dharma station, Ben tries to prove that they have contact with the outside world. When he mentions the Red Sox winning the World Series, Jack can’t help but laugh. But when Ben brings in the video, and Keith Foulke flips that ball to Doug Mientkiewicz (didn’t even need to double-check that spelling, how sad is that?), Jack is left speechless. He is also left with some hope, because if the Sox can win the big one, then what else can be accomplished?

I could go on with other things, but I fear I’m just rambling at this point. I’ll leave you all with this. The end of LOST was obviously a bittersweet one for me and many others, and while the ending was less than fulfilling, it was still a nice ending to a great, great show. I just want to thank everyone who I’ve watched/talked LOST with over the years and I’m obviously down to keep watching and talking, so if you have something to say about the finale or the show itself, please feel free to comment. If this is goodbye though, I guess there’s just one last thing to say…

See you in another life brother.

What They Died For

2010-05-19T02:47:00.000-04:00

Note: The following post contains LOST SPOILERS so if you haven’t been watching, stop reading now.

Coming into this episode I had a feeling we’d be getting one big tease and while it was a little more than that, it mostly served as the big setup for the series finale. We continue to get some answers but not all of them. For example, the episode is titled “What They Died For”. Jacob says that he will explain why Sayid, Sun and Jin died but did we ever really get an explanation? If you were Kate, would you be satisfied with Jacob’s answer? I don’t think so.

And while we are just about near the end, we (or at least I am) struggling to see how the various plans piece together. Widmore brought Desmond as a fail safe, but Desmond seems to have other plans. Jack is now the new Jacob, and it doesn’t appear he needs Desmond. Not-Locke wants off the island, but now can do the next best thing: destroy it. There are a lot of moving pieces (especially if you consider the off-island stuff) and I just have no clue what it all means. My big concern is that the off-island world will be a separate (and more fitting/just) ending for some of our characters (especially people like Locke, Sun, Jin and Sayid) and when you think about it, that version of Locke or Sayid isn’t the one that we got to know over the years. With just two and a half hours left though, I’m more than willing to just shut up and enjoy the ride because it has been a great one.

With that said, let’s take a look at what else happened in “What They Died For”:

• One of the more interesting things for me in this episode was Ben. After a terrific episode where we ultimately start to feel sorry for Ben, he essentially fell into the background and became a pawn. Tonight, he re-emerged as a focus and he has turned into his old self again.

Now, are we supposed to believe that everything that happened before was a lie a.k.a. just another survival technique, or did he actually change and change again? If it’s the latter, why did he succumb to Not-Locke? Was it fear of death? Certainly the image of Richard getting run over (by the way, do we think he’s dead?) had to scare Ben a little bit, but his turn really happens fast. Part of me wonders if he is just trying to play Not-Locke, but the way he gives up Widmore almost instantly and the way he murdered him was just so cold blooded.

The thing is too, it’s just so hard to read Ben, as it has always been. Did he shoot Widmore to prevent him from telling Not-Locke the truth or did he really shoot him so that Not-Locke would kill Penny? I’d believe either one at this point.

One other thing to keep in mind: The alternate reality is clearly setting up happy endings for a lot of our characters (or so it seems) and I’m not sure if these endings or stories are companion pieces or intentionally opposite. Is Ben’s decency as a teacher just to show that he will still be decent on the island?

OK, one final thing with the Ben story line to think about: Ben mentions how the hidden room was a way for him to summon the smoke monster but in reality the monster was summoning him. Maybe his working with Not-Locke again is him turning the table?

A lot of cool stuff in here and I just love how easily either angle for Ben can play out.

• The other big moment of this episode was the sit down with Jacob. Jacob appears in front of Jack, Hurley, Sawyer and Kate and gives answers. As I mentioned earlier, he doesn’t really answer everything but we do get some answers.

For one, I love the reasoning behind Kate’s name being crossed off. We of course always assume the worst, but in reality the reason was very sincere: Kate became a mother and Jacob didn’t want to put her through the ordeal of protecting the island. Really loved that one.

Again though, the answers we get from Jacob aren’t really the big answers. I mean, we get the conformation that he wrote the names on the wall, he mentions that his job has been to protect the light/heart of the island and we learn he regrets the mistake of turning his brother into the smoke monster. Not really ground breaking stuff.

Still, I love scenes with Jacob. There’s so much sincerity in his voice, it’s just so calming and reassuring.

• I love all the plotting and planning off-island Desmond is doing and the mystery surrounding what exactly he is doing is awesome. Whether it’s his beat down of Ben or turning himself in to get in the same cell as Sayid and Kate, you can’t help but be enthralled by everything Desmond is doing. And I don’t know about you, but doesn’t Desmond seem so much more imposing (in both an emotional and physical sense) off the island. On the island he just seems like a normal guy, but off the island he seems tall, powerful and unstoppable. Maybe it’s just the haircut, but who knows.

Anyways, there’s a lot going on in the off-island world to take stock of. Locke has finally decided to get “fixed”. Ben seems to be in the early stages of a romantic endeavor with Danielle Rousseau. Claire is living with Jack, Kate appears to be going to Jack’s son’s concert (presumably to court Jack) and Ana Lucia isn’t “ready” yet. Then there’s Hurley, who seems to know everything that’s going on. He was the first convert to join Desmond and considering his willingness to believe, it’s no wonder he’s on board. I’m just curious to see just how much Hurley actually knows.

• Why is Young Jacob an entity on the island? Is there something about him in that form that differs from the older Jacob?

• Another small answer we got that I really liked was Ben asking why Not-Locke walks around when he can be a flying smoke monster. The answer is simple: Not-Locke just likes to feel the ground under his feet because it reminds him he was human. Works for me.

• I almost forgot about Jack waking up in the beginning of the episode with blood on his neck. This is just another example of the two worlds, pardon the pun, bleeding together.

• I’m going to be disappointed if no one acknowledges Frank’s death or Richard’s seeming death. Not that they were central characters, but they’ve been a big part of the show and they deserve better than that send off. Meanwhile, you couldn’t have asked for a nicer send off for the evil Tina Fey…

• Nice to see Ana Lucia kicking around still and nice to hear her call Hurley “Tubby”.

• So Jack has volunteered to be the new “Jacob”, which really isn’t very surprising. Jack goes through a similar ritual of drinking “blessed” water and we learn that the light is seemingly hidden from those who aren’t chosen. At least, that’s what I took out of Jacob’s explanation to get to the light.

That’s all I got this week. What do you guy’s got?

Across the Sea

2010-05-12T02:45:00.000-04:00

Note: The following post contains LOST SPOILERS so if you haven’t been watching, stop reading now.

There’s a subtext to the most recent episode of LOST that I really find fascinating. Since the beginning of the show, we the viewer have been left asking questions. Heck, one of the more iconic lines of the show, spoken by Charlie after the pilot is killed by the smoke, was a question.

“Where are we?”

Since then, the list of questions we have asked has grown to an insane length and I couldn’t even possibly start to write it out. Clearly this was intentional and it has been one of the driving forces of the show. And I’m sure my posturing right now has people asking a question…

Why does this matter?

Unlike LOST, I will answer this question. Because with a handful of hours left, LOST just presented an episode that made withholding answers seem like a grave mistake. Mother, as she was known on the show, presented Jacob and the Man in Black with the reason she was on the island: to protect “the light”. Instead of answering why she has to and what the light is, she leaves it a mystery. While this obviously compels the MIB, it also drives him away and all the while, it leaves poor Mother wondering if she should have kept secrets in the first place.

I just can’t help but wonder if our creators/writers lament leaving so much of the show shrouded in mystery. We all recognize the extremely difficult task at hand that they have, ending a show with so many questions needing answers and I’m sure they recognize it too. Maybe life would have been easier for them if they had answered questions early on and maybe they wouldn’t have run the risk of leaving many disappointed.

Anyways, a lot of questions were answered this week and we were given a very compelling back story to Jacob and the Man in Black, so let’s get into it…

• We don’t exactly get a timeframe for when Jacob and the MIB were born (and I wouldn’t know where to begin with figuring that out) but we do learn that the two are brothers, twins in fact. They were born to a woman named Claudia, who along with her people, were shipwrecked on the island. Claudia meets Mother, who cares for her briefly but ultimately beats her to death with a rock. Why? Because she saw the two as a successor it seems. The reasoning did seem sketchy at first, but I think Mother’s dying words of “Thank you” go to show that being the protector of the island comes with a lot of stress and unwanted responsibilities. Who knows how long it had been since Mother had a chance to bring in a successor?

Now that I think about it, do we think Mother caused that shipwreck or that it just sort of happened? We know Jacob brought people in, but Mother didn’t seem that interested to have outsiders walking around.

• I found it very interesting that Mother took to the MIB more than Jacob. Jacob was clearly the mama’s boy, yet in a way, she seemed closer to her other son. She left the game for him, she had the same mindset that MIB adopts about outsiders (come, fight, destroy…always ends the same) and she admits that she wanted him to be her successor. Maybe she saw a weakness in Jacob... trust.

It was Jacob’s trust that led to his death (although it did take several hundred years to happen) and really, Jacob’s trust is what led to this whole mess with Not-Locke/MIB legitimately having a shot to leave. The MIB, being a man of science after all, could see the world for what it was and could see people for who they are.

Of course, you can’t ignore how boring Jacob seems to be. Looming? Come on. The MIB might be a little evil, but he at least has a bit of a personality.

• I wasn’t sure just at first sight, but after checking with IMDB, the actor who played young Jacob is the same one as the teen who Not-Locke sees in the jungle randomly. I know it was assumed, but nice to know. Also makes sense because MIB can see dead people. What I want to know is, why does Jacob appear at that age and not his age of death?

• I may not understand the science behind it or how it was supposed to work, but the MIB was the man behind the wheel so to speak. Because he’s “special”, he figured out that he could attach a wheel to the light and use it to get off the island. He’s right, as we learned with Ben and Locke turning the wheel, but again, I have no clue why he’s right. I would go on about that, but I have a feeling this is one of those questions we won’t get an answer to.

• Clearly Mother was more than just a woman, because she wreaked havoc on the outsiders. Not only was she able to knock out the MIB, but she was able to get him out of the hole, fill in the hole and then destroy an entire settlement of people. My first instinct would have me assume that she had gone into the light and became a smoke-like monster. However, she was able to die with a simple stabbing and that is something that MIB can withstand so who knows what she really is.

• I loved the reveal of Adam and Eve and I actually liked the use of the flashback too. After all the speculation, it turned out to be Jacob’s mother and the MIB in the cave and I think the reveal was just very nicely done. And really, it’s a pretty sweet twist that Jacob actually did kill the MIB (kind of) and that his remains have been in that cave this entire time.

• So…do we think there’s any reason the MIB has remained nameless this entire time? Is it just a cute gimmick or is his name going to have some sort of meaning? Maybe he wasn’t even named, either way, I can’t help but wonder about the possible relevance.

• There’s one aspect of Mother’s death that I loved….that the MIB didn’t hesitate and he didn’t let her speak. We’ve twice seen characters sent to kill Jacob and the MIB respectively and each time the same thing was said “don’t let him speak”. Part of me wonders if the MIB had confronted his Mother first things would’ve turned out differently.

• Finally, the Light. I really have nothing in regards to this light. I don’t know what it is, I don’t really have a desire to know what it is and I have no idea why it turned the MIB into a smoke monster. I think there’s a reason the LOST creators cited the force and midi-clorians from STAR WARS before the season started and I think that reason is the light. No answer we’d get would justify it’s existence and even just learning that it was created by God or something like that just take the wind out of our sails. It’s a mystical…thing, let’s just leave it at that.

That’s all I got this week. Let me know what you think.

The Candidate

2010-05-05T02:08:00.000-04:00

Note: The following post contains LOST SPOILERS so if you haven’t been watching, stop reading now.

I’m torn.

After all my posturing about not worrying about the end of LOST, I am now worried. It’s not that I’m concerned about answers or getting a good ending, because I’m still confident we’ll get enough of both to satisfy and justify our six years of watching. What I’m worried about is the off-island adventures becoming our ending.

Unlike some, my heart and head haven’t really been with the science and mysteries of the island. I’ve been invested in the characters and that goes well beyond who Kate is going to end up with. No matter what has happened on the island, these characters have been our constants. The island changes, it moves, the mysteries evolve and get more complex, but if we didn’t have Jack, or Sawyer, or Locke, or Sayid the adventure along the way wouldn’t be as good. And herein lies the problem…

It just wouldn’t be the same if the off-island world becomes our ending (happy or sad for whoever). The characters I’ve come to know and love experienced the island and these alternate universe characters not only avoided the island, they’ve lived different lives. This wasn’t hammered home to me until Locke explained how he ended up in the chair. The Locke we know was pushed out a window. Our opinion of him was swayed because of that incident. Sure it’s a good story, Locke crashing a plane a week after getting his pilot’s license and simultaneously putting himself into a wheel chair and his beloved father into a vegetative state, but we didn’t see it, we didn’t experience it. We just heard about it.

Maybe this is a reality I (we) should’ve come to a long time ago. After all, the Locke we know has been dead for some time now. For whatever reason though, it seems like I was holding out hope that our Locke would return. Even though he has in this alternate universe, it’s not really our Locke. Does that all make sense?

So yea, watching Jin and Sun say their tearful goodbyes was heartbreaking, but ultimately I feel a little cheated. Think about it. For one, the deaths were so abrupt. For characters so important to the show, there was no real build up. It just sort of happens. Secondly, JIN AND SUN HAVE A DAUGHTER. After all they’ve been through, sure it makes sense Jin would stay, but that’s only if they weren’t parents. How could Sun not tell Jin to raise their daughter? Wouldn’t it have been sadder and sweeter if Jin handed Sun his ring again and then lived on to raise their child? When it didn’t happen, it just kicked in my mind that the alternate universe was going to end up being an ending in some capacity (for some of our characters at least) and again, it’s not really the ending we want for our Jin and Sun.

I hope that all makes sense, because I’m really just trying to make sense of what we saw. A few other things to talk about…

• So…Is Frank dead? Are we to assume he was knocked out by the door and then drowned? It’s not like he was the most important character, but he was still pretty awesome. I hope he’s alive and I’m guessing he is solely because I think that plane could still play a part, but who knows? (Maybe alt-Locke will use his piloting skills if he regains his island body?)

• Nice call back to Sawyer being in the cage, but couldn’t he have gotten some food and water for everyone first? That is, if he remembered how…

• Anyone else start thinking of JURASSIC PARK when the smoke monster wreaked havoc? The way they showed the pylons and the screeching of the smoke just reminded me so much of the T-Rex breaking through the fence.

• Sawyer acknowledges Kate’s name was crossed out in the cave, but did we ever actually see that? And why is she crossed off? One could argue they knew Kate was going to get shot, but why would the Kwon name still be there?

• It was great watching Jack slowly start to piece together all of the Oceanic passengers in the alternate universe. He keeps running into all of these characters and he obviously has no idea what it means. Interestingly enough, a few of the characters he has run into (Locke, Charlie) have had images of the island and they’re kind of in the opposite boat.

• Another big reason I feel cheated: Sayid’s death. I knew he was going to try to redeem himself, but his death was even more rushed than Jin and Sun’s. Again, we’re obviously going to get more of him off the island, but it’s not our Sayid damn it.

• Speaking of Sayid, I guess he didn’t let Desmond out of the well after all. Makes sense he would leave him in there since it would be too easy for him to get caught.

• We’ve talked about the sub scenes, so let’s re-visit how we got there…

As Jack figures out, all of the survivors were getting played by Not-Locke. He wanted them to get on the sub because he needed them all to be together and die together. As he says himself, he could’ve killed anybody at any time. Could he though? The rules generally play so that Jacob or the Man in Black can’t kill each other, so could the MIB kill a candidate? I mean, the whole point of the bomb was getting someone to pull the wire so that it wasn’t really him killing them. I just bring this up because the plot of Jack figuring this out was realizing that Not-Locke could kill anyone he wanted, but that’s not really the case now is it?

What I want to know is, where was Widmore during all of this? Is Widmore secretly working with Not-Locke? There’s no way Not-Locke killed him because we would have had to have seen it. So what’s up with that?

• Finally, I’d just like to go back to Jin and Sun’s death. Again, it was sad and emotional and it was very well done, but what really sent it all home was Hurley’s reaction.

Hurley breaking down into tears the way he did was perfect. I’m not even sure he cried that much when Charlie died. It’s just, Hurley has always been our moral compass and his breakdown just goes to show how sudden and unexpected those deaths were and just how much those characters had been through together. Kate was obviously hit hard by the news and Jack is definitely broken down by it. What I’m looking forward to is Sawyer’s reaction once he wakes up. He and Jin got to know each other with Dharma and he’s going to want even more vengeance.

That’s all I got this week. Let me know what you think.

The Last Recruit

2010-04-21T02:33:00.000-04:00

Note: The following post contains LOST SPOILERS so if you haven’t been watching, stop reading now.

I have one “theory” to throw out and then we’ll just hit on the finer points of the episode.

A few things stuck out to me in this episode, reminders if you will, about the factions on the island and off the island. Maybe the biggest reminder was that no one has ever left or arrived at the island without assistance or a submarine. When the choppers came, they had to go on just the right heading. When Michael left with Walt, they had to go on just the right heading. The Ajira plane that brought them to the island went through a flash. The Oceanic flight crashed. But the subs? For whatever reason, the magnetism of the island doesn’t affect it. So why have we blindly been assuming they can just hop on the plane and fly away?

Also, the alternate reality secretly has two factions: On one side you have the hospital where Jack, Locke, Jin and Sun currently are (I’ll even throw in Claire since she will eventually return and since she’s connected with Jack in the story). On the other side you have the police station, where Sawyer, Miles, Sayid and Kate are located. I don’t think it’s coincidence that certain characters are in certain places. Right now these groups are a bit scattered on the island, but I wouldn’t be surprised if these off-island groups end up being the on-island ones.

Since Miles wants to blow up the plane, since Sawyer and Kate have been plotting to take the sub and since Sayid is eventually going to play out like Darth Vader, these could be the ones to escape/die. And since Jack figures to be the new Jacob, that means he might be on the island for a long time with Locke. And I just have a sneaky suspicion that Sun and Jin are Adam and Eve now, so that means they’d be on the island.

Of course that doesn’t explain Hurley or Desmond, but those two have kind of been in and out of people’s lives in both worlds, so we’ll see.

Just a hunch on this stuff, but it could be a bit of foreshadowing.

Let’s hit the rest of the episode…

• We get a few answers to some questions very early on. We find out that Not-Locke has posed as others, including Christian. Part of me wonders if he was always Christian, with the biggest reason being his appearance on the boat. If the chopper needed to go in at a certain bearing to get there, then there’s no way the boat was close enough for Not-Locke to “legally” be on there.

We also learn why he chose Locke’s body. It’s “because he was stupid enough to believe he was hear for a reason”

As far as I can tell, this could be the first confirmed lie Not-Locke tells. Why? Because Jacob has been bringing people to the island for a reason and it’s not like Locke didn’t have anything special happen to him.

The other thing to note was Not-Locke’s reason for appearing to people. He claims he has always wanted them to leave but in reality, didn’t he need them to come back after they left?

• My favorite moment of the episode had to be Desmond and Sayid’s meeting. I’ve long suspected that Sayid would have his shot at redemption. I even called him Darth Vader a few weeks back. Naturally I was pleased to hear Hurley make the same allusion to Sayid and just one quick note on that: No STAR WARS fan would call Darth Vader by his real name, Anakin. But here’s the thing: Calling him Anakin appeases the non-nerds out there because not everyone will know who Anakin is. Everyone knows who Darth Vader is and if they do, they probably know his fate. It’s engrained into pop culture. His first name though? Probably not.

Now, Desmond and Sayid had a brief meeting that was just so perfect. Sayid is sent to kill Desmond, but before he can do so he allows Desmond to speak and Desmond asks what Not-Locke promised Sayid. Sayid says he was promised to be reunited with his love, Nadia. Desmond then asks the best question ever: “What will you tell her?” After all, would Nadia really be happy to be reunited with Sayid if she found out he killed a bunch of innocent people? That’s probably a turn off for most women.

So now Sayid has to face this awful reality…that even if he is reunited with his love, it’s very possible it wouldn’t work or that his conscience wouldn’t allow it to work. (The latter actually turned out to be his decision in the alternate world) It’s pretty obvious Sayid didn’t kill Desmond and that he probably helped him out of the well. We know it and you know what? Not-Locke probably knows it too.

• I loved Sun’s reaction to seeing Locke at the hospital. Such a great way to acknowledge that Sun had visions of the island while she was dying. Interesting to note though that she remembered Locke as a bad man.

• It was nice to see Sun and Jin reunite and Sun speaking English again was a nice touch, but as far as reunions are concerned I thought it was relatively weak. Still, good for them getting back together.

• Desmond in the alternate reality is so interesting. He’s extremely savIt was nice to see Sun and Jin reunite and Sun speaking English again was a nice touch, but as far as reunions are concerned I thought it was relatively weak. Still, good for them getting back together.

• If you’re Claire and this weird Scottish guy kept bumping into you and talking to you like he knows you, how long would it take you to tell him to buzz off?

• Alright, let’s get to the boat scene between Jack and Sawyer. Despite helping Sawyer get people to the boat, Jack admits it doesn’t feel right. He sounds an awful lot like Locke as he says the island isn’t finished with them and Sawyer doesn’t like this one bit. Sawyer gives him an option: Stay and shut up or get off the boat. Jack ultimately takes the latter. A few cool points from their talk…

I loved one of Jack’s points: Not-Locke is so eager to leave, but maybe it’s because he’s so afraid of what will happen if they all stay.

Also, there’s obviously a lot of symmetry with Jack jumping off the boat and Sawyer jumping off the chopper. What I find interesting is Sawyer was actually right for jumping off the chopper (even if he wasn’t jumping for that reason). So I think Jack is ultimately right for getting off the boat.

This is all I got this week. I liked the episode, but I didn’t find a ton to talk about. Let’s get the conversation flowing.

Everybody Loves Hugo

2010-04-14T01:35:00.000-04:00

Note: The following post contains LOST SPOILERS so if you haven’t been watching, stop reading now.

Constants.

I’m not sure why I didn’t think about it sooner, but it seems so obvious now especially given that Desmond is prominently involved. How did Desmond avoid dying when his mind was slipping through time? By having Penny as a constant. How will Desmond get people connected to their alternate worlds? Constants.

Charlie didn’t realize it until he was dying. Desmond didn’t realize it until he was in an exact position he was in both realities (wanting to save Charlie, Charlie putting his hand on the glass) and Hurley didn’t realize it until he kissed Libby. Desmond might be the only one who really realizes what is going on, but the others are starting to get filled in.

And here’s where it gets fun. Before when Desmond needed a constant, it was because he was on the same string of time and bouncing back and forth. The constant didn’t need to be specific because it was the same thing in each time. However, these two different realities appear to be happening simultaneously and if there are two separate worlds with the same people doing different things then what does that mean? We have VARIABLES.

This is why these events are either sparked through dying/death (when time and space have less meaning) or through exact events. The exact events get rid of the variables and make the constants…well, constant.

The person behind this is Desmond. He tells Hurley exactly what he needs to hear to go after Libby and he obviously is watching to make sure it happens. This of course leaves us all scratching our heads at the end.

The end of the episode is very chilling. Desmond, we see, is spying on Locke outside of school. He waits until the perfect time, speeds up in his car and runs over Locke as he goes through the crosswalk. Locke is left bloodied on the pavement as Ben screams for someone to call 911 and Desmond speeds off.

Why do this? I’ve got three theories:

1) He does it in hopes of killing Locke or putting him in a coma so that Not-Locke doesn’t have a body to transport to

2) He does it to try and make Locke bitter again.

3) He does it to force Locke and Jack back together.

There are better ways of going about killing a person and Desmond could have done so very easily so I don’t really believe one. Two is a possibility because if Locke becomes bitter again, it possibly puts him in scenarios that’ll spark his constants. Three seems even more likely to me. Locke’s alternate reality episode focused heavily on him refusing to see Jack and by severely injuring him, Locke seems destined to be put into Jack’s care. Again, this might even spark a constant…possible a man of science, man of faith constant.

There was a lot more to this episode, so let’s hit on a few other big talking points:

• At first, I was upset that Ilana was being so cavalier with the dynamite and nothing was happening. To me it just seemed like they were flaunting the rules in favor of a bigger story. Arntz was expendable but Ilana? She obviously played a bigger role so she couldn’t die, right?

Wrong.

Ilana blowing up was very unexpected but it also paves the way for Hurley to start giving orders. It also reminds us a bit that nobody is safe.

• Ilana’s death also sparked some very chilling comments from Ben Linus. As the gang walks through the jungle, Ben starts going on about the island not needing Ilana anymore. He then says…

“Makes me wonder what’s going to happen to us when it’s (the island) done with us”

I mean, that’s a pretty creepy comment, right? It also puts a notion in our head that the island is controlling things a lot more than we’d like to think.

Of course, these comments are even more chilling given what we hear from Michael later. We finally learn what the whispers really are and why certain people appear even after death. As Michael says:

“We’re the ones who can’t move on”

So why can’t certain people move on? Michael killed two people and betrayed his friends so it would seem he is getting punished. But what about Jacob? Why can’t he move on? Or can he move on but chooses to stay and help? Is Christian someone who can’t move on?

One last thought on this: Many believed the island was purgatory or hell and that has been a longstanding theory. Well, in a way, this might be true. It might not be the ultimate purpose for the island, but some fanboys saw their theories brought to reality.

• He didn’t play the biggest role tonight, but we did see the return of Dr. Chang tonight. He was hosting the award ceremony for Hugo and the ceremony was for the school of paleontology at Golden State University or something like that. My guess is Chang is a doctor there.

• Great symmetry with Hurley blowing up the Black Rock. This was very reminiscent of Locke blowing up the submarine in “New Otherton” and I believe they even had the same rationale: they were protecting their friends.

Weird to think about now, but was Locke even right in doing that before? It’s hard to say until the show ends I guess.

• Not-Locke is usually a very calm person, is he not? I found it very interesting that one of the few times he snapped it was at Desmond for looking at the strange boy in the woods. Who is that kid?

• We have yet another split in the groups: This time we see Richard, Ben and Miles going to find a way to blow up the plane while Hurley, Jack, Frank and Sun go to talk to Not-Locke.

I’m glad something like this happened too because I wanted to bring something up. I’m sure most LOST fans have seen the “Last Supper” picture that was released prior to this season. You can the picture HERE

Honestly, I never gave the picture much thought until recently. Realizing that Kate, Sayid, Claire and Sawyer were on one side of Locke and Jack, Hurley, Sun and Jin were on the other got me thinking about the significance of the other characters. After all, Ilana and Richard are on the “bad” side and Frank, Miles and Ben are on the “good” side. However, Ilana is now dead and has been trying to stop Not-Locke. And as we just saw, Miles and Ben just went away with Richard (opposite sides of the table).

I bring this up now too because character alignment always plays a big part in the story. Season 4 was all about the Oceanic Six and we wondered how those six were going to become the six all season. Now we’ve been given this picture and it seems obvious to me that these sides will align in some way (voluntarily or not) against each other. That’s really why I bring this up, to get us thinking and wondering how these characters will get to their final spots.

• I loved Jack’s explanation of why he’s following Hurley. He mentions that it might not be what he wants to do, but that maybe it’s what he’s supposed to be doing. It’s a huge 180 for his character and it was also pretty touching to hear him mentioning how Juliet’s death sparked this.

• Not-Locke clearly understands Desmond’s purpose in this story and that’s why he tossed him down the well. Part of me wonders though if Desmond’s lack of fear was the real tipping point. Not-Locke was obviously pissed about this and maybe the lack of fear proved to Not-Locke that Desmond is his eventual downfall.

• After getting run over, the real Locke looked a lot like he did after falling out the window, didn’t he? This is another piece of evidence of why this could turn him bitter. Maybe Locke got paralyzed in a more normal fashion and it was something he could more easily cope with. Getting run over though, like getting pushed out of a window, is a totally irrational act and that can break any man.

• Finally, the final line of the episode:

“Hello Jack!”

When Not-Locke sees everyone at the end, it’s Jack who sparks his interest. He says nothing to Sun, or Frank and his hello to Hurley is pretty subdued…but Jack? The second he sees him Not-Locke perks up. Why exactly? My guess is that Jack is the “main” candidate or something along those lines, but who knows?

That’s all I got this week. A great episode and one that has really set the wheels in motion.

Happily Ever After

2010-04-07T02:13:00.000-04:00

Note: The following post contains LOST SPOILERS so if you haven’t been watching, stop reading now.

There’s just something about Desmond episodes that I love. Of all the major characters (or characters who play major roles), he probably has the least amount of screen time after Jacob and the real MIB, but like those characters less might be more. There’s a lot going on with someone like Desmond, and instead of getting his story spread throughout a season, we just get one big chunk every season. An episode like tonight’s might seem slow, it might seem like it doesn’t forward along the story enough and those are fair points. At the same time though, we get a cohesive character story in the midst of a bunch of chaos.

Does it all make sense though? I think it does. After all we’ve seen with Desmond throughout the show, we know two things: 1) that he is special. For some reason he can withstand these electromagnetic pulses and for whatever reason, these pulses send him through time and space and 2) that he really, really loves Penny.

Knowing that, let’s look at what happened to Desmond tonight. He’s obviously zapped into the alternate reality by Charles Widmore, although the purpose of the experiment was to see if Desmond would survive. Still, beforehand Desmond couldn’t have been more unwilling to participate in this experiment and by the end, he’s more than willing. So what happened?

Personally, I think Desmond came to a realization in large part due to Charlie forcing a near death experience and Daniel’s little speech. We learn that Charlie wasn’t trying to commit suicide on the plane, but when he dying he had a vision of Claire. This is interesting because we know that Juliet has a vision of Sawyer on her deathbed. By gone the two stories are melding together a tad. So when Charlie crashes the car into the water, it’s no wonder that Desmond has visions of Charlie’s on-island death. Charlie holds his hand up to the car window and sure enough, Desmond believes he sees “Not Penny’s Boat” written on his hand. That was pretty cool. Later on Desmond needs an MRI and what happens in that highly electromagnetic field? He sees Penny.

These visions eventually lead Desmond to Eloise and Daniel Widmore. Eloise, somehow, still is one step ahead of the game. She knows Desmond’s part in all of this and even though we see her planning a party, she takes a few seconds to get Desmond going on the right path. I still have no clue what part she plays in all of this or how important she is though. Then, Daniel comes to talk to Desmond and that’s where the puzzle becomes clear for me.

You see, during all of these flash sideways’, none of the characters are really aware of the other world. You get the sense Jack knows something is up when he checks out his scar, but it ends there. This all changes with Charlie and Daniel’s help but it’s Daniel who really brings it all home. In the alternate world, Daniel is just a musician but at some point he sees Charlotte and his worlds come crashing together. As he explains, he wakes up one night and writes up some highly advanced quantum physics equations. How did he do this? Even he isn’t totally sure, but he speculates something that we’ve all know to be true or at the very least, legitimate:

What if this world isn’t supposed to be our life?

There’s a reason why all of these flash sideways have big differences in character traits or signature events…it’s to show us what could or might still be, for better or worse. Eventually I believe our characters might have a choice (knowingly or not) that’ll swap out lives. And I think Desmond is the first character that realizes this.

Ultimately I think Desmond’s sacrifice might be living the life without the island. Now, he did end up with Penny and a child in the island life but as we keep finding out, the island has other plans for him. Without the island though, he can have it all: wealth, Widmore’s approval and even a fresh start with Penny. Didn’t Desmond seem pretty damn happy when he met Penny? Didn’t he even seem happy before that? I think that’s the realization he had and I think that’s why he was so willing to help out Widmore in then.

I don’t know how this sacrifice would even get played out, but my guess is that he willingly went with Sayid at the end to plant a trap. Desmond can survive a major electromagnetic thingy and maybe that’s what can stop Not-Locke. And maybe it’ll be so big Desmond won’t have any choice but to live the no-island life.

How does the flight manifest play into this? I don’t know. As Desmond says, he needs “something to show them”. Show who exactly?

That’s all I got this week. A little different than normal, but so are Desmond episodes.

The Package

2010-03-31T01:59:00.000-04:00

Note: The following post contains LOST SPOILERS so if you haven’t been watching, stop reading now.

It seems almost wrong to go from a Richard episode to a Sun and Jin episode. It’s not that Sun and Jin aren’t good characters, but at this point what are we going to discover about them? You know that writers have run out of ideas for characters when their episodes don’t even focus that heavily on them…you also know they have run out of ideas when amnesia is thrown into the mix. But hey, given the circumstances, I still thought it was a solid episode with some good reveals. Some old friends returned and the end was pretty sweet. Let’s just dive right in…

• We’ll get the off-island stuff out of the way because there really wasn’t a ton of good stuff in there.

The big reveal: Sun and Jin aren’t married. Jin is Sun’s “bodyguard” but they are in love, they are doing it and she is pregnant. More importantly, we learn Jin is delivering money for his own bounty. Mr. Paik knows Jin and Sun are diddling and he wants Jin dead because of it. We know how this tale kind of ends…Jin is locked up in Keamy’s restaurant, Sayid shoots Keamy and his men and we learn he doesn’t free Jin, he just gives him a knife.

Also in this flash sideways is Mikhail. Mikhail works for Keamy, he translates for Sun and Jin and in the end he is killed by Jin…in fact, he’s shot in the eye. Neat.

Sun is caught in the crossfire though and is shot. She’s pregnant at the time too which obviously sucks.

After seeing this, I’m really left wondering more and more what these flash sideways are going to ultimately mean. With six episodes left, it’s unlikely we’re going to get another Jin/Sun episode or another Sawyer episode, so are we going to see these stories resolved? Before I wasn’t worried about the flash sideways, but now I kind of am. At the very least, I’m thinking about their relevance more.

• I don’t know what Not-Locke really plans on doing, but according to him he needs all of the remaining candidates to get off the island.

What I find interesting here is that Not-Locke could easily use physical force to get all of these candidates, but he doesn’t and my guess is he can’t. There’s something going on with free will here that forces Not-Locke to convince and manipulate. Maybe violence is a last resort, but he got Sawyer and Sayid by showing/telling them what they needed to know and that’s how he tried to get Ben and Sun.

Two other things: By taking Jin, Not-Locke says Widmore has brought war to the island so there could very well be some violence brewing there.

Also, why isn’t Kate on the wall anymore? Not-Locke says she was, but what did she do to get crossed off?

What throws me off here is Not-Locke actually being honest with everyone. Well, maybe not “honest”, but he doesn’t lie to people it seems. What exactly is going on with him?

• How weird is it to see Jack preaching? I don’t have anything else here, but he is a changed man and while it’s cool, it is strange to watch.

• How off-putting was it to hear Sayid say he wasn’t feeling pain anymore? To me this means the darkness has completely consumed him and honestly it’s a bit disturbing. Sayid is no numb to everything he does and we know exactly what he is capable of. Couple that line to how we see him at the end of the episode and I’m a little freaked out.

• Sorry, but how lame was Sun having that selective amnesia or whatever it was? I’ll admit it was a little cute how she communicated by writing but it’s a lame plot device. Of course it did lead to an awesome exchange…

Miles: “So she can understand us but she can only speak Korean? And we’re supposed to buy this?”

Frank: “So says the man who speaks to the dead”

It’s a nice line by the writers to remind us of what else is going on, but still…amnesia?

• At Widmore’s camp, we learn the Tina Fey look-a-like is in charge of operations and that she’s a geo-physicist. Widmore is pissed she brings in Jin too early and she counters by telling Widmore to hire a mercenary if he wants these things done right. Of course, we know how that already turned out.

• One other geo-physicist note: It was interesting to hear that she needed to know where the pockets of electromagnetism are. As the Lonely Lib pointed out last week, science is still going to play a big part in all of this and seeing that Desmond will be prominently involved in the upcoming weeks, that could mean some more Faraday action.

• And onto our big finale…

Not surprising to me, but the “package” that was locked up in the submarine was Desmond. I’m sure a lot of people thought it would be him and rightfully so. Desmond was way too important to be pushed aside and he obviously had a story to finish. He has a special ability too and that will likely come in very handy in the end.

When he sees Sayid in the water in the end too, that was just a classic moment. Desmond is obviously very confused and the first thing he sees back on the island is an old friend hiding in the water staring him right in the eye. Definitely has to mess with his mind.

So what role will Desmond play in all of this? My guess is something with the electromagnetism but I don’t know what.

That’s all I got this week. Not a ton, but to be fair, we weren’t given a ton to work with. Next week should be different. I don’t know about you guys, but the bagpipe rendition of “Amazing Grace” playing over the preview scenes got me pretty pumped.

Ab Aeterno

2010-03-24T02:34:00.000-04:00

Note: The following post contains LOST SPOILERS so if you haven’t been watching, stop reading now.

The second I saw the preview for this week’s episode, I was pumped. Like lots of LOST fans, I was excited to see Richard’s back story, learn some secrets and I was really hoping to be blown away.

After the fact, I can’t say I was blown away but I was definitely pleased with what I saw. It’s weird to watch a linear episode for a change but in this case it was pretty necessary. You don’t always need to bounce around, especially when the story is so important to tell.

This episode certainly helped answer some questions but I must say I was confused by a few things. Let’s just dive into the episode and see if we can’t figure this out together:

• The first confusing thing: In the beginning when Jack, Ilana and company are sitting around the campfire, Sun says that Ilana told her she was one of the six that needed protecting. As far as we know though, Ilana said she didn’t know if it was Sun or Jin. Was this just a mistake by Sun? Or the writers? Or was Sun secretly told this?

• I enjoyed Richard’s back story. We’ve always looked at him like some mystical being but in reality he’s just a simple farmer who made a bad mistake. It was very interesting watching him essentially be a slave and not know anything. As we learn, he was from the Canary Islands in 1867 and he accidentally kills a wealthy doctor. His wife, Isabella, is dying and he needs medicine to save her, but is too poor and can’t afford it. She dies, he’s arrested and then traded into slavery. We learn he gets to the island on The Black Rock and is saved by the smoke monster/man in black. Then the fun begins…

• When Richard is saved by the man in black, he is recruited to help in his cause. The man in black essentially gives Richard the exact same instructions Dogen gives to Sayid in regards to killing “the devil”. Richard and Sayid are both given a dagger (the same one), they are both told not to let their opponents speak and they are told to stab the devil in the chest. This is really interesting for a bunch of reasons. For one, the man in black is involved in both situations. The first time he’s the one giving the instructions, the second time he is getting stabbed. What’s interesting is Jacob openly fights Richard while Not-Locke let’s Sayid stab him. The early theory is that the dagger has a lot to do with it. Jacob was obviously susceptible to stabbings but Not-Locke survives? Maybe it’s because it was his dagger stabbing him that prevented death from occurring. Who knows?

But what are we to make of both of these scenarios?

• I want to talk about The Black Rock because there are a few interesting things there. First off, it would seem that the ship is responsible for destroying the statute. It was standing when we see it from the ship but when Richard goes to it it’s just the foot. Second, how does the ship get so far inland? Third, the ship in the season five finale…that wasn’t The Black Rock, right? The Black Rock gets pummeled by a storm but when we see Jacob and the man in black looking out to sea, the weather is fine. Am I wrong for thinking this?

• Hell. The man in black contests the island is hell, Jacob contests it is not. Who are we to believe?

I believe Jacob. I just can’t believe that all the characters are dead. To me, it just doesn’t make sense since characters have left the island and since returned. There’s obviously something supernatural going on with the island, but I don’t think it’s hell or even purgatory. Once we figure out what Jacob and the man in black are doing, I think the story will be a lot clearer.

• The island and the wine bottle analogy. Jacob tells Richard that the wine is like the darkness and the cork is the island, stopping the wine from spreading. It’s a weird analogy, but it sort of gives us an idea of the island’s purpose. I loved the end too, because when the man in black smashes the bottle, it’s like a loophole.

• The man in black believes people are corruptible and capable of sin. Jacob believes that people will do the right thing if given the chance. The reason Jacob keeps bringing people to the island is to prove the man in black wrong. Richard helps prove that point. I really liked hearing and seeing all of that.

• So Jacob can give Richard eternal life/youth, but he can’t bring back Richard’s wife and he can’t absolve Richard of his sins. Interestingly enough, the man in black has promised reuniting characters with dead people. I don’t believe that the man in black has any different powers than Jacob, it’s just his promises are veiled…like he intends to kill those characters to reunite them.

• OK, here’s the second big confusing thing for me. The end of the episode Jacob and the man in black are talking. Jacob ends the conversation by saying “I’ll see you around” and the man in black responds like so: “sooner than you think”.

What the heck does that mean? I just have no clue why that was said.

This might have been my weakest effort to date, but I just didn’t know what to talk about in this one. Help me out friends, help me out.

Recon

2010-03-17T02:37:00.000-04:00

Note: The following post contains LOST SPOILERS so if you haven’t been watching, stop reading now.

I think I have the alternate reality figured out now: It’s a world without Jacob.

Maybe this dawned on others, but when Sawyer tells Charlotte he was at a point in his life where he could either become a cop or a criminal, the reason seemed pretty darn clear to me. It’s Jacob who gives Sawyer the pen to finish his letter. If Sawyer finishes that letter, he has it to read and to memorize and to boil over. The letter filled him with hate. If he doesn’t finish the letter, it essentially pushes him into doing the right thing.

In other flash sideways, the timeline is fuzzy. Why or why wouldn’t certain events happen? Obviously Kate is on the same path but it’s not like Jacob stopped her in the first place. It’s unclear why other things happened, like Hurley feeling lucky, Jack having a kid, etc. But my guess is it’s an intricate weaving that somehow starts with Jacob not being around.

That’s my theory of the week. Tuesday’s episode wasn’t spectacular, but it gave us an interesting glimpse at Sawyer. At the very least, with all the “conning” go on, you know there’s going to be a lot of mystery. Let’s get into it, shall we?

• Random question: Was there a “Previously on LOST” tonight or did my DVR just cut it off?

• Off island in the alternate reality, Sawyer is a cop. Fancy that. We already looked at how that could have happened, so let’s just look at the rest. First off, how great was his intro? The same old con, just this time he was doing it as a man of the law. How many times have we seen this con now? Three? Four? Always ends differently. Love it.

Then there are the connections. Sawyer’s partner in stopping crime is Miles. The secret word was LaFleur. Sawyer bangs an actually good looking Charlotte. And in the end, he apprehends Kate who is on the run. What I loved about that end was that Sawyer actually recognized Kate. How many times have the other 815 passengers seen each other without remembering faces? A self-centered person would not recognize someone like that. A changed Sawyer would. It’s a small moment, sure, but I think it’s somewhat telling..

• Anthony Cooper. He might have gone from conman to cop, but Sawyer still has the same old passion. He wants to find the man responsible for the death of his parents and he still wants to kill him. Early on we see him calling random Anthony Coopers. Later on he flips out at Charlotte who saw his secret “Sawyer” folder.

The question is, how do we really look at all of this? Well, look at all the characters who have had flash sideways, look at the changes and look where they are aligned on island.

Jack, Hurley and Ben all were changed men off the island. Kate, Sawyer and Sayid are all the same really. Sayid is still a killer, Kate is still a fugitive and Sawyer is still torn up over the loss of his parents. Jack, Hurley and Ben are on the side of Jacob. Sayid, Kate and Sawyer are on the side of Not-Locke. Pretty interesting, eh?

• Not-Locke sends Sawyer to Hydra Island to do some recon work. Sawyer runs into the woman he set up as a cop and reads right through the con. There are still “shadow of the temple” people alive and they are most definitely aligned with Widmore. We them setting up the same pylons that were outside “New Otherton” and Sawyer visits Widmore in the sub. The two make a deal, but I think it’s safe to say that both sides are pretty skeptical. We know what Sawyer’s true intentions were but let’s give Widmore some credit here. I think he knows something is up with Sawyer and we might see a bit of a counteroffensive.

The one other thing to note: Sawyer visited Widmore on the sub. When I saw this, all I could think was Widmore not being allowed to actually get on the island. Am I alone here?

• We see a compassionate side of Not-Locke tonight which I think is more a ploy to keep us guessing. One line in particular made me think this. When Not-Locke tries to get Sawyer to go to Hydra Island, he says he was the best liar he had ever seen. Well, how do you know if someone is a good liar or not? If you’re a good liar yourself. Takes one to know one, right? Something is just not right with Not-Locke’s logic and there has to be something more up his sleeve than just going home.

• After Claire attacks Kate, Not-Locke slaps some sense into her and then goes and has a little chat with Kate. During this talk, he mentions how he had a crazy mother, and this crazy mother was responsible for a lot of the problems he still has today. I found this all very, very interesting.

Throughout LOST, it has always been the fathers who have had issues. Heck, a lot of the show centered around women’s inability to give birth on the island. For the most part, all the mothers we have seen have been pretty good. Rousseau was a tad crazy but she had her daughter taken away from her. Jack’s mom was cool. Claire’s mom was cool. Kate’s mom was cool. Outside of Eloise shooting her own son, we haven’t had moms drop the ball. Now, we find out Not-Locke’s mom might be crazy. Is this even true? What was so crazy about her? What about dad? Do we somehow know mom?

• Sawyer lied a lot in this episode. Early on he promises Jin that they’d find Sun first and then escape. He told Widmore they had a deal to ambush Not-Locke. He told Not-Locke all of Widmore’s plans. He ended by telling Kate that it would be just them two escaping when the fight came. You gotta think what he told Kate was the truth, but you don’t want to think it. After all, this would be the second time Sawyer just left everyone behind to be with his woman. I think we all desperately want the guy to be Han Solo, but he just keeps giving us reasons why he isn’t.

• Any thoughts on what was locked up in the sub? A person? A weapon? I got nothing here other than the possibility of Desmond being tied up.

I think that’s all I got tonight. Not a particularly action-packed episode, but it was a solid one with some good insight. Honestly, after seeing the preview for next week, I’m going to have a hard time waiting to see what happens next. As always, feel free to comment.

Dr. Linus

2010-03-10T02:43:00.001-05:00

Note: The following post contains LOST SPOILERS so if you haven’t been watching, stop reading now.

This was, without a doubt, my favorite episode of the season thus far. To those that think the acting in LOST is a problem…have you ever seen Michael Emerson act? Ben Linus is an all-time great TV show character and the way Emerson has gone through the life of Ben is nothing short of amazing. I can gush for a lot longer, but this episode was jammed pack full of stuff to talk about.

• “Because exile wasn’t the worst of his fate, what was truly devastating to him was the loss of his power. Sure, they allowed him to keep the title of Emperor but without any power it was meaningless. He might just have well have been dead.”

This is what Ben says in regard to Napoleon Bonaparte and his exile to the island Elba. Think it ties in at all? There’s just so much layered in here. For lack of a better word, it’s awesome.

After discovering he had killed Jacob, Ilana essentially decides that Ben is going to die. She shackles him up and forces him to dig his own grave. Later on, Ben is visited by Not-Locke and given a choice: Stay there and die or come with him and take over as ruler of the island. We all suspect that Ben will take the latter but in a twist of fate, Ben pours his heart out to Ilana and she agrees to let him re-join their band of rebels.

What’s so great about this? Well for one, the options Not-Locke give Ben at first appear to be death and exile, death if he stays, exile with the title of “emperor” if he follows Not-Locke. Like I said, we couldn’t help but assume that Ben would choose exile because he has always been so desperate for power in the time we’ve known him. Ben changes though. It’s almost like he could hear himself utter the words he spoke as a teacher in the alternate reality. He realizes that the title would ultimately be meaningless, while he’d literally be exiled, he’d likely be alone to govern over nothing and that yes, he might as well have been dead. And that’s when the tables turn. It’s Not-Locke path that would have surely led to death, even if it was a metaphorical one. By pouring his heart out to Ilana and by following her, he chooses a figurative exile. He knows damn well he’ll never be accepted by the likes of Jack or Sun or Hurley, but for once, he’s willing to try.

Now, Ben has lost all of his power and his mighty title. Maybe it was his final plea to Miles that changed his mind. Ben promises Miles $3.2 million if he helps him escape, but Miles obviously isn’t swayed. It was a last resort for Ben and it failed. Or maybe it was Not-Locke’s deal with Ben that changes his ways. Maybe it was the way Not-Locke said “see you later Ben” that got to him. Regardless, the end result was great. Ben sullenly walks over to Sun and asks if he can lend a hand as she builds a shelter. Sensing a change, she lets him help.

In the end, there’s yet another joyful reunion between separated survivors. Jack, Hurley and Richard join Sun, Frank, Ilana, Miles and Ben at the beach. While everyone gets re-acquainted, Ben just has to sit there and watch. What a great, great moment.

• Then there’s Ben the teacher or Dr. Linus. Off the island, Ben’s life is decidedly different. Even though he’s in a position of power, he is ultimately weak. Clearly single, he lives at home with his father Roger, caring for him and trying to keep him alive. And dare I say it, but Dr. Linus is also a good man. He cares very much for his dad, his history club and his students, especially Alexandra Rousseau, his star pupil. Obviously this was his adopted daughter on the island and off the island, she is essentially his adopted daughter. He wants the best for her, including good grades and a free ride to Yale.

During all of this though, an opportunity arises for him to usurp power from the current principal a.k.a. the a-hole reporter from Die Hard and like old Ben, he attempts to do so. He has our old friend Artz hack into the principal’s e-mail and he devises a plan to blackmail him. During the blackmail though, the principal throws back another blackmail…drop the allegations and I write a great recommendation for Alex or take my job and she gets nothing. Of course, we can only help but assume that Ben will take the latter, because after all, that’s exactly what he did when he let Keamy kill Alex. But Ben is different off the island and he does the right thing…he sacrifices his power so Alex can get into the school of her dreams.

It was a great symmetry with her dying and this turn of events makes us, dare I say it, like Ben.

• While Ben was a tour-de-force in this episode, there was soooo much more that went on. Maybe the most interesting was Richard Alpert’s revelations. Richard tells Jack and Hurley that he wants to die, that he can’t do it himself and that he needs their help. But wait, there’s more. We learn that Richard was on the ship The Black Rock. We learn that his everlasting youth was a “gift” from Jacob. He even specifically mentions that Jacob doesn’t touch a lot of people. We also learn that he wants to die because Jacob told him he would serve a purpose and that after all of this time, his purpose has yet to be served so it must be a lie. Several things to take out of this…

1) Remember when Jacob talks to Hurley and says Hurley’s “curse” of seeing dead friends was really a gift? Well, how great was it that Richard called his “gift” of everlasting youth (or whatever you want to call it) a “curse”. Like Hurley, his thoughts might have changed.
2) Remember how I made a big deal about Jacob touching Sun/Jin, Hurley, Sayid, Jack, Sawyer, Ilana, Locke and Kate last year? No? Well I did, and clearly that had some significance. But how much does it really matter and what exactly does that mean? Obviously Jacob touched some of them (Kate and Sawyer) when they were young, and clearly those two have aged a bit. Does that mean they are unable to die without a purpose or without someone’s help? Apply that to what we’ve seen. Locke was going to kill himself but was interrupted only to be murdered. Sayid was drowned by the temple others. And what about the hydrogen bomb? Anyone else find it interesting now that it didn’t go off until Juliet hit it? Not bad, eh?
3) Finally, Richard’s plea for death and Jack’s assistance. It was pretty wild watching Jack accepting Jacob’s message that he was on the island for a reason. So often Jack ignores this stuff but for once he believes it. Not only did he believe, he risked his life to prove it. And by proving it, he essentially adopts Richard as his apostle. When the TNT fuse goes out, Richard asks Jack “what next?” Great stuff.

• We finally learn what it means to be a candidate and it confirms a belief we’ve had. The names on the stone and on the wheel in the lighthouse are candidates to take over for Jacob. Ilana’s job is to protect these candidates. Now, this comes up because Ilana mentions she doesn’t know which Kwon she has to protect, Jin or Sun. Well, I think I know which one.

Ilana also mentions there are six candidates remaining. I went back to “The Substitute” episode to remember who wasn’t cross off yet. When Not-Locke shows Sawyer the names, the following remained: Sheppard, Kwon, Jarrah, Locke, Ford, Reyes. Now, one of those names gets crossed off: Locke. When we see those names too, we see a montage of when Jacob visits them. One name is noticeably absent and that’s: Austen. She was visited by Jacob and yet her name didn’t correspond with 4, 8, 15, 16, 23 or 42. Was she 108? Did Ilana factor in Locke’s death for remaining candidates?

After seeing what candidates remain, I’m not actually sure which Kwon is eligible. At first I was going to say Sun because she was a member of the Oceanic 6 but now I’m thinking it’s Jin. If it’s Jin, that would mean it’s all men remaining. Of course no one has said Jacob’s replacement couldn’t be a woman, but if they’re all men that would at least give us some connection. Then again, if women weren’t allowed to be Jacob, Ilana would probably know that. Or not. Let’s just move on…

• How creepy and great are Not-Locke’s entrances now? The clicking noises, the gusts of wind and then he just appears. Definitely freaky.

• How great was Miles in this episode? I was dying when he called Nikki and Paulo “jabronis” and mentioned that they had $8 million in diamonds buried with them. And if that wasn’t good enough, Miles is inspecting a diamond at the end of the episode. Priceless.

• Great moment with Roger and Ben in the episode: “What if we hadn’t left?” Roger asks. This answers a little something I guess, that they were on the island at one point. But why did they leave? What prompted their departure?

• Also, gotta love how it’s Locke that puts the idea of becoming principal into Ben’s head.

• All of this talk about Ben and numbers and Richard and I almost forgot about the end. As Jack and Hurley reunite with Sun and co., a periscope emerges from the ocean. A submarine is coming toward the island and who is on it? Charles Widmore. This raises a few important questions for me…

First, was Widmore #108? And did Jack breaking the mirror enable him to find the island?

Second, if Ben is now with Ilana’s group, does that mean Widmore is ending up with Not-Locke? Or is it possible that we might have some sort of uneasy partnership between Ben and Widmore? After all, if Ben is a changed man and he can put the island behind him, doesn’t that mean he can end the feud with Widmore for the greater good? Or will seeing Widmore re-ignite his evil candle?

Sundown

2010-03-03T01:44:00.000-05:00

Note: The following post contains LOST SPOILERS so if you haven’t been watching, stop reading now.

Long ago LOST fans learned to expect the unexpected. We do that. We know not to take things at face value and we know that there is always an ulterior motive or crazy plot line waiting in the wings. Somehow, even with fans expecting the unexpected, LOST finds a way to deliver twists and turns that no one in there right mind would even think of. “Sundown” was certainly no exception here.

Not once during the week preceding this episode did I think we’d witness fire and brimstone. Not once did I ever expect Sayid to “turn”. Not once did I expect to see Ben Linus absolutely petrified of a man he once manipulated.

The end of this episode was a wonderfully terrifying and disturbing turn of events that completely changed the immediate future of LOST. Before getting into that though, there was a lot of other great stuff to go over.

• Let’s just tackle Sayid’s alternate reality first. Yet again, we see him getting manipulated and we see him without Nadia. At first we see that Nadia married Sayid’s brother. We later learn that Sayid felt he didn’t deserve Nadia. In between, his brother tries to convince him to “send a message” to loan sharks.

In the end, we learn that Martin Keamy was the man who loaned Sayid’s brother money. Once again, Sayid is forced to kill Keamy. And much to everyone’s surprise, we see that Keamy had Jin tied up in a kitchen pantry.

These off-island incidents were interesting, to say the least, but the big thing here is that Sayid found himself getting manipulated, getting into trouble and longing over Nadia. It’s really sad and you wonder if he will ever find salvation.

• I had an interesting thought after Sayid’s claim that he didn’t deserve Nadia and after his conversation with Not-Locke. Sayid mentions he had to hold the one thing he ever cared about in his arms as it died. Well, hasn’t he done that twice? Once with Nadia and once with Shannon? What if after Nadia died Sayid realized that they weren’t meant to be, like he does in the alternate reality? OR…

What if Not-Locke is telling the truth about giving Sayid a chance at seeing the “one thing” he wants to see? What if it’s all a trick? Sure, you can see someone you held in your arms, but it’s not the one you really wanted. It’s like how a genie in a bottle will grant a wish but with a twist. I don’t know. Just something to think about.

• A few Dogan things to talk about tonight. First, the great scale analogy. Dogan mentions that good and evil is balanced on a scale. For one, how weird is it that there actually was a scale? Secondly, does the literal scale have any meaning? Third, I believe Dogan couldn’t have spelled it out any clearer. Later on when he calls Not-Locke “Evil Incarnate”, I couldn’t help but believe him.

• The second Dogan note is about his speech to Sayid toward the end of the episode. Dogan recounts how he made it to the island and his story is rather sad. His son, who we saw at the school tryout in Jack’s episode, was killed in a drunk driving accident…an accident caused by Dogan being drunk. Jacob visited Dogan in the hospital and offered him a deal: Come to the island and your son lives, you just can never see him again. Dogan obviously accepts and becomes the leader of the temple.

A few things to note here: 1) Add Dogan as yet another person on the island with daddy issues. He joins Locke, Jin, Sun, Sawyer, Ben, Jack, Hurley, Claire and Michael/Walt. You know, most of the candidates… 2) It could just be part of Dogan’s story, but I can’t help but notice baseball’s significance throughout the show. Christian’s saying about the Red Sox winning the World Series linked Jack and Sawyer. The Sox winning the World Series proved to Jack that there is hope and that the island isn’t cut off from the outside world. Jack’s son is a Red Sox fan. Now, Dogan had a very spiritual connection with an actual baseball because his son died after a baseball practice. Again, maybe this is nothing, but as a baseball fan, I’m not ignoring this stuff.

• By the way, how cool was the fight between Sayid and Dogan in the beginning? That fight scene was better than a lot of big budget movie fights.

• What happened to Sawyer? Last we see him he’s with Not-Locke. Now, he’s nowhere to be found? What gives?

• Alright, let’s get to the game-changer. It starts with Sayid getting manipulated, once again, by Not-Locke. Sayid delivers the message to the temple folk and their numbers dwindle. He then goes to talk to Dogan one more time. It’s then that Dogan tells his story and when he’s done, it hits the fan.

Sayid drowns Dogan in the pool that he was earlier drowned in. This time though, it doesn’t appear that Dogan will be getting up. After killing the leader of the temple, the second in command hippy-guy comes in. The hippy guy is petrified because as he says, Dogan was the only thing keeping Not-Locke out. Why? I don’t know. But Sayid wastes no time slitting the throat of the hippy guy.

Now, this alone was a big deal. This isn’t the first time LOST has killed off a character who had answers. As quickly as we were introduced to Jacob, he was dead. Same with Dogan. For whatever reason, I thought it would be different this time.

With Dogan dead, Not-Locke burst onto the scene as the smoke monster and pretty much wreaked havoc throughout the temple. He killed all in his way and he showed no mercy. Only Miles was able to escape with the help of Ilana, Frank, Ben and Sun. Kate went to get Claire, who advised Kate to join her in the hole. This alone was creepy enough.

Then Ben goes to get Sayid. He finds him in the pool room, dagger in hand and overlooking the bodies in the water. Ben tells Sayid it’s not to late. Sayid’s response: “For me it is”. The words were chilling, the delivery was even creepier. He almost smiled when he said it. Needless to say, Sayid has been consumed by the darkness…

Finally, we see Kate, Claire and Sayid stroll through the courtyard of the temple. Bodies are scattered everywhere, there’s fire and destruction and during their slow stroll, a very creepy rendition of “catch a falling star” can be heard. The three walk out to join Not-Locke and the few temple others who joined him. And as we’ve seen before, “Locke” leads people out to the jungle. In an odd symmetry, Locke promised death to both parties who defied him (once with the people coming to the island, now to the people who wanted to stay).

What does this all mean?

Well, if anyone still wants to argue the yin/yang aspect you’re more than welcome to. I’d just like to hear the justification for killing innocent people even though they seem to have no bearing on whether or not he could go home or not.

More importantly though, this is really the first time our favorite survivors have the odds completely and utterly stacked against them. We’ve never seen a show of force or terror that Not-Locke displayed and more than ever you really have to wonder what’s going to happen to the likes of Jack, Hurley, Jin/Sun, etc. The others were creepy, the Dharma Initiative was weird and Ben was cruel and manipulative, but again, none of them ever displayed the killing power that Not-Locke did. At the end of the episode, I couldn’t help but have an uneasy feeling as to what I just saw. Claire is obviously off her rocker, Sayid – one of my favorite characters – has been manipulated into even more evil, indefensible acts and somehow, Kate has been brought into this whole mess. It’s disturbing and while this episode put the chess (or backgammon) pieces into their respective camps, you’ve got to wonder how the “good” side is ever going to win.

Lighthouse

2010-02-24T02:06:00.000-05:00

Note: The following post contains LOST SPOILERS so if you haven’t been watching, stop reading now.

I’m just going to come right out and say it…

Is there any doubt that the person Jacob needs to find the island is Charles Widmore?

Let’s think about this. First of all, the person who needs to find the island is likely someone who has been searching for the island. Secondly, the person most likely has a connection to the island. Third, odds are this person is someone we know already. Time is running out on LOST and it doesn’t make much sense to add an important new character so late.

Who does this leave?

Well, Eloise seems to know how to find the island so I think we can rule her out. Desmond is a possibility but he’s not actively searching for the island. Who else is there? Widmore.

My fourth and final reason is this: Widmore’s story is still very much incomplete and throwing in a Ben-Widmore rivalry along with the Jacob-Not Locke rivalry would just make everything even juicier. And who knows? Maybe Widmore brings Desmond, Penny and/or Eloise along with him.

That was my big theory from this week. Let’s get into the rest of the fun:

• If there’s one thing that’s really got me thinking overdrive, it’s the “alternate reality” of the plane not crashing. Not only does this reality have the plane landing fine, but events prior to the crash have drastically changed. My friend the Lonely Libertarian pointed out that Helen, who is now Locke’s wife, wanted John’s dad to be at the wedding. Does that mean he never pushed John out of a window? We’ve seen several “others” already make cameos off island including Ben, Ethan and now Dogan. Then there’s Jack, who has a teenage son in 2004. But that’s not the weirdest part…the kid is a Red Sox fan. What the hell? Did they live in Boston for a little? OK, that’s not the weirdest part, the weirdest part was Jack already having an appendectomy at age 7.

The other stuff you could argue was different because of stuff we haven’t seen. Maybe an “other” or some other former islander changed their lives at a time we didn’t seen. But the appendectomy? That’s completely natural, is it not? What causes a man to have a surgery nearly 30 years earlier? Not only that, but Jack has no memory of this. Why? After all, even if you wanted to argue that the reality is going on simultaneously with the plane crash timeline, the appendectomy is still months away for Jack. Just an odd, odd almost throwaway moment that I can’t quite put a finger on what it actually means.

• Some more Jack…

“You have what it takes”

Someone will have to refresh my memory…has this been said to Jack before? Was that what Christian said to Jack during that one faithful surgery that Jacob showed up to afterward?

• A little more Jack…

Jacob says that Jack is on the island for a reason. Any ideas of what that reason may be?

• I love Hurley and I love this relationship he has with Jacob. Ultimately, it’s this relationship that has me absolutely convinced that Jacob is in fact good and that Not Locke is bad. Maybe Hurley is the Locke to Jacob’s Ben, but Jacob has yet to do one thing to prove he has ill will and Hurley is such a pure, innocent character that you can’t help but believe Jacob means well by him.

Furthermore, don’t you just love Hurley? He’s a fan boy on the island and he asks the questions and makes the comments that we’re all thinking. He points out that the skeletons in the caves could be them, he compares Jacob to Obi Wan Kenobi, he goofily lies to Dogan and maybe my favorite, his plea to Jacob about getting Jack to do stuff. Such a great character.

• The third feature character tonight was Claire. What the hell is up with Claire? Where do I even begin?

She is clearly a different person now than what she used to be, that much is for sure. Now, that doesn’t necessarily mean she’s infected by an evil darkness. Three years living on your own, getting manipulated by people…well, that can change a person. However, I do believe that Claire is “infected” whatever that does mean. She clearly has no problem calling Not-Locke her friend and she doesn’t seem to mind that her friend is just parading around in Locke’s body.

But here’s the weird thing about her friendship with Not Locke…when she first befriended him, he couldn’t have been in Locke’s body, right? Since we’ve been in 2007, we’ve pretty much seen Not Locke’s every move. I know I’m just assuming he wasn’t always parading around as Locke, but what if he hasn’t? How would Claire recognize him as someone other than Locke right off the bat?

Furthermore, when was Not Locke and Claire’s first meeting? Was it when he was presumably parading around as Christian? Was he ever walking around as Christian? Claire made the distinction that her father, not her friend, claimed the others had her baby. Again, some weird stuff in there.

The most disturbing change about her has to be her murdering the other with the axe. She apparently never believed Jin when he said that Kate had Aaron, she didn’t listen to the rational pleas of the other and she barely even hesitated when she killed him. She was kind enough to help out Jin’s injured leg, but she also made sure to ask that they were still friends.

Ultimately, her behavior and alliance with Not-Locke is more proof to me that this group is bad. I don’t believe this yin and yang crap and the only reason I keep bringing this stuff up is that I keep having to hear about the yin and yang.

• Before I go, I’ve got to bring up the lighthouse. The degrees on the giant compass-thing were the second instances of the names and numbers. This time though, we see that when the mirror is aligned with a name, you can see the person off the island. Seeing his home prompts Jack to break the mirror, but here’s my question…Why did Jacob want the mirror broken? What is the significance of the mirror? Will breaking that help someone find the island?

The Substitute

2010-02-17T02:43:00.000-05:00

Note: The following post contains LOST SPOILERS so if you haven’t been watching, stop reading now.

OK…this is starting to get really weird…

We have two realities, but the “normal” alternate one has become just as trippy as the weird “real” one.

Take our alternate reality of the plane landing. First Locke runs into Jack and gets his business card and an offer for a free consult. Then Locke meets his boss, Hugo Reyes, and is given a second chance at work. Next, Locke meets Rose, who is the manager of the temp agency. Finally, Locke gets a job as a substitute teacher where he meets the school’s European History teacher…Benjamin Linus. I mean, are we just supposed to take this as a series of coincidences or something more? Some things are easier to take at face value, like Kate hijacking a cab with Claire in it. But when we start seeing the “others” off the island living normal lives and these characters interact and help each other out, it becomes a really weird and even confusing sight. I guess the heart of the problem is that we still don’t know how we’re supposed to react to these flash sideways. With Juliet’s death we were given a potential glimpse into a link between these two realities, but other than that they’ve been completely separate.

Then there’s our actual reality which gets freakier by the minute. Let’s take a look how:

• “Why are you on this island?”

This is the question at the heart of the newest episode and really, the show itself. Why were all of these people chosen (or selected) to come to the island?

After scaling down a series of ladders, Not-Locke and Sawyer arrive in a very interesting cave…a cave where Jacob supposedly spent a lot of time.

The first thing we see is a not-so-obvious metaphor of a scale. This scale is holding a white rock in one tray and a black rock in another tray and both weights are even. When Not-Locke sees it, he grabs the white rock and skips it into the ocean. Why’d he do it? “An inside joke” he says. I mean, they couldn’t make the good/bad symbolism any clearer, which is why it could all be a decoy. The next part is what sort of blurs the line…

Remember when Jacob tells Hurley that his “curse” is actually a gift? Well, it was a perspective of Hurley’s story that we had not thought about. Well, there’s a perspective of Jacob’s story that I know I never really considered…

We see Jacob stepping into Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Locke, Jin/Sun and Hurley’s lives all at separate but equally important junctures respectively. At every point in time we see Jacob giving what sounds to be sage advice, advice that our survivors don’t take. If you’re like me, you saw it as Jacob trying to help these people. However, Not-Locke has given us another thought. What if Jacob wasn’t helping but manipulating? Jacob is arguably at fault for Nadia’s death. He definitely convinced Hurley to take the Ajira flight. He very well might have healed John Locke after his fall. He gave Sawyer a pen to finish his letter and he did a classic reverse psychology trick with Kate. If you tell a kid to do something, they’ll do the opposite, right? Well, what does Jacob tell Kate? Stop stealing. What Jacob tells Jin and Sun is not to take their love for granted, which they do, but it’s hard to see exactly how that manipulated them. Same with what he said to Jack.

Not only does Jacob visit all of these people, but he has all of their names written on a brain-like rock. All of the names are assigned numbers, with our remaining survivors having 4, 8, 15, 16, 23 and 42 assigned to them. It’s unclear what these numbers even mean, but they’re obviously quite familiar. Then there’s also the revelation that the survivors are all “candidates” to replace Jacob, or so says Not-Locke.

Now, what does this all mean? At this moment, I have nary a clue. While some believe the line between good and bad is completely blurred, I don’t really buy it. The perspective stuff is interesting and the symbolism is clear, but there are some actions that are defensible and some that are not. We’ve seen enough of Ben’s back story to know he is not to be trusted and we’ve seen enough of real Locke’s story to know he can be forgiven. While we haven’t see a ton of Jacob or Not-Locke in action, I think their actions thus far have spoken louder than words. Ultimately, maybe who is good and who is bad isn’t the real issue at hand, but it’s something that is pertinent.

There is one thing I did notice that I’d like to theorize on. Not-Locke mentions that Jacob has a thing for numbers. Mathematics goes hand-in-hand with science doesn’t it? Is Jacob a man of science and Not-Locke a man of faith?

One other perspective thing: Not-Locke mentions that Jacob was protecting the island and that the island didn’t need protecting. This is interesting considering he was pissed that Jacob brought in outsiders in the first place, but that’s not the best part. What if Jacob wasn’t protecting the island from outsiders but protecting outsiders from Not-Locke? Not-Locke getting off the island might be what really needs to be prevented.

One final, final thing: The little boy in the woods. Who was it? I don’t know, but if you ask me, he looked like a young Jacob.

Avatar

2010-02-16T01:11:00.001-05:00

So I might be a little late to the party, but this President’s Day I finally saw AVATAR. Despite the wait, I saw the movie in a nearly packed theater and in 3-D. The ticket price for the “matinee” 3:30 PM showing was $11.50. It was worth it.

I was extremely skeptical about the effects in AVATAR going in. The trailers before the movie’s release had given me Vietnam-like flashbacks to the STAR WARS prequels and the MATRIX sequels. Sure the effects were better than we had seen before, but that didn’t change the fact that all the CGI characters were really creepy. As AVATAR hit theaters I had gotten feedback that the visuals were amazing but still, I was skeptical. I remember everyone saying TITANIC’s effects were great and I laughed out loud at some of those. There was no laughing this time around.

AVATAR, without a shadow of a doubt, has the most amazing visual effects I have ever seen. Not once did I question the legitimacy, not once did I laugh at a scene that obviously couldn’t fit in the budget, not once did I laugh. The alien creates, the Na’vi, were as real as the humans. The vast and exotic landscapes looked like you could reach out and grab them. Even the simple stuff like spaceships looked real. Scenes were a ship hovered over the forest on a clear blue day looked amazing and equally startling. If it were to happen in real life, I wouldn’t be shocked at how it looked.

I also mentioned I saw it in 3-D and this being my first 3-D experience, I left extremely impressed. At first, the 3-D seemed a little disorienting but a few minutes in my eyes were adjusted and the extra dimension just added to the experience. The best part about it was the lack of gratuitous 3-D effects. There were no scenes where creatures or arrows flew at you. There was just extra depth to everything. One scene shows a group of soldiers in a long corridor and it looked so good you really do think you are standing in there with them.

As great as the effects are, AVATAR isn’t a perfect movie. The story is a re-tread of DANCES WITH WOLVES but the characters aren’t drawn out as much. We see plenty of our hero, Jake Sully, and his Na’vi guide, Neytiri, but we don’t really get a lot of the secondary and tertiary characters. Actually, we get a good dose of the human characters but not the Na’vi. Some of the Na’vi needed to be used more. The top warrior Tsu’tey barely utters a word. It’s obvious he doesn’t like Jake Sully walking amongst the rest of his people but when they eventually unite, there’s no substance to it. Even the human parts aren’t flushed out too well. We know the bad-ass Colonel is a marine-for-life but we don’t really ever figure out why he is so willingly to use force against the Na’vi. There’s the character Norm, who is built up early and quickly forgotten later on. He seemed destined to play a bigger part but just kinda got left behind.

And for what it’s worth, there really isn’t much intentional comedy in the movie. It’s not like I walked in expecting to keel over in laughter, but usually action movies have some comedic relief. This movie didn’t have it. In fact, the whole movie seemed a bit too over-the-top and too serious. There were a few scenes that definitely were not intended to be laughed at that garnered a chuckle out of me and my friends. Maybe you can chalk that up to immaturity, but there’s something about 10 foot blue aliens spooning under a tree that tickles me a bit.

Still, none of these minor complaints are enough to detract from the overall experience of the movie. I urge anyone who hasn’t seen it in a theater to do so. The way this movie is racking up money, I’m sure that won’t be a problem. Ultimately, I do wonder how well this movie will play out on your run of the mill 32 inch HD TV. The movie was made for the big screen and I just hope that the home viewing experience doesn’t ruin the movie.

One more thing: I find AVATAR’s inclusion in the Best Picture category for all of these awards shows pretty interesting. Like I said, it’s not a perfect movie but it is a ground-breaking one. How exactly do you compare that to the excellent character/story driven movies? It’s not an easy question to answer. AVATAR might not move you like some other movies do, but no other movie will leave you in as much awe as AVATAR does. It’s a fun debate to have but it’s not a new one I guess, so I won’t really get into to it too deeply.

I’ll leave you with this: If you like movies and you like the movie-going experience, go see AVATAR. See it in an I-Max or see it in 3-D if you can. You don’t want to look back a few months from now and say “I wish I saw it in the theater”. You might have a hard time believing effects are that good but take it from a skeptic, they are worth it and they are an experience you don’t want to miss out on.

What Kate Does

2010-02-10T03:00:00.001-05:00

Note: The following post contains LOST SPOILERS so if you haven’t been watching, stop reading now.

Toward the end of the newest LOST episode, our Asian friend “Tonga” and his translator mention that a darkness in Sayid’s body and that if said darkness reaches his heart, Sayid will be lost forever. In a way, I think the same can be said for LOST.

The present reality, the one where our survivors are still surviving, is heading in a very dark direction. In this reality, John Locke has been murdered by a man who is basically pure evil. In this reality, Sayid has been ripped from his love(s) several times, manipulated by evil men and killed even though he really was a good person. In this reality, Juliet died, Sawyer lost his love, Claire has been “claimed” by darkness and countless other horrible things have happened…including the deaths of Miles’ father, Charlotte and Daniel Farady. Heck, even Jacob died.

This present reality just can’t end well. How could it? Think of this from a writing stand point. After all you’ve put Sayid and Locke through over the years, it would be a total slap in the face to the viewers if their endings were tragic. Not just tragic, but totally unjustified. Locke was murdered, pure and simple, well before his story should have ended. Sayid has been killed without any redemption. Claire, a girl who was pregnant when we first met her, has now lost her child and apparently claimed by this darkness. These are not the type of endings we want from a network TV show.

That’s why I believe the ending of the show will actually be two: One will be the present reality, where terrible things will continue to happen and maybe there will be some pleasant endings for a few characters. The other ending will be that of the “alternate” reality, the one where the plane never crashes. In this reality we can once again see Locke be Locke. We can see Sayid reunite with Nadia and make it stick. We can see Hurley enjoy his money. We can see Charlie actually overcome his drug problem the right way.

And maybe the twist will just be that we don’t know which ending is actually the ending. Maybe it will be our choice to decide. I don’t know. All I know is the present reality is being claimed by darkness and while there’s still a lot of good TV to be had, I think we all need to come to realization that the present is not going to end well.

Onto the meat and potatoes of the episode…

• The big news of the day was Sayid being claimed by the darkness, which leads us to find out that Claire has already been claimed. This whole thing makes a lot of sense in a nonsensical way. It explains Locke being “alive” and it helps explain Christian being “alive”. At the same time, what the hell is the “darkness” and why does it happen. Why did it take Claire? Will it take Juliet? Will Sawyer be duped into thinking Juliet is alive? Why is it in Sayid? I mean, there’s still a lot to learn here, but like I said, it does help explain Christian and Locke.

• Of course, maybe the even bigger news here is that Claire is “alive” and that she has essentially become the new Rousseau. Same story, different chapter really. Innocent girl is corrupted by the island, loses her child, then becomes a rogue running around through the jungle setting traps.

And now that I’ve thought of Rousseau, this darkness also helps explain why Rousseau became the way she did. Her travel-mates went into the temple and when they came back they were “sick”. They acted differently after the temple and if we remember correctly, our friends in the temple said Sayid would become a completely different person. In a way, it’s all coming together.

And for those who believe is LOST is just making it up as they go along, just look at the Rousseau timeline. Right from the beginning she claims her travel mates were claimed by a sickness. Not only that, but she tortures Sayid in the exact same way. She electrocutes him with a battery and that’s exactly what “Tonga” did. Very cool stuff here that I didn’t even think about until just now to be honest.

• OK, maybe the biggest news of the entire episode was the return of a dear, dear friend….Ethan Rom! But wait, he’s not Ethan Rom, he’s Dr. Goodspeed. There’s more. He’s not only a doctor, but he’s probably the nicest doctor in the world who doesn’t want to stick needles in Claire and just wants the best for her. What a great little twist and also maybe a little foreshadowing. Think about this…

In the premiere, Juliet talks about getting coffee with Sawyer right before she dies. It’s been assumed by me (and others) that she was drifting in and out of both realities and that in 2007 of the alternate reality, she will in fact be dating Sawyer. Now we see Ethan Rom as the doctor in charge of Claire’s berth. This can’t all be coincidence…

Part of this alternate reality might just be that destiny can’t be totally changed. It’s already being set up that Kate will play a part in Aaron’s upbringing, Jack claims that Locke can be fixed, Charlie will have to face his addiction, etc.

• It’s always great to see a callback to past characters and it’s even better when that character is a star of IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA. Mac as we know him on Sunny, was one of the guards that gets knocked out during Kate and Sawyer’s escape from the mini-island. In tonight’s episode, he’s assigned to keep an eye on Kate and Jin as they search for Sawyer. Oh, and he hasn’t forgotten about what Kate did. History repeats itself again though as Kate knocks him out and escapes. Classic. Unfortunately for Mac, his run is cut short by Claire. Sorry Mac.

• Since it was a Kate episode, I suppose we should talk about her story for a second. Her present reality is actually pretty depressing. When she knocks out Mac, she’s basically saying she wants to escape with Sawyer. Maybe she saw a window of opportunity with Juliet dead, but as the episode moves on she slowly comes to the realization that Sawyer really isn’t for the taking right now. I think Kate is even surprised by how hard Sawyer takes the death of Juliet and she can’t help but break down when she sees that Sawyer was getting ready to propose. Of course, this kind of fits into the whole tragedy on the island motif that I discussed before. Kate has essentially lost all chance with Sawyer and she has already tried and failed with Jack. Not only that, but she’s also without son. What’s a girl to do?

In the alternate reality, Kate continues to run from the law and she helps out Claire in the process. Her helping Claire was pretty sweet and as I mentioned before, it sets up the possibility that she will be involved with raising Aaron at some point.

The funny thing is about this alternate reality is that in the present reality, Kate beats the case against her. After another escape attempt though, it’s going to be harder for her to win in alternate world.

That’s all I got this week. I picked up on a lot of stuff after the fact that I didn’t even think about while watching. Just one of the many reasons LOST fails to disappoint. Until next week…

Super Bowl XLIV Recap

2010-02-08T17:32:00.002-05:00

Super Bowl XLIV – Saints over Colts 31-17

I want to set the record straight once and for all…

THE COLTS WERE NOT AN UNSTOPPABLE JUGGERNAUT AND THE SAINTS WEREN’T SOME SCRAPPY UNDERDOG THAT INEXPLICABLY WON.

Fact: Since 2001, only the 2004 Colts and the 2007 Patriots scored more points than the 2009 Saints.

Fact: Drew Brees threw for over 5,000 yards last year, a feat only Dan Marino had accomplished.

Fact: Drew Brees tied the record for highest completion percentage in a single-season this year and he did it with about 150 more completions than his co-leader (Ken Anderson).

Fact: The Saints played in a tougher conference this year and had a much harder Super Bowl run.

The Colts were a great team and Peyton Manning still is a great quarterback, but this isn’t the ‘70s anymore. The Saints were every bit the equal of the Colts this year and Drew Brees is the 2nd best quarterback in the league. I understand that people can’t get over the fact that the Saints franchise now has a Super Bowl title. I get that. I just don’t get this insane outpouring of love for the Colts. They might have been 18-0 going into that game last night if they tried down the stretch but they weren’t a juggernaut. The 2007 Pats were a juggernaut. The 2001 Rams were a juggernaut. The 2009 Colts were a great team with a relatively easy schedule that pulled out a lot of close games. The Texans imploded against them twice, if the Pats convert on 4th and 2 they lose, they beat the Ravens by two, they beat the Jags twice by a combined margin of six, they beat the 49ers and Dolphins by four points apiece. That is not the track record of an unstoppable team.

I also want to set the record straight on one more item…

One interception does not change Peyton Manning’s season or career. This wasn’t a God awful pass that should never have been thrown. It was a terrific read by Tracy Porter. I love that some people can identify how good of a defensive play it is and then do a complete 180 to rip Manning.

Steve Young pointed out after the game that Reggie Wayne was at fault for the interception because he didn’t shield Porter from the ball. This very well could be true, but of course the narrow-minded football fans of the world blame every INT on quarterbacks.

Manning completed 68 percent of his passes in the Super Bowl. He threw 31 completions, one shy of Drew Brees’ new record. He made some absolutely amazing throws in that game. I mean, how many quarterbacks are perfectly laying that pass in to Dallas Clark, on the run, over a bevy of Saints defenders? The guy played a great game and he got burned by a risk-taking Saints defense. If Wayne did make that catch he would’ve had a lot of field to run with. Football is a game of inches and milliseconds and the Colts lost because of a few milliseconds. Case closed.

Sorry, I just had to get that out of the way. I was shocked the Saints got such little respect leading up to the Super Bowl and I’m shocked at the backlash against Manning. Why does football have to be all about absolutes?

Super Bowl XLIV didn’t prove to be the epic I was hoping for but it was still a good, exciting and extremely fast game. I feel like the latter has been the most underreported aspect of the weekend. The game kicked off at about 6:30 PM, there was a 30 minute halftime show and the game still ended before 10:00 PM. In fact, it was over around 9:45 PM. That’s a fast football game. I guess that’s what happens when you have two great QBs on top of their game and referees who realize they need to stay out of the way.

Speaking of which, let’s just take a second to commend the referees here. I thought the first unnecessary roughness call was a bad one but after that the game was left to the players to decide. Only the necessities were called and you didn’t have any major penalties screwing up or extending drives. Of course, there could’ve been a lot more controversy if the two point conversion challenge ended up mattering. Here’s my take on that play: I thought it should’ve been an incomplete pass. One of the great things about replay is that it allows you to see things in super slo-mo. That’s also one of the big problems. In real time, that play did not look like a catch. In slo-mo, it looked like he had possession for several seconds when in reality it was blink of an eye. I wonder if the officials even take that into consideration. Regardless, it wasn’t the easiest call to make and while I was surprised that they ruled the way they did. I’m just glad it didn’t put a dark cloud over the game.

If there was controversy there, it might have taken away from the Saints win. You just can’t praise the Saints enough for what they did offensively, defensively and on special teams. I loved the decisions Sean Payton made too. I probably wouldn’t have run it on 4th and goal at the end of the first half, but you gotta wonder if Payton had a flash of James Harrison running down the sidelines when he made that call. Either way, the decision to go for it was a good one. You had timeouts to use and if you didn’t get the TD, you were sticking the Colts deep in their own territory. Not only could you stop the clock if they ran it or a completed pass, but if you stop them flat out you’re getting the ball back in good field position. I don’t think teams go for it enough in those 4th and short situations but if teams succeed while failing, then you might see a shift next year.

And of course, how could you talk about Super Bowl XLIV without talking about the onside kick? The funny thing is, it wasn’t like the Saints decisively got the ball. If Hank Baskett wasn’t an idiot the Colts would likely have gotten the ball. For whatever reason, Baskett dove at the ball head first. What a terrible decision. When you’re young, you’re taught to slide toward the ball. You want to keep your hands in good position to cradle it, you don’t want to stab at it. And going head first, you run the risk of hitting the ball with your shoulder pads or helmet, which is exactly what happened. If Baskett had brought that ball in, he would’ve been a hero. It’s not like he was out of position on the play. In fact, he touched the ball before it even went 10 yards. What could have been the heads up play of the Super Bowl turned out to be a big blunder and a huge momentum shift. Gotta love football.

While it’s easy and cliché to praise those decisions by Payton and the Saints, let me praise the overall game plan. Everyone said it would be a bad idea for the Saints to blitz the Colts, that Manning (by the way, I hate calling him Manning, I just don’t want to get confused calling two people Peyton/Payton) would just pick them apart and leave them in the dust. The Saints might not have recorded a sack and I’m not sure they even hit Manning, but you can’t judge a pass rush by sacks and hits. Manning is going to get his, but the Saints have a secondary that can handle receivers. By throwing an extra man or two at Manning throughout the game, the Saints definitely forced him to make some quicker decisions. The INT return came on a blitz and when’s the last time you saw Manning make so many throws outside of the pocket? The Colts were very much aware of the Saints pass rush and I do believe it had an effect on Manning.

Finally, let me just say what every sportswriter is saying. Well, not all of it, but you’ll get the main theme. I hate the Patriots and I hate the Giants, so you can imagine how I’ve felt about the big game since the Packers won…

1997: Broncos over Packers – Heart breaking
1998: Broncos over Falcons – Obvious
1999: Rams over Titans – Great game, great outcome
2000: Baltimore over NYG – Fun to watch the Giants lose, but didn’t really like the Ravens.
2001: Pats over Rams – Awful
2002: Bucs over Raiders – No one cared
2003: Pats over Panthers – Awful
2004: Pats over Eagles – Awful
2005: Steelers over Seahawks – Awful game
2006: Colts over Bears – Didn’t care
2007: Giants over Pats – Lose-lose for me
2008: Steelers over Cards – No rooting interest, just glad it was a good game
2009: Saints over Colts…

I guess what I’m trying to say is it’s nice to actually feel good about a Super Bowl champion for a change. I’m sure some people have already grown tired of the love being shown for New Orleans but I’m not. Name one bad thing about this Saints team other than the “who dat” chant? You can’t. Drew Brees, by all accounts, is a great guy and a great QB and I’m sure he won over every woman in America last night when he was holding his kid on the podium. Even for the manly men (like me), you just can’t help but smile and enjoy the moment. Then there’s Sean Payton, who is a great coach and someone who just gets it. Like Brees, he went to the Saints full well knowing what that team meant to the city in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. I’m personally happy for Darren Sharper, a former big play guy for the Packers (I can forgive his Vikings run a lot more than Favre’s). Reggie Bush was a college great who made a big impact amid a lot of criticism. Pierre Thomas, Garrett Hartley, Jabari Greer, Tracy Porter, Jonathan Vilma, Will Smith, Marques Colston… I mean, this wasn’t a team full of loud mouth showboats. Sure, Porter had the exuberant haircut but can you name one guy on the team you generally dislike. OK, I forgot about Jeremy Shockey, but aside from him who else? There were just so many nice stories on that roster…hell, even Mark Brunell is walking away with a ring. How awesome is that?

But of course, the biggest feel good story is the city of New Orleans. I don’t even want to talk about Hurricane Katrina because we all know the story. I can’t speak from experience and I don’t want to preach or misspeak. All I’ll say is this: When’s the last time a championship team meant more to a city than we could possibly imagine? When’s the last time a team of any sport unite not only a city, but an entire country? You honestly might have to go back to 1980 and pick the U.S. men’s hockey team. You just don’t see these kinds of stories in sports anymore and for once we have a universally liked winner. The Saints truly are America’s team now and I can’t help but love this feel good story.

It’s always sad to see football go, but at least this time around I can watch it go with a smile. Thanks to the Colts, to the Saints and the NFL for a terrific season. I can’t wait to see what happens next year…

LA X

2010-02-03T02:01:00.000-05:00

Note: The following post contains LOST SPOILERS so if you haven’t been watching, stop reading now.

To state the obvious for a brief second: Thank God LOST is back. New episodes of LOST rarely disappoint and the season six premiere was no exception. The only problem with the episode might have been the amount of information to take in. I literally don’t know where to begin. Actually, that’s a lie. I know exactly where to begin…

For months, LOST fans have been trying to figure out the end result of the hydrogen bomb. Would the “reset” button be pushed or would they get sent back to their own time, still on the island? I always thought the latter would be true and that the prior would not be an option. Well, it looks like LOST decided to throw a curve ball and go both directions. The survivors were sent back to present time and the bomb going off didn’t seem to change anything. Through cutaways though, we were given a glimpse at all of our favorite Oceanic passengers on the plane, alive and well, and landing in Los Angeles. We even went so far as to see what happened after the plane landed. With that said, allow me to ask the obvious question….

WTF?

It’s not that we were just shown the passengers on the plane. The opening sequence went as far as to show us the Dharma village and the four-toed statue (and our favorite Dharma shark) on the bottom of the ocean floor. This was more than just a “what could have been” situation. In fact, it was more of a “the bomb exploded and sunk the island and the reset button was pressed” sort of scenario. But what about everything else we saw, with the remaining survivors finding themselves in present day, caught smack dab in the middle of the Jacob/Man in Locke (I like that better than Man in Black) feud. So again, I ask…

WTF?

At this time, I really don’t have a logical guess as to what is going on. I don’t think the plane landing safely is fake. I also don’t think the present time is fake. I just don’t know how the two are linked yet.

This is really just the tip of the ice berg though, so let’s just bang out the rest of the episode:

• OK…a little more of what happened on Oceanic 815. There were a few more clues to indicate that the nuke did hit reset. The most pertinent thing was Hurley. When pressed by Sawyer about why Hurley couldn’t be hurt, he simply said “I’m the luckiest man alive”. This is in stark contrast to the cursed Hugo we’ve come to know and love. We also see Jin and Sun. Jin tells Sun to button up her sweater and he is detained after failing to declare thousands of dollars and a fancy watch. Sun also fails to mention to security guards that she can speak English. Then there’s Charlie, who is once again saved by Jack. Charlie was in the bathroom of the plane, apparently choking on his heroin stash. He was not thankful for being saved and he was arrested once the plane landed. Then there was Kate, who found a way to escape her captor and hijack a cab that was being used by Claire. Rose and Bernard were there, happy as ever. Boone talked to Locke about survival during a plane crash and Boone mentioned he’d stick close to Locke if something bad happened. Sayid helped bust down the bathroom door to free Charlie. Sawyer was Sawyer. Frogurt was there, sleeping away. So was Artz, pleading for Hurley to do his commercial slogan (Hurley owns Mr. Cluck’s now too). And of course there was Jack…

Jack saved Charlie, met Desmond (who was randomly on the plane), found out his father’s coffin was never on the plane and then the most important thing of all: Jack met John Locke. I loved this meeting. Both men had lost luggage. Jack lost his father, Locke lost his knives. Locke consoled Jack with such a fantastic, man of faith line. Locke tells Jack that of course the airline doesn’t know where Jack’s father is, they just don’t know where his body is. It’s such a great, subtle line that prompts Jack to be a man of science. Jack takes solace in Locke’s comments and feels obliged to ask how he was paralyzed. Locke said his condition was irreversible, which prompted Jack to say “nothing is irreversible”.

Again, how amazing is that interaction. Two men, who under dire circumstances couldn’t agree on anything, were both able to give each other hope with faith and science. This means something in the long run, as do a lot of other moments that happened after the plane landed.

What exactly? I’m not even completely sure, because some stories seemed to follow the same path while someone like Hurley had a completely different outlook. Who knows what else has happened in the new reality that has shaped our character’s paths.

• Poor Juliet and poor Sawyer. It was pretty sad to watch Sawyer holding a dying Juliet and it was great that he had Miles talk to her after she died. I wouldn’t take her comments lightly either. She had something important to tell Sawyer and it was a simple message: “It worked”. This just seems like a huge clue as to what is going on. In death, Juliet would know the truth and by saying “it” worked, it’s almost like she’s saying the present isn’t exactly happening how we all believe to be happening. Damn this getting confusing…

• Alright, let’s get the elephant out of the room. No, not Hurley. The Man in Locke. We learned a lot about this character in the premiere and it was disturbing. First, the Man in Locke is also the infamous smoke monster. When shot at by the Shadow of the Statue people, Locke disappears and the monster arrives…destroying them, even finding a way around the ash. At this point I have to ask, what’s so special about white ash? I also have to point out how commanding the Man in Locke was. He had Ben shaking in his boots. He beat up Richard. He had everyone scared to death really. And if this smoke monster could take human form before, how and why is he in Locke’s body. You’d think if Locke’s body was there, then he isn’t inhabiting that body. I gotta say, this loophole thing has got me confused a bit.

• With the Man in Locke comes Jacob. Jacob was briefly in the episode, appearing to Hurley and mentioning that he was killed an hour ago. But as usual with Jacob, we learn a lot about him without really seeing him. He obviously has a lot to do with the temple folk and it almost appears that he commands an army. How does he have so many followers while the Man in Locke has none? Why couldn’t Jacob’s loyal followers just kill the Man in Locke?

• The Temple. First off, loved the Asian dude in charge. There’s something about quiet, all-knowing, foreign leaders that draws me in. This guy had me right away. Secondly, the stewardess was among this clan. This raises many questions. A) Is this group different than the others we’ve come to know? B) Why does she get to live? C) Was she one of them all along and was she just on the plane to oversee everything? D) Were the kids bringing in the drinks the same ones who were abducted? E) If the others are the same as these people, why didn’t they live at the temple as well?

I have no doubt these questions will be answered, but the temple is really one of the weirder and freakier things we’ve seen on LOST. The Asian guy cutting his hand, the ritual of drowning Sayid, the eventual re-birth of Sayid….it was a bit much now, wasn’t it? By the way, is Sayid really alive or is Jacob just inhabiting his body?

• I could probably keep throwing random bits and pieces out there but let me just leave on this note: Two of my favorite, underappreciated characters appear to be getting starring roles this season. Hurley was the one who led the expedition to the temple and it is Sayid who is supposedly going to save everyone. I love this. I’ve always speculated that Hurley would one day be the hero after Locke, Sawyer and Jack all failed. I’ve also always suspected that Sayid would get his day in the sun. No pun intended, but he was one of the most tortured characters on the show. His two loves (Nadia and Shannon) were murdered senselessly, he was manipulated by Ben, he carried around all of these demons and it just seemed like nothing good ever happened to him. Now we had to watch him drown after suffering a near fatal gunshot, only for him to be resurrected. What does it all mean? I don’t know. All I know is Hurley has been the most compassionate and Sayid has been the most troubled…it only makes sense that they get a chance to save the day.

That’s all I got this week. There was so much to digest and I’m sure I missed some important stuff, but I think I got the gist of it. I’m just thrilled LOST is back and I really cannot wait until next week. As always, feel free to comment.

Super Bowl Prediction

2010-02-01T23:01:00.002-05:00

The Pro Bowl is over and now the Super Bowl talk is heating up. When I started reading and listening to what people had to say I was expecting a near even split on who was going to win. I was wrong. I don’t think I’ve seen one person openly back the Saints and when it comes down to it, everyone’s reason why is the same: Peyton Manning.

I’ve been backing Peyton for years, even when the Tom Brady lovers were at their apex, but I am legitimately shocked at the outpouring of love toward Peyton and the Colts. Yes, they are a great team. Yes, Peyton is amazing. Yes, this team could be looking at 19-0 if they played their cards differently. I get all of that. But when did Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints become Rex Grossman and the Chicago Bears?

Drew Brees completed 70 percent of his passes this season. He threw 34 TDs and 11 INTs. He led his team to a 13-3 record this year. Brees has 6 TDs and 0 INTs in the playoffs thus far. The Saints decimated future Hall of Famer Kurt Warner and the Cardinals in the 2nd round. They got lucky in championship game against a great Vikings team and won, yet we’re conditioned to look at that game and see it as a negative. Maybe they should’ve lost, but they didn’t. Winning hard fought games isn’t a bad thing and the Saints shouldn’t have to apologize for how they made the Super Bowl.

Let’s not forget either, the NFC was a better conference this year. The AFC was weak and the Colts made it to the Super Bowl without playing a 10 win team. They beat two Wild Cards and they did so rather convincingly. No disrespect, but the Saints went through Kurt Warner and Brett Favre to make it to the big game. The Colts? They got Joe Flacco and Mark Sanchez. For some reason, this storyline seems to be underreported.

Before going further, just let it be known that I’m not just trying to be different with this post. I’m very surprised at the lack of support being shown toward the Saints. They’re a great team and deserve a lot more credit than they are getting. Had to be said.

With that said, it should be no surprise that I’m taking the Saints in Super Bowl XLIV. I was taking them before the Dwight Freeney news and I’m taking them after. Why?

Again, I know how good Peyton Manning has been this year and I’ve praised him repeatedly. The guy is a monster and I’m having a hard time picking against him, but Drew Brees has been every bit the equal as Peyton this year. He has been nothing short of great and this match-up of Brees vs. Manning is one of the best QB match-ups we’ve seen in a Super Bowl. Here’s the point: The game probably isn’t going to won or lost with the quarterback match-up. What I mean is, one QB isn’t going to be so much better than the other that it’ll sway the winner. Like I said before, it’s not Manning vs. Grossman. The game might come down to a final drive and if that’s the case, then the winner will likely be the team with the ball. To me, the game will be won and lost by the rest of the Colts and the Saints. So who’s better?

The Colts defense seems to be getting more and more overrated. They have a solid unit, sure, and everyone raves about their speed but that speed will be neutralized by grass. This game isn’t being played in a dome, it’s being played outside and there’s always the chance it will be wet. That’ll hurt. It’s also easier for a defense to look good when they are playing against inferior offenses. Joe Flacco and Mark Sanchez are young, inexperienced and not nearly as good as the QBs the Saints faced. So what if the Colts kept the Ravens and Jets at bay? Is that something to be praised for? Meanwhile, the Saints held the Cardinals to 14 points. The week before, the Cards dropped 51 points on the 2nd ranked defense. That counts for something in my book.

And let’s not forget the big news of Dwight Freeney being hurt. I’m guessing he’ll play in the Super Bowl but he might not be 100 percent. That’s going to be a problem for Indy. A strong, healthy pass rush would help keep Brees in check but if Freeney is coming off the end slower than usual, then Brees will have chances to make the big plays.

The case for the Saints to win isn’t a bad one. They’ve played tougher competition in the playoffs, they’re a better rushing team, they’re just as good passing, they have more offensive weapons, they forced more turnovers on defense and they were the top scoring team in the league this year.

I’m not just going to sit back and hand the Super Bowl to the Colts because of Peyton Manning. Last I checked, Drew Brees was a great quarterback as well. My hope is that this game goes down as an instant classic. These are pretty evenly matched teams and I can’t wait to watch ‘em duke it out.

PREDICTION: SAINTS OVER COLTS 34-31

Six Hours Down...

2010-02-01T22:15:00.001-05:00

Note: The following post contains 24 SPOILERS so if you haven’t been watching, stop reading now.

The four hour, two night premiere started off pretty well. There were problems, sure, but I felt like they provided a good start to the season. Since the premiere episodes though, things have come to a screeching halt.

I didn’t write anything last week on 24 because in reality, not enough happened. I think the same can be said for the newest episode.

It’s just really hard for me to gauge how the show is shaping up because they aren’t giving me anything. It took two weeks for this stupid arms deal to go down. It took two weeks for the Russian brothers to go to the doctor, get treated then get thwarted by their dad. It took two weeks for Dana Walsh to just set up a deal with her hick ex-boyfriend. Everything is just developing so slow. I want action or at the very least, suspense.

One of the big problems is that we know what’s going to happen. Renee’s plea to die last week would have been great but it would be totally illogical for her to die then. I don’t care about Dana Walsh and it doesn’t do anything for me to throw her into such a convoluted situation so early.

My buddy, the Lonely Libertarian, pointed out that a lost element of mystery had returned in the premiere episodes. That might have been true but the mystery has just been pushed aside for these long setups. It doesn’t make for good television, sorry to say, and I just sat there asking “really” when the newest episode ended.

Any differing thoughts? I’d like to hear them. Meanwhile, I’ll be getting ready for some real drama. LOST returns February 2nd and I’ll have a post on that the next day.

Scrap Heap Signings

2010-02-01T01:50:00.001-05:00

It’s the time of the MLB off-season for the one year deals. Some former MVPs and other recognizable names have been scooped up by franchises looking to get lucky, generate interest and just fill in the pieces. The end of this will be a few multi-year deals that weren’t good enough to get their own post.

Rangers sign Vladimir Guerrero for 1 year, $5.5 million

Vlady’s last three years:

2007: 150 G, 186 H, 45 2B, 27 HR, 125 RBI, 71 BB, .324 AVG, .950 OPS
2008: 143 G, 164 H, 31 2B, 27 HR, 91 RBI, 51 BB, .303 AVG, .886 OPS
2009: 100 G, 113 H, 16 2B, 15 HR, 50 RBI, 19 BB, .295 AVG, .794 OPS

It’s no secret that Vlad is getting older and that injuries are catching up with him, but Texas might be the perfect situation for him.

In Texas, Vlad will a full-time DH and he’ll be able to hit in a great hitter’s park. If he can stay on the field, he could see a little revival in some of his power numbers. The Rangers still have a solid lineup filled with Michael Young, Ian Kinsler, Nelson Cruz, Josh Hamilton, Hank Blalock, Chris Davis and Elvis Andrus. There’s a lot of power and good mix of speed in that lineup and there won’t be any pressure on Vlad to be the big bopper, which was expected of him in L.A.

It’s important to note that Vlad’s batting average has been falling over the years and so have his walk totals. He only played 100 games last year but he was on pace for only 30 or so. Now, Vlad has never been the most patient of hitters but there’s another trend to look at in there.

Intentional Walks

2007: 28
2008: 16
2009: 3

Simple truth is Vlad isn’t as feared as he once was and it’s not like he’s punishing opposing teams for pitching to him. His slugging is down and last year he only hit .262 with RISP.

At one year and $5.5 million, this a low risk, high reward move for Texas. If the old Vlady can just make a few cameos this year this move will be terrific. If we get a gimpy Vlad using his bat as a cane, then the Rangers just lost five million.

As I said before, Vlad isn’t the centerpiece of this offense. In fact, he’s like the 5th or 6th best producer. Gotta like the move simply because of that.

Orioles sign Miguel Tejada for 1 year, $6 million

Tejada will be coming back to the Orioles as a third baseman and not a shortstop. This isn’t exactly a Derek Jeter-A-Rod situation considering Tejada is yielding to Cesar Izturis, but it is a move that’ll keep their infield defense strong. Tejada has a good arm and his range is becoming more limited so third makes sense. Also interesting to note that the O’s signed Garrett Atkins, a former third baseman, to play first base for them this season. This means they’ll have two infielders playing out of position for them in 2010.

I don’t know what to think of the Orioles. They’re hoping for bounce backs from Garrett Atkins and Miguel Tejada even though Melvin Mora and Aubrey Huff were cheap and productive for them before. They made a trade for Kevin Millwood and they signed Mike Gonzalez to be their closer. Also, they’re going to be using a lot of their young players like Matt Wieters, Brian Matusz, David Hernandez, Chris Tillman and Brad Bergesen. If these guys start to emerge this year they could possibly make a mini-run in the AL East before eventually falling off. Or they could just be a major train wreck. Not sure how much middle ground there will be.

A’s sign SP Ben Sheets for 1 year, $10 million
A’s sign OF Coco Crisp for 1 year, $5.25 million

$10 million seems like a lot for a guy who didn’t even pitch last year, doesn’t it?

Oakland has got this routine down pat. They spend a little money on Sheets and they set themselves up for a win. Either they keep Sheets all year and get compensated with a draft pick or they deal Sheets to a contender at the break and get some prospects. The ultimate win would be Sheets pitching well for the season and the A’s contending. The latter probably isn’t likely but hey, at least they’re trying.

Then there’s Coco Crisp, who is actually a solid addition to the outfield. He can track a lot of ground and he’ll need to do that in Oakland. That will also work in his favor too because if he can shoot the gaps and he can pick up a lot of extra bases. If he can stay healthy, he’s a good one year risk.

Royals sign OF Rick Ankiel for 1 year, $2.75 million

This signing angers me. The Royals just got a great defensive outfielder with a cannon arm and good power potential for a scant 2.75 million. I just said the Coco Crisp signing was a good risk but the Ankiel signing is so much better and has so much more potential, it just baffles me that teams would pass him up for the likes of Crisp or Randy Winn (more on that in a second).

I mean, Ankiel became a full-time major league hitter in 2007 and only then it was for 47 games. In 2008 he drilled 21 2Bs and 25 homers in 413 ABs. That’s not bad at all. Last year in 372 ABs he had 21 2Bs and 11 HRs. A dip? Sure. But I think he’s a guy who’d benefit a lot from a steady, everyday job.

At the very least, the Royals just improved their OF defense for 2010. Outside of injury, that’s the worst case scenario. Best case scenario: Ankiel returns to his 2008 hitting form while also providing great defense. For $2.75 million, that’s a great “risk” to take.

Yankees sign OF Randy Winn

As far as I can tell the Yankees made this signing because Winn bats right-handed. That seems to be the motivating force behind the move and while I get it, I don’t really like it.

Ultimately Winn factors into the lineup as a platoon left fielder but I don’t get why the Yankees needed to settle for a 35-year-old outfielder who hit two homers last year. The Yanks seems to be displaying a lot of loyalty to Brett Gardner and while he has great speed, he’s a not a great hitter (not bad, just not particularly good) and he has a pathetic arm.

I would much prefer the Yanks just ignored Gardner and went after a guy that makes sense as a starter. I would much prefer a left-handed hitter like Rick Ankiel or a switch-hitter with speed like Coco Crisp. Were they even options? I mean, I would have loved for Johnny Damon to come back but it seems like he really is holding out for more money. Some would say it’s ridiculous that the Yanks would tighten the strings on their wallet but if that’s the way they want to play it I won’t argue…I guess.

Braves sign Troy Glaus for 1 year, $1.75 million

Glaus will be the Braves first baseman in 2010. He’s coming off of shoulder surgery and playing first would limit his throws. While Glaus probably won’t be a great defensive option, he’ll provide some good power for the heart of the Braves lineup.

Don’t look now but the Braves are building a sneaky good lineup.

CF: Nate McLouth
SS: Yunel Escobar
3B: Chipper Jones
C: Brian McCann
1B: Troy Glaus
RF: Matt Diaz
LF: Melky Cabrera
2B: Omar Infante/Martin Prado

Most likely, the Braves will underachieve and under whelm at the plate but I think they’re giving themselves a chance to succeed. I’m just wondering if their decision to dump Javy Vazquez’s salary will come back to haunt them.

Giants sign C Bengie Molina for 1 year, $4.5 million

I hate this signing. Bengie Molina had a .285 OBP last year and a .727 OPS but because he can hit for a little bit of power he’s going to be a middle of the lineup bat for the Giants. It’s a waste, to be blunt. Molina is slower than dirt and if you’re already going to have Pablo Sandoval clogging up the base paths, why would you want to add Molina into that mix? Maybe he’s a good defensive catcher but he’s not a very productive offensive player considering the circumstances. Cleanup/five hitters need to be able to put pressure on the pitcher. Molina doesn’t do that. Pitchers know he’s not going to have any patience (13 BBs last year) and they know he’s going to make contact (only 68 Ks in ‘09). Considering he’s a .276 career hitter, I’m guessing pitchers aren’t exactly shaking in their boots when Molina comes up in a big spot.

The biggest problem here though is that the Giants have a highly touted catching prospect in Buster Posey and Molina’s presence just delays his ascension to the majors. So in addition to the base path, Molina can now clog up a player’s development.

This wasn’t a good allocation of 4.5 million by the Giants. That could’ve been money spent on a Jon Garland or a decent replacement for Randy Winn. Or Randy Winn.

Reds sign SS Orlando Cabrera for 1 year, $3 million

Orlando Cabrera is a good player. He might not be a great OBP guy but he plays very good defense at short and he has a tendency to pick up some big hits. He’s got a little bit of speed, he’s a 30 double guy and he doesn’t strike out a ton. I know I just killed Bengie Molina for having similar qualities but I just think Molina and the Giants are a poor match.

Now, I will be surprised if Cabrera ends the season as a Cincinnati Red. The Reds are a team in re-build mode and if they don’t get off to a hot start, they won’t need a 35-year-old veteran shortstop. I’m not sure who yet (maybe St. Louis, or Detroit, or Seattle), but some contender will look at their roster come All-Star Break and say “we could use a guy like Orlando Cabrera”. Cabrera is a cheap option who will be available for a random prospect and he’ll be an offensive and maybe even defensive upgrade for one of those teams.

Twins sign DH Jim Thome for 1 year, $1.5 million

The Twins have been a strong offensive team the past few years and now they’re adding a little more clout to their bench. Thome probably won’t be a starter in Minnesota unless another move is made. The Twins outfield is made up of Delmon Young, Denard Span and Michael Cuddyer and they also have Jason Kubel, who will serve as the regular DH/platoon outfielder. This makes Thome the odd-man out. I guess the Twins could throw Kubel into left and Thome at DH when a right-hander is on the mound. In the end, the Twins spent 1.5 million to get a few extra homers. Can’t go wrong with that.

Reds sign P Aroldis Chapman for 6 years, $30 million

This seems like an awful a lot of money for a small market team to spend on a guy who hasn’t pitched in the majors. If Chapman fails, the Reds will likely be able to deal him but they’ll definitely lose some money in the process.

There are a few warning signs here too. First off, the fact that the Reds were the winners in the Chapman sweepstakes should have people scratching their heads. I know the Yanks are claiming to be working on a budget but if they or the Red Sox or any other big market team had any interest in this guy, they would have gotten him. I just can’t help but think that. Also, I worry about guys who are handed a ton of money right from the get go. Chapman just left a communist regime and now he’s got a boatload of cash. Normally you have to work at a major league level and succeed before getting paid. When you just get the money before you even throw, you have to wonder what kind of desire/work ethic will be put in afterward. Fair or unfair, too many players in all of sport have proven that too much too early is a bad thing.

If Chapman succeeds as a starter, the Reds are going to have an interesting starting rotation of Latin American pitchers. Chapman, Edinson Volquez and Johnny Cueto are all young and they all have lively arms. They’ll be flanked by Aaron Harang (if they don’t trade him) and Bronson Arroyo (if they don’t trade him) and if all goes well, it won’t be a bad group of pitchers. However, everyone outside of Harang has question marks surrounding them. Even Harang has declined a bit.

The Reds are going to need strong starting pitching too because their offense is lacking right now. I love Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips, Jay Bruce has the power down but needs to improve other areas of his game and Scott Rolen, Orlando Cabrera and Ramon Hernandez are stop-gaps at best.

Angels sign SP Joel Pinerio for 2 years, $16 million

When will teams learn?

Pineiro’s ERA from 2004 on:

2004: 4.67
2005: 5.62
2006: 6.36
2007: 4.33
2008: 5.15
2009: 3.49

What separates 2009 from the other seasons? 2009 was a big contract year for Pineiro, that’s what. The guy is a mediocre pitcher who had a “big” year in a great situation when he was looking to get paid. He’s not going under 4.00 again and he’s not going to be worth the money.

Cubs sign OF Marlon Byrd for 3 years, $15 million

I just have to keep hammering this home: For what the Cubs spent on Milton Bradley last year, they could have just as easily landed Bobby Abreu, Adam Dunn or Raul Ibanez. Instead, they had to trade Bradley for Carlos Silva and had to sign Marlon Byrd as his replacement. No offense to Marlon Byrd, but what a terrible series of events.

Byrd is actually a decent hitter. Last year was a career year for Byrd, posting 43 2Bs, 20 HRs, 89 RBI and a .283 AVG. He hasn’t really displayed that power before though. His 43 doubles were 15 more than his previous career high and his 20 HRs doubled up his career high of 10. My guess is the Cubs aren’t getting the 40-20-80 Byrd and that they should really only hope for 30-15-70 at best. I’m also going to guess that he’ll be a platoon outfielder by the end of his contract.

Championship Round Recap

2010-01-25T02:22:00.001-05:00

Saints 31, Vikings 28 (OT)

As far as I’m concerned, the game wasn’t won or lost by the refs. It wasn’t won or lost because of a coin toss. It was lost because Brett Favre and Brad Childress blew what could and should have been the final drive.

The Vikings had the game won. With 1:06 remaining in the 4th, the Vikings had the ball and two timeouts at the Saints 33 yard line. New Orleans was out of timeouts. With a chance to go for the jugular and move closer, the Vikings tightened up and attempted to run the ball. Two no gains later and Minnesota was still at the 33 with just 19 seconds remaining and now with just one timeout. After coming out of a timeout no less, the Vikings huddled with 12 men. Five yard penalty. Now facing a situation in which the Vikings had to move the ball to get into field goal range, Favre scrambled right, threw across his body and had his pass picked off. A golden opportunity flushed away, never to be seen again.

Let me just say, it was amazing to watch Favre make such a crucial error at such a crucial time. It looks like he might get partially bailed out because of the Vikings overall success and because of the OT penalty calls, but make no mistake, he gave away a chance at the win.

All joy aside, I have no pity for the Vikings and their OT loss. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the OT system in the NFL is in fact fair and just. Defense counts in the NFL and if you can’t stop someone, you don’t deserve to win. Now, a lot of people will point to the pass interference call that extended the Saints drive as a reason why OT isn’t fair. Well let me ask you this: what if the Saints had gotten called for pass interference on the final drive of the game? Wouldn’t that have created the same scenario? As for the call itself, I mean, there clearly was contact on the play and if it wasn’t pass interference, then illegal contact could’ve been called just as easily.

Aside from the penalty, I’ve also heard a lot of criticism on the crucial 4th down spot. Of course, the complaint is whether or not the spot was correct. The initial spot was made and I don’t see how anyone could justify it being moved after the replay. My complaint wasn’t the call but the replay itself. You cannot tell me that instant replay doesn’t detract from the game because like most of you, I sat through a 20 minute OT period that involved little action. And for what? For the referees to confirm they made the right call? Thanks for nothing.

Finally, let’s go ahead and praise the Saints. They were constantly hounding Favre and they never gave up on offense. They were outplayed on Sunday but their physical play and their big strikes gave them the win. I love that they made the Super Bowl and I will not get tired of rooting for this franchise that rose from the ashes to get to where they are today. Amazing story, great team, great QB, great coach, great fans. I just can’t wait for the haters to pile out the woodwork and say enough already. Get a life.

Colts 30, Jets 17

Damn Colts. Almost predicted the score exactly. They should’ve just gone for it instead of kicking that last field goal…

Ultimately, the Jets defense just couldn’t hold Peyton Manning back for a full game. Not surprising I’m sure, but just more proof of why Peyton is the best in the game. You gotta give a lot of credit to his receivers too. Everyone figured Reggie Wayne would be covered by Darrelle Revis all game and while Wayne had a few big catches, it was Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie who really did the big damage against the Jets, specifically Garcon. Garcon made some great catches en route to his 151 yards and he is proving to be a very legitimate receiver in the NFL.

And while we’re giving credit, kudos to Rex Ryan, Mark Sanchez and the J-E-T-S. They played a tough game and the score doesn’t really indicate how close of a game it really was. The Jets took a 17-13 lead into the half, they made some big plays and it looked like they were going to be able to control the game in the 2nd half with their running game. As it turned out, the Jets missed a 52 yard field goal to star the 3rd quarter and from there, the Colts never looked back.

We see this all the time when teams play the Colts, but no one ever seems to learn. You cannot settle for field goals against this team. If you miss a 50 yarder, all you’re doing is putting the Colts in perfect striking position. The Jets were better off punting and playing a field position game than hitting a 50 yard field goal. That miss was the turning point of the game and again, you just can’t give Peyton that kind of field position because he will make you pay.

We’re now set up with a Saints-Colts Super Bowl and I couldn’t be more excited. What a great match-up. I have no doubt this game will be one for the ages and it just saddens me that we have to wait two weeks to see it.

Conference Championship Picks

2010-01-22T14:49:00.001-05:00

Sunday January 24th, 2010

Game: NY Jets at Indianapolis (-7.5)
Coaching Match-Up: Rex Ryan vs. Jim Caldwell
QB Match-Up: Mark Sanchez vs. Peyton Manning
Offensive Match-Up: NY Jets 21.8 PPG, Indianapolis 26.0 PPG
Defensive Match-Up: NY Jets 14.8 PPG, Indianapolis 19.2 PPG
Breakdown: A lot of people liked the Jets chances against San Diego because of the match-up. The Chargers struggled to run the ball this season and since the Jets defensive strength was pass defense, they figured they could keep Philip Rivers in check. This turned out to be true. Now, the Colts suffer the same problems offensively that the Chargers do. In fact, the Colts were the worst rushing team in the league this season. So shouldn’t they struggle against the Jets D? Unfortunately for Rex Ryan, Peyton Manning ain’t Philip Rivers.

Has anyone actually looked at Peyton’s numbers this year? For a team that had a chance to at the very least go 15-1, they are pretty remarkable. He was second in passing attempts only trailing Matt Schaub by 12. That means in 14 games he nearly led the league in passing attempts. He was only sacked 10 times this year which isn’t something the o-line shouldn’t be celebrating since Peyton is so quick getting rid of the ball. He did throw 16 INTs this year but considering his attempts, that’s not bad and it obviously didn’t hurt Indy. And despite his passing volume, he was second in the league in completion percentage, connecting on 68.8 percent of his passes. One other fun stat, he fumbled twice this year and didn’t lose one of ‘em. Again, all of this is pretty remarkable considering his team averaged 3.5 yards/carry and 80 rush yards a game.

Now, I like Philip Rivers and I think he’s a very good quarterback, but I think he can be held in check at this point of his career as the Jets just demonstrated. If you keep bringing the heat, he might show signs of wear and tear. I don’t believe this is the case with Peyton Manning.

I have no doubt in my mind that Rex Ryan and the Jets will find a way to frustrate Peyton, to make him uncomfortable and to force turnovers. But right now, Peyton is a machine. He’s like the Terminator. He’s like Jason Voorhees. If you knock him down, he’s going to keep coming at you with the same maniacal look on his face. And that’s why I think the Jets are going to lose.

The Colts are too good a team and while the Jets are playing great, I’m not sure they’re going to be able to stop Peyton for an entire game. If the Colts jump out to a double digit lead in the first half, and the Jets can’t use their stellar rushing attack as much, they’ll be in serious trouble. Ultimately, I think this is going to be a close, hard-fought game with the Colts pulling away at the end.
Outcome: Indianapolis over NY Jets 27-17

Game: Minnesota at New Orleans (-3.5)
Coaching Match-Up: Brad Childress vs. Sean Payton
QB Match-Up: Brett Favre vs. Drew Brees
Offensive Match-Up: Minnesota 29.4 PPG, New Orleans 31.9 PPG
Defensive Match-Up: Minnesota 19.5 PPG, New Orleans 21.3 PPG
Breakdown: I want the Saints to win this game for so many reasons. I don’t care if they are a trendy bandwagon team, they’re fun to root for. How can you not like Drew Brees? How can you not feel good for the city of New Orleans? How can you not get sucked in by the power of the Super Dome? There’s too much to like.

I know how good the Vikings pass rush looked last week, but Drew Brees is a lot like Peyton Manning in that he wants to get rid of the ball quickly. Tony Romo is a guy who holds onto the ball and extends plays and gets sacked more because of it. Drew Brees will drop back, plant his feet and throw. That’s how the Saints are going to try and neutralize the pass rush.

And I’m not giving up on the ticking time bomb that is Brett Favre. One game isn’t enough to shed the memories of interceptions past. The Vikings are not keeping the Saints off the scoreboard and the second Minny starts trailing, I’m expecting Favre to start failing. Don’t forget either, Darren Sharper is in the Saints secondary. Sharper and Favre were teammates on the Packers and Sharper actually jumped ship to Minny before Favre did. When Sharper’s Vikes played Favre’s Pack the first time around, Sharper was very outspoken about wanting to pick off Favre and he believed he was going to have a lot of opportunities to do so. I’m guessing he’ll bring that same mentality to this game.

Not only that, but the Saints have a serious x-factor in Reggie Bush now. If that guy plays like he played last week, the Saints are going to be even harder to stop offensively.

The Vikes will put up a fight, but I’m taking the Saints to go all the way.
Outcome: New Orleans over Minnesota 41-24

A Brand New Day...

2010-01-19T00:38:00.000-05:00

Note: The following post contains 24 SPOILERS so if you haven’t been watching stop reading now.

New city, same old story.

We’re four hours into the new season of 24 and my jury is still out on what I saw. I can tell you they’re leaning toward frustration but it ended on a high note so I can’t write it off just yet.

What I find fascinating is the utter lack of originality and the complete disregard for believability. Jack has “unretired” how many times now? What about Jack/Chloe/Hero-de-jour being ignored by the head of CTU only to be proven right in the end? There’s gotta be a better way to start these seasons off.

But I can live with that stuff. What I can’t live with is terrible writing and lying to the viewer. Lying how? In the first hour, President Hassan’s brother, Farhad, urges him not to get involved with the blonde reporter, Meredith Reed. Farhad pleads that any involvement with the reporter would kill Hassan’s political career. HOWEVER, we find out that Farhad is actually trying to get his brother killed and the Meredith Reed is the patsy that will allow the ridiculously complicated assassination attempt to work. This makes Farhad’s early behavior completely illogical. Why push your brother away if you need the girl to be around? The writers don’t expect you to ask that question and that’s why it’s supposed to be “shocking” that Farhad is a traitor. It’s not shocking, it’s expected and a sham.

Stuff like this happens far too often in the newer seasons of 24 and it detracts from what could still be a fun, entertaining show. Jack is such a great character and they just dilute the show with the same archetypes that have long been bothersome and predictable. Not only that, but 24 has done such a great job with Agent Renee Walker and she clearly deserves to play a gigantic role in the show, but I’m sure she’ll be pushed aside so that the new CTU director can play by the book and ignore everyone’s better instincts. Sigh.

Since 24 is so back and forth these days, I think that’s how I’m going to treat the rest of this post. I already commented on the ugly (Farhad/Reed) so let’s hit on the Good and the Bad.

GOOD: Agent Walker. Her and Jack were the highlights of season 7 and she’s already stealing the show this season and she’s been in one episode. Despite the convenient excuse of her working undercover in the Russian mob years ago, she comes back to work for the government as a broken woman. The last season she juggled doing the right thing and the “right” thing. Should she go to extreme measures or follow the law? She went the Jack route and now she’s continuing on Jack’s career path. If we remember our early history, Jack was slowly corrupted in season one because his family was thrown into the fray. In season two with his wife dead, Jack became much crazier and reckless and it led to one of his greatest lines:

“That's the problem with people like you, George. You want results, but you never want to get your hands dirty. I'd start rolling up your sleeves….I'm gonna need a hacksaw.”

The symmetry is evident this year as Renee’s first act going undercover was seducing a former Russian mobster and then cutting off his hand that had a police sensor on it. She even delivered a Jack-like line afterward, telling Jack to help her find something to cauterize the wound. I loved it and I love Walker’s character.

BAD: Another plot hole that I can’t ignore. The whole reason Meredith Reed was taken into custody was that CTU discovered she had hacked into the United Nations server. The CTU agents were able to tell that it came from Reed’s computer but for whatever reason they didn’t know when she did it. Reed was at the UN when the hack happened and they didn’t discover the hack until after it had happened. It happened because the Russian guy did it to frame Reed. How does CTU not pick up on the time? How could Reed hack into the UN when she was at the UN waiting in the lobby? Just bad writing there.

GOOD: Aside from the retread CTU director Brian Hastings and Dana Walsh/Jenny Scott, I really like the rest of the characters they’ve introduced. Freddie Prinze Jr.’s Cole Ortiz is actually pretty cool. He’s not the typical stiff walking around but a ballsy CTU agent who clearly has a ton of admiration for Jack. One of my favorite moments thus far was Ortiz defying the Russian while being held at gunpoint. The Russian wanted Ortiz to tell the other CTU agents that the corridor was clear so he could escape. Ortiz told the truth, however, and was only by Jack. Ortiz also prevented Hassan from being murdered, which was cool. I’m definitely interested to see what happens to his character. And while he hasn’t been involved too much, I like one of the CTU desk jockeys, Arlo. He was the one who got caught using the drone to spy on a hot chick sunbathing. What I like about him is the fact that he has a personality and he adds a little flavor to the whole show. Hey, and I gotta give credit to President Hassan. So far so good with him. One more character, Rob Weiss, has me intrigued. He’s the fast talking aide of the President who will clearly be thrust into Ethan Kanan’s role when he has his eventual health problem (we all saw the pills).

BAD: Hastings we’ve seen before. Blah. The other character I really don’t like is Dana Walsh. Whatever storyline they are building up with her double identity is beyond stupid. Wouldn’t CTU have done an extensive background check on her and wouldn’t her other identity be known by the higher ups? Just get that story over with fast, please. By the way, did anyone else see Walsh the first time and immediately think she was dressed inappropriately? Why are you wearing a short, sleeveless dress to a government agency? Sorry Starbuck, but you need to cover up.

GOOD: Jack had an all-time kill early on. Being chased by two operatives, Jack hides behind a corner with an axe in hand. Once the ops get to the top of the stairs, Jack turns and swings. He drives the axe into one guy’s chest and the force was so strong the other guy fell over the railing and dropped several flights of stairs to his death. Great stuff.

BAD: For the love of God 24, stop with political correctness bull crap. They are so afraid of offending people that they won’t say what country President Hassan is from. Whenever dealing with Islamic terrorists, 24 never names a country. What’s funny is Hassan is a great character and a great person so why are they afraid to give him a home? And of course, 24 has no problem throwing the Russians under the bus. Just about every time Islamic terrorists have been in the fray, the Russians have been the puppeteers.

GOOD: I like what they’ve done with Jack and Chloe so far. It was nice to see Jack happy for a change and it’s nice to see Chloe struggling at her job. Chloe has been very impatient with others in the past and the tables are finally turned. It’s a good twist and hopefully they don’t abandon it too quickly.

BAD: Why does Chloe keep following Jack? Doesn’t she have a husband and a child? I know how lame this is to say, but any person with her computer background could get a high paying job at any corporation. Hell, she could probably be a high-priced independent contractor with her knowledge, yet she keeps working at CTU. I’m not sure her desire to help as ever been fully explained.

GOOD: Uh oh, got some more bad but no more good. Ummmm….Agent Walker is hot.

BAD: I love how we’re supposed to think Hastings and the other CTU folk are incompetent for not listening to Chloe. All we here is “what if you’re wrong” in regards to Hastings, but what if Chloe was wrong? There was a legit bomb threat at the UN and Chloe wanted them to ignore it based on a whim? Not exactly what you want to do, right or not.

GOOD: Elisha Cuthbert is still hot.

BAD: This is the last one and it’s more funny than bad, but how great was the actual bomb threat at the UN? The President of the United States was there but not one person said we need to protect her. They were all so concerned with President Hassan and I find that so funny. Our leader was there and it was the foreign President we were way more concerned about. Nice.

That’s all I got this week. There’s some good going on but I really don’t trust them to follow through with. Still, it’s nice to have Jack back. Until next week…

Divisional Round Recap

2010-01-18T02:05:00.000-05:00

A combination of work and a lack of interest prevented me from watching the games from start to finish, but I caught enough of each to know what went down. All-in-all, it was a crappy slate of games and there isn’t much I want to talk about.

Vikings 34, Cowboys 3

Once, just once, I’d like to hear an announcer stop praising players endlessly.

Brett Favre had a great game, sure, but instead of bringing up a major story, Joe Buck and Troy Aikman just swoon.

How about mentioning the fact that Favre choked in nearly every playoff game in the 2000s? He occasionally beat the likes of the 49ers and Seahawks (nothing special) and when the Packers played tough against legit contenders, Favre threw the game away. Now, he’s throwing a personal playoff best four TD passes against the NFC East champs for one of the Packers biggest rival. He’s doing all of this because of some perceived slight with the Packers front office and for all I can tell, he caused it with his waffling. He turned his back on the insanely loyal Packers fan base under the guise of “any true Packer fan will understand”. He then spit on that fan base as he gleefully stomped around against his former team, acting like each game was the freakin’ Super Bowl.

I understand Favre is likely a cool guy to hang around with, I get the appeal of a guy visibly having fun on the field, but for the love of God, will someone, anyone, please bring up what he did to the Packers fan base and how he has seemingly stopped acting like a moron on-field in big playoff games?

I couldn’t even watch the whole game. I turned it off at halftime, pissed off and disgusted with the Cowboys. I hate football.

Jets 17, Chargers 14

You gotta love what the Jets are doing. We’re so obsessed with the pass heavy teams right now and the Jets are just playing good old fashion smash mouth football. I’m sure they are making Mike Ditka proud.

Anyways, where did Shonn Greene come from? If Leon Washington never got hurt, would Greene even be this involved in the offense? Greene had 108 carries in the regular season and he already has 44 in the post-season. Heck, he didn’t even have a 20 carry game until the post-season. He has been the Jets playoff MVP thus far.

I guess we shouldn’t be that surprised the Chargers faltered because after all, that’s what the Chargers do every post-season. San Diego had no running game this season and when they really needed to grind out yards, they couldn’t. Let’s not ignore that they shot themselves in the foot time and time again, accumulating 50 more penalty yards than the Jets on five more penalties. I like Philip Rivers, but there was just too much on his plate this game.

Next week the Jets travel to Indy and they will face the team that helped get them into the playoffs interestingly enough. The Jets already beat their Week 17 opponent, the Bengals, and if they can beat the Colts then that’ll make the Colts decision to rest their players in Week 16 look really bad.

Saints 45, Cardinals 14

Thanks for showing up Cardinals. You really made that loss to you guys last week feel even better…

First off, let’s talk Reggie Bush. He dominated that game with nine offensive touches and three punt returns. He ran hard, he ran with purpose and he pretty much forced the Saints to re-sign him next season. Maybe he’s not going to be an every down back, but how do you let that type of talent go?

On the whole, the Saints are just an extremely well-oiled machine. They lost three straight to end the regular season, they didn’t even try in Week 17 and they had a bye last week, yet they came out against Arizona firing on all cylinders. They dominated the Cardinals and if wasn’t for a 70 yard run on the first play of the game, the score would likely be even more out of hand. Their defense is legit and their offense is nearly unstoppable. If they don’t beat the Vikings next week, I’m just quitting football fan hood.

Colts 20, Ravens 3

The Ravens had their chances but just couldn’t capitalize. When Ed Reed picked off Peyton Manning, it seemed like the entire game was about to turn around. However, Pierre Garcon had other ideas. His chase and strip of Reed has to rank among the best post-season plays. Reed is so fast and Garcon was able to catch him and he punched the ball out in text book fashion. If Reed held on, the Ravens would’ve had great field position at the very least. It was not to be though.

The Colts didn’t have their greatest game but it was enough to get by against a tough Ravens team. The Jets will bring just as much heat on defense and Peyton is going to have to bring his “A” game next week. Still, it’s got to be very encouraging for Indy to keep such a good running game in check. The Ravens probably abandoned the run too quickly and you gotta think the Jets will not do the same.

Divisional Round

2010-01-16T01:49:00.000-05:00

Saturday January 16th, 2010

Game: Arizona at New Orleans (-7)
Coaching Match-Up: Ken Whisenhunt vs. Sean Payton
QB Match-Up: Kurt Warner vs. Drew Brees
Offensive Match-Up: Arizona 23.4 PPG, New Orleans 31.9 PPG
Defensive Match-Up: Arizona 20.3 PPG, New Orleans 21.3 PPG
Breakdown: There will be offense, that’s for sure.

Know what I love about people? The Cardinals play one game where there’s non-stop scoring on both sides and everyone assumes the same thing will happen a week later. You’re just not going to see another 51-45 game anytime soon. Doesn’t work like that.

Now, that doesn’t mean there won’t be offense. In fact, I’m predicting a combined 65 points. I just love how we fail to recognize an incredible feat as an incredible, one-time feat.

The Cardinals are for real and the Saints are going to have their hands full. I believe the Saints being rusty argument a lot more than the Colts and I think there is such a thing as being too pumped up. The SuperDome is going to be loud and a lot of first time playoff participants in New Orleans might need a bucket of ice dumped on them before the game. It’s an exciting time I’m sure, but when your emotions run wild you’re more prone to mistakes. I think the Cardinals jump out to a nice lead before the Saints crawl and scrape their way back in it and ultimately pull out the victory.
Outcome: New Orleans over Arizona 34-31

Game: Baltimore at Indianapolis (-6)
Coaching Match-Up: John Harbaugh vs. Jim Caldwell
QB Match-Up: Joe Flacco vs. Peyton Manning
Offensive Match-Up: Baltimore 24.4 PPG, Indianapolis 26.0 PPG
Defensive Match-Up: Baltimore 16.3 PPG, Indianapolis 19.2 PPG
Breakdown: Baltimore is going to put up a fight I’m sure, but I can’t pick them to win. The Colts aren’t going to lie over and die like New England did. My guess is Indy will come out a little sloppy and Peyton might even throw an early INT or two, but eventually the “rust” will wear off and the Colts offense will get into sync.

The Ravens are going to need Joe Flacco to win and I’m not sure they fully trust him to do that yet. He’s got a career 43.5 completion percentage in four playoff games (61.7 percent in the regular season) and despite averaging nearly 32 attempts per game this year, he only threw 10 times against the Pats. It’s no secret the Ravens are going to try to run and if the Colts slow them down, then Flacco will likely crumble. It’ll be a tough, hard fought game, but I think Indy pulls away.
Outcome: Indianapolis over Baltimore 24-16

Sunday January 17th, 2010

Game: Dallas at Minnesota (-2.5)
Coaching Match-Up: Wade Phillips vs. Brad Childress
QB Match-Up: Tony Romo vs. Brett Favre
Offensive Match-Up: Dallas 22.6 PPG, Minnesota 29.4 PPG
Defensive Match-Up: Dallas 15.6 PPG, Minnesota 19.5 PPG
Breakdown:

Adrian Peterson pre and post Bye Week

Weeks 1-8: 163 carries, 784 yards, 4.8 ypc….Vikings 7-1
Weeks 9-17: 151 carries, 599 yards, 3.9 ypc….Vikings 5-3

Slow down Peterson, make Favre beat you.

Speaking from experience, the Cowboys best chance to win is to come out swinging and put the Vikings in an early hole. If they can do that, if they can keep Peterson in check, then Favre will go into hero mode eventually and fold. If he doesn’t, I will not be happy, to say the least.

GO COWBOYS!
Outcome: Dallas over Minnesota 27-17

Game: NY Jets at San Diego (-7)
Coaching Match-Up: Rex Ryan vs. Norv Turner
QB Match-Up: Mark Sanchez vs. Philip Rivers
Offensive Match-Up: Jets 21.8 PPG, San Diego 28.4 PPG
Defensive Match-Up: Jets 14.8 PPG, San Diego 20.0 PPG
Breakdown: A lot of people have said it thus far, I’ll just repeat it: The Chargers are a good match-up for the Jets. San Diego is a pass heavy team and the Jets defend the pass very well. The Chargers aren’t really a defensive juggernaut either so the Jets should be able the run the ball on them.

The Jets do have a ticking time bomb on their side and his name is Mark Sanchez. I find it hard to believe that he’ll go this post-season without making mistakes and with him, they can come in a hurry. That’s a big problem too because if the Jets do play tough D and force some turnovers, they could find themselves right back on the field if Sanchez can’t keep it together.

I think this will be the closest game of the weekend and while it doesn’t come off as the most exciting game, I don’t think it will disappoint.
Outcome: San Diego over NY Jets 24-23

Snakes in the Grass

2010-01-13T02:11:00.000-05:00

I truly believe that sports are inherently good. There are good people who play, who coach, who manage, who own and of course, who watch, cheer and support. You can’t have good without bad though and this week, a lot of the bad are making big news. I hate to focus on the negativity of sports but I can’t help myself this time around.

Mark McGwire comes clean with more lies

A couple days ago Mark McGwire stated the obvious: he had done steroids. When I first heard the announcement, it didn’t come as a surprise but I thought it was nice that he would admit it. Then he kept talking…

"I truly believe so," McGwire said. "I believe I was given this gift. The only reason I took steroids was for health purposes."

………

In an interview with ESPN's Bob Ley on Tuesday, McGwire refuted Canseco's claims, without going into specifics.

"Jose is out there doing what he's doing, but I'm not going to stoop down to his level," he said. "None of that stuff happened. He knows it. I know it. I'm not going to stoop down to that level."

McGwire told Bob Costas in an interview on MLB Network on Monday that the claims were not true and that Canseco must have written those things to help sell "Juiced."

Is it any coincidence that McGwire’s confession comes a mere week after he was denied again for the Baseball Hall of Fame?

For the life of me I can’t remember the exact term, but McGwire’s recent behavior fits exactly into sociological theory. McGwire’s confession is completely self-serving and it’s one where he isn’t really accepting any blame. Yes, he did steroids but it was only for injuries he says. It’s not his fault he got injured, right? And he took ‘roids so he could play baseball and he loves baseball, so what’s wrong with that, right? That’s essentially the point he’s trying to make. Stuff like this happens all the time in sports and in real life. People hide behind the built in excuse of getting drunk or blaming others instead of actually taking responsibility for their actions. At the end of the day, they can feel good about apologizing and absolve themselves of blame.

If you believe McGwire’s confession or not, the way he’s treating Canseco in all of this is what truly is pissing me off. McGwire doesn’t want to “stoop down to his level”. Can you believe that? He’s moralizing even though he cheated. What’s funny is, Canseco has already sold his book and he turned out to be right almost every step of the way. And in light of everything that has happened, aren’t both of their reactions the most telling things of all?

You have two people, one telling the truth and one lying, which one is more likely to make a personal assault on the other and which one is more likely to back up their claims with fact? McGwire is taking shots at Canseco and he’s trying to make him look like a bad guy. Canseco is simply reiterating what he said before and reminding everyone who was right about steroid users in the past. If that doesn’t work for you, answer me this: who came clean immediately about steroid use and who dodged questions in front of a congressional panel?

I’ve defended McGwire and his Hall of Fame credentials before and while I still think he belongs, I now feel like an ass for thinking he was a better person than someone like Barry Bonds. McGwire is a complete and utter jerk who has blatantly lied to the public twice. I think McGwire is going to find that the public is not sympathetic to his claims and that his “confession” is only going to cost him votes.

There’s a blueprint for steroid admission that no one seems to want to follow which one exception. You don’t go on a rampage and hire an army of lawyers to beat up on a broken down trainer, you don’t put blame on others and claim your usage was only for health and you don’t blatantly lie. If you want to re-earn the public’s trust, you do what Alex Rodriguez did.

A-Rod cited that he was young and naïve but he also did what few seem willing to do: he admitted that he took steroids because he wanted to be the best. That’s the only real reason you take steroids, to improve your performance. A-Rod didn’t shy away from that and while he’ll always have critics, he owned up to what he did and why he did it. Funny, I never thought I’d do a post about bad sports figures and use A-Rod as an example of good. Let’s just move on…

Lane Kiffin to coach USC

Lane Kiffin is everything that is wrong with college football. Last year, Kiffin signed on to be the head coach of the University of Tennessee. Tennessee has a rich football tradition, one that Kiffin seemed to understand. Almost immediately Kiffin started to make headlines as he took shots at the University of Florida and Urban Meyer. Throughout his brief run at Tennessee, Kiffin repeatedly found himself under scrutiny for potential recruiting violations and comments in regards to other schools and their recruiting. After going 7-6 in his first year and losing a bowl game, Kiffin has jumped ship for what appears to be greener pastures.

Tennessee now has to scramble to find a head coach – well after a lot of other head coaches have been hired – and dozens of Volunteers are now going to have to deal with yet another coach. If you were a UT freshman in 2008, you’ll be playing under your 3rd different coach in 2010. That’s just wrong and unfair. These kids sign on to play for coaches a lot of times and it’s just absurd that they are forced to stick with a university while their recruiters can come and go at will. Sure you can transfer as a player, but that means giving up a year of your football life and that can mean a lot. Don’t take it from me though, take it from some of the Tennessee player’s according to an ESPN story:

"I'm not going to lie. It hurts, and it definitely feels like he turned his back on us," (Ben) Martin said. "But he said it was his dream job, and I guess he had to do what he had to do. Good luck to him. Tennessee football will go on."

Martin said he walked out of the meeting before Kiffin was finished talking.

"I was just so hurt by his leaving after we bought in and did everything he asked us to do," Martin said. "I just couldn't stay around and listen."

………

"They're nothing but a bunch of traitors."

The sad thing is, some players are conditioned to accept it nowadays:

"I'm old enough to know and wise enough to know that it's a business out there," (Chris) Walker said. "When things come around, you can't turn down the dream job you wanted forever. He spent a lot of years there, and I'm not mad at him."

God Bless you Chris Walker, but you and your teammates deserve better than that.

It’s not like Kiffin was in a bad situation. Tennessee is in the SEC which is the center of the college football universe. Tennessee has a rich tradition, a great stadium, it’s a good recruiting school and there’s plenty of great competition. USC has a lot of the same except for they play in a weaker conference. The point is, the move is an easy way out for Kiffin. Tennessee was in a bit of a rebuilding stage, which takes work. By going to USC, Kiffin already has a better team and now he can recruit with a better name on his sweatshirt. So instead of cleaning up Phillip Fulmer’s mess at UT, he can ride on Pete Carroll’s coattails. Sounds noble, right?

The problem is too, the college football landscape encourages stuff like this. Kiffin was under contract with Tennessee and accepted a job at USC. Notre Dame hired a coach who still had a game left in his season. Boosters forced out the legendary Bobby Bowden because he was old. College football is all about recruiting these days and the best way to recruit is to get a name coaching your school. The coaches know that and when recruiting becomes a challenge at a particular location, they just pack up and go somewhere else to make things seem fresh and exciting. How else can you explain Pete Carroll leaving USC for the Seattle Seahawks? College football coaching isn’t about x’s and o’s but blue chippers. How else can you explain Pete Carroll being a successful coach? It’s an easier job and it’s why guys like Nick Saban, Steve Spurrier and Bobby Petrino fled the NFL so quickly.

Kiffin is a new breed of college football scum. He left Tennessee so quickly that it makes him impossible to trust, yet players and USC will bend over backwards for him. I don’t know how anyone can believe a word this guy says anymore but I’m sure he’ll send plenty of hostesses in his recruiting efforts and I’m sure he’ll be taking shots at UCLA and Oregon within a few weeks of his arrival at SC. Who am I to judge though? After all, it is his “dream job”.

Wild Card Recap

2010-01-11T01:26:00.000-05:00

Cardinals 51, Packers 45 (OT)

I’ve never been a fan of Kurt Warner being a Hall of Famer but after this game, I think I’ll reconsider…

What a wild, awesome, thrilling, annoying game. As a football fan, I can’t get over how good the game was. As a Packers fan, I can’t get over the fact that they lost in such a heart breaking fashion. Say what you want about the Brett Favre era, but at least it prepared me for losses like this.

I’ve got a ton of thoughts here and I don’t want to ramble on so I’ll try to consolidate them one-by-one:

1) I never ever blame referees for losses of my teams. I believe in taking responsibility for your actions and at the end of the day, Aaron Rodgers fumbled the football. However, I’ve watched too many games this year where quarterbacks got protected by roughing the passer calls and I even saw it happen to Kurt Warner in this game for me not to get upset. On the final few plays of the game, Aaron Rodgers was hit in the head by hands twice and one time it appeared that a face mask was pulled and there was no call whatsoever. If there’s one thing I can’t stand it’s inconsistency and for the Cards to get a roughing the passer call earlier in the game under the exact same circumstances and for the Packers not to get the same call, it’s just infuriating. Those types of penalties are too big to miss and to call inconsistently. Like I said, the Packers lost and I’m not going to spend too much time bitching about missed penalties because they had their chances but for the love of God will someone please make sure refs make calls consistently?

2) The Packers defense was absolutely atrocious on Sunday and there’s no ifs ands or buts around it. Yes, Kurt Warner was fantastic but he was helped by the fact that the Packers forgot to cover the middle of the field about 50 times. As much as we love to talk about the 3-4 and how it changed the Packers defense, it also killed them in this game. Too often the Packers had linebackers covering key receivers and Warner was spotting the mismatches immediately. It baffles me that the Packers didn’t try something different at any point during the game. That’s just a sign of poor coaching if you ask me.

3) As I said, the Packers defense sucked but at the same time, Warner was perfect. He threw four incomplete passes on the day and he had five TD passes. The only time the Packers “sacked” him was on a flea flicker attempt and save for one tipped ball, the Packers secondary had almost no shot at picking off a pass. Not many quarterbacks can dominate a game like that. Warner did. Kudos.

4) Speaking of quarterbacks, how about Aaron Rodgers? He made two bad plays in the game: the first throw he made and the final play. Other than that, he was near perfect. I mean, did you guys see some of the throws he was making? He does such a fantastic job on timing routes and he almost always gives his receiver the best chance at catching the ball. I don’t want to turn this into a gush fest, but I hope people realize something: If Brett Favre was QBing this team, the game is over when the score reaches 31-10.

5) Now, the final play…the fumble. I’ve defended Rodgers all year when it comes to holding onto the football and it would appear that his Achilles’ heal lost the Packers the game. I’m sure a few people who cite a few other times in the game where Rodgers got sacked when he was getting flushed from the pocket. I’m going to respond the same way I have all year: shut up. You can Monday morning quarterback all you want but if the Packers punt that ball in OT, they’re losing. The Packers needed to make something happen on 3rd down and the Cardinals blitz got to Rodgers and he had no place to go. He was trying to make a throw, he got hit, end of story. I can live with that. Keep in mind too, this is a guy who turned the ball over a total 11 times this regular season. He does a great job of holding onto the ball while getting hit, it just so happens this time the ball slipped out. It happens. I’m just not going to blame a guy for losing a game when he was the biggest reason they were in the game.

6) I just want to recap the post-season defeats the Packers have suffered since they won the Super Bowl. 1997: Beaten by John Elway late in the game. 1998: Terrell Owens’ catch. 2001: Favre throws 6 INTs versus Rams. 2002: Michael Vick wins at Lambeau. 2003: 4th and 26 vs. Eagles, Favre throws OT INT. 2004: Favre throws 4 INTs, Randy Moss moons crowd. 2007: Favre throws OT INT against Giants. 2010: Packers lose in OT on fumble return TD.

To sum this all up, it was a great game with great individual performances and while it was terrible loss to take, it’s one that won’t kill me. The 2007 loss to the Giants…now that was a tough one to swallow.

Ravens 33, Patriots 14

Nothing cheers me up more than a whooping of the Patriots and Tom Brady playing like crap. If only this happened before the Packers game…

I am so glad the Ravens didn’t over-think this one. Right from the get go it was clear what the plan was: run run run. I was worried they would come out throwing again and that the Patriots would win because Ray Rice and Willis McGahee didn’t get enough touches. John Harbaugh clearly reads McBlog! though and decided to let the guys do their damage. Rice racked up 159 yards on 22 carries while McGahee had 62 yards on 20 carries. Meanwhile, Joe Flacco attempted a mere 10 passes (a far cry from the 40+ against New England the first time) and even though he completed four of ‘em, he made a huge completion late in the game that pretty much shut the door on New England.

I’m not sure this strategy is going to work against Indianapolis next week because Peyton Manning doesn’t suck, but you never know.

Make no mistake about it either, Tom Brady sucked in this game and I don’t care if he’s injured or he missed Welker or what. He made terrible decisions early and it looked like he could care less. My favorite moment though happened in the 2nd quarter right before the first Julian Edelman touchdown. Flushed from the pocket on the Ravens six yard line, Brady stepped up and looked like he was going to make a break for the end zone. There was only one defender in his way and Brady had a blocker in front of him. One cut and Brady could’ve potentially walked into the end zone and the very least picked up a few yards. Instead, Brady launched one out of the back of the end zone. Plays like this never get brought up in Brady talk but show the true character of Tommy Terrific. Brady had a chance to run it in and inspire his teammates if contact had to be made. Some would argue it was the “smart” thing to just throw the ball away. I call B.S. on that. The smart play is to run and pick up yards and the right thing to do is try. Throwing it away in that situation is a decision of self preservation. You can re-watch the game if you’d like and find similar throws where Tom bails out instead of stepping through the pass and making a completion. I’ve been saying it all year, but this behavior isn’t new.

And while I don’t really want to make a big deal out of this next thing, it does hold some sway. Instead of watching the game on the sidelines with his teammates and potentially giving advice and encouragement to his replacement, Wes Welker was in Bob Kraft’s owner’s box drinking beer. I don’t know if this is going to be a big deal or not, but something did not sit well with me when I saw that. Sure he’s out for the year, but most injured players stay on the field. After all, the Patriots were the franchise that insisted on getting introduced as a team, not as individuals. Sitting with the owner, schmoozing and drinking….that’s not the Patriot teamwork I remember.

Cowboys 34, Eagles 14

I don’t know what to say really. The Cowboys just had the Eagles number this season. The ‘Boys do a great job of making Donovan McNabb uncomfortable and if the guy isn’t comfortable, that means the big play threats are neutralized. I don’t think there’s much to it outside of that.

On the whole, the Cowboys played a great game. Tony Romo was great, Felix Jones made some big plays and the receivers came through. When the Cowboys are firing on all cylinders like that, they are extremely tough to beat. Interestingly enough too, Marion Barber only had three carries in the game and while it was said that he was eligible to return, you gotta wonder if Jones/Choice stole the carries away or that he was hurt more than they wanted to let on. The ‘Boys didn’t need him against Philly, but I do think his running style can be useful against other teams. If he was “eligible to return” in this one though, I guess there’s no reason to suspect he won’t play next week.

I don’t really have too much to add other than that I guess. This game was out of hand so quickly I ended up watching out of the corner of my eye as I played Fifa ’10 with some buddies. I will say this though: That lateral on the INT return was one of the dumbest plays I’ve seen. You are not Ed Reed, Mike Jenkins. Just hold onto the ball and go down, especially with a big lead.

Jets 24, Bengals 14

I hate to say it, but this outcome just seemed so…obvious. For the most part, nothing happened that I didn’t expect. Carson Palmer struggled and underwhelmed. The Jets were able to run the ball with great success and their receivers made plays. The Jets defense didn’t shut down the run but they absolutely eliminated the passing game. Darrelle Revis shut down Ochocinco and got an INT.

There were certainly a few things I didn’t expect. One, I was surprised at how well Mark Sanchez played. I wasn’t expecting him to suck, but I wasn’t expecting 12 of 15 and no turnover type of good. Also, I was really surprised that it was Shonn Greene, not Thomas Jones, doing most of the damage on the ground. Greene was so good that he pretty much forced his way to the bulk of the carries. His 39 yard TD run put the Jets on the board when the Bengals were controlling the action and the Jets didn’t look back afterward. The running game was so good too that it opened up the big play action TD pass to Dustin Keller.

Oh yea, there was one other thing that I did expect: I expected this game to be relatively boring and I figured it would be the least fun to watch. I’m sure a lot of people felt that way too.

Wild Card Weekend

2010-01-09T01:53:00.000-05:00

It’s funny, with a name like “wild card”, we rarely give for the unpredictability. Once upon a time wild card just meant a lesser playoff team with little hopes of winning the title. Now, a wild card is just a title. The wild card Packers have a better record than their first round opponent. The wild card Eagles were one win away from a two seed. The wild card Jets allowed the fewest points this season. And the wild card Ravens? They might be the truest “wild card” in the deck. Who knows what to expect from them?

The 2009-2010 playoffs seem to be the hardest playoffs I’ve ever tried to handicap. I have no clue who will come out on top in the NFC and while the AFC seems destined to be won by the Colts or Chargers, you can never rule out the Pats, the defensive stoppers, the Ravens and yes, the Bengals. I gotta try to pick this though and before I get into my wild card predictions, let me first make a Super Bowl prediction:

SUPER BOWL XLIV – SAINTS OVER COLTS

Why Saints over Colts? I don’t even know. I mean, outside of a Packers Super Bowl, I think this is the match-up I most want to see. These two teams were the best in the regular season and I’d like to think that their final few games were just an aberration. Ultimately, I just want to see Drew Brees square off against Peyton Manning. These two are the best QBs in the game right now and the entertainment value would just be through the roof.

With that said, let’s set this wheel in motion and make some wild card picks…

Saturday January 9th, 2010

Game: NY Jets at Cincinnati (-2)
Coaching Match-Up: Rex Ryan vs. Marvin Lewis
QB Match-Up: Mark Sanchez vs. Carson Palmer
Offensive Match-Up: Jets 21.8 PPG, Bengals 19.1 PPG
Defensive Match-Up: Jets 14.8 PPG, Bengals 18.2 PPG
Breakdown: I don’t think either team is going to go out and win this game. I think this game is going to be won by default. Neither team moves the ball that well and both teams play strong defense. Something will have to give eventually, but this could wind up being a very boring or very sloppy, chaotic and exciting game.

A lot of people consider the Bengals to be “pretenders” in this year’s playoffs and I don’t blame them for thinking it. This team has failed to impress in recent weeks and of all the division winners they seem to be the most vulnerable. Here’s my biggest concern for them going into this game:

The Jets are clearly a great defensive team and Carson Palmer really hasn’t been anything special this year. He threw for 3094 yards at 6.6 yards/attempt in 16 games. The Bengals only really have one wide receiver to worry about, Chad Ochocinco, and he’s banged up and going against one of the true shut down corners in the NFL in Darrelle Revis. Now, the Bengals do have Cedric Benson and a solid running game and the Jets weren’t a dominant run stopping team (98.6 yards/game). Keep this in mind though: If you can lock up a team’s only passing option with one guy and your opposing QB has proven he won’t beat you, then how hard should it be to shut down a running game?

I really don’t want to pick the Jets because of rookie Mark Sanchez, but I think the Jets have more weapons to play with on offense and if the guy can keep his act together for one game, they will be able to take down the Bengals. And when I say “keep it together”, I mean not throwing any debilitating INTs…INTs that set up great field position or even put points on the board. The Jets have a superior running game, a great defense and a solid group of pass catchers. The Bengals have the QB advantage, but unless Carson Palmer plays like he used to, I don’t think it’ll count for much.
Outcome: NY Jets over Cincinnati 16-10

Game: Philadelphia at Dallas (-4)
Coaching Match-Up: Andy Reid vs. Wade Phillips
QB Match-Up: Donovan McNabb vs. Tony Romo
Offensive Match-Up: Philadelphia 26.8 PPG, Dallas 22.6 PPG
Defensive Match-Up: Philadelphia 21.1 PPG, Dallas 15.6 PPG
Breakdown: All I know about this game is that a great team is going home early. The Eagles are more potent on offense and have more big play capability. The Cowboys are a little bit more methodical and they have a strong mix of runners carrying the ball. On defense, the Cowboys were stronger in PPG allowed and rushing yards allowed, but the Eagles forced more turnovers and seem stronger in pass coverage.

Ultimately, I think the Eagles depend on the big play a little too much these days. They have a lot of offensive weapons but if the Cowboys can limit DeSean Jackson – which they’ve done twice this year already – then what next for Philly?

Meanwhile, the Cowboys are just firing on all cylinders. Tony Romo had an absolutely monster December and he just seems destined to break through and win a playoff game. I’ve defended him this far, so might as well keep rolling.
Outcome: Dallas over Philadelphia 31-27

Sunday January 10th, 2010

Game: Baltimore at New England (-3)
Coaching Match-Up: John Harbaugh vs. Bill Belichick
QB Match-Up: Joe Flacco vs. Tom Brady
Offensive Match-Up: Baltimore 24.4 PPG, New England 26.7 PPG
Defensive Match-Up: Baltimore 16.3 PPG, New England 17.8 PPG
Breakdown: I have so many reasons to pick against the Pats this week but there’s something about the Ravens I just don’t trust. I don’t know what it is, but the Ravens – as statistically good as they may seem – just don’t get the same consistent results on the field. The only playoff team they beat this year was the Chargers and that was in Week 2. They lost to the Packers, Bengals twice, Colts, Pats and Vikings and a lot of those games seemed winnable.

I think the problem is Joe Flacco and inexperience. The guy is certainly ahead of schedule and while he has played well, that doesn’t mean he has pulled through in the clutch. Last year the Ravens just kept the ball out of his hands as much as they could and this year they’re letting him throw. Case in point, the first Patriots game. In what amounted to be a six point loss, Joe Flacco threw 47 times. Meanwhile, Ray Rice ran for over 100 yards on a mere 11 carries. If the Ravens just let Ray Rice do his thing 20-25 times, they could have won. Have they learned their lesson?

As for the Patriots, what is there to like about this team going into the playoffs? Do not kid yourselves people, just because Julian Edelman is a small white receiver, it doesn’t mean he’s as smart and savvy as Wes Welker. Welker has played three seasons with Brady now and he knows exactly what to do. Julian Edelman is a rookie with inconsistent playing time. Maybe he’ll show shades of Welker but do you trust him to be in the right spot at the right time on a big 3rd down? I don’t. This is important too because it’s going to be cold in Massachusetts on Sunday and last I checked, guys like Randy Moss don’t like the cold. The Pats have a depleted receiver corps, they don’t like running the ball and Brady is definitely banged up. Throw in a soft defense and the Pats seem destined to lose this post-season.

Now, having said that, the Ravens should win as long as they don’t fall prey to the Patriot trap. I don’t know what it is, but teams always seem to shy away from what works in fear of falling behind. I remember seeing it in the Panthers-Patriots Super Bowl. Everyone and their mother’s knew that if DeShaun Foster got the bulk of carries over Stephen Davis the Pats would be in trouble. The Panthers though took too long to figure this out and didn’t properly exploit their advantage. The Ravens fell prey to this earlier in the year too. There’s zero reason for Joe Flacco to throw 47 times when Ray Rice is slicing up an inexperienced and soft defense.

If the Ravens just let Rice run, if they let Willis McGahee run and if they catch the damn ball, they will win this game. I don’t trust them to do it, but I’m still picking them.
Outcome: Baltimore over New England 27-23

Game: Green Bay at Arizona (Pick)
Coaching Match-Up: Mike McCarthy vs. Ken Whisenhunt
QB Match-Up: Aaron Rodgers vs. Kurt Warner
Offensive Match-Up: Green Bay 28.8 PPG, Arizona 23.4 PPG
Defensive Match-Up: Green Bay 18.6 PPG, Arizona 20.3 PPG
Breakdown: To me, this seems like the easiest game on the board to pick. The Packers are great offensively and defensively. They run better than people realize, they can throw all day and they create tons of turnovers (30 INTs – led league). The Cardinals can be very good offensively, they’re solid defensively and they were in the same position last year when they made their Super Bowl run. However…

The Cardinals really haven’t been that great on offense this year and that’s supposed to be their strength. They did light up the Vikings for 30 points but for the most part, they only put up big points against bad teams. 41 against Chicago, 31 against Detroit, Seattle, Jacksonville and St. Louis. At the same time though, they scored 10 against Indy, 25 in two games against San Fran, 21 against Carolina, 17 against Tennessee, 21 in another St. Louis game… the point is, I just don’t know what Arizona team is going to show up on Sunday. Yes, they can light it up but the question is will they?

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t concerned with this game. I haven’t met a single person who is taking Arizona, Aaron Rodgers is in his first playoff game and the Cardinals did sneak up on everyone last year. Still, I think the Packers are for real and the Cardinals seemed a little too banged up.
Outcome: Green Bay over Arizona 38-28

College Football Fail

2010-01-08T01:37:00.001-05:00

With Alabama defeating Texas in the BCS Championship game, we can officially close the book on the 2009 college football season and if you ask me, it couldn’t come soon enough.

I make no secret of my distaste for college football but the 2009 season was simply boring and awful. What good came from it? Here’s a list of the “highlights”:

• Oregon RB LaGarrette Blount opened the season by sucker punching Boise State DE Byron Hunt. Oregon had just lost to Boise State and Blount didn’t appreciate some post game celebration and threw a punch, earning him what was supposed to be a season long suspension from coach Chip Kelly. Of course this is college football and Blount was able to return just in time for the Pac-10 title deciding game against Oregon State.

• Highly touted QB Sam Bradford was hurt in the very first game of the season against BYU. Oklahoma was ranked third in the country and ended up losing. While Bradford did return a few weeks later, his season was ended against rival Texas. Bradford’s injury cost Oklahoma all hope and helped ruin a lot of potential intrigue over the Big 12 and the Oklahoma-Texas game.

• Two coaching scandals saw the end of the Mark Mangino era at Kansas and the Mike Leach era at Texas Tech. Some believe that both incidents were just cases of overreaction. Either way, the Big 12 just got a little less interesting.

• USC, Michigan, Notre Dame and Oklahoma were all irrelevant.

• LSU lost when they tried to spike the ball with no time left

• Texas almost lost the Big 12 title game because Colt McCoy didn’t understand the clock stoppage rules

• The best player in the country was a defensive tackle

• Legendary coach Bobby Bowden was forced out of his job because of boosters

• The University of Connecticut was devastated when starting cornerback Jasper Howard was murdered at a campus sponsored dance. I will never forget watching team captain Desi Cullen breakdown emotionally as he tried to speak for his teammates. I don’t care if UConn beat Notre Dame and won a meaningless bowl game, watching Cullen, coach Randy Edsall and the rest of the Huskies try to make sense of a senseless crime was just heartbreaking.

• The two best bowl games were arguably Bowling Green-Idaho and Central Michigan-Troy.

• There was more reason for a playoff than ever before as five teams finished the regular season undefeated, including three big six conference teams.

• Every single BCS bowl game was completely and utterly forgettable…

• Orange Bowl: Georgia Tech loses to Iowa…yawn.

• Rose Bowl: Ohio State beats Oregon…yawn.

• Fiesta Bowl: The BCS gets exactly what they want when Boise State defeats TCU in a boring, offense-less game.

• Proving why college football sucks, Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly accepted a head coaching position at Notre Dame prior to Cincy’s biggest game ever. The Bearcats played Florida in the Sugar Bowl and got walloped while the coach that recruited them was off making boatloads of money and recruiting for a different team.

• Finally, the National Title game was decided because star QB Colt McCoy was injured in the first quarter and never returned. Texas’ backup Garrett Gilbert just couldn’t perform at McCoy’s level and Alabama went on to win.

Ultimately, that’s what will be remembered in all of his. I don’t know about you, but I take no joy in watching Colt McCoy sulking on the sideline in what should have been the biggest game of his life. After four years, lots of records and inspired play, McCoy was forced to watch all of his hard work get flushed down the drain. Sure, he’ll get drafted by the NFL, but there is zero guarantee that McCoy will be anything at the next level.

Sorry to be such a Debbie Downer, but college football is an extremely flawed product with no real champion. Usually you can look back and find a lot of great moments and memorable games, but 2009 was just so blah and wrong. The three players everyone cared about most – Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy and Sam Bradford – all had bad endings to their careers (sorry, I don’t count that Cincy blowout as a good ending), there were too many coaching controversies and Brian Kelly turning his back on Cincinnati for Notre Dame is an example of everything that is wrong with the sport.

Thanks for the memories 2009 college football season! I’ll quickly forget you!

NFL Progression and Regression

2010-01-07T01:27:00.001-05:00

Real simple: How did teams do in 2009 compared to 2008? Sometimes you’d be surprised. Here’s the win differential for all 32 teams from ’08 and ’09.

Progressed

Bengals +6 wins
Saints +5
Packers +5
Chargers +5
Chiefs +2
Colts +2
Lions +2
Cowboys +2
Vikings +2
Jaguars +2
Eagles +2
49ers +1
Seahawks +1
Browns +1
Texans +1

Regressed

Buccaneers -6
Titans -5
Giants -4
Redskins -4
Dolphins -4
Panthers -4
Steelers -3
Ravens -2
Bears -2
Falcons -2
Cardinals -1
Rams -1
Bills -1
Patriots -1

No Difference

Jets: 9-7
Broncos: 8-8
Raiders: 5-11

By Division

AFC East: -6
AFC North: +2
AFC South: 0
AFC West: +7

NFC East: -4
NFC North: +7
NFC South: -7
NFC West: 0

Notes:

• Of the five biggest improvements last year (Dolphins, Ravens, Falcons, Panthers, Jets), only the Jets didn’t get worse in ’09. However, they didn’t get any better either.

• The Rams had three wins in 2007, two wins in 2008 and one win in 2009. Is it wrong to suggest they’re going winless next year?

• The 49ers, Eagles, Vikings and Saints are the only teams to improve in both 2008 and 2009.

• The Patriots join the Rams and Redskins as the only teams to get worse in both 2008 and 2009.

• Interestingly enough, the three teams who finished the same in ’08 and ’09 are considered successes this year. The Raiders were a lot friskier without Russell and had some positive signs down the stretch. The Jets made the playoffs and the Broncos were supposed to be one of the worst teams in the league this year but managed to win eight games.

• The Lions went 2-14 this year, which is good for a two game improvement.

• How did the new coaches fare?

Todd Haley KAN: +2
Jim Schwartz DET: +2
Jim Mora Jr. SEA: +1
Mike Singletary SFO: +1
Eric Mangini CLE: +1

Rex Ryan NYJ: No difference
Josh McDaniel DEN: No difference

Raheem Morris TAM: -6
Steve Spagnuolo STL: -1

Out of Left Field

2010-01-06T00:18:00.002-05:00

It’s been a while since I’ve McBlogged on baseball and we’ve had two of the prized hitters get taken off the market. We’ve also had a bunch of lesser but semi-important moves.

Cardinals sign OF Matt Holliday for 7 years, $120 million

This will be the biggest contract handed out in the 2009-2010 off-season and many are going to wonder if Matt Holliday is worth it. Just a year or two ago the consensus was that Holliday would be getting huge money from the Yankees or Mets. He was edged out by Jimmy Rollins for the 2007 MVP and he was a feared hitter. What happened? Oakland.

Holliday was traded last off-season to the A’s and he “struggled” early on. Many wondered if he was only a product of NL play or if he could really hit. But let’s just look at what he did in Oakland last year:

Oakland: 93 G, 346 AB, 23 2B, 11 HR (31.5 AB/HR), 54 RBI, .286 AVG, .378 OBP, .831 OPS

No, those numbers aren’t great but they aren’t bad. And keep in mind, Oakland is a hell hole to hit in and there was absolutely no one in that lineup to protect Holliday. He still got on base and he did a lot better in May and June compared to a dismal April where he hit .240. And really, just look at what he did in St. Louis to end the year:

St. Louis: 63 G, 235 AB, 16 2B, 13 HR, 55 RBI, .353 AVG, .419 OBP, 1.023 OPS

Should we expect him to be that good from now on? No. But those numbers are a lot closer to his years in Colorado than his short time in Oakland. What we saw last year was really just the two extremes of Holliday’s career. He put up his worst numbers with the A’s and arguably had his best run with the Cards. Average them out and you get a closer to typical Holliday season.

Holliday turns 30 this month and any concerns about him being an NL only type of guy should be put to bed because he signed in the NL. Seven years is a long a time though and with Holliday being a shaky outfielder as is, the Cards might be regretting it five-six years down the line. But in the mean time, they’ve added a very good hitter that will keep Albert Pujols protected and happy. And really, where else are you going to get that piece of mind? It’s not the easiest thing to trade for a premier hitter. The Cards have money to spend and the signing will help justify the dealing of prospect Brett Wallace.

Holliday has enough of a track record to worry about a potential collapse or let down and with this move, the Cardinals will figure to be a contender again in the NL.

Mets sign OF Jason Bay for 4 years, $66 million

Jason Bay has been a productive hitter in his career. Not so much as Matt Holliday, which makes Bay’s 4 year, $66 million deal look pretty solid. However, while the Cardinals needed another big hitter, I think the Mets needed to sign a big pitcher and failed to spend money in the right place.

The Mets just opened a state of the art stadium last season equipped with all sorts of amenities. It was also equipped with a cavernous outfield and high walls, especially in center field. This is not a hitter’s ballpark. By signing Bay the Mets added a sub-par defensive outfielder and a hitter whose power will not be maximized in Citi Field.

Really, what does Bay do for the Mets? As of now, here’s their projected opening day lineup and rotation:

C: Henry Blanco
1B: Daniel Murphy
2B: Luis Castillo
3B: David Wright
SS: Jose Reyes
LF: Jason Bay
CF: Carlos Beltran
RF: Jeff Francoeur

SP: Johan Santana
SP: John Maine
SP: Mike Pelfrey
SP: Oliver Perez
SP: Kelvim Escobar (the Mets just signed Escobar to a one year deal)

If you’re going to play in a pitcher’s park, it is imperative that you have good pitchers and good defenders. The Mets have Johan Santana and a bunch of mediocre pitchers. Offensively, they are no better than what they could have been last year and they are just as bad defensively.

I just don’t see this Mets team as constructed being that good next year. I think they would have been much better off signing Lackey, bringing back Carlos Delgado on the cheap or signing someone like Rick Ankiel to play the outfield. It would have cost them more, but aren’t they supposed to have deep pockets?

Maybe I’m not being fair here because Bay is a good, productive hitter. But the guy didn’t seem too enthused about signing with the Mets in the first place and you’ve gotta wonder if a slow Mets start will just bring his motivation level down.

Red Sox sign 3B Adrian Beltre

The Sox continue to go defensive with the addition of Beltre and the announcement that Mike Cameron will play center and Jacoby Ellsbury will play left. In Beltre and Cameron for that matter, the Sox have found defensive studs who do produce a bit offensively. Like Cameron, Beltre is a 20-25 HR guy who will hit in the .260-.270 range. Unlike Cameron, Beltre does not get on base. He’ll likely bat low in the order so the OBP aspect shouldn’t really be a huge negative. In fact, Beltre could be one of the more productive 8-9 hitters in the league.

Two other things to note: The Sox have traded Casey Kotchman to the Mariners and they still have Mike Lowell on the books. I don’t imagine Lowell will play too much this year, so it looks like Youkilis and Beltre will lock down the corners. If Beltre struggles and Lowell shows some signs of life, they can always use Youk at 3rd and Lowell at 1st. As of now though, here is my projected batting order and the Sox rotation:

LF: Jacoby Ellsbury
2B: Dustin Pedroia
C: Victor Martinez
1B: Kevin Youkilis
DH: David Ortiz
RF: J.D. Drew
CF: Mike Cameron
3B: Adrian Beltre
SS: Marco Scutaro

SP: Josh Beckett
SP: Jon Lester
SP: John Lackey
SP: Daisuke Matsuzaka
SP: Clay Buchholz

I hate the Red Sox, but I am pretty interested to see how this team will do. This is without a doubt one of the best defensive teams I’ve seen put together and with that pitching staff, the Sox figure to stymie a lot of opponents.

Also, I’m getting a little annoyed over people suggesting that the Sox have no offense. They were a top five offensive team last year. Yes, they lost Jason Bay but they will have a full year of Victor Martinez over Jason Varitek. They will also have Cameron in Bay’s spot (kind of) and the numbers aren’t as drastic as V-Mart and ‘Tek.

Martinez ’09: 588 AB, 178 H, 33 2B, 23 HR, 108 RBI, .303 AVG, .381 OBP, .861 OPS
Varitek ’09: 364 AB, 76 H, 24 2B, 14 HR, 51 RBI, .209 AVG, .313 OBP, .703 OPS

Bay in ’09: 531 AB, 142 H, 29 2B, 36 HR, 119 RBI, .267 AVG, .384 OPB, .921 OPS
Cameron in ’09: 544 AB, 136 H, 32 2B, 24 HR, 70 RBI, .250 AVG, .342 OBP, .795 OPS

Throw in the fact that the Sox had down years from Papi and Drew last year, that Adrian Beltre can produce like Lowell and that Pedroia and Youkilis underperformed compared to 2008 and the Sox will be just fine on offense.

They have the best pitching in the league, the best defense and a strong offense. The Sox will definitely be in the playoff picture this year. I’m just wondering how far their pitching and defense team will take them.

Yankees sign Nick Johnson for 1 year, $5.5 million

Nick Johnson will primarily be the designated hitter in New York. With Mark Teixeira in town, Johnson doesn’t figure to get too much time in the field. This will allow him a chance to hit. Johnson isn’t the most powerful of hitters (just 8 HR last year) but he has a career .402 OBP. He’s a decent enough hitter and with his OBP numbers and the increased RBI opportunities he’ll have in New York, he’ll probably be a pretty productive hitter. Throw him in with Swisher and Teixeira and the Yanks will have six of the best eyes in the game.

That is, of course, if Johnson can stay healthy. Even if he goes down, the Yanks won’t miss him too much. It’s a good signing without much risk involved.

Giants sign Mark DeRosa for 2 years, $12 million

This signing pretty much guarantees that the Kung Fu Panda will be playing first base next year. The Giants want DeRosa to play third and while he isn’t a great third baseman, he’ll be better than Sandoval.

With their two aces in toe, the Giants will once again have a good pitching staff. The biggest concern in San Fran since Bond’s departure has been offense, and they are slowly getting better. The emergence of Sandoval certainly helped, but the recent additions will help as well. Last year at the deadline the Giants acquired former batting champ Freddy Sanchez, they signed Edgar Renteria last off-season and now they have DeRosa. The infield isn’t the greatest group of hitters but it is a nice collection of younger bats. They have Aaron Rowand in center who is their best outfield hitter but they don’t have much else flanking him. If Fred Lewis bounces back that’ll be huge. If not, they’re going to need to find some more help.

One thing I think will help them is losing Bengie Molina. Sounds weird considering he was their 2nd most productive hitter last year, but Molina was so slow and such a free swinger that he had to have done just as much bad as good. He only got on base at a .285 clip last year and he scored 52 runs last year despite hitting in the middle of the order. Take away the 20 runs from his homers and that’s 32 runs from other means. The Giants have a young stud in Buster Posey ready to take over and I can’t imagine him and whoever else they have behind the plate combining for too much less than what Molina did last year.

The Giants still need some help to be true contenders but they are getting closer.

Cubs trade OF Milton Bradley to Seattle for SP Carlos Silva

The Cubs screwed up so badly last winter it’s not even funny. For the same money they gave Bradley they could’ve signed Bobby Abreu, Adam Dunn or Raul Ibanez. Instead, they jumped the gun on Bradley and now have dealt him for a pitching corpse. I had to check just to make sure Silva pitched last year. He did, briefly, and missed most of the season with injury. He’s not that good of a pitcher to begin with so in effect, the Cubs got next to nothing for what could’ve been a truly productive outfielder.

The Cubs really are going to take a step backward this year. Their pitching isn’t as good as it was and they just brought in Marlon Byrd to replace Bradley in the outfield. They should be better offensively with Soriano and Soto looking for bounce back years but with an inevitable Aramis Ramirez injury looming and a possible let down from Derrek Lee and the Cubbies could figure to be just another team.

Angels sign Hideki Matsui

Upon further review, I’m not so sure the Angels are destined to give up power in the west. Not because they signed Matsui, but because they had decent contingency plans at the positions they lost. Chone Figgins is gone, but Macier Izturis played pretty well last year. John Lackey is gone, but they traded for Scott Kazmir at last year’s deadline. Vlad Guerrero is likely gone, but Matsui is just as old and rickety.

I’m looking at their lineup right now and it’s not bad. Of course, a lot of their success will hinge on the successes of guys like Erick Aybar, Macier Izturis, Juan Rivera and Mike Napoli. They’ll also be leaning heavily on guys like Jered Weaver and Ervin Santana and if they don’t come through, then the Angels will be in trouble.

All-in-all though, I think the Angels are still going to be a pretty good team…just not as good as we’re accustomed to.

Quickie Week 16 Stories

2009-12-30T02:02:00.000-05:00

The NFC Playoff Picture

Packers 48, Seahawks 10
Cowboys 17, Redskins 0
Bears 36, Vikings 30 (OT)
Eagles 30, Broncos 27
Cardinals 31, Rams 10

The teams are set, the match-ups are not. The Packers and Cowboys were the last two teams to clinch spots and while the Packers are set as a Wild Card team, the ‘Boys can still win the NFC East. This weekend, the Eagles and Cowboys are facing off and the Packers and Cardinals are playing. It’s very possible this will just be the preview of Wild Card Weekend. But with the Vikings rough loss to the Bears, the door is wide open for a variety of match-ups. Who knows? Maybe the Packers will head to Minnesota in round one.

Regardless of who plays who, I really couldn’t picture a more wide open playoff race. I mean, who is the favorite in all of this? All six teams can score and all six teams can play defense. Not only that, but look at the QBs: Drew Brees, Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, Donovan McNabb, Kurt Warner and Tony Romo. All six are having terrific seasons and all of them are equipped with such great weapons that it makes it hard for me to pick against any of them.

I think the biggest x-factor now is the potential of the Eagles to earn a bye and a home game. The Eagles currently have the best chance at hosting a true outdoor game in the NFC playoffs. Sure the Packers might get one, but the Eagles can guarantee at least one. If they can snag the two seed and if the Saints get upset in round two, I think the Eagles could be Super Bowl bound. Of course, that’s still a long ways away.

The AFC Playoff Picture

This one is just too messed up for me to get into. The division winners are set but there are five 8-7 teams and three more 7-8 teams. A lot can and probably will happen on Sunday so there’s no sense in trying to figure out who will play who.

Also, I think it’s pretty clear that the NFC has surpassed the AFC in terms of power. All six NFC playoff teams have a legit shot at winning the Super Bowl and I don’t think you can say that about the eventual six from the AFC. I mean, if the Jets and say, Texans make the playoffs, I think that makes three teams you can write off (along with the Bengals). The Colts and Chargers are obviously great teams and the Pats still need to be taken seriously, but if teams like the Ravens and Steelers miss out on the playoffs, I think we’re just destined for a Colts-Chargers AFC Championship game.

Of course, the playoff picture might not have been the biggest AFC story in Week 16….

Jets 29, Colts 15

The sports world is abuzz with Jim Caldwell’s decision to bench most of his starters – specifically Peyton Manning – in Sunday’s loss to the Jets. The Colts were up 15-10 with their starters in and once Peyton sat and Curtis Painter came in, it was all over. Apparently a lot of people in Indianapolis are livid at Caldwell’s decision and there is a major backlash going on and I’m really wondering who is right in all of this. I understand why fans would be pissed. Not only did the Colts piss away a chance at 16-0, but they did it at home. Paying customers were forced to watch their team give up in a close game and they had no warning about it. Caldwell was silent all week and Peyton Manning suggested he would play all game. If you’re going to bench your starters, at least give a heads up. It’s just not fair to the fans.

On the other hand, a Super Bowl title will cure all ills and if the extra rest helps, then what can you say? I know there are a lot of players and teams that would kill to go 16-0 and hopefully 19-0 and you can’t blame them. To this day, we still talk about the 1972 Dolphins and it’s become painstakingly clear that they value their undefeated season more than anything. Former Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin even suggested he would give up two of his rings for one ring in an undefeated season. Going 19-0 in this day and age would be an unprecedented accomplishment and it would be very hard to question who the greatest team of all-time would be. Again though, if the Colts wind up going 14-2 or 15-1 in the regular season and still pull home a ring, it’s going to be hard to argue that they should’ve gone for perfection.

What do I think in all of this? 19-0 is immortality and an undeniable accomplishment, no doubt about it, but there are still a few things to remember. A lot of people are suggesting that since Peyton Manning never gets hurt and is rarely sacked that there was no need to keep him out. That’s all well and good, but the Colts need guys like Joseph Addai, Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark and Austin Collie if they want playoff success. They lost Anthony Gonzalez on just a few plays in Week 1 and Pierre Garcon is nursing an injury now. This is a team with little depth and even a tweak or a sprain can have lingering effects. And when you really think about it, if the Colts aren’t going for perfection, then they aren’t going to be running their real offense, especially against a potential playoff opponent in the Jets. What’s the point of coasting through your possessions with your starters?

Personally, I think Indy should have been upfront about their decision and just be done with it. Now they’ve invited a fire storm of negative media attention when they really just need to stay focused on football. Right idea, poor execution.

Week 15 Stories

2009-12-23T02:04:00.000-05:00

Steelers 37, Packers 36

What a game.

94 combined pass attempts, 886 pass yards and a fantastic finish. I’m not even mad the Packers lost. Yea, it was a tough one to swallow but the Steelers are still a good football team and the Packers played well. Of course, if the Packers blow a chance at the playoffs, this game will look a lot worse…

A few other point-by-point thoughts:

1) Ben Roethlisberger can be such a great passer when he has time. I think the fact that the Steelers have an awful o-line is often overlooked, partially because Big Ben takes a lot of sacks that are on him. LT Max Starks was getting beat non-stop on that final drive and Roethlisberger was able to make plays despite it. The final pass to Mike Wallace was absolutely perfect and he just has such a great ability to put the ball exactly where it needs to be. Case in point: Last year’s Super Bowl.

2) Really, this game demonstrates why I don’t like the criticism he and Rodgers take from holding onto the ball. These guys make plays with their legs and they extend a lot of plays that other QBs cannot. Also, people need to keep in mind something very important: Neither Rodgers or Roethlisberger fumble the ball and they don’t throw that many INTs. Rodgers has only thrown seven this year and Big Ben has 11. How often do you see QBs make terrible throws under pressure that lead to close calls and INTs? How often do you see QBs cough up the ball when hit? I’ll take a six yard loss over a turnover any day of the week.

3) This game proved why the Packers miss Al Harris. Josh Bell played only his 2nd game of the year and on the final drive he committed a bad penalty and he allowed Mike Wallace to make that final catch. The coverage wasn’t necessarily bad either. He was right there, he just had no awareness of the situation and had no idea the ball was coming. Yes, it was a perfect pass, but I think an experienced corner at least makes a play on the ball there. If Harris was around, Bell wouldn’t have been in. I hate to throw the guy to the dogs like that, it’s just a fact.

4) The onside kick. I mean, it kind of worked, didn’t it? The Steelers were having a tough time stopping that Packers defense and it was looking like the last team that had the ball was going to win. By kicking onsides, the Steelers set themselves up to either A) get the ball or B) get the ball back with time after a Packers score. If the Steelers kick deep, a Packers drive takes longer and maybe Pittsburgh doesn’t have enough time to make anything happen. It’s a bold strategy but hey, why trust your defense that isn’t coming through? I gotta say too, I like that some of these coaches are getting bolder. The more play calls like this happen from great coaches, the more you’ll see it filter throughout the league. Say what you want about the calls, but it makes football more entertaining.

5) I really, really hope Aaron Rodgers’ season isn’t going overlooked. I know Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre and Philip Rivers are having great, MVP-esque seasons, but so is Rodgers. He now has a 64.4 completion percentage, 3962 yards, 28 TDs, 7 INTs, 305 rushing yards and 4 rushing TDs. He has eight games without a turnover and only one game without a TD pass.

Cowboys 24, Saints 17

Tony Romo’s December thus far: 68.9%, 953 yards, 6 TDs, 0 INT

The December talk is overblown and I really did think they were going to take down the Saints. It was the ultimate statement game. A game where the Cowboys took down the league’s best on the road and in a convincing fashion.

The ‘Boys shouldn’t have a problem with the Redskins on Sunday night and I am really liking their playoff chances.

As for the Saints, I mean, they had to lose eventually, right? They’ve had plenty of close calls this year and it was only a matter of time. The question is, was the loss a good thing or a bad thing? I’m not sure I really buy the whole “it’s better to lose one” argument but at the same time, the league is so tough that maybe it is best to save your best for the playoffs. To counter that though, how does it help the Saints to lose to a playoff caliber team at home? Doesn’t that just make them look a lot more human?

Falcons 10, Jets 7

My dad’s take on this one: “The Jets suck and Sanchez doesn’t know what he’s doing out there…he just throws it anywhere”

Sometimes I wonder how the Jets are 7-7. The answer? Defense.

Patriots 17, Bills 10

This one is another one of those “the Pats won but not really” kind of wins. If you’re a Pats fan, are you even happy with this outcome? Can you feel good about Brady posting a 59.1 QB rating against Buffalo? Or that he completed passes to just four receivers? Or that Fred Jackson was ripping off good runs left and right against the defense?

If the Bills had a halfway decent QB, they win that game. Instead, the Pats walk away with an ugly win and a stronger foothold on the division.

Browns 41, Chiefs 34

34 carries, 286 yards, 3 TDs, 2 catches, 12 rec. yards

Jerome Harrison was the man against the Chiefs and anyone lucky enough to have him in their lineup this weekend surely won their fantasy playoff game.

I know it was against the Chiefs, but can we just look at the personnel decisions Eric Mangini screwed up this year? First he refuses to use Brady Quinn at QB and while the guy hasn’t been great, he’s been a lot better than Derek Anderson. He also kept using Jamal Lewis earlier in the year despite the fact that he brought nothing but blocking to the table. Harrison and Chris Jennings have been pretty productive since getting the chance to start and you just gotta wonder if the Browns could have won a game or two more with Quinn and the better RBs playing all year long.

Oh, and has anyone else noticed who the Browns have been using at safety? WR Mike Furrey. That’s right, the Browns have had Furrey playing fairly regularly on defense.

Panthers 26, Vikings 7

I love the media. Favre gets mad that Childress wanted to pull him during a 7-6 game, he doesn’t make a big stink out of it and then it becomes a “saga”. It’s just a stupid story that’s getting blown way too out of proportion. I’d hope a QB would get upset that his coach wanted to pull him in a close game. It’s a competitive fire that some people are going to claim is ego. Whatever.

In other news, it’s nice to see Favre, AP and the Vikings getting knocked around these past few weeks.

Colts 35, Jaguars 31

It’s just not even funny how good Peyton Manning is. He’s the best QB in the game and he may just be the best all time. You can never count him or the Colts out. No lead or commercial is safe with Peyton around. I love watching him play…enough said.

Javier Vazquez vs. the city of New York: Round 2

2009-12-22T15:33:00.000-05:00

Yankees acquire SP Javier Vazquez and RP Boone Logan from Braves for OF Melky Cabrera, P Michael Dunn, P Arodys Vizcaino and cash

Normally when teams acquire 200 K pitchers, it’s cause for celebration. When my buddy Tim texted this morning about the Yankees acquiring such a pitcher, my only response was “WTF?”

We’ve been down this road before and it’s not one I want to revisit. Other than his first two years in the majors, Vazquez had his worst season the year he was in the Bronx. The Yankees couldn’t unload him fast enough too. The guy crumbled in the playoffs in 2004, allowing 12 runs in 11.1 IP and he crumbled when he was challenged by Ozzie Guillen in 2008 with the White Sox. Vazquez posted a 6.25 ERA in September of 2008 when the ChiSox were in a heated playoff race with the Twins. The ChiSox made the playoffs and in his only start, Vazquez let up 6 runs in 4.1 IP. In 2009, Vazquez found salvation in the quiet confines of Atlanta and the National League. He had his best statistical season to date striking out 238 in 219.1 IP and posting a 2.87 ERA. I don’t think he’ll be doing that again…

The early defense of the deal is that Vazquez will be a 3rd or 4th starter for the Yankees and that only gave up Melky Cabrera, Michael Dunn and another prospect to get him. Is that worth the risk?

I really don’t know. The Yankees just traded their best defensive outfielder. If they don’t make another move and if they don’t bring back Johnny Damon, they will be starting from left to right: Brett Gardner, Curtis Granderson and Nick Swisher. They will still have a girl throwing in left, Granderson probably has less range and a weaker arm than Melky and Swisher is Swisher. They also don’t have another major league outfielder on the roster so they could all be backed up by a rookie. Outfielders are crucial and a good outfield can save a lot of runs. Melky wasn’t a great offensive player but he was slowly getting better and he actually had a lot of clutch hits this year, including a few walk-offs.

If this was anyone else other than Javier Vazquez, I’d understand the deal, but the Yankees are bringing back a fragile starting pitcher who rocked in the playoffs and they had to trade their starting centerfielder to get him. Why not just re-sign Chien-Ming Wang if that’s what you wanted?

Vazquez is a homer-prone pitcher going to a prolific homer park and Yankees fans will not be forgiving to him. We still remember his great 2 IP, 3 ER, 5 BB performance in Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS and the early consensus is that we aren’t thrilled to have him back.

Go ahead and criticize me if you like. I have no faith in Vazquez and will not be surprised if he’s getting shelled by May.

Javy nice day.

The Trade

2009-12-17T01:36:00.001-05:00

Phillies acquire Roy Halladay; Mariners acquire Cliff Lee; A’s and Blue Jays get prospects

Here are the details of this trade according to ESPN.com:

Philadelphia gets: SP Roy Halladay (they also sign him to a 3 year, $60 million extension) and prospects Phillippe Aumont (P), Tyson Gillies (OF), Juan Ramirez (P) and $6 million cash

Seattle gets: SP Cliff Lee

Toronto gets: Prospects Kyle Drabek (P), Brett Wallace (1B) and Travis d'Arnaud (C)

Oakland gets: Prospect Michael Taylor (OF)

Got all that?

Where do I even begin? I guess the beginning works. When the news of a Halladay-Lee trade first came out, I had no clue what Philadelphia was doing. Details kept coming out throughout the day and at first it just sounded like the Phillies were getting Halladay, the Mariners Lee and the Jays getting prospects from Seattle. As time passed, it became clear that it wasn’t a three team trade, but two separate trades. This made a lot more sense and the final version of this deal looks pretty good on all ends. To properly look at it, let’s just go through it team-by-team

Philadelphia gets: SP Roy Halladay (they also sign him to a 3 year, $60 million extension) and prospects Phillippe Aumont (P), Tyson Gillies (OF), Juan Ramirez (P) and $6 million cash

There might be some second guessing on how the Phillies handled this trade but at the end of the day, how do you criticize a team that just acquired Roy Halladay?

If you haven’t heard/read, the Phillies felt they needed to trade Lee because he reportedly wanted a long-term, big money deal and Philly just didn’t feel comfortable giving him (or any pitcher) more than 3-4 years. Since Lee is a free agent after next year, they needed to make a decision on him now (after all, how could you justify trading him at the break if they were winning). So to compromise, Philly decided to deal Lee for prospects of equal value to the ones they would have to get rid of for Halladay. It makes sense and I can’t fault them for coming to that conclusion now. They did have one other legit option though:

Keep Lee for 2010 and have a juggernaut pitching staff and a great shot at another World Series title, let Lee go at the end of the year and collect draft pick compensation or hope he likes the town so much he’d re-sign for reasonable time/money.

I can’t even imagine how dominant a rotation of Lee, Hamels and Halladay would be and just think if J.A. Happ continues to progress or if they brought back Pedro Martinez for a full year. Wow.

That is not to be though and I understand the desire to get prospects who are further along in development. So how did Philly do in this deal?

I know very little on the prospects and really, they aren’t that important for 2010. The treasure here was Roy Halladay and what a treasure it is.

By now, we should all know Halladay’s story. He’s been a great pitcher in a tough division his entire career and now he’s heading to the National League. I’ve already heard some people suggest he will put up ridiculously low ERAs, like record breaking low, and while he’ll surely benefit from the league switch, I don’t think he’s going sub-2.00 anytime soon. Baseball just doesn’t work in this way. Yes, CC Sabathia absolutely dominated in his brief time in Milwaukee but that was when he was fishing for a contract and in the middle of a heated playoff race. Think rationally for a second. Starting the season on a new team Halladay will first have to adjust to a new league, a new ballpark and a lot more new opponents. The guy is an intense pitcher but I’m sure even he would admit that it would be very tough to keep up that intensity all season long. Now, think about how good the Phillies are. If the Mets or Braves don’t bounce back, where will his incentive be to pitch lights out with the playoffs looming? Also, Citizen’s Bank Park is more hitter friendly than the Rogers Centre and history would dictate that Halladay will see a drop, but nothing historic. Take a look at some other recent pitchers who made the switch from AL to NL:

Johan Santana
Low ERA in AL: 2.61
Low ERA in NL: 2.53
Went from a 3.33 to a 2.53 ERA in first year from AL to NL

Dan Haren
Low ERA in AL: 3.07
Low ERA in NL: 3.14
Went from a 3.07 to a 3.33 ERA in first year from AL to NL

Tim Hudson
Low ERA in AL: 2.70
Low ERA in NL: 3.17
Went from a 3.53 to a 3.52 ERA in first year from AL to NL

Cliff Lee
2009 AL ERA: 3.14
2009 NL ERA: 3.39

One more argument to make. Everyone assumes that shedding the Yankees, Red Sox, Rays and Orioles will be what drastically improves Halladay’s ERA. Here is how he did versus the AL East last year and the rest of MLB:

AL East: 18 GS, 135.0 IP, 45 R, 3.00 ERA
The Rest: 14 GS, 104.0 IP, 29 R, 2.51 ERA

Halladay obviously was better against the rest of the league but stop to think about this for a second. Halladay made 18 starts against four division teams and 14 starts against 10 other teams. Maybe the Marlins, Nationals, Mets and Braves don’t boast as much clout as the AL East, but there is something to be said about familiarity in baseball. It’s unlikely that Halladay, as good as he is, will face those four teams 18 times and keep the run total down to record-breaking levels.

The biggest benefit I think Halladay will find is in the complete game department. He’s had nine each of the last two years and I think in the NL he’ll be able to coast through innings more thanks to pitchers hitting. As good as Halladay is, he is a guy who depends on contact being made. He doesn’t walk hitters and he’s had mixed success in the strikeout department (200 plus the past two years, 150 and below the previous four). He generates a lot of weak contact which is why he is so good and with weaker hitters at the bottom of the order, he’ll be able to make quicker work of some hitters.

So what does this all mean for the Phillies?

At the end of the day, I’m not sure Philly is any better than they would have been with Lee. Both are great pitchers and both can shut down any opponent. This deal was made more for the long-term and ultimately that’s how it should be judged. I can’t fault them for making the deal and only good things should come of it.

Seattle gets: SP Cliff Lee

The critics are quick to point out Erik Bedard, but in all fairness to Cliff Lee, Erik Bedard never dominated the New York Yankees in the World Series. Cliff Lee clearly turned the corner after a terrible 2007 season and there is no way I’m doubting him again. He was so unbelievably good in that World Series game and anyone who can dominate on that stage can win baseball games wherever he goes. It’s funny, I knew hardly a thing about Lee until this trade and it’s just weird to hear some of things being said about him. First it was him wanting Sabathia-like money and for whatever reason, I didn’t expect that out of him. The second odd thing I read was from a friend of Lee who claimed this trade would only motivate and anger Lee even more. The guy is so calm and collected I wouldn’t imagine him holding a grudge. If this stuff is true, it makes me love Lee even more.

Lee is going to be going to be a very pitcher friendly park in the AL West and you can expect him to continue to be a very effective pitcher. I know nothing of the prospects involved in this deal but I generally have no problem with flipping prospects for proven commodities. Again, Seattle was burned by Erik Bedard but everything I’ve read about Bedard paints him as a stereotypical dimwitted Canadian. (Interestingly enough, I think the Mariners should actually try to sign Bedard).

With Felix Hernandez in town, the Mariners will have an extremely formidable 1-2 punch and with the addition of Chone Figgins, their offense appears to be moving in a better direction. If they can fill out the rotation, if the young hitters keep progressing and if David Aardsma continues to be a lights out closer, the Mariners definitely figure to be a team to beat out west this year.

Toronto gets: Prospects Kyle Drabek (P), Brett Wallace (1B) and Travis d'Arnaud (C)
Oakland gets: Prospect Michael Taylor (OF)

I’m grouping these two together because it’s all prospects and I can only speak secondhand on all of them. I’ve never seen any of them play and who knows which, if any, will pan out. I think I’m going to try tracking traded prospects in the McBlog this summer because too often we seem to forget who and what was traded for the big names.

I’ll tell you this though, and not like it’s any secret, but Toronto clearly has the most to lose in this deal. You can write off Oakland in this because they traded a prospect for a prospect, but Toronto?

I said it last year during the deadline and I’ll say it again, the Blue Jays really don’t seem to be that far off to me. They had so many pitchers come up and be successful in 2009 and the emergences of Adam Lind and Aaron Hill give the Jays two big hitters to build around. If these prospects can shape up and play in the majors this year, Toronto could be setting themselves up to be contenders. However, what happens if Kyle Drabek, Travis d’Arnaud and Brett Wallace flop and Michael Taylor flourishes? That will be an error that Toronto will have a hard time recovering from.

Halladay-Less MLB Moves

2009-12-16T02:46:00.000-05:00

Red Sox sign John Lackey for 5 years, $82.5 million
Red Sox sign Mike Cameron

This is a really good signing and I think Mr. Lackey is a bit underappreciated these days. I know his numbers don’t jump out at you (3.81 career ERA) but I would liken Lackey to a Curt Schilling, in that he can rise to the occasion and shut anyone down on any given night.

So far I’ve heard some early criticism of this deal, that five years is too long a contract for a 31-year-old pitcher. Give me a break. I just love that we continue to ignore the trends in front of us. We can acknowledge all of the players that continue to perform and perform well as they get older but we still obsess over the guys like Mark Prior or Kerry Wood, who get hurt too early in their career. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: With pitchers, you really should be able to tell who is at risk for major injury and who isn’t. If a pitcher is throwing ungodly, unnatural stuff with a herky jerky motion (think Wood, Liriano, Prior, etc), then those guys are at a high risk. A power pitcher like Lackey, who uses his legs and works off of fastballs, will likely be fine. And I know Lackey has started the past two seasons on the DL, but he has proven to be very durable over his career and one thing you have to love is that he didn’t have any setbacks during the past two seasons. When he joined the rotation, he was there to stay.

Lackey will be joining a Sox rotation that already includes Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Clay Buchholz/Tim Wakefield. If this group stays healthy, they are the team’s ticket to the post-season. My guess is Buchholz will win a job in the rotation but with Lackey signing it is always possible that Buchholz will be a trade chip for a big hitter. However, the Sox are a team that likes to keep some depth around so we could see Wakefield in the ‘pen or we could even see a six man rotation to keep them all fresh.

And not to go unnoticed, but the Red Sox are also brining in outfielder Mike Cameron. Offensively, Cameron is a 20-25 HR hitter with patience and a low OBP. But the Sox aren’t bringing him in for his bat. No. The Sox are going to have an outfield of Cameron, Jacoby Ellsbury and J.D. Drew along with an infield of Casey Kotchman (if they don’t trade for another first baseman), Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis and Marco Scutaro. This infield and outfield will be one of the best defensive units in the league and when you have pitching as good as the Sox, you are going to keep a lot of runs from scoring. A lot of teams have tried the pitching-defense scheme and have found mixed results, but none of those teams will have the offense of the Red Sox.

I know a lot of people will criticize the Sox offense, but keep in mind this team ranked 3rd in runs scored last year. Yes, they lost Mike Lowell and Jason Bay and who knows what David Ortiz will show up but they’ll have a full year of Victor Martinez and by their standards, Youkilis and Pedroia had down years last season. Maybe the offense won’t be as potent as it once was, but it still figures to be a strong group.

All-in-all, I can’t find much fault in the Lackey signing. As a Yankees fan, I’d rather have Lackey for 5-82.5 than A.J. Burnett for 5-82.5. At the very least, think of it this way: Lackey has been the ace of great Angels teams that past few years and now he’s going to be the third starter for Boston. The Sox are going to try to win with pitching this year and that staff is going to be tough to beat regularly.

Get over what the Yankees did last year and stop thinking you need to match them every step of the way Sox fans. If you can’t out-slug them, out-pitch them.

Yankees re-sign SP Andy Pettitte for 1 year, $11.75 million

$11.75 million is a lot of money and even I was a bit surprised to see that price tag go on Pettitte. Part of me thinks it’s not big deal, that it’ll be nice to have Pettitte back for another year and that he’ll quietly continue to do his thing. Another part of me is wondering when the guy will hit the wall and start to take a major step backward. He’s not getting any younger and it seems like the Yanks are depending on him a little too much. As long as Pettitte delivers, I don’t care what they pay him. If he doesn’t come through, that’ll just be a big waste of 11 million and change.

Rangers sign Rich Harden for 1 year, $6.5 million

If you’re Texas, why not? Best case scenario, the Rangers just signed a guy who can dominate for chump change. Worst case, the Rangers just signed someone to keep their DL warm for the season. It’s not a big lump of money to spend and the risk is very much worth the reward.

One thing I like about this deal is that Texas is really stressing long inning work from their pitchers and it’s possible that this team could start to force a re-thinking of how starters are used. If Harden can come in, get things worked out and pitch 200 plus innings for Texas then we could see a little pitching revolution in the works. I think that’s worth it.

Rangers trade SP Kevin Millwood to Orioles for RP Chris Ray and a prospect

However, Texas has just dealt Kevin Millwood so there will be a little added pressure on Harden staying healthy. Millwood was their best pitcher last year, posting a 3.67 ERA in 198.2 IP, and if the Rangers want to be successful in 2010 they’ll need Harden or their young guys to step up big time.

I really like this move for Baltimore. They didn’t give up much in Chris Ray and a prospect and Millwood will give them 30 starts and some innings. Baltimore probably won’t be competing this year or even next, but they’ve got some good hitters and they’re integrating their young pitchers into the mix. It’ll be good to have a veteran like Millwood hanging around and you can’t fault a team for getting a solid starting pitcher on the cheap. Well done, B-More.

White Sox acquire Juan Pierre
White Sox sign J.J. Putz for 1 year, $3 million

To recap the White Sox off-season thus far, they have cut ties with Jermaine Dye and they have added Omar Vizquel, Andruw Jones, Juan Pierre, J.J. Putz and Mark Teahen…all this after they added Alex Rios and Jake Peavy last year and got rid of Jim Thome.

I really don’t know what is going on in Chicago. They have only gotten worse offensively and they may be getting worse defensively too. This Pierre acquisition is a head-scratcher because they could have brought back Scott Podsednik for less and gotten the same slap hitting production.

As it stands, the White Sox will have an awful OBP group in Alexei Ramirez, Pierre, Rios and A.J. Pierzynski and those are guys that will routinely bat in the top of the order. I don’t know. I like Gordon Beckham and Ramirez and Carlos Quentin is pretty solid, but the rest of that lineup is a mess.

I do think the Putz signing is decent. This team always has bullpen problems and if Putz can find any semblance of his old self, he’ll be a great bargain.

Brewers sign SP Randy Wolf and RP LaTroy Hawkins

Wolf got something like 30 million for 3 years from the Brewers and Hawkins got a pretty penny, most likely to be the closer in 2010. I mean, I guess this is what the Brewers have to settle for these days. It’s not that Wolf is a bad pitcher, he did have a 3.23 ERA last season, and it’s not like he won’t be a welcome addition, it just seems like this the kind of contract the Brewers will be trying to unload in a year or two. As for Hawkins, the guy has failed in the closer role before and I’m not buying a supposed comeback. The Brewers have two of the great young hitters in the game right now and if these are the big moves Milwaukee has up their sleeve, Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder will just be going to waste.

Week 14 Stories

2009-12-15T14:24:00.001-05:00

Not a lot of games I want to talk about from Week 14. Pretty boring week outside of the night games.

Patriots 20, Panthers 10

Hitting this one point-by-point:

1) Wes Welker: It continues to baffle me why teams don’t cover him like a normal wide receiver. He is constantly given too much space off the line and too many times do you see linebackers chasing him down instead of cornerbacks. To me, it seems like teams refuse to go to nickelback coverage in early downs for fear of the run. However, if teams merely treated Welker like any other WR and just jammed him at the line, you’d be taking away the Patriots “running” game. Welker picks up way too many easy first downs and it’s not like the Pats do anything special with him. He just runs outs or crossing patterns and finds himself wide open. COVER HIM ALREADY!

2) Randy Moss: Did he quit? I don’t know. Moss is someone who gets frustrated easily and if he isn’t getting passes thrown his way early and if he is getting hounded by corners, it doesn’t seem outside the realm of possibility. However, I think Belichick would know if Moss was quitting and I doubt that behavior would be tolerated. Personally, I think this whole thing is getting overblown.

3) Tom Brady chickened out on a pass so badly this week. He was close to the sideline looking to make something happen. His back to the sideline, he was looking downfield when he noticed a defensive player closing in from behind. He immediately turned and fired the ball straight out of bounds, even though it seemed like he had something downfield. Listen, I am a Brady-hater and I don’t hide it but this was just comical. Some would call throwing it away in that situation smart, but I really do think Brady is a bit of a wuss. I don’t think he’s willing to take a hit like other quarterbacks are willing to. Say what you want about guys like Big Ben or Aaron Rodgers taking sacks, but those guys will take as many hits as it takes to make plays and I can’t say the same for Brady.

4) I hate how teams play the Patriots. In the 1st quarter, the announcers mentioned that you need to throw to beat the Pats and the Panthers seemed to believe the same thing. Matt Moore attempted 30 passes and while the Pats secondary is very suspect, I don’t understand why you would want your best offensive player (DeAngelo Williams) to only carry the ball 13 times. What sense does that make? He averaged 6.3 yards/carry and once Vince Wilfork left the game, it should’ve been non-stop DeAngelo. Instead, Moore was left to complete 50 percent passes and the Panthers lost. Great job John Fox.

5) The Patriots may have won the game but for some reason it just feels like they lost. Maybe it was Brady’s poor performance, maybe it was Moss’ poor performance, maybe it was the fact that the Panthers and a back-up QB played ‘em close. I don’t know, but the Pats really don’t look that scary anymore and I think they are in real danger of losing that division.

Eagles 45, Giants 38

Let’s go point-by-point again:

1) Michael Vick: The Eagles seem to have figured out how to use him. Or maybe Vick is just getting better with more playing time. Either way, the Eagles have a huge weapon at their disposal in Vick. He is doing a good job recently of picking up short yardage and he’s starting to complete some big passes too. After going 3-9 for 6 yards the first 12 weeks, Vick is now 2 of his last 3 for 80 yards and a TD. I think it’s safe to say we’ll be seeing more of Vick in the upcoming playoff push.

2) DeSean Jackson: What is it about him? He’s fast, sure, but a lot of receivers have speed. Is it the play design? Is he just a great route runner? I mean, I have yet to see an analyst really break down why he is able to catch so many long TDs. Maybe it’s just great talent, but I’d like to see someone tackle this issue. What’s interesting is after years of failed drafted receivers, the Eagles have stuck gold with Jackson and have another good-looking rookie in Jeremy Maclin. Throw in the emergence of Brent Celek and the steady play of Jason Avant and the Eagles have an extremely potent offense.

3) Speaking of the potent offense, I have a theory as to why they are exploding in this way. I don’t consider Brian Westbrook a detriment, but I think teams are liberated by not feeling obligated to throw to a running back all the time. Just look at the Saints. In years, past, it just seemed like they were forcing the ball to Reggie Bush all the time hoping something would happen. It was a high percentage play and it would usually net you some sort of positive game. While Westbrook never caught as many passes as Bush did, he did get his fair share and saw a lot of screens go his way. Now that the Saints have just Bush to take a back seat, they are now letting the better weapon, Drew Brees, rip defenses apart. Part of me wonders if the Eagles and McNabb are benefiting from getting rid of the safety valve and just airing it out. Thoughts?

4) Hakeem Nicks: I’ve been saying it all year, but that guy is going to be a beast in this league. Great combo of size and speed and once he gets some of the fundamentals down and a more feature roll, he will thrive.

5) The Giants played pretty well on the whole, but anytime you lose four fumbles, you’re going to have trouble winning. All-in-all, there were some good positives in this game. Eli looked good, Brandon Jacobs ran with authority and some of the receivers made stuff happen. I say some because Mario Manningham clearly thinks he’s still playing in college. You need two feet in bounds in this league fella.

Browns 13, Steelers 6

The Steelers kind of suck. Big Ben was sacked a whopping eight times on Thursday night and they just could not get anything going offensively. Defensively, they struggled to stop the Browns running game. Joshua Cribbs had 87 yards on eight carries and Chris Jennings had 73 yards and a TD on 20 carries. The Browns were able to rack up 171 yards on the ground against Pittsburgh and that was the biggest reason they won. Brady Quinn only threw for 90 yards on six completions and the Browns D didn’t even force any turnovers.

Do they miss Troy Polamalu that much? Are the head injuries affecting Big Ben a little too much? They better figure it out quick because the clock is ticking on the 2009 season.

Chargers 20, Cowboys 17

It’s fun and easy to say the Cowboys are going through the December collapse again, but I don’t think they are. They just lost two close games to two good teams and there wasn’t much “collapsing” going on. Yea they had bad fumbles against the Giants but what about the Chargers game? I guess you could say the defense broke down in a big spot or that the offense didn’t come through when they needed it but on the whole, the ‘Boys played pretty well. Unfortunately for them, they have to go to New Orleans next week. Actually, beating the Saints would be the ultimate trump card for all the December crap.

It can’t be all Cowboys here though. How ‘bout them Chargers? San Diego is on an eight game win streak that includes wins at the Giants, at Dallas, at Denver and against Philly. Interestingly enough, the Chargers have been doing it through the air. San Diego has yet to have a 100-yard rusher and Philip Rivers has only had one game this year with fewer than 200 yards passing. Is this the year the Chargers finally get to the Super Bowl? Who knows? With a weaker AFC and only the Colts standing in their way, the Chargers have a legit shot (remember, the Chargers kind of have the Colts number)

Packers 21, Bears 14

Sadly I didn’t catch too much of this game but I am pleased with the results. Rodgers had his worst statistical game of the year (16-24, 180 yards, 0 TDs or INTs and -6 rushing yards) but Ryan Grant had his best, scoring two TDs and racking up 144 total yards.

Not too much to say other than this: I am loving the Jay Cutler era in Chicago so far.

The Granderson Trade

2009-12-10T02:08:00.000-05:00

The trade is now official and I’m ready to talk. Here’s the team-by-team breakdown and the story:

Yankees get: OF Curtis Granderson

I’ve got to admit, I was a little surprised by this move. I didn’t realize the Yankees were shopping like this and adding a player like Granderson could be a real plus.

First off, let me just say this: I can almost guarantee you Granderson is not going to hit 40 homers. Yes he’s a lefty and he will be playing in New York but 40 is a major stretch for a guy whose career high is 30. Not really a pressing issue, I know, but I’ve heard the 40 number brought up several times already and I just don’t see it happening.

Now, this deal has a lot of positives to it. The only thing the Yanks lost off their major league roster was Phil Coke. I like Coke and wanted to start a Coke-Head movement in the Bronx but I guess that’s for the good people of Detroit to do now. While I liked Coke, he did tend to be a bit hit or miss. Gotta remember too that Damaso Marte, not Phil Coke, was the guy getting the big lefty outs in the World Series and for most of the post-season. The Yanks also lost Ian Kennedy who I’m sure most Yankees fans won’t miss and they also dealt Austin Jackson. Honestly, I was hoping to see Jackson come up and play for the Yanks in the near future but I doubt Jackson will be as good as Granderson is for a few years, if at all. And for what it’s worth, Granderson is relatively cheap. The ESPN story said Granderson is owed 25.7 million through 2012, which averages out to about 8.5 million a year. That’s not bad considering guys like Raul Ibanez, Pat Burrell and Milton Bradley signed for more last year.

From a baseball standpoint, there’s a lot to like about Granderson. If Granderson ends up replacing Johnny Damon in the lineup as opposed to joining him (still a possibility), the Yanks will have a pretty solid replacement. Granderson walks at just about the same clip as Damon and the only reason his OBP was down last year was a decline in his batting average. Granderson hit .249 last year and .280 and .302 the years before that. Is he in a decline or was last year just one of those years? Well, you can’t ignore Granderson’s inability to hit lefties and a lot of his average decline can be attributed to him facing lefties more. In 2007, the Tigers tried to protect him against southpaws. Since then, they’ve gradually given him more opportunities. Here are the stats:

vs. Lefties

2007: 119 AB, 8 BB, 40 K, .160 AVG, .494 OPS
2008: 147 AB, 9 BB, 29 K, .259 AVG, .739 OPS
2009: 180 AB, 15 BB, 42 K, .183 AVG, .484 OPS

It’s a little troubling trend to see, but sometimes you’ve got to take the good with the bad. I doubt Granderson’s troubles will be magically fixed in New York but I think the talent around him in the lineup will be able to mask his problems a little better. The Yanks can bat him lower in the lineup, for example, and not really lose much off the top when they face a lefty.

Granderson’s hitting versus right-handers or lefties isn’t really a concern to me. He brings so much to the table offensively that you can’t help but be excited about his arrival. There is another thing to like: defense. If Damon indeed goes somewhere else, the Yankees just got better in the outfield. Now, I’ve heard mixed opinions on Granderson’s defense, but there’s no way his arm is as bad as Johnny Damon’s and his younger legs will be a sigh of relief. I don’t think Damon was that bad tracking fly balls, but he definitely got worse over the years. Granderson should make things better.

Finally – and I know people hate when stuff like this gets brought up but I’m going to do it anyways – Granderson, by all accounts, appears to be a heck of a guy. Jim Leyland had some very nice things to say about him after the trade and if anyone’s ever read a Curtis Granderson blog entry you’d know that the guy is well-spoken and intelligent. There won’t be any concerns of Granderson bringing an ego or attitude to the Yankees clubhouse and that’s always nice to know going in.

Tigers get: P Max Scherzer, P Phil Coke, OF Austin Jackson, P Daniel Schlereth

Business-wise, the Tigers did very well. They saved money and they added some young players with big potential. Edwin Jackson was great for them last year and Curtis Granderson has been very productive but Detroit needed to cut down payroll and they did so while adding potential which is very hard to argue against.

I’ve already discussed Phil Coke and Daniel Schlereth is a guy I haven’t seen much of. Austin Jackson is supposed to be a solid all-around player and the best the Tigers can hope for is that he can be the next Granderson. The big prize in this deal is Max Scherzer.

Last year with Arizona, Scherzer posted a 4.12 ERA, a 1.34 WHIP and a .253 BAA in 170.1 IP while striking out 174. He definitely has a live, power arm and while some scouts seem to show concern over his long-term health, his addition to the Tigers rotation will give them three great power arms. Verlander, Rick Porcello (who will strike out a lot more batters next year) and Scherzer are a pretty potent 1-2-3 punch. However, you do have to wonder how Scherzer will handle the transition to the AL. There’s no denying the American League is the superior league and it’s a lot different facing nine legit hitters than pitchers and the NL West. My guess is Scherzer will struggle a little but that his talent will ultimately win out.

All-in-all, a pretty solid move by Detroit.

D-Backs get: P Edwin Jackson and P Ian Kennedy

The Diamondbacks are clearly the losers of this deal and you really have to wonder what their motivation was in all of this. Heck, I’ve even read reports that the D-Backs pushed hardest to get the deal done. Are they that concerned with Scherzer’s health/delivery? They must be because Scherzer has to be considered a better talent/option now than Edwin Jackson.

This isn’t meant to take away from Jackson either. Last year, the guy posted a 3.62 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and a .247 BAA while striking out 161 in 214.0 IP. He should benefit from the move to Arizona where the hitters aren’t as good and the ballpark is more pitcher friendly. It is important to note though that last year was the first good year in Jackson’s seven year career (only four full seasons as a starter). The guy has always been considered a good talent but never really put it together until last year. Was 2009 a fluke? I don’t think so. I just don’t know how good he will be the rest of the way.

As for the other pitcher the D-Backs acquired, Ian Kennedy, well, I guess there’s still hope. I mean, you can’t really give up on the guy yet. Kennedy will almost definitely benefit from the move out west, where things are a lot more laid back and there’s very little pressure to succeed right now. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Kennedy pitching and pitching well for the D-Backs this season. Of course, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was getting shelled. At this point, there’s just no way to tell.

Whole Lotta Baseball

2009-12-08T22:06:00.001-05:00

Just a disclaimer: This post does not include the Curtis Granderson trade. That deal has yet to be finalized and when it does, I will definitely break that puppy down.

The baseball off-season has already seen some familiar names changing places and I’ve just been sitting on a lot of moves. There’s nothing too too major in here save for the Figgins signing and the Polanco signing. If that entices you, please read on.

Mariners sign Chone Figgins for 4 years, $36 million

Figgins will most likely be replacing Adrian Beltre at third for the Mariners and my guess is he’ll be the two-hitter behind Ichiro. So far I’ve seen a fair share of criticism on Figgins because he’s not a great OBP guy, he’s 32 and he has no power. To this I say, who cares?

First of all, Figgins is a fine OBP guy. The past three years he has posted OBPs of .393, .367 and .395. The stats nuts will note that he had an unusually high amount of walks this year and that he batted .330 three years ago in the .393 season. Again, who cares? Just because you’re not consistently posting .380 on-base percentages doesn’t mean you can’t be an effective top of the order hitter. Figgins sees plenty of pitches (4.22 per plate appearance last year), he puts a ton of pressure on opposing infields because of his speed and he’s just a really good hitter. I’m interested to see how Figgins and Ichiro do as a 1-2 punch. They’re both singles hitters but they are so good at making contact they can be a lethal hit and run combo. At the very least, there will be a heck of lot more speed on the basepaths for the Mariners.

Now, Figgins is 32 but when are we all going to realize that the average lifespan for MLB players is rising? The Yanks were criticized for signing Damon to a four year deal and he had one of his best seasons offensively in the last year. Figgins should be able to maintain that first step for four more years and that’s really all he needs. Plus, Figgins is so good defensively I’m sure he’ll have a firm grasp as the Mariners 3rd baseman in 2014.

I’ve gotta say, this Mariners team is going to be interesting next year. They don’t have any big boppers (unless you consider Jose Lopez or Ken Griffey Jr. to be big boppers) but they will have a bunch of pretty solid hitters. Of course, this team will have bigger problems if they can’t find anyone to pitch behind King Felix.

Phillies sign Placido Polanco for 3 years, $18 million

It’s about time Polanco move back to the NL…

I like this move a lot. Polanco will be switching to third base but he’s so good defensively I imagine he’ll have no problem transitioning. Polanco is a very good contact hitter as his .303 career average would indicate and while he doesn’t have much power he’s at least going to a home park that will give him a few extra homers every year.

Polanco is exactly what the Phillies need. With Rollins, Victorino, Utley, Howard, Ibanez and Werth doing big things at the top of the order, Polanco will just be sitting there batting 7th and collecting hits. He’ll help extend innings, he’ll help get to the pitcher faster and he’ll just be able to do his thing in peace. He’s a career .309 hitter with RISP too and considering he’ll be batting behind the aforementioned names, he’ll likely have a lot of opportunities to drive in runs.

The Phillies have made a habit of the quiet but effective moves in recent years and the Polanco signing should be no different.

Red Sox sign Marco Scutaro for 2 years, $10 million
Red Sox acquire Jeremy Hermida from Marlins for prospects

Oh, Boston, is this all you’ve got?

The Red Sox lost the real David Ortiz last year, Mike Lowell literally fossilized in 2009, Jason Bay is likely heading somewhere else, they might not get Matt Holliday and they don’t have Manny anymore. They did add Victor Martinez last season but I’m not sure it’s going to be enough.

I don’t want to call Marco Scutaro a bust before he even plays an inning in Boston, but his 2009 campaign was the definition of a career/contract year. He put up career highs in every major statistical category which would be fine if he wasn’t 34. He is a fine defensive shortstop and if he matches his offensive totals from last year then the Sox made a nice little signing. But if Scutaro reverts right back to a .260 hitter with single digit power then you’ve really got to ask what the Sox are doing. Theo Epstein is definitely a good GM but he does get a bit of a pass from the media. After all, he was the guy who signed J.D. Drew and Julio Lugo and also missed terribly on Brad Penny and John Smoltz. Scutaro seems to be the next in line in the “miss” department.

As for Jeremy Hermida, I mean, whatever. If he’s Jason Bay’s replacement, then the Sox are in trouble. He’s not a very good hitter (.265 career), he doesn’t have a lot of power (18 HR career high), he has no speed and he doesn’t even walk that much. Yes, Hermida will just be 26 when the season starts but he has six major league seasons and 516 games under his belt already and he has missed time with injury each of the last three years. I don’t think it’s unfair to ask when is he going to put it together? Now, if the Sox sign someone else and he’s the 4th outfielder, then I have no problem with the trade. If he’s their opening day leftfielder, I’ll be thrilled.

Cardinals sign Brad Penny for 1 year, $7.5 million

If an AL team gave him that money, I’d criticize this move until the cows came home. But Penny pitched very effectively in the NL at the tail end of last year so I guess it’s a little better. Still….7.5 million? That’s more than he made last year and Penny spent most of the season sucking. Even his NL stint, while effective (2.59 ERA), was only six starts long.

Then again, Dave Duncan and the Cardinals turned Joel Pineiro and Kyle Lohse into solid starters so I’m sure Penny will somehow return to a top line starter this year.

Royals trade Mark Teahen to White Sox for Chris Getz and Josh Fields
White Sox sign Omar Vizquel
White Sox sign Andruw Jones

I don’t know what the White Sox have up their sleeve, but I can all but guarantee that they aren’t contending next season. Mark Teahen is nothing special and Andruw Jones and Omar Vizquel are not impact players, they’re just bench players at best. The ChiSox traded Jim Thome last season, they’re letting Jermaine Dye walk and that leaves them with Alexei Ramirez, Carlos Quentin and Paul Konerko at the heart of their order. They do have Jake Peavy now to go along with John Danks and Gavin Floyd but they continue to have bullpen problems and now they’re going to have offensive problems unless they make more moves. And yes, I know Vizquel is specifically going to be a bench player but Andruw Jones is probably going to DH for them. That’s not good.

Twins trade Carlos Gomez to Brewers for J.J. Hardy

The Twins made the move because they need a shortstop and the Brewers made the move to save money: everybody wins!

Let me say this: Carlos Gomez is exactly why the Blue Jays aren’t rushing to trade Roy Halladay. The Twins look awful for trading Johan Santana for what they got and the Blue Jays are rightfully trying to do better. Maybe the Twins made a mistake by demanding certain aspects, like a centerfielder and a pitcher. The Blue Jays, I’m guessing, will not do the same.

As for this move, the Twins are going to win this deal because Hardy is a good defensive shortstop with some power. My guess is he’ll bounce back from a miserable 2009 season and put up a solid 15 HR-80 RBI season. The Brewers likely won’t be that lucky.

Gomez is a terrific centerfielder but he has yet to learn how to hit. He’s got speed, sure, but he needs to learn how to hit. I fear the Brewers are going to stick him at the top of the order along with Rickie Weeks which would be a downright shame. Neither guy can hit for average and while Weeks is a solid OBP guy when he hits, Gomez is not. Considering Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder are two of the best young sluggers in the game, it’s a shame they’ll have no one on-base when they do slug.

Braves sign Takashi Saito for 1 year, $3 million
Braves sign Billy Wagner for 1 year, $7 million

The Braves are never happy with their bullpen and Saito and Wagner were supposed to be replacing Rafael Soriano and Mike Gonzalez…that is until Soriano accepted arbitration. I’m not sure if the Braves are going to hold onto Soriano now, but if they do, they’ll have their best bullpen in years. I like Wagner and Saito back in the NL and if Soriano is around, they’ll have three guys who can be successful closers. You gotta figure one of ‘em will stick, right?

Week 13 Stories

2009-12-08T13:54:00.001-05:00

Dolphins 22, Patriots 21

I take a lot of enjoyment out of games like this. Whether it was the Lonely Libertarian confidently declaring the Patriots would win big after the Moss TD or Tom Brady throwing a terrible interception to ice the game, this game just put a smile on my face.

It’s kind of interesting to watch the Dolphins try and play a more traditional game without Ronnie Brown. They don’t seem to go the Wildcat anymore and you can tell it hurts them a bit. Chad Henne has been solid but he’s not totally there yet. In fact, it seemed like he was going to be the biggest obstacle in the Dolphins win on Sunday.

This Patriots team just isn’t that good on the whole. Their defense is hit or miss every week. Brandon Meriweather is overrated, they can’t seem to figure out who their best corners are and they seem to get nothing out of their linebackers outside of Jerod Mayo. Their best defensive player by far is Vince Wilfork and I would say it’s not even close with whoever is second.

Their defensive situation is weird too because it used to be that you could plug just about anyone into that defense and it would work (think Troy Brown). I guess it just goes to show that intelligence on defense can sometimes beat out talent, because guys like Tedy Bruschi were not talented, they just knew where to be.

One other thought on this one…

Phil Simms is beyond annoying to listen to when he covers Patriots games. He praises Tom Brady every step of the way and his hypocrisy is heard when he criticizes the opposing QB. He blamed Chad Henne on a perfectly thrown pass that was dropped and he made excuses for Brady the entire game. He was so bad, Bill Simmons even tweeted about how embarrassing it was.

Saints 33, Redskins 30 (OT)

I don’t know if it was fate, divine intervention or just the Redskins being the Redskins but the Saints came out of Washington with a miracle win. If you’re going to go 16-0, you need wins like this. I mean, you kind of have to feel bad for the ‘Skins here. Shaun Suisham missed a chip-in, they get an INT and fumble it away and in OT, they fumbled away the game. I’m actually finding out just now that Suisham was cut by the Redskins and I wouldn’t be surprised if Jim Zorn was next.

I guess you could somehow use this win to knock the Saints down a bit, saying they just got lucky and that they shouldn’t have struggled with the ‘Skins. I disagree. If the Patriots era has taught me anything it’s that luck is not a negative trait to have. And while luck shouldn’t be a “trait”, in the NFL it is. Lucky plays oftentimes overshadow great hustle (think Robert Meachem) and sometimes, luck just manifests itself as a kicker missed a 23 year field goal.

It’s also important to note that Sean Payton wants the Saints to finish 16-0. He thinks the quest for perfection will energize his team of playoff rookies. Will the gambit pay off?

Giants 31, Cowboys 24

Will the real New York Giants please stand up?

I mean, I don’t know what made me sicker…Brandon Jacobs catching a 74-yard screen pass TD or Rodney Harrison criticizing Tony Romo for going to Vegas after the Thanksgiving game.

Romo had a great game against the Giants but it was a bad Marion Barber fumble and the horrible defense on the Jacobs TD pass that really cost the ‘Boys in this game. People are already calling this the start of a December swoon and this and that but I tell you what, if Tony Romo keeps playing like this the Cowboys aren’t going to lose that many more games.

It feels like a loss that could’ve been avoided by Dallas but it happens. They need to just move on, shut out the voices in the media (especially Rodney Harrison) and just play some football.

Raiders 27, Steelers 24

What the hell happened to the defending champs?

Bruce Gradkowski treated that Steelers defense like Tom Cable treats his assistant coaches. 20-33 passing, 308 yards and 3 TDs plus 3 rushed for 20 yards? Games like this just make the JaMarcus Russell era that much more embarrassing.

I gotta say, I’m kind of pulling for the Raiders these next couple of weeks. They’ve got some talent on defense, it looks like they’re trying and they’re getting some great efforts from rookies (Louis Murphy) and Gradkowski. I never thought I’d say this, but the Raiders are a bit of a feel good story, don’t ya think?

On the flip side, what is up with the Steelers? A loss like this cannot happen, especially when you’ve got your star QB back. I don’t know. Maybe they need to just shrug this game off and treat it like a fluke. On Thursday they have to go to Cleveland and if they drop one there, you might as well just write them off for the rest of the year.

Packers 27, Ravens 14

Good win.

This game was sloppy as hell and the refs couldn’t wait to throw the flags, but I won’t complain. I don’t have too many big cohesive thoughts on the game, so here are a few little ones…

• B.J. Raji has arrived. I hadn’t noticed his play too much this year but against the Ravens, Raji was ever-present. The Packers front line was great, shutting down Ray Rice and preventing him from getting into the secondary. Rice and Willis McGahee combined for 18 carries and 50 yards and that was a huge reason the Packers won.

• With Chad Clifton healthy and with Mark Tauscher returning to Green Bay, the Packers actually have two good tackles. And if you hadn’t noticed, Aaron Rodgers is getting sacked a lot less recently. You don’t hear as many “throw it away” calls when he isn’t getting killed non-stop, do ya?

• Charles Woodson quite possibly made the play of the game and he did it without an INT. On a 1st and Goal on the Packer 1 yard line, the Ravens tried a sweep to Willis McGahee. Fullback Le’Ron McClain kicked out an end like he was supposed and he seemingly helped free McGahee to the outside. However, Charles Woodson waited for McClain to pass him. After McClain made his block, Woodson leapt through the line on a miracle dive and was able to hit McGahee in his thighs. McGahee was tripped up and fell over for a two yard loss. The next play, Flacco got picked off and the Packers went on to win.

Colts 27, Titans 17

The Titans just made too many mistakes. You can’t make mistakes against the Colts, because Peyton Manning will be unforgiving.

The Titans run isn’t over just yet. At 5-7, they can still make a push for the playoffs and I hope they do continue to rip off some wins. This weekend they’ve got the Rams and that could mean big, big things for Chris Johnson.

The BCS

2009-12-07T02:04:00.000-05:00

Every year I seem to go back and forth on the merits and flaws of the Bowl Championship Series and I always seem to wind up in the same place: I dislike the system but I also have yet to hear a better alternative. I hate the cries of “playoff” without anyone actually sitting down and figuring out how it would work. You don’t want to de-emphasize the regular season by allowing a large number of teams to enter, you don’t want to make the system so exclusive to exclude teams with legit shots at winning. You have to include the Big 6 conferences but you also have to make room for any potential mid-major schools that deserve to keep playing. Seeding would still be based off of computers or human voting and you’d end up with conference champs playing “at large” teams that are ranked higher. Even after you figure all of that out, you have to figure out a way to make all of the NCAA sponsors and bowl game officials happy. It’s not an easy task and as I’ve said before, I think college football in general needs an overhaul before you can even think about instituting a playoff.

While I’d normally wind up saying that the BCS has given us a championship game of the two best teams, I just can’t sit back anymore and allow people to give the BCS any sort of credit. This year had too many twists and turns and I’m tired of people ignoring one of the biggest flaws of college football.

First of all, I’d like everyone to take a look at the Bowl Schedule and just see what the BCS has created, most notably the Fiesta Bowl:

Boise State versus TCU

Here’s the thing, I understand that just playing in a bowl game of this caliber is great for either team. You can’t buy better publicity and exposure for your program than this. At the same time, I feel like it’s an absolute crime to force these teams to play each other. People are going to hide behind the pros of this game, the same ones I just mentioned. But the BCS has basically put the two biggest BCS busters against each other in an effort to skirt any talk of either team deserving a National Championship bid. One of these teams is going to walk away undefeated and with a Fiesta Bowl crown…good for them. What they will miss out on is the chance to take down a Big 6 school like Florida or Iowa or Georgia Tech and say “we belong”. Instead, the winner will have to hear the same tired arguments that they didn’t beat any major teams and this and that (even though Oregon’s one loss is to Boise State).

Secondly, take a look at the Sugar Bowl:

Florida versus Cincinnati

Cincinnati is a Big East school and they have yet to lose a game. Meanwhile, Florida is the defending National Champ. They lost the SEC title game to Alabama, a team that could walk away as this year’s National Champ. Florida is without a doubt one of the best team’s in the country and they play in what is considered the class of the BCS conferences. If Cincinnati wins this game, they have every right to bitch and moan and complain about not playing for the BCS title. Unlike Utah of last year, Cincy plays in a BCS conference. They beat Oregon State (who just missed out on a Rose Bowl bid) and every ranked team they played this year they played on the road and obviously they won each game. You could argue too that Cincy played a tougher schedule than Texas. Texas didn’t play a team ranked higher than 14 (Cincy’s highest was 15) and the Longhorns also didn’t play a tough out of conference game (unless you consider Wyoming, UTEP, Louisiana-Monroe or UCF tough). The reason Texas is playing over Cincinnati is simple and it’s the biggest flaw of college football:

Texas had more success last year, they have a Heisman front runner and they have more publicity surrounding their recruits.

Say whatever you want about college football but you cannot deny that past success and recruiting rankings don’t factor into actual rankings. The top 25 is voted upon at the start of the year and right then and there you’re creating bias. When teams haven’t played a game yet, you have to rank basically on who you believe is best. You look at results of last year and who had a higher recruiting class. You look for established stars and you look for pedigree. Texas had Colt McCoy, they had one loss last year and they won a big bowl game. Because of that, they were a universal top three ranked team heading into this season. While you may see teams get “jumped” occasionally in the standings after wins, there was no way Texas was leaving the top two or three without a loss. Cincinnati, who wasn’t even ranked to start the season, had an uphill and near impossible hill to climb. They had no control of their destiny as they had to hope and prey that Texas lost and that the BCS Gods would give them the title berth over the loser of Florida/Alabama. That didn’t come to fruition and now they are stuck playing in a high profile bowl with no shot at a National Title.

This is the aspect of college football I cannot get over. Too much of the sport is perception. It’s why Notre Dame is constantly in the spotlight despite being irrelevant, it’s why USC is still a Top 25 BCS team despite having four losses (two really embarrassing losses too) and it’s why Texas is “better” than Cincinnati. For all we know, Cincy is just as good as Texas. But because Texas has “been there before”, they get the benefit of the doubt and a chance at national glory. Meanwhile, Cincinnati should just be happy to be in a BCS bowl and thankful for the exposure. Screw that.

I’m not the only one who is going to preach for Cincy to get a shot at the title and I already know what all the know-it-alls are going to say.

“Cincinnati is going to get crushed by Florida and they’d get crushed by Alabama or Texas. Come on…it’s Cincinnati”

Listen, I’m not saying Cincy would definitely beat any of those teams but they’ve certainly earned the right to play them. College football is all smoke and mirrors. It’s a bunch of “what ifs” and he said, she said and it’s not enough results. In college basketball, you can rank a team however you’d like but at the end of the day, the “best” teams still have to go through the mid-major scrubs. I know it’s a different sport but it doesn’t change the fact that the college hoops gets it right.

Really, I wish I could’ve come up with a solution to college football but there isn’t a practical one. Honestly, to have any semblance of being fair you’d have to eliminate rankings (for at least a few weeks into the season) and you’d probably have to just split up the FBS so that there’d be two championships or something like that. You’d also have to do something about conferences and mandate certain clauses into the scheduling and none of that is going to happen anytime soon.

So for now, we’re all just going to have to live with it. This past weekend of college football was exciting and it might as well have been the end of the season. The title game will get its ratings, but I can’t imagine many casual fans are that excited to see Texas and Alabama play. I know I’m not. If you ask me, there was more excitement over who would get into the title game than the actual game itself. And that, my friends, is the simplest reason why the BCS sucks…33 meaningless bowls and one title game.

The NCAA wouldn’t have it any other way.

Week 12 Stories

2009-12-01T02:18:00.001-05:00

Titans 20, Cardinals 17

At what point do you think Matt Leinart had Vietnam-like flashbacks to the 2006 Rose Bowl? Was it when they punted? Was it halfway through the final drive? Was it after the touchdown? Poor Matt Leinart. The guy played pretty well against Tennessee and he’s proving he shouldn’t really be given up on yet, but Vince Young just keeps standing in his way.

Before we get to the drive, there are a few things I want to bring up. First, Chris Johnson. Adrian Peterson is great and all, but Chris Johnson is the best running back in the league right now. Both Peterson and Johnson are excellent runners but Johnson gets the edge because of his pass catching ability and because of Peterson’s fumble problems. Not only that, but Johnson is averaging 6.4 yards/carry this year (8.4 against Arizona) and check out this stat: Johnson only has two games this year without at least one 30+ yard rush. The guy is nothing short of awesome and he’s a huge reason for Tennessee’s resurgence.

I think this game showed why the Cardinals grabbed Beanie Wells. When Kurt Warner retires or can’t play, the Cards are going to need a grind it out runner. Leinart seems to be a pretty good decision maker, I’m just not sure he can get the ball downfield like Warner can. With Wells and Leinart, the Cardinals are eventually going to be a lot more traditional.

Now, let’s talk Vince Young and let’s talk about that drive. The Titans had 2 minutes 37 seconds and two timeouts…they also had 99 yards to go and they needed a touchdown. I was able to watch it thanks to the Red Zone channel and I couldn’t help but root for the Titans.

On the drive, Vince Young was 9-15 for 94 yards, 6 rush yards and he was 3-3 on fourth down. It’s not his numbers that impress me though. If you saw the drive, you saw a near perfect execution of the two minute drill. No wasted time, no panic, just calm, collective passing.

The Titans faced their first 4th and 4 early in the drive and I believe they completed the pass at the two minute warning or right after it. After that, Vince Young threw five completions to receivers who were able to get out of bounds. Of his nine completions, only three didn’t stop the clock. That’s important in these situations. How many times do you see a QB throw it over the middle of the field just to see priceless time tick off the clock as his team struggles to get set? The Titans didn’t have to worry about that. I mean, the Titans started the drive with 2:37 on the clock and didn’t use a timeout until 90 yards later at 21 seconds. That’s incredible. Young was hitting receivers in stride and they were able to get out of bounds while getting yardage. Having those timeouts was important too because when the Cardinals were able to sack Young for a yard loss the Titans were immediately able to kill the clock. That was with 11 seconds remaining too, so if they didn’t have that timeout they are likely rushing the final play of the game.

The Titans are currently 5-6 and the last wild card spot in the AFC is held by a 6-5 team. I really, really want the Titans to keep winning and take that spot. It’s just an awesome, feel good story and you can’t help but respect and love the efforts being put in by Johnson, Young, rookie Kenny Britt, the defense, Jeff Fisher and of course Bud Adams and his middle fingers.

Saints 38, Patriots 17

Well this one escalated quickly…

No quarterback has ever eviscerated a Belichick team like Drew Brees did on Monday night. At the end of the game, Brees had a perfect 158.3 QB rating, 5 TDs, a scant five incompletions and 371 yards.

What impressed me so much about Brees was that he wasn’t forcing anything. He kept finding single coverage and he kept throwing absolutely perfect passes. His receivers were able to run in stride and it didn’t matter if it was long or short. Brees was simply incredible and he is not only in consideration for the MVP award, but you almost have to throw him in the discussion of best QB in the game today (with Peyton Manning being the only option I’d listen to after this spanking).

What I found interesting about this game was how quickly the Pats were forced away from their game plan. The Saints biggest strength on defense is their secondary. Opposing quarterbacks have a combined QB rating of 57.6 against New Orleans (best in the league) while opposing running backs have found success (4.5 yards/carry). 51 of the first 80 yards the Pats picked up on their opening TD drive were on the ground and two of Brady’s three completions were to running backs. It seemed the Pats were going to do a very Belichick-like thing and attack a weakness. The 2nd drive, however, Brady was picked off. The Pats still tried to run for a good part of the 1st half but when the Colts jumped up to a 24-10 halftime lead, it was pass-pass-pass.

Really, the only thing stopping the Saints from going 16-0 is the Saints. Well, them and the Cowboys. Next week the Saints go to Washington, then Atlanta followed by two home games versus the ‘Boys and the ‘Bucs. They end the season in Carolina and if they wanted to, I think the Saints could run the table. With Minnesota at 10-1 though, homefield could very well be up for grabs in the final few weeks so it’s still very, very possible.

Broncos 26, Giants 6

I didn’t really like the Giants chances coming into this one for two reasons: short week and altitude. Teams have enough trouble adjusting to the rarified air when they have a full week to prepare. The Giants had no time to adjust apparently and they just got whooped on.

The big question right now is what is wrong with the Giants? It’s a few things.

First, I don’t think Brandon Jacobs is that good of a running back. Yes, he’s huge. Yes, he’d be trouble for any defensive back to tackle in open field. However, he has hands made out of brick and Eli Manning and the Giants like throwing to RBs. That’s a problem. Another problem is Jacobs not being able to hit holes quick enough and his inability to stay on his feet when hit low. If you take Jacobs up high, you’re screwed. If you get enough of his leg, he can’t keep his balance. I keep saying it, but the Giants need a more versatile running back. Ahmad Bradshaw is not an every down answer. I think they need someone like Derrick Ward, who can run between the tackles, who can get outside and who can catch passes.

Secondly, the Giants defense just isn’t the same. They’ve had injury problems in the secondary and while their front line is full of depth, their secondary is not.

Finally, I don’t think the Giants are very well coached. The offense never has any sense of urgency and they have to be one of the slowest teams at getting to the line.

I don’t think these recent woes are a fluke for the G-Men. They don’t look like that good of a football team anymore and if they don’t come together and right the ship, I think they could be headed to mediocrity.

Bills 31, Dolphins 14

If Dick Jauron is coaching the Bills still, I’m not sure they win this game. How so? Well, Jauron is an ultra-conservative coach who doesn’t take chances. On Sunday, the Bills took some chances.

Down 14-7 nearing the end of the 3rd quarter, the Bills faced a 4th and 1 on the Dolphins 36. Jauron likely would’ve sent out his field goal unit or maybe even punted solely because it was 4th down. Interim coach Perry Fewell elected to go for the 1st and Ryan Fitzpatrick was able to scamper for 8 yards. A few plays later, the Bills had tied the game on a Fred Jackson TD run. 14-14. Flash forward to later in the game. The Bills had taken a 17-14 lead on a 56 yard field goal (would Jauron have punted, opting for field position over points?). On the ensuing Dolphins possession, Chad Henne was picked off around mid-field. The safe thing for Buffalo to do would have been to run the ball, eat some clock. Electing to actually try and win the game, the Bills threw deep on the first play and got a 51 yard TD from Terrell Owens. Down two scores now, the Dolphins got picked off again and the Bills were able to stuff another TD in against a demoralized Dolphins defense.

So I ask, does a Dick Jauron led team win that game? I don’t know. What I do know is that this Bills team has to be loving the Perry Fewell era. No more playing like wimps. No more conservative play calling. Terrell Owens has been let loose and the Bills look like a fun team to watch…for now at least.

Colts 35, Texans 27

The Texans are trying to find ways to lose games to the Colts now, aren’t they? This time Matt Schaub pulled a Sage Rosenfels by throwing a pick six in the 4th quarter and fumbling away another potential drive. The Texans did a lot of things right on Sunday and just ended up falling short again.

I don’t know what this team needs to do, but they need to figure something out. Matt Schaub is good, they one of the best receivers in the game and the defense is solid enough. If they finish 8-8 again you gotta wonder if Gary Kubiak keeps his job. And if he doesn’t keep it, wouldn’t this be a perfect place for any free agent coach to go? Wouldn’t Mike Shanahan or Bill Cowher love to have an established QB over a project?

As for the Colts, they continue to pull out tough games and Peyton Manning continues to prove he is the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be. I mean that too. I wouldn’t pick any other quarterback, from any era, to run my team. I think people forget that the Colts don’t spend any money and that Peyton is continuously forcing the Colts to overachieve. I don’t think he was ever a “choke artist”, just a QB playing with the chips stacked against him. Yes they’ve had Reggie Wayne, Edgerrin James, Marvin Harrison, Dallas Clark and others, but they are all homegrown and the Colts never have an imposing defense or any depth. Hell, Brandon Stokley was a 1,000 receiver on the Colts one year and his 2nd best season is 635 yards. Peyton makes his teammates look good. That’s not to say someone like Reggie Wayne isn’t talented, I’m just saying they should be more thankful for him than he of them.

Packers 34, Lions 12

I said a couple of weeks ago that Charles Woodson wasn’t getting any love. I now take that back, because all I hear now is Woodson this and Woodson that and rightfully so. The guy has been fantastic.

I know the Packers haven’t had the most daunting of schedules this year, but I hope everyone is taking notice of what Aaron Rodgers is doing this year. Only Brett Favre and Drew Brees have a higher passer rating, he has only thrown 5 INTs (3 came in one game), he leads all QBs in rushing, he has a 65.5 completion percentage and he’s top five in yards, yards/attempt and TDs and he hasn’t lost a single fumble all season (only two fumbles total)…all while being the most sacked/hit quarterback in the league.

Vikings 36, Bears 10

Brett Favre didn’t throw an INT the entire month of November….WTF?!?!?!

Ravens 20, Steelers 17 (OT)

Football can be a cruel mistress sometimes. Dennis Dixon played a pretty good football game against an intimidating defense. He kept them in the game and while he wasn’t great, he certainly wasn’t bad. In overtime, he threw a bad INT and the Ravens went on to win the game. I mean, can you even criticize Dixon for that? The Steelers were in the game because Dixon didn’t turn the ball over and made some big plays and then it was over like that. I just think that this is one of those losses that you just can’t feel that bad about.

While we’re here, what does everyone think of the Ben Roethlisberger situation and Hines Ward’s comments? I feel like all of the recent concussion studies and what not are going to draw a real line in the sand among football players. On one hand, you have these psycho gladiators that will play through any injury at any cost and on the other hand you have players who are legitimately concerned about their long term well being. There’s going to be a lot of questioning by some if Big Ben is committed to winning and there’s going to be a lot of questioning of Hines Ward for acting like Roethlisberger should’ve played through a concussion. It’s an ugly situation and I have to agree with Big Ben and Mike Tomlin on this one. Safety first, right?

One more note on concussions: I was listening to the radio the other night and I heard about a study that was conducted. The study suggested that it would be safer if players didn’t wear helmets at all. That not wearing helmets would force players to tackle in a more fundamentally sound way and that the extra caution would be good. This was by far the stupidest thing I have ever heard and if you weren’t skeptical of “studies” already, you should be now. Injuries would be far greater if players didn’t wear helmets and you’d almost certainly see death if this were the case. It’s hard to think about “caution” when someone is running toward you and I would not want to see the blood and carnage that came from a gang tackle.

Do You Respect Wood?

2009-11-24T17:22:00.001-05:00

The 7th season of CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM ended on Sunday and it did so bang. I thought this season was a little too random and wasn’t as good as the others. Having said that, the funny was still there and the last two episodes provided tons of laughs.

What was so great about the finale and the final two episodes really was just all the little callbacks to SEINFELD and all the interactions between Jerry and Larry. One of my favorite moments was when Jerry sided with Mocha Joe on the favor, because time and time again Jerry did that sort of thing to George on SEINFELD. He would take the side of the other person in the argument and push the person so far as to get George to do something he really didn’t want to do. In this case, it was a favor.

Let me just say too, seeing the SEINFELD cast together again was awesome. When they were all in costume in the beginning of the finale and Michael Richards had the Kramer hair you just couldn’t help but smile. He was Kramer again, Jason Alexander was George again and Julia Louis-Dreyfuss was Elaine again, albeit an amazingly beautiful Elaine. Seriously, she was always cute on SEINFELD but she has morphed into a stunner. As the episode progressed, you could see a lot of the extras from SEINFELD popping up as set workers. Of course, this would have been terrible if not for some good execution on the reunion. The Madoff thing and the iToilet did seem a little lame but when the characters were talking and complaining it was just like old times. I loved Jerry pointing out Elaine keeping her head down while using the blackberry and Kramer calling a pre-nup a ponzi scheme. It was classic.

What really worked too was just how aware everyone was of SEINFELD. You had to appreciate Jerry and the cast pointing out that the original finale wasn’t great and you had to love Larry defending it. The best though was Larry quitting the show. Larry David apparently quit SEINFELD several times during it’s original run and it would only be natural that he’d quit again.

As much as I’d love to see CURB come back for another season, I think this episode would work perfectly as a series finale. What better way to end it then Larry quitting work and for him to win back Cheryl, only to immediately question her respect for wood and to ruin an intimate moment by calling Julia Louis-Dreyfuss just to prove that he wasn’t the one who left a ring stain. It’s a perfect ending to what has been a fantastic show about nothing.

Week 11 Stories

2009-11-24T02:11:00.001-05:00

Lions 38, Browns 37

I never thought I’d be leading off with this game, but it turned out to be one of the most exciting games of the year. The Browns came into the game with five offensive touchdowns and put up four against the Lions. Matthew Stafford started the game with six total TD passes and ended up with 11 total by the end of the day. There was offense, there was trickery, there was controversy and there was a fantastic finish. Who knew?

Now, I hope people feel dumb for criticizing Bill Belichick when guys like Eric Mangini are around. What did the Mangenius do? Well, as the clock ran out the Lions heaved up a Hail Mary into the end zone and actually drew a pass interference call. Some would argue that call shouldn’t be made at that time of the game, but the Cleveland defenders were preventing Lions receivers from moving toward the ball. It’s not like there was a scuffle for the ball in one big pile, Stafford put it in a spot where the receivers had to get to. I’ve always wondered why teams didn’t do that more, but that’s neither here nor there. Anyways, Stafford was crushed on that play and was clearly injured. He came off the field and Daunte Culpepper was ready to take the snap on an untimed down on the final play of the game. Both teams were set and what does Mangini do? HE CALLS TIMEOUT!!!!

Why in the hell would you call a timeout when the other team’s backup QB was thrust into action in the most crucial spot of the game? Stafford had four TD passes at that point and Culpepper hadn’t played at all. The Browns should’ve been thrilled that an ice cold Culpepper was in the game and it’s not like he does stuff Stafford can’t. Stafford is plenty mobile and they both have rocket arms. With time to recover, Stafford re-entered the game and the rest is history. Touchdown Lions, extra point good, game over.

These are the type of coaching decisions that deserve to be picked apart. What Mangini did was nothing short of dumb. Was your defensive play call really that bad that you needed to try it again? Why would you be worried about Daunte Culpepper? Belichick played the odds, Mangini just screwed up.

Packers 30, 49ers 24

Don’t look now but the Packers are 6-4 and get to play a depleted Lions team on Thursday. Honestly, I have no idea how good this Packers team is right now. They will have to play the rest of the season without Aaron Kampman and Al Harris and Aaron Rodgers is still getting hit regularly. Still, two nice wins against the Cowboys and the 49ers have me feeling a little more optimistic. Let’s hope they take out the Lions with ease as they prep for a tough game against the Ravens in Week 13.

Giants 34, Falcons 31 (OT)

Waaah, the Falcons didn’t get to play offense. How unfair.

Listen, I just don’t have any sympathy for the Falcons in this situation. Why? Well, I just detailed my reasons in an Overtime Breakdown post, but to paraphrase: In the NFL, you need to play offense, defense and special teams. This is professional football, not feel good football that dictates both teams get a “fair” shot to win. You lose the coin toss, so what? If you can’t cover the kick and if you can’t force a stop then you don’t deserve to win. It’s not a foregone conclusion that the coin toss winner is going to win. Ask Matt Hasselbeck.

As for the rest of the game, it was well played and hard fought. Matt Ryan shook off some recent woahs and put together a solid effort and Eli had a very good game. It continues to surprise me, however, how mediocre the Giants running game has been at times this year. I really think they’d benefit from getting Danny Ware more touches. I don’t think Ahmad Bradshaw is that good, he’s just fast and a beneficiary of strong blocking. Ware has more power than him and some good speed. Why not mix him in more?

Also, I feel bad for the Falcons this year. They’re playing well and just not finishing games. Ultimately I think they’ll be better for this season. It’ll give them some humility and they should be able to learn a lot from losing. Matt Ryan will have some good game tape to study and if he can cope with the adversity, the Falcons will be a tough team to beat next year.

Patriots 31, Jets 14

The Patriots might not run the ball well, but they have the next best thing: A short passing game. When you can hit Wes Welker and friends for 5-10 yard pick-ups with ease, why do you need to run?

And as much as I hate the Patriots, I love how aggravated people get at them throwing with big leads. That’s just their offense. Why go through the song and dance of running up the gut three straight times and punting when you know your offense is capable of picking up first downs and getting the game with over quicker? It’s the same logic Belichick used on the 4th and 2 call. He doesn’t mean to offend anyone, it’s just the Patriots do one thing really well and that’s there best ticket to winning. End of story.

Chiefs 27, Steelers 24 (OT)

I really don’t think the Chiefs are that bad. They’re not good, but when it comes to sucking the Browns, Lions and Raiders have them beat. Matt Cassel is having an OK season (12 TDs-6 INTs, 55.0 completion percentage) and Jamaal Charles is better than Larry Johnson at this point. They’ll miss Dwayne Bowe but they aren’t competing for anything this year anyways. The Chiefs could actually be in good hands.

One other note: Did anyone else see the long catch by Chris Chambers in overtime? I’m not sure if took any flak for this, but he ran out of bounds at the Steelers four yard line. He easily could have cut back and at the very least picked up a yard or two more and if he had enough push in him he could have scored. Instead, he just took the easy road and stepped out of bounds. The Chiefs won, obviously, but stuff like that bothers me. It’s no wonder the Chargers kicked him to the curb.

Dolphins 24, Panthers 17

Ricky Williams sure did smoke that Panthers defense…

Nothing? OK.

The Dolphins just keep plugging and running away and at 5-5 they are still in the hunt. They weren’t hurt by Ronnie Brown’s absence in this one and perhaps they’ll be running a more traditional offense from now on. And hell, if Williams keeps putting up performances like this one, he’ll might have to reconsider that retirement plan.

Raiders 20, Bengals 17

I said last week I wouldn’t be surprised if the Bengals lost one of their next three (they have the Browns and Lions next) and sure enough, they dropped one to the Raiders.

I love that the Raiders won with Bruce Gradkowski at the helm. He had a decent game, completing 50 percent of his passes for 183 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT, which easily ranks as the best game by a Raiders QB this year. And hey, he did it without a running game too.

The Bengals didn’t have Cedric Benson, but it’s not like he was sorely missed. Bernard Scott ripped off 119 yards on 21 carries and he caught three passes for 32 yards as well. Cincy lost because Carson Palmer had a pedestrian day and of course, because Andre Caldwell fumbled the game away. Stuff like this happens and the Bengals would do best to just shrug it off and put a thumping on the Browns.

Titans 20, Texans 17

A few weeks ago a certain sports guy on ESPN had the nerve to call out Jeff Fisher. This guy claimed that Fisher was overrated because the Titans have only made the playoffs twice since 2004 and six times in his 14 year career. Its guys like this that need to shut up.

Fisher is 130-110 in 14 full seasons with the Titans (.542 win percentage) and yes, the Titans have only made the playoffs six times in 14 years with Fisher at the helm. In his first few years as coach, Fisher was grooming and molding a young player named Steve McNair. Other than Eddie George, the Oilers/Titans didn’t have much else offensively. In fact, Frank Wychek was their leading receiver for a few years. Anyways, the Titans would go on a 56-24 run from 1999-2003 which included one of the most heartbreaking Super Bowl losses. In 2004, injuries caught up with McNair and the Titans struggled to stay competitive as backups took more and more snaps. In 2006, the Titans drafted Vince Young and made the playoffs in his 2nd year, despite Young putting up less than stellar numbers. The next year, Kerry freaking Collins led the team to a 13-3 record. Collins started off this season going 0-6 and since putting Young back into the starting role, the Titans have won four straight. What’s the point of all of that?

It’s just downright stupid to call Jeff Fisher overrated when he has continually fielded competitive teams without much help from the front office. Seriously, the Titans haven’t had a single quarterback start 16 games since 2002. They’ve spent most of this decade with guys like Drew Bennett and Justin Gage leading their team in receiving (they haven’t had a 1,000 yard receiver since 2004). Fisher has been in Tennessee for a while with limited resources and just draft classes to work with. A lot of coaches would flat out fail in his situation, yet Fisher pushes on. Yes, he has gone through ups and downs but isn’t that only natural for a guy who has been there for 15 years?

Well, this overrated coach is now right back into the thick of things. How many teams would have just quit after dropping six straight to start the season, including that embarrassing loss to the Pats? Vince Young and Chris Johnson definitely deserve a ton of credit but so does Fisher.

Early NBA Thoughts and Stories

2009-11-23T18:33:00.000-05:00

The season is still young but that doesn’t mean there isn’t stuff to talk about. We’ve had a relatively big trade, a monster rookie and some surprise teams atop their divisions. I want to talk NBA more on here so let’s just start it up:

Brandon Jennings and the Bucks

In 11 games, Jennings is averaging 25.3 points, 5.5 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 1.0 steal and 3.4 turnovers a game, all while shooting 47.9 percent from the field and 49.1 percent from three. I mean, wow. As someone who took a $1 flier on Jennings in his fantasy auction, I have been thrilled to follow Jennings early season dominance and his 55 point effort was nothing short of amazing. What’s even more impressive is the fact that Bucks are 8-3 right now. This is a team has started the likes of Hakim Warrick, Charlie Bell, Ersan Ilyasova, Carlos Delfino and Dan Gadzuric, yet they are 8-3.

Now, a lot of people are jumping on the Knicks for not picking Jennings, which is simultaneously fair and unfair. Sure it’s fun to bash the Knicks for being incompetent, but last I checked six other teams passed on Jennings as well. Don’t the Grizzlies deserve some heat for taking Hasheem Thabeet (1.3 PPG and 2.1 RPG) number two? What about the T-Wolves, who passed on Jennings twice and picked two other point guards? What about the Thunder? If they had taken Jennings they’d have one of best young group of players in league history. Imagine what Jennings would be doing in the up tempo Golden State offense? And imagine if he was playing with Chris Bosh, Hedo Turkoglu and Andrea Bargnani. I mean, the Kings are currently the only team who shouldn’t feel a little remorse because of Tyreke Evans strong early play.

The question I have to ask is did Jennings playing in Europe hurt or help him? I’d imagine the style of play in Europe is more similar to professional hoops. But if Jennings went to college for a year, he’d have likely put up some big numbers and put himself much higher on team radars. Know what? Who cares? Jennings is here now and while I wish he was lighting it up for the Knicks, it’s still good to have a player like him in the league.

Allen Iverson and Grizzlies part ways

I refuse to believe that it’s over for Allen Iverson. I think playing on a winner could be a real shot of life for a guy like him and I’m a little surprised that teams aren’t really competing to sign him yet. Maybe there is a reason he had to sign with Memphis this off-season, but how can a guy that hard working and talented just be done over night? The question remains then: who should sign AI?

Part of me really wishes the Knicks just signed him in the off-season and part of me wishes they’d sign him now. After all, Iverson would be very popular in New York and he’d get a chance to play in a very offense friendly environment. On the other hand, the Knicks already have Chris Duhon, Larry Hughes, Nate Robinson and Toney Douglas and adding another point/shooting guard would just mess up the rotation a lot.

My guess is a contender will eventually come knocking, but who? The Celtics signed Stephon Marbury last year and you’ve got to wonder if they’ll take another chance on a troubled former star. The Magic don’t seem like a good fit as long as Vince Carter is healthy, I can’t imagine the Lakers adding him, the Suns don’t spend money, the Nuggets have been there before and the Cavs, Mavs and Blazers have enough back court help. Those are teams that don’t seem to make sense. Here are some that do:

The Spurs: Signing Iverson would almost be an “all in” moment. They are 5-6 to start the year and while I’m sure they’ll kick it up soon, it might be in there best interest to just add as much talent as possible for one more finals run. The clock is ticking for the Spurs and Iverson could rotate with Manu Ginobili at the two. The Spurs have a strong pecking order in place and Iverson would likely be thrilled to play with so many great players.

The Rockets: Do they dare? They don’t seem interested at all in playing Tracy McGrady and Iverson could ruin the star-less, hard-working, chemistry team the Rockets currently have. But let’s be real, they could use another scorer and Iverson is mentally tougher than T-Mac is.

The Jazz: This one seems to make pretty good sense to me. The Jazz, for whatever reason, have fallen from legit title contender to an above average team in the West. Iverson would give the Jazz depth and scoring and while he might not take them to the next level, they would have at least tried.

The Hornets: This is the team I deem to be the best fit. The Hornets have gotten mediocre production from their shooting guards over the years and they could really use some sort of help. Iverson would be playing with the best PG in the league, a solid power forward (David West) and shot blocking center (Emeka Okafor) and he’d probably get a chance to shoot as much as he needed to. The Hornets need to do something to help Chris Paul and outside of a trade, Iverson is the best move.

The New Jersey Nets: 0-13

It’s really not all bad in New Jersey. Devin Harris is returning, Brook Lopez is legit and Chris Douglas-Roberts and Terrence Williams have been very pleasant surprises. The Nets are very young and probably won’t contend anytime soon, but they won’t be winless for long.

Stephen Jackson traded to the Bobcats

Jackson and Acie Law were dealt to Charlotte in exchange for Raja Bell and Vladimir Radmanovic. One could definitely argue that the Warriors did not get equal value in return but Jackson didn’t want to play in Golden State anymore and they needed to get something in return.

Charlotte, on the other hand, has to be pretty pleased with the deal. Jackson and Gerald Wallace can really wreak havoc on teams with their size and athleticism and Jackson gives them a scorer they desperately needed. A starting five of Raymond Felton, Jackson, Wallace, Boris Diaw and Tyson Chandler looks pretty good, but it probably won’t be enough for Charlotte to make the playoffs. Still, I think you have to give them credit for rolling the dice as much as they have.

Nate Robinson shoots at own basket, media goes crazy

On Saturday November 21st, the Knicks were playing the Nets. At the end of one of the quarters, the Knicks were inbounding the ball on their side of the court with less than a second left. The ball was thrown into Nate Robinson who had zero chance of getting a shot off. Instead, the buzzer rang and a second later, Robinson turned around and hit shot in his own basket. Mike D’Antoni was upset, the media has ripped Robinson for it and meanwhile, I’m scratching my head.

I understand why D’Antoni was mad but Robinson waited for the buzzer before he turned and shot. Maybe it was a little too close for comfort but players do stuff like this all the time. If you’re going to give Robinson crap, then give crap to any player that blocks a shot that was taken after the buzzer. Aren’t they risking unnecessary goaltendings each time they do it?

I only bring this up because of some of the stuff I heard on PTI and Around the Horn today. The overreactions were just a bit too much for my liking.

No Yao, no Artest, no T-Mac, no problem

The Rockets are currently 8-6 and they are winning games with out a definable star. Trevor Ariza, Aaron Brooks and Luis Scola are all having fine seasons but none of them are all-stars. Both Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, the two superstars of the Rockets are out, yet the team remains competitive. What gives?

Well, the NY Times article on Shane Battier might shed the most light. The Rockets are very knowledgeable when it comes to advanced statistics and they might be the smartest team on and off the court in the league. The season is still young and they could easily fall off but what if Houston keeps it up? What if they make the playoffs without their top two players and with a team of glorified role players? What then?

If they do win, this will really push forward the statistics revolution in basketball. When you have a guy like Daryl Morey as the GM, a guy who never played and who worked his way up through the system, making so many great personnel moves and creating a contender out of nothing, then why are teams going to continue to sign stupid former players to evaluate talent?

The Rockets could really change how things are done in the league if they keep winning. If not, well, we’re still moving in the right direction.

Wizards have hidden agendas?

The Wizards are 3-9 despite having Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison, Brendan Haywood, Mike Miller, Randy Foye and Andray Blatche. With Flip Saunders coaching, this team should definitely be in the playoff hunt yet they are struggling to win. What gives?

Well, Agent Zero believes his teammates have ulterior motives. A lot of the Wizards are free agents this off-season and he’s wondering if they aren’t making the same sacrifices he is making. Could this be true?

I don’t think so. I’m tired of people acting like contract situations are in player’s heads during games. Normally you hear it from the media and while you do see the occasional “contract year breakout”, I have a hard time believing competitive athletes are thinking about money during a game.

Personally, I just think the Wizards need a little bit of time. Arenas is still getting back into form (he had 12 turnovers in one game), Jamison has only played three games, Haywood missed most of last year and they’re all getting used to a new coach. This team is too talented not to figure it out and at the end of the day, Gilbert will probably regret calling out his teammates like that.

What else you got?

I’m always open for some discussion so if you didn’t see something in here you’d like to talk about, throw it out there.

Overtime: NFL versus College

2009-11-23T17:38:00.001-05:00

The overtime debate seems to have sprung up again as both college and NFL had some high profile teams playing extra frames. College saw Notre Dame fall to UConn while the Falcons and Steelers fell in OT to the Chiefs and Giants. The main point in these debates is that the NFL OT rule just isn’t fair, that a coin toss shouldn’t decide the winner and so forth.

For those who don’t know, in college, both teams get the ball in overtime. Each team starts at their opponents 25 and if the game is tied after each team gets a possession, they keep alternating. Eventually (I believe after two OTs), teams must go for two if they score a touchdown.

Like I said before, a lot of people think the NFL needs to adopt the college rules for overtime. I am not one of those people and I cannot stand it when people claim the NFL needs to change.

To me, the argument is simple. The NFL is not college football. In professional football, defense counts for something. Special teams count for something. In college, the only thing that matters is offense. Say what you want, but it’s true. There’s too much talent on the offensive side of the ball and the rules favor offensive players. Wide receivers only need one foot down to make a catch, the clock stops after first downs and it’s a lot easier to recruit giant offensive linemen who are a dime a dozen compared to giant defensive linemen who are at a premium even in the NFL. The chips are completely stacked against defenses in college football and their overtime system reflects that.

The NFL is a collection of the best players throughout the country. Teams have money to spend on their players and while there is talent disparity, it’s not like some teams are without NFL caliber players (obviously, I just mean that there are very good players who could start for contenders on bad teams). Who gets the ball first in overtime is decided by a coin flip, but don’t get that confused with who wins the game.

I’ve heard all the complaints before when it comes to NFL overtime. One of my favorites is “it’s too easy for a pass interference or one big play to decide the game”. Well, if it’s so easy why isn’t scoring higher? Why is it a bad thing for a team who makes a big play to not have a chance to win or for a team that screws up to lose?

Defense in professional football is just as important as offense and special teams also hold higher importance. I’m tired of people acting like it’s a foregone conclusion that a team will drive 50-60 yards to get into field goal range for a win. The offense still has to execute and a kicker still has to kick.

You want to talk unfair? Then that would be forcing an NFL defense to go completely against the odds and having to stop a team from scoring when they only need 25 yards to go. Sure both teams get to have the ball but again, why do both teams deserve the ball?

My thought process is that if you can’t stop a big kickoff return or a long drive, you don’t deserve to win. I don’t think it’s unfair that one team actually has to play defense to win the game. I don’t think winning a coin toss guarantees victory either.

College football is a masquerade of a team game. Truth is, the best offense wins. Occasionally there are upsets but we all know the deal. The NFL is the ultimate team game. So what if you have the best offense? A hard nosed Giants team beat the best offensive team in history. The high powered Colts have only won one Super Bowl. The greatest show on turf Rams lost to a clutch defensive Patriots team. The Ravens won with no offense. The Steelers have won twice with little offense. See where I’m going here?

The NFL overtime rules are fine for the NFL and the college overtime rules are fine for college football. There’s no reason to change either and just because there is statistically a slight advantage for the coin toss winner doesn’t mean there needs to be a change in the system.

I don’t want to see the NFL adopt a system that belittles the defense, eliminates a big aspect of special teams (kickoffs and punts) and puts the offense in an even more glorified state. You want to win a real football game? Then play defense. That’s all there is to it.

Week 10 Stories

2009-11-17T02:52:00.001-05:00

Colts 35, Patriots 34

I have already talked about Bill Belichick’s 4th and 2 call, so I’ll reserve this space for the rest of the game. Actually, I’ll do that in a second. Here’s a facebook comment from a friend who disagrees with Belichick:

“It was not the right move. Regardless if Peyton is great at the 2-minute drill, you make them work for it, and do not hand it to them.”

This rhetoric is the one of someone who is just ignoring all the extenuating circumstances. He acknowledges that Peyton is great yet believes it was the right move to give him the ball.

Football is far too enough boiled down into generalities. It’s 4th down so you have to punt. I just watched the Monday night game between the Browns and Ravens. The Browns were down 16 and elected to punt with just under four minutes left. Yes it was 4th and 12 at their own 17 and yes they had two timeouts, but by punting in that situation you are basically giving yourself zero chance to win. So what if the Ravens score right after, it’s a risk you have to take if you want any chance to win the game. The Browns got the ball back with 20 seconds left and they obviously failed to score one TD let alone two.

The point I’m trying to make here is that too many coaches stick to the tried and true because they are afraid. I don’t mean to sound too much like ESPN’s Gregg Easterbrook a.k.a. The Tuesday Morning Quarterback, but punting isn’t your only option on 4th down and teams too often elect to punt in situations that would benefit them much more to go for it. I’m not saying teams should go for it all the time, because there are times where punting is the best thing to do. But to ignore everything surrounding Belichick’s decision and to criticize him merely because it was 4th and you have to punt is silly. Sure you could make Peyton work for it, but if you’d rather hope that he makes a mistake rather than taking control of your own destiny, then you’re not doing what needs to be done to win.

One other point: To those who keep talking about Belichick disrespecting the defense, just think to yourselves: if the defense is pissed, they aren’t thinking big picture. It’s not disrespect that your future Hall of Fame quarterback is going to try to win the game and not even give the other Hall of Fame QB a chance. It’s just logic.

Now, as for the rest of the game…

Peyton Manning is unbelievable and anyone that thought Brady was ever better was fooling themselves. I was going to save this for a separate post, but Manning was has had disadvantages in his career that Tom Brady has not. How so? Well, name me one big Colts free agent signing from the past few years. Can you think of any? Because I certainly can’t. Now think about the Pats. Name some of their big signings and trades…Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Adalius Thomas, Rodney Harrison, Fred Taylor, Donte Stallworth, Shawn Springs just to name a few. What’s the point? The Colts do everything in house. They don’t sign people, they don’t trade, they just draft. When all you do is draft, you are limiting the talent your team will have. The Colts have been fortunate to hit on some good players on both sides of the ball, but when injuries happen they are severely limited.

If there’s one thing these teams have in common it’s great quarterback play. Well, last year the Pats lost Tom Brady and still went 11-5. Do you think if Peyton Manning had gone down at any point in the past few years the Colts would finish that well? I highly doubt it. In fact, I’d be surprised if they finished .500. Peyton Manning is and has been the Colts. He runs the offense, he does more for his team than any other player arguably in the history of the game. So what if he lost a few times earlier in his career. His teams were overachieving in the first place.

Now, finally, onto other game stuff…

How about that game-winning TD catch by Reggie Wayne? That was really a fantastic catch. Wayne snagged a bullet pass straight out of the air and didn’t get to use his body at all as he hit the ground. The ball stayed comfortably in his hands the entire time. That, my friends, was an amazingly clutch catch.

One last note: It’s amazing to me how many people ripped Belichick while ignoring the worst play of the game: Laurence Maroney’s fumble. The Patriots were about to put the game out of reach and Maroney couldn’t do one simple task. If he just covered the ball with both hands we wouldn’t be ripping the best coach in the game.

The big picture here is that ultimately the players play a larger role than the coaches do. A coach can make a decision, it’s the players who play. Of course, we live in a society that asks what have you done for me recently? The Maroney fumble gets lost in the shuffle while the more recent gaffe gets blown out of proportion.

Packers 17, Cowboys 7

I was pleasantly surprised by this W. The Packer defense was amazing, collecting five sacks and reeking havoc all over the secondary. The Packers boast one of the more underrated players in the game right now on defense and it’s funny because the guy is highly paid and has a Heisman. Charles Woodson just makes so many huge plays for the Packers week in and week out and it just always seems to go relatively unnoticed. On Sunday, Woodson made an unbelievable interception at his own goal line. This INT came at the end of a 14 play, 79 yard drive that could have put the ‘Boys down 13 with about six minutes to play. If you didn’t see the INT, Woodson jumped a quick five yard out. The ball was thrown a little low and Woodson was able to dive in front of the receiver and make the catch. It was a fantastic play and it’s just one of many Woodson has made for the Packers since they signed him.

Offensively, Aaron Rodgers was good not great. He of course was hit many times and as some of my friends pointed out, held onto the ball too long. I continue to not think it’s a major problem and hate that this is getting blown out of proportion when the line is the biggest culprit.

As for the Cowboys, they played well but I think they threw too much. They averaged 4.4 yards per carry and Marion Barber averaged 5.2 yards/carry on only five carries. Felix Jones torched the Packers last year but got only three carries this year.

I also want to point out that the Cowboys are wasting their time running the “Razorback”, their version of the Wildcat. The reason it’s so successful for Miami is they put effort into it. I don’t see the point of running plays out of this formation once or twice a game when you probably don’t practice it too much. The Packers were not surprised by this formation and the ‘Boys wasted plays trying it.

Oh, and since the Cowboys lost let me just save everyone time and blame Tony Romo.

Bengals 18, Steelers 12

Just to state the obvious: The Bengals are very much for real. Carson Palmer isn’t lighting it up like he used to but he doesn’t need to. The Bengals are great defensively, plain and simple. They force turnovers, they get after the quarterback and they just play tough.

The Bengals keep winning these ugly games and they seem more than happy to do so. One of their losses was that miracle loss to Denver in Week 1. In the next three weeks they play the Raiders, Browns and Lions. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them drop one of those games, but they will be a ten plus win team this year.

Chargers 31, Eagles 23

Was that LaDainian Tomlinson of old? 24 carries for 96 yards isn’t spectacular but he had 2 TDs and he seemed to have some speed and shiftiness in his step.

Oh, and remember how I said the Cowboys were wasting time with their Wildcat formation? Well the Eagles have been wasting time with Michael Vick. He’s 2-7 passing for 6 yards this year and he has 12 rushes for 27 yards. Just keep Donovan on the field.

If this game proved anything it’s that the Eagles and Chargers are the two Jekyll and Hyde teams of the league. Some weeks they look great, other weeks you wonder what the hell is going on. I don’t know how to handicap either team, but my guess is they won’t be making serious runs at the title.

Jaguars 24, Jets 22

It’s not that Maurice Jones-Drew took a knee at the one that bothered me, it’s that the Jags didn’t try to score after that. I understand the idea of milking the clock and it obviously worked, but part of me wondered why they didn’t just try a QB sneak and tell David Garrard to just keep the ball completely covered. They also didn’t give themselves any chance at a do-over for the field goal. It was an extra point basically, but still. Again, obviously it worked out fine but it just seemed a little too weird for my liking.

4th and 2

2009-11-16T18:40:00.001-05:00

I cannot believe the amount of people killing Bill Belichick for going for it on 4th and 2 on his own 28. I really can’t. ESPN’s Bill Simmons called the decision “disgraceful”. I’ve heard more than a handful of people call Belichick arrogant for his decision. Please, stop.

I hate the Patriots and I think Belichick can be an ass, but why was that move so bad? Yes, the Patriots lost but I don’t think you can blame that decision.

The Patriots average 6.0 yards a play this season. They have Tom Brady, the 2nd best QB in the game. On the other side of the field was Peyton Manning, the best QB in the game. Manning was red hot in the 4th quarter. So what if the Pats were on their own 28? If I told you your team was guaranteed to win if they got two yards or that you could win if you punted the ball, what option would you accept?

And here’s the thing: It’s not like the Pats threw an incomplete pass or got stuffed on a run. They completed a pass that would have surely gotten them the first down if Kevin Faulk hadn’t bobbled it. They were a mere inches away and one bad break kept them from sealing the deal. Oh, and I love how people blame Belichick for wasting timeouts when they needed to challenge. Why save timeouts just for challenges? Honestly. If you need to use one, do it. Belichick apologized for the timeout aspect but I don’t even think he has to.

I know what a lot of people are saying and I’ll defend this decision against all of your reasoning:

“Every other coach would have punted in that situation”

Yea, you’re right. So even though we all love to make fun of the likes of Norv Turner, Tom Cable, Jim Zorn, Andy Reid, Brad Childress, Lovie Smith, Marvin Lewis, Eric Mangini, Jack del Rio, Dick Jauron and pretty much every other coach in the league, they are somehow right in this decision.

“By punting, the Pats gave themselves the best chance to win”

Why? If you have Tom Brady on your team, why would you not want to give him a chance to win? Why is it better to give Peyton Manning a chance to win? What’s a safer bet? The Pats stopping Manning or Brady and the Pats picking up two yards?

“Peyton Manning wasn’t having that good of a game, so why not make him beat you?”

Has anyone seen a Patriots-Colts game from the past few years? Has anyone ever seen Peyton Manning play? The Colts, time and time again, score in these situations. You think an extra 30 yards is going to stop Peyton Manning? Think again. Before the 4th and 2, Peyton Manning was 7-8 for 103 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. The INT was a miscommunication and what are the odds of that happening again, especially for the smartest QB?

“Bill Belichick slapped his defense in the face by not trusting them to make the stop”

If the Pats had punted, would he be proving he doesn’t trust the offense? Regardless of anyone’s feelings, wasn’t he right for thinking his defense couldn’t stop Manning? I’ll say it again: The Pats offense is great and better than their defense.

“This just proves how arrogant Bill Belichick really is”

Why is this arrogance? Odds are your team that averages over 400 yards of offense a game and 6.0 yards a play is going to get two yards. People are going to obsess over 4th down numbers and find ways to use them against Belichick, but if you just ignore the down and say “Tom Brady needs two yards, will he get them?”, most everyone will say “yes”.

Now, my biggest question for all of you…

When will all this Monday morning quarterbacking stop? Last week we killed Andy Reid for not going for it on 4th and 11, now we’re killing Bill Belichick for going for it on 4th and 2. Give me a break.

Bill Belichick is far and away the best coach in the game right now. He lost his best player last year in Week 1 and found a way for his team to go 11-5 with a backup QB who hadn’t started since high school. How many other coaches can boast that? Furthermore, why does everything fall on Belichick’s shoulders? Last I checked, it was Kevin Faulk who bobbled the pass. It was Tom Brady who made the throw. It was Brandon Meriweather who foolishly tackled Joseph Addai instead of letting him score and giving the offense 1 minute and 45 seconds to get a field goal. And it was Laurence Maroney who didn’t hold onto the ball going into the end zone for what should have been a nail in the coffin.

It’s easy to sit on a couch and be it a know-it-all, it’s not easy to stand on the sideline in enemy territory and make a ballsy call that no other coach would make. Belichick made that ballsy call and they failed. Somehow the world keeps turning despite this.

TV Talk

2009-11-13T02:20:00.001-05:00

I’ve been watching a pretty good amount of shows this fall and yet I haven’t made the time to talk about any of them on here. For the most part I’ve done my TV rants on the Lonely Libertarian’s TV Power Rankings posts that he does weekly. Well, too much has been building up in my head to really satisfy my thirst there so I’m bringing some TV talk onto the old McBlog! I’m just going to do some quick (sometimes) blurbs on each show I’m watching. Below I’ll list in order what I’m going to talk about so if you want to skip ahead, go for it. Be advised though, there will assuredly be spoilers.

The Office
30 Rock
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Community
Curb Your Enthusiasm
South Park
Secret Girlfriend
The League
Flash Forward

THE OFFICE

I bring this up first because I cannot believe what has happened to this show. In its first few seasons, THE OFFICE was must watch TV for me. In fact, it was the show that highlighted my week. It was funny, original and at the same time showed a lot of heart with its large ensemble cast. Now the THE OFFICE is one 30 minute pile of you know what that I can barely get through each week. What changed?

A lot actually. It looks the same and plays the same but it’s not the same. Michael Scott started off as a boorish ass in the six episode first season. There were no redeeming qualities but he was funny. When the show evolved, Michael was still annoying but in a more childish and somewhat endearing way. You new that he meant well in his actions and you found ways to forgive him for it. His character continued to grow providing sage advice at times and just being there for his employees. I can’t help but think back to the “Business School” episode where Michael was asked to speak for Ryan’s class. In that episode, Michael acted like a goof while giving Ryan’s class a speech and when he finds out Ryan actually believed the company was failing, Michael took it to heart. Instead of firing Ryan, Michael tried to “inspire” him with the exact words he was trying to get across during the speech. Later in the episode, Michael is one of two employees who show up at Pam’s art show to provide her support. This was when the show was at its peak.

Now, Michael has lost all empathy from the viewer. In fact, I think the viewer is going through the same process the Dunder-Mifflin employees went through. At first Michael seemed mean, then you realize he meant well and you even learned to enjoy him at times but then as the antics persisted and he kept acting like a child, you realize that it’s not funny anymore and you just want him to shut up.

This entire season of THE OFFICE has been Michael this and Michael that and I cannot stand it. He’s not funny anymore and worse yet, the writers are trying to force us to believe that he is actually a good boss. Take the most recent episode, “Murder”. To try and draw away attention from the company possibly going bankrupt, Michael gets the gang to play a game. Eventually, Jim has enough of it and tells Michael the game needs to stop. In the end, Michael is proven right, because the employees just want to play a game instead of work. What a crock.

Michael isn’t the only problem though. A lot of the other cast members have gone through odd changes. Dwight is sometimes himself and sometimes the complete opposite of himself. Ryan’s character makes no sense whatsoever and needs to go. My poor sweet Pam has totally gotten lost in the shuffle and her recent story arcs have been awful. I just want her to be the receptionist with something to prove again. Jim is on the path to becoming Michael, which should be exactly the opposite of what we want but yet it keeps happening. If you’re keeping count at home, that’s all the important characters. The rest of the group is still consistently funny. Creed is good for one laugh out loud moment an episode, Andy has been a comedy savior, Kevin continues to be good for laughs, Oscar has turned into a very funny voice of reason and Kelly, Angela, Meredith, Phyllis and Stanley just do their things well.

THE OFFICE still has some funny moments, but the show I once loved is gone and I fear it will never return. A few years ago I’d never dream of fast-forwarding through parts of an episode, yet I found myself doing it twice this year (Michael’s toast at Jim and Pam’s wedding and Michael’s insufferable southern accent in “Murder”).

30 ROCK

I’ve heard some people stress their disappointment thus far with 30 ROCK but I have thoroughly enjoyed the first five episodes of season four. 30 ROCK is simultaneously a smart and goofy comedy with a lot of heart. I liken it to ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT in that I can re-watch episodes and find jokes I never knew were there. It’s layered and deep but it’s not afraid to make frequent fart jokes. Only two characters carry the emotional center, Jack and Liz, and the rest of the cast is free to just be their whacky selves. I’m not sure there’s any character on television that makes me laugh as much as Tracy Morgan’s Tracy Jordan does and Jane Krakowski’s Jenna is arguably the funniest woman on TV (maybe even funnier than Liz). While THE OFFICE might be my TV lowlight of the week now, 30 ROCK has stepped up and become one of the bright spots.

IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA

Of course, there might not be a brighter comedy spot than IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY. Where a show like 30 ROCK tries to be something more than just 30 minutes of laughter, SUNNY seems to just want to make you laugh non-stop for the entire episode and a lot of times it succeeds. SUNNY is by far the most ridiculous show I’ve ever seen and the characters are great.

What I love about SUNNY is that it knows what it is and doesn’t divert from that fact. The characters – Charlie, Frank, Dee, Dennis and Mac – have the same motivations and traits week in and week out. The situations and alliances may change, but the characters don’t stop being their awful, ridiculous selves. Oh, and the situations these guys are put into every week just don’t stop being gold. This year the gang has been tailgating at the World Series, they’ve tried their hands at merchandising, wrestling and real estate, they’ve tried to throw an intervention and they’ve tackled the “great” recession.

While a lot of shows struggle to put their characters into a long running story line that connects every week, SUNNY just lets their characters play. There’s no end game, there are no revelations and there’s basically no way to tell that a season has ended other than checking the listings for the next week. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great when shows can pull of a good arcing story, but sometimes it’s just fun to sit back and enjoy some impure, adulterated entertainment.

COMMUNITY

I gave this show a try because of Joel McHale, the host of E’s THE SOUP. I’ve always found McHale to be funny and figured he’d bring his humor to the show. At first, COMMUNITY appeared to be a cute but relatively straight forward TV show. There was wise-cracking lead, the girl he wanted but who didn’t want him back, the heavy set black woman, the overachieving girl, the weird professors and the strange but good willed foreign kid. The pilot had its moments so I decided to keep giving it a chance. The first few episodes passed with a few laughs here and there but it was failing to hook me in. Now we’re nine episodes in and I’ve got to say…I am so glad I stuck with it.

COMMUNITY gets better every week and it is really a great satire. It takes all the old stereotypes we have about college and students and puts a new, modern spin on them. One of my favorite moments recently was the goody-two-shoes girl throwing a Spanish Halloween party to get some extra credit in her Intro to Spanish class. The professor (Ken Jeong) has to attend and does so very begrudgingly because the staff Halloween party (with alcohol) is occurring at the same time. There’s also the do-gooder dean who is afraid of offending everybody. He decides to give the school a new mascot and settles on the “Human Beings”. Of course he doesn’t want the mascot to be black, white, blue eyed, blonde, brunette or anything distinguishing and it turns into an extremely creepy thing that looks nothing like a human being. See for yourself here (the thing behind the girl).

The show has bucked a lot of the initial set up as well. Joel McHale’s character, Jeff Winger, is totally fine just being friends with the rebellious Britta. The boring old stereotypical characters have evolved and now have different dimensions and the odd professors are actually one of the highlights of the show.

COMMUNITY might not be for everyone and that’s cool. But if you gave up on it early or just haven’t given it a shot yet, you should just give it a chance, it might surprise you.

CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM

Let me be clear: CURB is a very funny show no matter what, it’s just this year has been a bit of a letdown. The whole premise of this season was supposed to be Larry doing a SEINFELD reunion so he could get his ex-wife back, yet there has barely been anything SEINFELD or Cheryl related. There are only two episodes remaining and so far Jerry has been in three episodes, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss in two and the Jason Alexander and Michael Richards have been in one. Before the season Larry David himself said that they’d all be in somewhere between five or six episodes. Again, I’d rather have a SEINFELD-less CURB than no CURB at all, I just feel a little cheated.

This season has had very little consistency and “The Bare Midriff” episode was easily my least favorite of the entire show’s run, but there are still plenty of funny moments. I just hope this reunion plays out well, because if it doesn’t, this whole season might end up being one big missed opportunity.

SOUTH PARK

Only one episode remains in the 13th season of SOUTH PARK and as always it’s a little disappointing to see it gone so quickly. The fall run of episodes have certainly been solid but as of now they’ve lacked a timeless, must talk about episode. I actually take that back, because “The F Word” episode about motorcycle riders was very, very good and did a great job of adding two culturally relevant issues together and getting gold (loud Harley riders and the meaning of a word like “fag”). For the most part, SOUTH PARK has steered away from a lot of the current political issues. There’s been nothing on health care and since they did an economy episode in the spring there was no need to do another. In fact, I’m not sure President Obama has even been mentioned this year. The most recent episode, “Dances With Smurfs”, had some political overtones but in the end it just wanted to point out that James Cameron’s new movie “AVATAR”, is a rip off of so many other movies we’ve seen before, just with better graphics.

SOUTH PARK is still very much a funny, must see show and it’s actually kind of nice to see them go back to their roots and let the kids be kids for a while.

SECRET GIRLFRIEND

This show definitely isn’t for everyone but you know what? It makes me laugh. It’s stupid, I can admit that, but it’s a funny kind of stupid. It’s also pretty original.

For those who don’t know, SECRET GIRLFRIEND is shot POV style. The show is seen through the eyes of a main character who we never see because the viewer technically is the main character. We see this guy’s life through his eyes. We see his two friends who are desperately trying to get rich through making viral internet videos, we see his crazy beautiful ex-girlfriend, we see his perfect beautiful “secret” girlfriend and all the little schemes and romps in between. The humor might be a little low brow and there really isn’t much depth to the show, but it makes me laugh and I’ve got give it credit for being different.

THE LEAGUE

A new FX show about fantasy football. At first, I thought there’d be no way THE LEAGUE could be successful and it hasn’t done much to prove me wrong. As an avid fantasy football fan, there were certain hurdles I was curious to see them leap. How would they stay current? How would they handle a league of 8-10 guys? How would fantasy football carry a show? Some of these hurdles just can’t be leapt and while I applaud the effort, it’s hard for a big fantasy fan to look past them. Take, for example, the draft episode. The league is ten deep but only half of the characters show up for draft day. The other five are just the “out of towners” who are never seen or heard from. It’s hard to believe these guys would have a live draft with half the owners not in attendance. Stuff like that might be given a pass by people who don’t play fantasy, but again, it’s something I can’t ignore. As for staying current, THE LEAGUE is only three episodes in and only two or three weeks into the football season (it’s currently week 10 in the real NFL season) and the show has actually taken real elements from the current season. The most recent episode saw the members watching games together and frantically trying to pick up Glen Coffee when they saw Frank Gore go down. Again, I have to applaud their effort but there were aspects of that which didn’t ring true.

THE LEAGUE has funny moments but they’re actually the parts that don’t have to do with fantasy. The fantasy stuff is really over the top and hard for real players to swallow. Other than that, it’s not a half-bad show. It’s just not a show I’d find myself dying to see every week.

FLASH FORWARD

It’s currently the only drama I watch at the moment with 24, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS and LOST coming back in January and it is definitely keeping my interest. In fact, that doesn’t really do the show justice. FLASH FORWARD is evolving and it keeps getting better every week. The mystery surrounding the cause of the blackouts is growing, the question of fate versus free will is growing and the plot keeps thickening. As much as I like the possibilities surrounding FLASH FORWARD and the future of the show, I think it will ultimately be limited by the lack of great characters. They don’t really have any characters that can carry an episode or who can keep you invested when it hits a lull. We’re invested in these characters because of what they saw and our desire to see if the future is set in stone, not because they are particularly interesting. In a way, that might actually be the point of the show.

Other dramas need characters to be extraordinary to carry their plots. 24 is dominated by action and doesn’t need colorful characters (well, it does now). LOST has a lot of colorful characters because the initial premise was to just throw a bunch of people onto a mysterious deserted island. FLASH FORWARD though has done something different. It has shown us the future and all of the mystery isn’t surrounding why a person saw what they saw, but why it happened in the first place. Because we know the future (or think we do), the characters can afford to be normal. That’s the point. How would a bunch of normal people handle seeing their futures?

FLASH FORWARD has flaws but they are ones that can be ignored/written around. Right now, I’m very much enthralled with the mystery and I’m really left wondering what the future holds.

Belated Week 9 Stories

2009-11-12T16:25:00.001-05:00

Cowboys 20, Eagles 16

I don’t bring stuff like this up to overly praise Tony Romo, I just do it because of people’s perceptions of him. Some QBs are always given a pass, some are not. Romo falls into the latter. How so? Before the Eagles game, people kept saying they needed to see Romo win a game in a playoff-like atmosphere before they could take his good run seriously. He won this game (not his first win against an NFC East opponent on the road) and now he’s going to be let off the hook and praised a little too much. When the next tough contest comes around, it’ll once again be “what have you done for me lately?” I’d plead for it to stop but it won’t. There are too many people who will just hate Romo for all the wrong reasons: the media’s perception of him, his social life, whatever.

Why is this?

Because with Romo, he was so good so early that he never really had to take his lumps. As a society, we just hate when people succeed without failure. It’s true. We resent those who get by easier than others, especially in such high profile situations such as being Dallas Cowboys quarterback. I don’t mean to suggest Romo is the best QB in the league either. It’s just he really was an overnight sensation and at first he really did come off as a too good to be true person. Really likable, humble, hot girlfriends, QB of America’s Team, etc.

So yea, Romo has earned himself a few weeks of freedom before he makes a mistake and gets killed again. I just hope we can all admit that yes, he is a very, very good player.

Now, there is another pressing matter at hand here today and it deals with some of the themes from above.

With less than five minutes to play in the game, down by seven with no timeouts and facing a 4th and 11, Andy Reid elected to send David Akers out to kick a 52 yard field goal. Akers drilled it, the Eagles were down four and kicking off with four minutes and 27 seconds left. The Eagles failed to stop the Cowboys and the rest is history.

After the game, a lot of people immediately came out and criticized Andy Reid’s decision to kick the field goal instead of going for it. I am not one of those people.

Was it really that a bad decision? I don’t think so. I just think it’s one of those insanely difficult calls that’s really easy to second guess and a lot of football fans relish the opportunity to get on NFL coaches. After all, they’re idiots, right?

So why wasn’t it a bad decision? First of all, the Eagles were facing a 4th and 11. Yea, they have completed a 4th and 26 before but that distance is pretty daunting. If you fail to convert, you’re setting up the Cowboys in good field position. If you do convert, you still need to score a TD and with over four minutes remaining, odds are the Cowboys were getting the ball back with a decent amount of time left. I’m not saying that a tie game is a bad situation to be in, I’m just trying to paint a picture of what we were looking at here.

By kicking a field goal, you run the same risk of setting up the Cowboys with good field position. However, by making the field goal you do several things. First, you give yourself a chance to win the game with a TD and not just tie. That’s always a good thing. Second, by converting the FG attempt, you get to kick off and you have a chance to put the Cowboys in deeper territory than you would if you failed to convert (the Cowboys started from their own 23). Third, you might not have any timeouts but three stops would likely give you a few seconds to use before the two minute warning and it would also give your great punt returner a chance to set up field position. As it turns out, the Eagles failed to stop the Cowboys and now the defense’s failure falls on the coach’s shoulder. Nice.

One thing I find funny about sports is the numbers. We fans obsess over them, yet we hate when coaches/managers actually go by them. On the season, the Eagles convert on 4th downs at a 37.5 percent clip and I’m sure that number wouldn’t be improved by the 11 yard distance. Heck, the Eagles are even worse on 3rd down, running at 36.2 percent. David Akers, on his career, is 81 percent FG kicker and 50 percent from 50 yards plus and I bet there are a few “Hail Mary” attempts that drag down that percentage a hair. Did Andy Reid know this when he made his decision? I don’t know. However, the numbers say the better percentage play was to kick the field goal.

Like I said before, the Eagles defense failed. Reid’s decision didn’t lose the game, what lost the game was the inability to make a few plays on defense. Right after the kickoff, Marion Barber ripped off a 16 yard run. Two stops later, the Eagles couldn’t hold on 3rd and 3, allowing a five yard completion to Jason Witten. Game over.

Despite what I just said, Reid can be blamed big time for his challenges, specifically the one that was completely lose-lose. Either he won the challenge and actually lost yards for his team or lost the challenge and lose a timeout. The Eagles got the latter and they severely missed that timeout.

Bucs 38, Packers 28

I still don’t know what happened. I talked to a Packers fan at work and we both had the same reaction: Neither of us thought anything of the Bucs, figured they’d blow it and the Packers would just walk away with an ugly win. Apparently Josh Freeman had other plans.

I tell you what, that Freeman kid better play well the rest of the way out because if he doesn’t, I will be very upset.

This loss hurt because Rodgers is taking a lot of heat now for his ball holding ways. I still stand by a lot of what I’ve said about him this year and I don’t think this is as big a problem as some would like to think it is. The offensive line is terrible and I know it sounds like a copout to just blame the line but it’s true. And let’s not also forget that some of these terrible sacks are coming with his team trailing. You don’t want a quarterback throwing it away when you need a first down and I kind of like the fact that he is more than willing to take a hit or stand in there for a few extra seconds to find a receiver. Yea, it can be frustrating but as I’ve said time and time again, I’d rather take a sack every now and then than lose his playmaking ability.

Patriots 27, Dolphins 17

I don’t know what it is, but teams just always outthink themselves when playing the Patriots. I know the stats don’t really prove it, but when I was watching the game it just seemed like the Dolphins were throwing too much on early downs and ruining any chance of actually establishing their wildcat. When they did just let it loose from the start of the drive, it seemed to work. But when they let Chad Henne throw, that seemed to be exactly what the Pats wanted.

And why not? Henne actually appears to be a pretty good QB but his receivers are terrible. Ted Ginn Jr. should only be allowed to return kicks. He adds nothing on the offensive side of the ball because he is afraid to catch the ball. After that, the Dolphins have Greg Camirillo, who is destined to be a Patriot in a year or two when Wes Welker has run his course. Devone Bess was targeted 14 times and that’s just not a good thing.

I really gotta applaud the Dolphins for evolving the Wildcat to what is now but they need some receivers. If they had someone that warranted a double team, that offense could really take off.

Chargers 21, Giants 20

I think San Diego’s o-line kind of sucks. Charger running backs get no holes anymore and it’s just odd to see. Combined with LaDainian Tomlinson running with no sort of balance and the Chargers just can’t get a running game going. LaDainian runs with his head out in front and anytime he gets touched he starts to stumble. Seems like a very fixable problem but what do I know, right?

On the whole, the Chargers just seem to be a hard team to figure out this year. I really like what PHILIP RIVERS brings to the table and Vincent Jackson has just been awesome this year, but without a running game they just can’t seem to find any offensive rhythm.

As for the Giants, well, they could really use this upcoming bye. They really just need to sit down and reevaluate things. Jeff Feagles is a serious problem right now and he’s putting a lot of pressure on the defense with his crappy punts. Maybe he got too old, I don’t know. But he is not a trustworthy punter anymore. I think the G-Men would also benefit from letting 3rd string running back Danny Ware get some more touches. Brandon Jacobs is huge but like a lot of big men, he has issues staying on his feet. Don’t get me wrong, he’s the last guy I’d want running straight at me, but if he’s hitting the hole all you have to do is hit his legs a bit and he should go down. Bradshaw is a good speed guy but he’s not a grind it out runner. From what I can tell, Ware seems to have that balance that Derrick Ward had.

Colts 20, Texans 17

I heard a famous sports personality suggest this week that the Colts took it easy this week as to not tip their hand for the Patriots game this upcoming week. To this I reply:

Why the hell would the Colts take it easy against the 2nd best team in their division? Dumb.

The Empire Strikes Back

2009-11-05T02:01:00.000-05:00

The Yankees defeat the Phillies in 6; Take home 27th World Series Crown

I’m not gonna do what you all think I’m gonna do. I’m not going to write some overly praiseful post about how great the Yankees are and how great the fans are and this and that and everything people hate. Don’t get me wrong, the 2009 Yankees were a fantastic team that had great support and had a lot of players overcoming their own personal demons. Truth be told, this the first championship a team of mine has won in my adult life and my reaction was pretty subdued. I was happy, very happy in fact, but there was no running around, no high fives, nothing special. Maybe it was more relief than anything, that the Yanks brought home another title before the decade ran out. I don’t know.

With that said, there were a lot of compelling stories throughout the World Series and I’m just going to hit a bunch one-by-one.

The Steal

Top of the 9th, two outs, tie game, Johnny Damon at the plate.

Ball, Strike (foul), Strike (foul), Foul, Ball, Ball, Foul, Foul

9th pitch of the at bat, Damon slashes one to left field. Mark Teixeira is now up and the Phillies shift the infield to the right. On the first pitch of the at bat, Damon takes off for second. The throw was late and Damon immediately pops up and starts sprinting toward 3rd. Everyone watching just stares in disbelief. “What the hell is he doing?” I thought. Then it became clear. No one was at third. Damon stole two bases on one play in the top of the 9th in a tie game. It was one of the greatest plays I have ever seen and a lot of people think the same way.

Know what’s funny though?

Damon’s double steal was almost meaningless. If Damon had just stolen second, what’s the difference? Mark Teixeira got hit with a pitch and A-Rod doubled. Damon is scoring from 2nd no problem on A-Rod’s double and Teixeira likely still makes it to third. Posada singles the next at bat and both runs score.

Damon’s play was awesome and I hate to take away from it, but maybe it’s getting a bit too much hype.

Worth the Money

Despite a terrible track record in the playoffs, CC Sabathia delivered gem after gem. Despite failing consistently with RISP, A-Rod became insanely clutch. Despite sucking at the plate in the playoffs, Mark Teixeira’s presence alone helped legitimize the lineup and his defense saved runs the entire season. And despite a shaky start or two, A.J. Burnett gave some good performances. Mariano was dominant, Jeter collected hits and Damon had “The Steal”. A lot of money went into this team and it paid off.

I’m fine with people throwing out the payroll argument. Doesn’t bother me. You still have to play the games and the Yanks have failed plenty of times with the top payroll.

And I really hope people don’t take this the wrong way, but when you look at a lot of the individual story lines coming into the postseason, it’s not like the Series was a given. Sabathia, Burnett, Teixeira, and A-Rod all had poor playoff resumes or non-existent ones. The Yankees definitely weren’t underdogs, but there were some demons that needed to be slain for the Yanks to win. I had legit concerns if Teix and A-Rod would come through. I had legit concerns over whether or not CC and Burnett would be effective. Interestingly enough, the least of my concerns was a bullpen that ended being shaky as hell with exceptions to Mariano Rivera (naturally) and Damaso Marte (where the hell did that come from?). So yea, the Yanks might have been the favorite, they might have the highest payroll, but it was fun to see these stars live up to their paychecks and potential.

Alex Rodriguez

Again, I’m almost speechless when it comes to A-Rod these days. He was amazing this post-season and I will never forget the feeling of watching him hit with runners on. He came through almost every single chance he got and he deserves so much credit for what he did. I just can’t give enough praise to the guy.

Chase Utley and Ryan Howard

Chutley is such a great player and even though Ryan Howard might be the most productive hitter in the lineup, there’s no doubt in my mind who the best hitter is in that lineup. Utley’s performance and Howard’s performance are why I think strikeouts matter. I realized a while ago I was just arguing the wrong points and that’s my mistake. I’ll try to sum up quickly: There’s more to hitting then just the numbers you put up. Someone like Ryan Howard might be productive despite his strikeouts. What the Yankees proved is that someone like Howard can be neutralized if you pitch him right. With Howard, you just avoid fastballs as much as possible and let him flail away at breaking pitches. Now, does this change the fact that Howard drives in 100 plus every year? No. But when it boils down to situations, a pitcher will happily take a strikeout of Ryan Howard over most other results. A double play isn’t always an option and Howard hits so hard that you’d rather he not make contact. Utley, on the other hand, doesn’t have that big of a weakness. He is a complete hitter, meaning that he can handle all pitches to all fields. Pitchers might fear Howard, but they hate Utley. I rushed my point, I know, but if you just watch the two hit you know what I’m talking about.

Cole Quits

I think this was such a dumb overreaction. For those who don’t know, Cole Hamels said he couldn’t wait for this season to end. When I heard it, I just thought it was a statement on how disappointed he was with himself. Others seemed to believe he wanted the Phillies to lose or something stupid like that. Listen, I think we as a society need to stop overreacting to what people say. Print can be evil at times because you never know what people really meant. So when Hamels says he can’t wait for the season to be over, we immediately just assume the worst, most ridiculous meaning as opposed to the basic, obvious, really not that bad meaning. I know what you meant Cole, it’s no biggy.

Replay

I stand by my previous comments (My Argument Against Replay). I don’t think replay will fix anything unless you literally review any and every close play. People want replay because umpires get calls wrong. Some people support a challenge system and think that’ll be the cure all, but challenging doesn’t fix anything, it just adds a stupid strategic element. Replay won’t force umpires to be more observant. It won’t force them to actually seek out opinions of their colleagues. It’ll just be a failsafe. If they get the play wrong and the manager doesn’t have a challenge, they’re off the hook.

If the goal of replay is to get plays right, then why support challenges that won’t get every play right? And if you actually want replay to be used on every close play, at what cost is that happening. In one of the Yankees-Angels games, there were three plays in one half-inning that could’ve had reviews. Would that many stoppages be worth it? Would that be fair to the pitcher who has to wait?

I know a lot of people disagree and that’s fine. I just hope people realize that just implanting replay for the sake of having is pretty silly. You know, it’s kind of like wanting free health care without recognizing any of the consequences. But hey, all the other sports are doing it…

The Future of the Phillies

Philadelphia will undoubtedly enter next season as the National League favorite and why wouldn’t they? I believe every key member of the team is returning. They’ll have Cliff Lee for a full year. They’ll likely spend a few bucks on some relievers and they may even get another good veteran. Meanwhile, the Cardinals might not keep Matt Holliday, the Dodgers might not keep Manny Ramirez, the Cubs and Mets have plenty of problems as they regroup and who knows if the Rockies will continue to be good. The Phillies are the only NL contender ending this season with zero big question marks. If Cole Hamels returns to form and if the team stays healthy, they’ll be back in the playoffs for sure.

The Future of the Yankees

Honestly, this playoff run by the Yankees opened my eyes to some pressing issues. Three players in particular make me wonder: Hideki Matsui, Johnny Damon and Jorge Posada. What do the Yankees do with these three?

Matsui seems the most likely to be let go. His contract is up, he can only DH and Joe Girardi has said that he’d like to keep the DH spot open next year. His Game Six heroics will surely make the issue more complicated, but how do the Yankees bring him back? They could easily sign someone younger and cheaper and Matsui’s production and health have been on the decline. The guy has been a good Yankee and he has had some huge hits over the years, but Game Six might have been the curtain call for Godzilla.

Then there’s Johnny Damon, who is perfect for the new Yankee Stadium and who continues to be a productive hitter. His contract is up, he wants to stay and as I mentioned, he’s a good fit for the stadium. Ideally, he’d be the full-time DH but I’m not sure the Yankees would do that to him. His bat would be tough to replace, but it became painstakingly clear this post-season that his arm is a serious problem and that his defense could be a detriment. He’s a good guy and a productive hitter but if another run scores from second while a noodle arm through lazily hops home, I might flip.

Then there’s Jorge Posada, who will still be under contract but suffers a lot of the problems Johnny Damon does. Again, it’d be great if he accepted a full-time DH role, but I don’t see that happening. The Yankees can ill afford to have Posada behind the plate for a full season. With Teixeira in town, they can’t put him at first. They probably won’t DH him too much because that would mean keeping three catchers on the roster. Posada behind the plate is becoming more and more a bad thing. There’s really nothing you can do about him though, because who would trade for him and why would you want to get rid of his bat? This is one problem the Yanks will just have to ride out.

Oh yea, and what about Andy Pettitte? Does he come back? If not, do you replace him with another big free agent or what? What about Joba Chamberlain? What will his role be? What about Phil Hughes? What will his role be?

With all of that said, the Yanks still have Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano, CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Mariano Rivera, Hughes, Chamberlain, Melky and company. My guess is the Yankees next year will have a dominant offense and a patchwork defense/pitching staff/bullpen. It might take a few months to figure everything out but hopefully things will work out.

I’m not sure if another World Series is definite, but the Yankees will certainly be contenders.

Week 8 Stories

2009-11-04T02:16:00.000-05:00

Vikings 38, Packers 26

I don’t want to talk about it, but I will.

It’s just getting to be too much. The Vikings are too good, Brett Favre is playing way too well and the Packers line is so bad that it has people questioning whether or not Aaron Rodgers is even that good…even though everyone fully acknowledges how bad the line is.

Does Aaron Rodgers take some bad sacks here and there? Yes. But as I argued the last time the Packers played the Vikings, the last thing I want to see is Aaron Rodgers sacrificing his play-making ability just to avoid a few yard loss. That’s not a good trade to make and you don’t want your QB to lose one of his strengths. If you’re one of the people who thinks Rodgers isn’t that good, just shut up and learn how to understand football. Nothing gets me angrier than people ignoring the variables when it comes to comparing quarterbacks. If their roles were reversed, Aaron Rodgers and the Vikings would’ve dominated that game and the Packers and Favre would have no shot.

Of course, Aaron Rodgers isn’t the pressing matter at hand here. It’s the other guy. Sunday was a crushing loss and I really could’ve done without Vikings players taunting the crowd while pointing to Favre, Favre making the incomplete motion for about ten seconds before realizing Greg Jennings was hurt right below him, the post-game press conference and all the second guessing of Rodgers and the Packers.

Now let me clarify something. I can’t ignore all the years Favre played in Green Bay. I just can’t. I had too much fun watching him, he brought the Packers a Super Bowl and he made a team that was dreadful from the late 60’s to the early 90’s a relevant contender year in and year out. However, while I can ignore New York last year, I cannot ignore this year or the possibility of a year or two more of Favre in purple. It’s just so incredibly unfair to the insanely loyal Packers fan base for Favre to fulfill this revenge fantasy against Ted Thompson and the front office. It’s unfair that he has to do it for a hated division rival, it’s unfair that he’s doing it for a contender while the Packers struggle to stay .500 and it’s unfair that it had to happen in Lambeau. I don’t know. I don’t hate the guy but there’s a lot of anger building up right now. I try to keep this McBlog PG, but I just have to say it and if you need to throw on the earmuffs or skip ahead, do it now… Fuck you Brett Favre. Fuck you.

Eagles 40, Giants 17

Let’s just say this game was the little piece of joy I took from a Sunday football. I hate the Giants and now with three straight ugly losses, I’m glad that the world will finally stop riding the G-Men. Eli Manning was awful against Philly and the defense looked very mediocre. The Eagles had their way with the Giants and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Thanks Eagles!

Bears 30, Browns 6

2-17, 23 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT
9-24, 122 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
12-29, 99 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT
6-17, 76 yards, 0 TDs, 2 INTs

Those numbers are Derek Anderson’s stats his past four games. How the hell does a guy go from throwing 3,787 yards and 29 TDs and making a pro bowl to this? I don’t get it and what’s even more baffling is the fact that Eric Mangini refuses to make a QB switch. How low does the D.A. have to go? And why so much hate toward Brady Quinn? Why is he getting judged so harshly when he has eight career games in three years under his belt?

Know what’s funny too? He was benched after two and a half games this year. In those games, he 45-74 (60.8%) for 400 yards, 1 TD and 3 INTs. His opponents? The Vikings, Broncos and Ravens. Know what Mangini, before I was willing to give you a bit of a pass but you’re officially a terrible coach. You are embarrassing yourself, the Browns and Brady Quinn for no real reason. The Browns only win came despite Derek Anderson when they won a 6-3 suckfest with D.A. completing 2 of 17 passes. Let Quinn play and see if he can’t develop and learn. No, you’d rather start Anderson. Hell, start Brett Ratliff if you hate Quinn so much. Just anyone but Anderson.

Cowboys 38, Seahawks 17

“Oh my God, Tony Romo is so bad. He had a bad game against a Super Bowl favorite and he lost to a 7-1 Broncos team. Oh, and how dare he torch bad teams like the Bucs.

The Cowboys are 5-2, Romo has 1,908 yards, 12 TDs and 4 INTs with his interceptions coming in two games. Once again, people jump to hasty conclusions based on one or two bad performances. If Alex Rodriguez can be the most clutch hitter in baseball, then Tony Romo can win a playoff game…and it’s looking that he’ll have a chance to do so this year.

Chargers 24, Raiders 14

I hate Eric Mangini and I hate Tom Cable for sticking with horrendously bad quarterbacks under the guise of having no other options. Mangini can’t really hide behind that one too much, but Cable can and it’s just crap. People pay to see your team play and the least you can do is try something different.

I mean, what other line of work allows their employees to perform so badly yet keep their job? It makes no sense and it’s insulting to the fans. Put in Bruce Gradkowski. Who cares if you don’t think he’s the future, just do something, anything other than JaMarcus Russell.

Saints 35, Falcons 27

Poor Falcons. They’re a good team but they’ve just had such a tough run and Matt Ryan is going through a few growing pains. Next year I think they take off but this year could just be a long struggle. Not that they’re struggling but they have a hard schedule and I think they’ll take a few more tough losses.

Meanwhile, the Saints still get to play the Bucs twice, the Panthers twice, the Redskins and the Rams. Other than that they have three more tests: home vs. the Pats in Week 12, at Atlanta in Week 14 and home vs. Dallas in Week 15. I doubt they go undefeated but they are looking at a 14 win season which seems pretty damn remarkable.

The Saints are just a fun team to watch, plain and simple and it’s hard to root against them because of Katrina and because of Drew Brees.

Rams 17, Lions 10

How bad are these teams? Two things stick out….

1) There was a safety on an INT return.
2) The only TD pass in the game was thrown by a kicker.