It has been a while since my last blog. I have been busy with the process of moving. Now that we are all moved in I am ready to give my yearly prediction of the 2010 Major League Baseball season.
I am going to start with the American League East. To start with a surprise for a lot of you with one pick in particular, this might be the only place you read, the Yankees will not make the playoffs! That is my big headline story for the East. I think the Red Sox will win the division and the Wild Card will still come from the East, but it will be the Tamp Bay Rays. As this is the way I think it will break down.
1. Boston Red Sox 94-68
2. Tampa Bay Rays 92-70
3. New York Yankees 90-72
4. Baltimore Orioles 78-84
5. Toronto Blue Jays 72-90
OK, now we will move on to the Central Division of American League. I thought this was going to be a little easier pick then it ended up being. I really thought my home town Twins had this division in the bag this year with all the great pick ups in the off-season, and Lirano looking good again. Of course early in the Spring Training, Joe Nathan tore a ligament in his elbow and is out for the year. I think this makes the pick a lot tougher. I really think Nathan's injury is going to be too hard to overcome and I really like the pitching staff in Chicago. I think Chicago has the second best 1-5 pitching staffs in baseball.
1. Chicago White Sox 82-80
2. Minnesota Twins 81-81
3. Detroit Tigers 80-82
4. Cleveland Indians 77-85
5. Kansas City Royals 75-87
Going out to the West Division of the American League I think was one of the harder total divisions to pick. I think most these teams could easily be number one just as easy as they could end up last. Of course because of this I think it will be a very tight division race and think it will end as follows.
1. Texas Rangers 84-78
2. Los Angeles Angels 83-79
3. Seattle Mariners 81-81
4. Oakland A's 78-84
Now we will move over to the National League and see what we can come up with.
Again in this league we will start off with the Eastern Division. And not a coincidence, I am making another pick that you might not and probably will not see anywhere else. I am going with the Phillies to be the Wild Card in the National League and not the Division Champion. In a kind of sentimental pick, but still well thought out. I am going with the Atlanta Braves as the Eastern Division Champion this year. I think they have the best 1-5 starting rotation in baseball and a good bullpen to go with it. I think the offense this year will be twice as good if not better this year also. Another surprise in this division is I am going with the New York Mets as the last place team, even though they have the great Johan Santana in their rotation. Well here is how I break it down.
1. Atlanta Braves 90-72
2. Philadelphia Phillies 89-73
3. Florida Marlins 81-81
4. Washington Senators 75-87
5. New York Mets 71-91
We will now move on to the National League Central. The last couple years it seems like the Cardinals have really had no challengers. Again this year I think the Cardinals will win the Division, but I think there is a very good possibility the Cubs could give them a run for their money which they have not in the last few years. I do not think there will be any other threats in this division for the Cardinals except the Cubs. So here is how I see it breaking down.
1. St. Louis Cardinals 86-76
2. Chicago Cubs 83-79
3. Cincinnati Reds 78-84
4. Milwaukee Brewers 77-85
5. Houston Astros 76-84
6. Pittsburgh Pirates 69-93
Last but not least, maybe what could be the best division race in baseball this year, is the National League West. This is another very hard division to predict and if you take San Diego out of the equation, I could see anyone one of these other teams wining the division. This is what I came up with.
1. Colorado Rockies 87-75
2. Arizona Diamondbacks 83-79
3. Los Angeles Dodgers 82-80
4. San Francisco Giants 81-81
5. San Diego Padres 72-90
So that is how I predict the regular season will end up. But I cannot just stop there so I am going to now break down what I think the playoffs will look like, who will win the pennants and the World Series.
I have the Division winner in the American League as Boston, Chicago White Sox, and Texas. The Wild Card ends of being the Tampa Bay Rays. I have White Sox playing Boston in the 1st round and Texas play the Rays. Playing for the American League Pennant I have the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays. Representing the American League in the World Series, I go with the Boston Red Sox.
For the National League I have the division winners as Atlanta, St. Louis, and Colorado. The Wild Card I have as the Philadelphia Phillies. So in the playoffs I have St. Louis playing Atlanta and Colorado playing Philadelphia. Playing for the National League pennant I have Atlanta and Colorado with Atlanta wining and representing the National League in the World Series. So i have the World Series as Atlanta vs. Boston. And last but not least my pick for the 2010 World Series Champ is the ATLANTA BRAVES!!!!!!!!! Just a side note I have $50 on the Braves in Vegas to win it all. Payout on that bet $1150. Come on BRAVES!!!!! Play ball!
I have decided to add to my 2010 MLB predictions, my taking a guess at some of the year end awards also. So here we go, let's see what we can come up with.
American League MVP.................Evan Longoria
National League MVP...................Albert Pujols
American League CY YOUNG.................Felix Hernandez
National League CY YOUNG...................Roy Halladay
American League ROY................................Brian Matusz
National League ROY...................................Jason Heyward
I actually think the biggest long shot on here is Heyward. I think there are a lot of candidates for ROY in the National League(Colvin, Chapman, etc)...
Well those are all my picks for the 2010 MLB season!
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
College Football Recruiting
My blog today is about the crazy world of college football recruiting. To me it is crazy how these kids one day will commit to one school and the next month will decommit and and commit to another school. It really is a ridiculous situation both for the schools and the players. It makes the schools not know who they can really rely on and it tends to make the players sometimes look like fools.
Here is my proposal. Right now no kids can sign a letter of intent until first week of February. On just one day in February all the kids sign. I think as soon as Labor Day passes of your senior year, you should be able to sign any day after that. Most of the kids commit during the fall. So now instead of committing they would actually be signing. They do not have to sign, but instead of just saying you commit and giving your word(and not knowing what commitment means), you can just sign and actually commit for good. This would help schools organize who they have what they need. It would also help let schools know what they can offer by what is still available along the way. By doing this kids could actually really commit, not just say it and realize they do not mean it a month later. It would teach kids more responsibilty and make them all take what they say more seriously(if we do not have our word, what do we have?). I just think over all it would just be a better situation for everyone involved.
My prediction for the week of course is going to be on the big game. Again I am not going with the team I am rooting for. I think the Colts win the Super Bowl. But I will be cheering for the Saints. So once I again I hope I am wrong.
Here is my proposal. Right now no kids can sign a letter of intent until first week of February. On just one day in February all the kids sign. I think as soon as Labor Day passes of your senior year, you should be able to sign any day after that. Most of the kids commit during the fall. So now instead of committing they would actually be signing. They do not have to sign, but instead of just saying you commit and giving your word(and not knowing what commitment means), you can just sign and actually commit for good. This would help schools organize who they have what they need. It would also help let schools know what they can offer by what is still available along the way. By doing this kids could actually really commit, not just say it and realize they do not mean it a month later. It would teach kids more responsibilty and make them all take what they say more seriously(if we do not have our word, what do we have?). I just think over all it would just be a better situation for everyone involved.
My prediction for the week of course is going to be on the big game. Again I am not going with the team I am rooting for. I think the Colts win the Super Bowl. But I will be cheering for the Saints. So once I again I hope I am wrong.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Tiger Woods
Today my blog is going to be short and sweet. I am leaving for vacation and wanted to make sure I got a blog finished that would end with my prediction of conference championship games.
Tiger Woods, the perfect example about what is good about sports. Yeah, right, are you kidding me. I know this issue started a while back now, but the reason I have decided to blog about it, is because I think him in a rehab facility is absolutely ridiculous. First I want to start by saying what Tiger has done is obviously wrong(cheating on his wife). There is no reason for the man to be in rehab. Being part of the negotiating of his marriage staying together is the only reason I can think of for him being there. What does not make sense to me is how is this going to help? Tiger does not have a sickness. What he has is a prima donna athlete complex. Rich, good looking man, who might be the most famous man in the world, and has always been a spoiled brat that always has gotten what he wanted his whole life. That is the problem and sex rehab is not going to fix that. Sex has nothing to do with it. He did what he did, because he could. And has never had to take other peoples feelings into account. He is Tiger Woods. So I think it is funny that he is at a center for sex rehab.
I want to go slightly farther on this little agenda. I just wish famous rich athletes would just wake up. The Kobe's and Tigers of this world are far more normal then the rest. For a famous athlete, they should all do the smart thing, wait to get married. No matter what, they should all wait until at least their late 30's and hopefully until after their playing days are over. If they all did this you could just about cut out all this kind of stuff. The mix of being famous, rich, and traveling(being away from home) a good portion of the year is just a guarantee for this stuff to happen. So save us all from the headlines and making your self look bad and just wait. And for women that marry these men young, come on, you know what you are getting and you better be ready to expect it if you are dumb enough to jump into something like this.
Well my prediction for the week as previously noted is the conference championships. As I mentioned in my last blog I am a Vikings fan! Just wanted to remind everyone before making my prediction. I guess my prediction is not going to be exciting and it pains me to make it. I am going with both home teams and a Super Bowl that will be Colts vs. Saints! Sorry Vikes, I hope I am wrong and will still be rooting for you, but when I make predictions I try to not be biased at all. I just think the home teams in the domes will win. For Viking fans if it makes you feel better I would have taken the Vikings if they were playing in MN. So for once I really hope my prediction is wrong.
Tiger Woods, the perfect example about what is good about sports. Yeah, right, are you kidding me. I know this issue started a while back now, but the reason I have decided to blog about it, is because I think him in a rehab facility is absolutely ridiculous. First I want to start by saying what Tiger has done is obviously wrong(cheating on his wife). There is no reason for the man to be in rehab. Being part of the negotiating of his marriage staying together is the only reason I can think of for him being there. What does not make sense to me is how is this going to help? Tiger does not have a sickness. What he has is a prima donna athlete complex. Rich, good looking man, who might be the most famous man in the world, and has always been a spoiled brat that always has gotten what he wanted his whole life. That is the problem and sex rehab is not going to fix that. Sex has nothing to do with it. He did what he did, because he could. And has never had to take other peoples feelings into account. He is Tiger Woods. So I think it is funny that he is at a center for sex rehab.
I want to go slightly farther on this little agenda. I just wish famous rich athletes would just wake up. The Kobe's and Tigers of this world are far more normal then the rest. For a famous athlete, they should all do the smart thing, wait to get married. No matter what, they should all wait until at least their late 30's and hopefully until after their playing days are over. If they all did this you could just about cut out all this kind of stuff. The mix of being famous, rich, and traveling(being away from home) a good portion of the year is just a guarantee for this stuff to happen. So save us all from the headlines and making your self look bad and just wait. And for women that marry these men young, come on, you know what you are getting and you better be ready to expect it if you are dumb enough to jump into something like this.
Well my prediction for the week as previously noted is the conference championships. As I mentioned in my last blog I am a Vikings fan! Just wanted to remind everyone before making my prediction. I guess my prediction is not going to be exciting and it pains me to make it. I am going with both home teams and a Super Bowl that will be Colts vs. Saints! Sorry Vikes, I hope I am wrong and will still be rooting for you, but when I make predictions I try to not be biased at all. I just think the home teams in the domes will win. For Viking fans if it makes you feel better I would have taken the Vikings if they were playing in MN. So for once I really hope my prediction is wrong.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Vikings: Wrong or Right????
Today's blog is about the way the Minnesota Vikings handled the end of the playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys.
I would like to take a second and announce I am Vikings fan. I just thought it would make good sense to make sure the readers knew this before reading the blog today.
There seems to be a lot of controversy concerning the way the playoff game this week ended. I have heard many people argue both sides of the argument. There is the side that says it was inappropriate the way the Vikings handle the end of the game and that it was poor sportsmanship. While I have also heard people say, they are professionals and it is the Cowboys job to stop them no matter what the score and time left in the game is. There are many different opinions and reasons for those opinions that I have heard.
I will now give you my take on the situation and after reading this I welcome yours. To me, the bottom line, this was a classless, poor sportsmanship like display portrayed by a bonehead of a coach(Brad Childress). I think Brad's explanation after the game made it worse. Growing up, I was always taught, win or lose, the most important thing is good sportsmanship. Well let me tell you something, there was none of that on display Sunday. The Vikings could of done many things instead of pass for a TD. They could have kicked a field goal or just ran 4 running plays and just handed the ball back to the Cowboys with less then 2 minutes left to go in the game deep in their own end. Either way there was no way the Cowboys had a chance. Those would have been the options the Vikings could have chose to display good sportsmanship. Of course they did not do this. There was just really no good valid reason for acting like they did.
The excuse they are professionals seems like the most ridiculous excuse of all the ones I have heard. So because you are a professional you no longer respect your opponent? I think this really sends a mixed message to kids. OK, Johnny once you become a professional it is OK to embarrass, disrespect, and play without sportsmanship. But until then you should act differently. Come on, really? Nice message to send to the kids, Brad. To me being a professional means you are even more respectful and raise the level of sportsmanship to the highest of levels if anything.
To be honest the only good thing Brad Childress has done as coach of the Minnesota Vikings is negotiate Farve signing on. On top of that I really do not think other then it finally getting done that Childress even handled that in a good way.
So bottom line my final opinion on this is: The Vikings acted in the wrong manner. That being sad. GO VIKINGS!
My prediction for this blog is going to be who will be the next head coach at East Carolina. My guess is going to be someone most of you probably have never heard of. That answer is Rod Broadway, current head coach of Grambling. Later this week in a blog I will be giving my prediction of the to NFL Championship games.
I would like to take a second and announce I am Vikings fan. I just thought it would make good sense to make sure the readers knew this before reading the blog today.
There seems to be a lot of controversy concerning the way the playoff game this week ended. I have heard many people argue both sides of the argument. There is the side that says it was inappropriate the way the Vikings handle the end of the game and that it was poor sportsmanship. While I have also heard people say, they are professionals and it is the Cowboys job to stop them no matter what the score and time left in the game is. There are many different opinions and reasons for those opinions that I have heard.
I will now give you my take on the situation and after reading this I welcome yours. To me, the bottom line, this was a classless, poor sportsmanship like display portrayed by a bonehead of a coach(Brad Childress). I think Brad's explanation after the game made it worse. Growing up, I was always taught, win or lose, the most important thing is good sportsmanship. Well let me tell you something, there was none of that on display Sunday. The Vikings could of done many things instead of pass for a TD. They could have kicked a field goal or just ran 4 running plays and just handed the ball back to the Cowboys with less then 2 minutes left to go in the game deep in their own end. Either way there was no way the Cowboys had a chance. Those would have been the options the Vikings could have chose to display good sportsmanship. Of course they did not do this. There was just really no good valid reason for acting like they did.
The excuse they are professionals seems like the most ridiculous excuse of all the ones I have heard. So because you are a professional you no longer respect your opponent? I think this really sends a mixed message to kids. OK, Johnny once you become a professional it is OK to embarrass, disrespect, and play without sportsmanship. But until then you should act differently. Come on, really? Nice message to send to the kids, Brad. To me being a professional means you are even more respectful and raise the level of sportsmanship to the highest of levels if anything.
To be honest the only good thing Brad Childress has done as coach of the Minnesota Vikings is negotiate Farve signing on. On top of that I really do not think other then it finally getting done that Childress even handled that in a good way.
So bottom line my final opinion on this is: The Vikings acted in the wrong manner. That being sad. GO VIKINGS!
My prediction for this blog is going to be who will be the next head coach at East Carolina. My guess is going to be someone most of you probably have never heard of. That answer is Rod Broadway, current head coach of Grambling. Later this week in a blog I will be giving my prediction of the to NFL Championship games.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Just a hint
For anyone leaving comments which I very much appreciate!!!! I guess you have to click "post" a couple times to make it work.
THANKS!!!
This is not going to be a blog. I just wanted to let readers know, that I appreciate any feedback or comments they might have on my blogs. Also there opinion are definitely welcome!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Lane Kiffin
My blog today is about the hysteria surrounding the hiring of Lane Kiffin at USC.
First thing I want to start off by saying is USC really pulled a rabbit out of the hat on this one. It is odd to me that most experts wonder why USC would hire Kiffin considering he has not really accomplished that much as a head coach yet. Let me give you 3 reasons. Those reasons are called Monte Kiffin, Ed Orgeron, and Norm Chow! First of all, one thing that Lane has proved at both UT and formerly at USC is that he can recruit. Ed Orgeron is also a great recruiter. Kids will run to USC in droves to play for Monte Kiffin(the man Pete Carroll called the best DC ever). So in short, USC will continue to get the best players in the country and I actually think this change will actually make the recruiting at USC even better if that is possible. So in the end I think USC will be fine, actually I do not just think they will be fine, I think with in a couple years they will be back to being one of the top couple teams in the country, and maybe the best. Matter of fact here comes the predictor in me. I predict two years from now they will be playing in the National Championship game.
I also want to throw my opinion out there on all the people that are also hating on Lane Kiffin for taking the USC. Now do not get me wrong, I am not saying that I would want Lane to be my friend or that he is an honest person all the time. But I do not see anything wrong with him taking the job and doing what he did. He was offered his dream job. Why should he not take it? I remember when I was a kid, Lou Holtz was the coach for the Minnesota Gophers for like 3 years. The previous years before he arrived the Gophers were terrible. When Lou came in he got the whole town excited and he turned the program around and got us going back to bowl games again. Then after 3 years he leaves us high and dry to take the job at Notre Dame. In his contract at Minnesota he had stated if Notre Dame(which was his dream job) was ever to offer him the job that he would leave. So that is exactly what happened. Everyone in Minnesota felt betrayed and jilted. This was Lane's dream job he even stated it. So I think good for him that he got it. To make people understand this better. Take the average Joe. Say he just started a new job six months ago. We all probably have our own jobs we dream about having even though many might be unattainable. So after six months on the job, Joe gets the opportunity to take his dream job. Do you think Joe is staying at his job he has been at the last six months if that is not his dream job just because he had only been there for 6 months? Do you think his employer when hiring him thought he would only stay 6 months? Of course not. To me there is no difference and we all would do the same thing for our dream job. Remember he is going from UT to USC. Not UT to the University of Minnesota.
I know I made a prediction earlier in the blog but I always have to make one at the end also. Besides i can never make enough predictions. So tonight I am predicting who I think will be replacing Lane Kiffin. I think it will be David Cutcliffe. I really see no other viable option at this point. To add to that I think Cutcliffe will fail and not be that successful. Really to add more to my prediction I predict that UT will struggle to just barely make bowl games if that for the near future with the new coaching staff and think they will be going through the hiring process again with in the next 3 years. The only other candidate I can see them hiring is the runner up for the job last year, Troy Calhoun. Either way I think both will end of failing. I am still shocked Tommy Bowden is still unemployed at the same time.
This is all what makes college football the greatest sport in the world!
First thing I want to start off by saying is USC really pulled a rabbit out of the hat on this one. It is odd to me that most experts wonder why USC would hire Kiffin considering he has not really accomplished that much as a head coach yet. Let me give you 3 reasons. Those reasons are called Monte Kiffin, Ed Orgeron, and Norm Chow! First of all, one thing that Lane has proved at both UT and formerly at USC is that he can recruit. Ed Orgeron is also a great recruiter. Kids will run to USC in droves to play for Monte Kiffin(the man Pete Carroll called the best DC ever). So in short, USC will continue to get the best players in the country and I actually think this change will actually make the recruiting at USC even better if that is possible. So in the end I think USC will be fine, actually I do not just think they will be fine, I think with in a couple years they will be back to being one of the top couple teams in the country, and maybe the best. Matter of fact here comes the predictor in me. I predict two years from now they will be playing in the National Championship game.
I also want to throw my opinion out there on all the people that are also hating on Lane Kiffin for taking the USC. Now do not get me wrong, I am not saying that I would want Lane to be my friend or that he is an honest person all the time. But I do not see anything wrong with him taking the job and doing what he did. He was offered his dream job. Why should he not take it? I remember when I was a kid, Lou Holtz was the coach for the Minnesota Gophers for like 3 years. The previous years before he arrived the Gophers were terrible. When Lou came in he got the whole town excited and he turned the program around and got us going back to bowl games again. Then after 3 years he leaves us high and dry to take the job at Notre Dame. In his contract at Minnesota he had stated if Notre Dame(which was his dream job) was ever to offer him the job that he would leave. So that is exactly what happened. Everyone in Minnesota felt betrayed and jilted. This was Lane's dream job he even stated it. So I think good for him that he got it. To make people understand this better. Take the average Joe. Say he just started a new job six months ago. We all probably have our own jobs we dream about having even though many might be unattainable. So after six months on the job, Joe gets the opportunity to take his dream job. Do you think Joe is staying at his job he has been at the last six months if that is not his dream job just because he had only been there for 6 months? Do you think his employer when hiring him thought he would only stay 6 months? Of course not. To me there is no difference and we all would do the same thing for our dream job. Remember he is going from UT to USC. Not UT to the University of Minnesota.
I know I made a prediction earlier in the blog but I always have to make one at the end also. Besides i can never make enough predictions. So tonight I am predicting who I think will be replacing Lane Kiffin. I think it will be David Cutcliffe. I really see no other viable option at this point. To add to that I think Cutcliffe will fail and not be that successful. Really to add more to my prediction I predict that UT will struggle to just barely make bowl games if that for the near future with the new coaching staff and think they will be going through the hiring process again with in the next 3 years. The only other candidate I can see them hiring is the runner up for the job last year, Troy Calhoun. Either way I think both will end of failing. I am still shocked Tommy Bowden is still unemployed at the same time.
This is all what makes college football the greatest sport in the world!
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