Well the MLB offseason saw it's first rash of big moves come this week with the trading of Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay. While fans try to figure out who got the best of these deals, I'll rationalize some of the moves made since the end of the World Series.
Seattle: (Adding Cliff Lee through a trade and signing Chone Figgins leaves me to believe Seattle has improved the most so far in this offeseason. Figgins will take over 3rd base as Adrian Beltre searches for his next contract somewhere else. This is a great move as it will allow the Mariners to bat Ichiro then Figgins at the top of the order. That's a dangerous, high average, speed driven top of the lineup and could spell trouble for opposing teams if these two keep hitting the way they've hit throughout their careers. Cliff Lee will join Felix Hernandez at the top of the rotation, giving Seattle (in a pitcher's park nonetheless) a chance to really take this division over. They lose Beltre and Bedard to free agency but replace them with 2 better players.)
Boston: (To no one's suprise, the Red Sox threw some money around at a guy who could be the ace of many staffs in the league. Instead, he'll fit right in behind Beckett and Lester. Think about how much money the Red Sox have spent on pitching in the past 5 years? Think about giving Dice-K his big deal and 50 mil negotiating fee as well. This remains the team with the best chance of dethroning the Yankees even if they didn't show up in the playoffs. They also added Marco Scutaro and Jeremy Hermida with a chance they could add Mike Cameron too.)
NY Yankees: (They did what they do best. Mortage part of their future crop of talent for Major League talent. Trading Coke and Kennedy to get Granderson was a good move but Curtis is going to have some big shoes to live up to. He's going to need to hit better than he did last year in the new bandbox park. His HR's should improve and he'll probably hit 1st or 2nd in the lineup I'd imagine. They also got Andy Pettitte back for another year. The Yanks are not done and will make more big moves.)
Baltimore: (Had to comment on them because this is my team and the one I follow on a day to day basis. Added Armando Garbino from Minnesota off waivers to a bullpen that needs some young arms. Garbino made some starts down the stretch for the Twins but he'll be lucky to make this team in my opinion. He has no chance of starting. Swapped Chris Ray for Kevin Millwood. Texas went out and gave some money to Rich Harden to replace Millwood, though. The O's will only pay Millwood $9 million for one year. I hate giving up on a guy like Ray who has closing experience and has done it well. One of the O's needs is Closer so this is interesting to trade away a guy who could've closed games for you in 2010. Millwood is a veteran coming off his best year in awhile. Grant it, he was in Texas for the past few years but his numbers don't impress much. 200+ innings, a 4 ERA and an improved K/9 rate would be nice & is expected from him this season. The O's have also dabbled in talks with Aroldis Chapman, the Cuban defector with a lightning arm. His arm is one of a kind and he needs to be signed immediately! The Red Sox and Yankees are hot on his trail as well so this move needs to be made to not only improve our team but hurt Boston & New York.)
Philadelphia: (Added Roy Halladay while giving up Cliff Lee makes no sense to some. But I believe Halladay is ready to bust out on the scene this season while finally playing for a contender. He's been a sort of hidden gem for Toronto but now he'll get his due as the best pitcher in baseball. Gave up some great prospects but they believe Hamels & Halladay at the top of their rotation can carry them to yet another World Series. Replace Pedro Feliz with Placido Polanco. If Polanco can return to being a real threat at the plate, the NL's best lineup just got that much better.)
Other interesting moves:
-Bobby Abreu returns to the Angels (good move for the both sides)
-Pedro Feliz goes to Houston (doesn't matter, Houston won't contend)
-White Sox have traded for Juan Pierre & Mark Teahen (two good role players). They also signed JJ Putz.
-Brewers trade JJ Hardy to Minnesota for Carlos Gomez (two very frustrating fantasy players, Gomez will take over for Cameron and is better suited to play in the National League....Hardy is overrated but could find some success for the Twins). Brewers also threw a lot of money to Randy Wolf for some reason. This could be a move we look back on in the next year or two as a big mistake.
-D-Backs got Edwin Jackson in the Granderson deal (Could thrive in the NL but will pitch half of his games in a hitter's park. He will be in a division with many pitcher's parks. Look for Jackson to have a big year with Webb & Haren at the top of that rotation.)
-Brad Penny signs with St. Louis (He'll be fine in St. Louis but I really don't have much faith in him staying healthy anymore.)
-Tigers got a haul back for Granderson. Daniel Schlereth & Max Scherzer both have great young, power arms to add to the Tigers staff/bullpen.
-Billy Wagner signs with Atlanta to become their closer. Wagner knows the division and made the right move signing with an NL team. This ends the Gonzalez/Soriano closer carousel.
-The A's got Jake Fox (a great hitter from the Cubs) while getting rid of their biggest piece from the Matt Holliday deal (Brett Wallace). They also added Michael Taylor, a minor league OF from Philly who put up big numbers. I really like what Billy Beane's doing in Oakland. He's added a lot of talent through trades in the past 2 years while the A's have struggled. They will be back this year I have to believe but the Mariners & Rangers have also gotten better. The Angels lose Figgins & Lackey, leaving me to believe this will be a wide open race next year.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Everything You Need to Know About the Last 3 Weeks of the NFL Season (NFC)
Here's my synopsis of what to expect and what's ahead for the NFC contenders. This conference was much easier to do because there were a lot less contenders for the final playoff spots than the AFC.
NFC West: (It all comes down to 1 game....for Arizona. A win in San Francisco tomorrow clinches their 2nd straight NFC West crown and locks up a 1st round home game. The Cards come in at 8-4 while the Niners are 5-7. With the next 2 games against Detroit & St. Louis, Arizona will find a way to win this division if they don't do it on MNF. The Cards have an intriguing final game at home against Green Bay. Why is this so intriguing? There is a chance of these two teams playing in Week 17 then returning to the desert to play a Wild Card Playoff game. We'll get to Green Bay in a little bit but there in a good position to get the #5 seed. For Arizona, they need to keep winning. They need to finish above the NFC East winner (Philly?) and get the #3 seed. There will be a big difference between playing Green Bay or whoever comes out as the #6 seed (Dallas/NYG/Atlanta/SF?). If the Cardinals can somehow catch Minnesota, they would have the tiebreaker for a higher seed. This is unlikely but something to keep in mind if Arizona wins on Monday. They should have no problems with Det and STL, leaving them at 11-4 hypothetically. The Niners are 5-7 and need to win Monday to keep hope alive. The kicker is that the Niners have Philly, Detroit & St. Louis left. A win Monday gets them to 6 wins with 2 more easy ones vs Det & Stl. That leaves a huge Week 15 game in Philly for both teams. The Niners key games are the next two weeks but if they can get to 7-7, they WILL finish 9-7. That may not be enough to get in but right now it puts them in the conversation. I say they lose Monday and Week 15 and will finish 7-9. Seattle fell to 5-8 Sunday and will be watching from home. St. Louis may be the worst team in football with only 1 win and little offense in most of their games. They are my favorite to get the #1 pick.)
NFC South: (New Orleans has a lot to play for the next 3 weeks as well as the 16-0 potential. They need to hold off Minnesota (which can be done by going 2-1 down the stretch). The Saints play Dallas (HUGE game), Tampa Bay & Carolina. Lock them in as the NFC's #1 seed. Atlanta sits at 6-7 with 3 sneaky yet very winnable games remaining. They play NY Jets, Buffalo & Tampa Bay. Their 5-6 conference record doesn't help and neither does their head to head losses to NYG & Dallas, who just happen to be their main rivals for the last playoff spot. Atlanta has to get to 9-7 but that won't be enough if Dallas wins one more game. The Falcons hopes are all but done due to the tiebreakers they will lose in most scenerios. Carolina sits at an ugly 5-8 with no Jake Delhomme and no 1st round pick in 2010. Good luck with that. Tampa Bay has 1 win and won't win another one. It could come down to tiebreakers to determine whether they or St. Louis drafts first.)
NFC North: (Minnesota is in a quite a tough predicament right now as they most likely won't catch New Orleans for the #1 seed yet probably is safe for the #2 seed and a 1st round bye. They have Carolina, Chicago & NY Giants left.....so 13 wins and the #2 seed looks good as they will likely rest old man Favre in Week 17. Green Bay is on a hot streak, ending the week at 9-4 & in a good place at the #5 seed. The Packers play Pittsburgh, Seattle & Arizona still so they could drop a couple of games. That may leave them as the #6 seed if they finish 10-6 but I see 2 more wins & a #5 seed date. Chicago is out at 5-8....with a long offseason of questions coming for Jay Cutler. True that they missed Brian Urlacher but Cutler is the league leader in INT's and failed time & again to come up with game winning drives throughout the season. Detroit has 2 wins with only slim hope to get to 3 wins. A top 5 draft pick will help Detroit as they can get a stud defensive player to anchor their line.)
NFC East: (The only interesting division race remaining in the NFC is here. Philly is 9-4, Dallas 8-5, NY Giants 7-6. While this would seem to indicate that Philly is in a good spot, they do have to finish the job. San Francisco, Denver & Dallas remain for the Eagles who could be in trouble by dropping that last game to Dallas. That would give Dallas the head to head tiebreaker and the potential division title if they finish with the same record. Unfortunately for Dallas, they have New Orleans this week followed by a trip to Washington. If Dallas can split these games and get to 9 wins, a wild card berth is a possibility or even a division title if Philly loses their next two. The Giants are playing for the wild card at this point after losing the head to head tiebreaker to Philly. NYG has Washington, Carolina & Minnesota left. With the chance of the Vikings starters not playing much in Week 17, the Giants have to feel that 10-6 is a possibility. That may not win the division but they do own the head to head tiebreaker with Dallas so all they'd have to do is finish with the same record. This is a likely outcome in my mind, giving Philly the division & NYG the #6 seed. Washington has 4 wins and is an incredible disapointment in my opinion. I predicted a 9 win season for them in August. They had the chance to win a few games but lost close games to bad teams early in the season, dooming them to mediocrity.)
NFC West: (It all comes down to 1 game....for Arizona. A win in San Francisco tomorrow clinches their 2nd straight NFC West crown and locks up a 1st round home game. The Cards come in at 8-4 while the Niners are 5-7. With the next 2 games against Detroit & St. Louis, Arizona will find a way to win this division if they don't do it on MNF. The Cards have an intriguing final game at home against Green Bay. Why is this so intriguing? There is a chance of these two teams playing in Week 17 then returning to the desert to play a Wild Card Playoff game. We'll get to Green Bay in a little bit but there in a good position to get the #5 seed. For Arizona, they need to keep winning. They need to finish above the NFC East winner (Philly?) and get the #3 seed. There will be a big difference between playing Green Bay or whoever comes out as the #6 seed (Dallas/NYG/Atlanta/SF?). If the Cardinals can somehow catch Minnesota, they would have the tiebreaker for a higher seed. This is unlikely but something to keep in mind if Arizona wins on Monday. They should have no problems with Det and STL, leaving them at 11-4 hypothetically. The Niners are 5-7 and need to win Monday to keep hope alive. The kicker is that the Niners have Philly, Detroit & St. Louis left. A win Monday gets them to 6 wins with 2 more easy ones vs Det & Stl. That leaves a huge Week 15 game in Philly for both teams. The Niners key games are the next two weeks but if they can get to 7-7, they WILL finish 9-7. That may not be enough to get in but right now it puts them in the conversation. I say they lose Monday and Week 15 and will finish 7-9. Seattle fell to 5-8 Sunday and will be watching from home. St. Louis may be the worst team in football with only 1 win and little offense in most of their games. They are my favorite to get the #1 pick.)
NFC South: (New Orleans has a lot to play for the next 3 weeks as well as the 16-0 potential. They need to hold off Minnesota (which can be done by going 2-1 down the stretch). The Saints play Dallas (HUGE game), Tampa Bay & Carolina. Lock them in as the NFC's #1 seed. Atlanta sits at 6-7 with 3 sneaky yet very winnable games remaining. They play NY Jets, Buffalo & Tampa Bay. Their 5-6 conference record doesn't help and neither does their head to head losses to NYG & Dallas, who just happen to be their main rivals for the last playoff spot. Atlanta has to get to 9-7 but that won't be enough if Dallas wins one more game. The Falcons hopes are all but done due to the tiebreakers they will lose in most scenerios. Carolina sits at an ugly 5-8 with no Jake Delhomme and no 1st round pick in 2010. Good luck with that. Tampa Bay has 1 win and won't win another one. It could come down to tiebreakers to determine whether they or St. Louis drafts first.)
NFC North: (Minnesota is in a quite a tough predicament right now as they most likely won't catch New Orleans for the #1 seed yet probably is safe for the #2 seed and a 1st round bye. They have Carolina, Chicago & NY Giants left.....so 13 wins and the #2 seed looks good as they will likely rest old man Favre in Week 17. Green Bay is on a hot streak, ending the week at 9-4 & in a good place at the #5 seed. The Packers play Pittsburgh, Seattle & Arizona still so they could drop a couple of games. That may leave them as the #6 seed if they finish 10-6 but I see 2 more wins & a #5 seed date. Chicago is out at 5-8....with a long offseason of questions coming for Jay Cutler. True that they missed Brian Urlacher but Cutler is the league leader in INT's and failed time & again to come up with game winning drives throughout the season. Detroit has 2 wins with only slim hope to get to 3 wins. A top 5 draft pick will help Detroit as they can get a stud defensive player to anchor their line.)
NFC East: (The only interesting division race remaining in the NFC is here. Philly is 9-4, Dallas 8-5, NY Giants 7-6. While this would seem to indicate that Philly is in a good spot, they do have to finish the job. San Francisco, Denver & Dallas remain for the Eagles who could be in trouble by dropping that last game to Dallas. That would give Dallas the head to head tiebreaker and the potential division title if they finish with the same record. Unfortunately for Dallas, they have New Orleans this week followed by a trip to Washington. If Dallas can split these games and get to 9 wins, a wild card berth is a possibility or even a division title if Philly loses their next two. The Giants are playing for the wild card at this point after losing the head to head tiebreaker to Philly. NYG has Washington, Carolina & Minnesota left. With the chance of the Vikings starters not playing much in Week 17, the Giants have to feel that 10-6 is a possibility. That may not win the division but they do own the head to head tiebreaker with Dallas so all they'd have to do is finish with the same record. This is a likely outcome in my mind, giving Philly the division & NYG the #6 seed. Washington has 4 wins and is an incredible disapointment in my opinion. I predicted a 9 win season for them in August. They had the chance to win a few games but lost close games to bad teams early in the season, dooming them to mediocrity.)
Everything You Need to Know About the Last 3 Weeks of the NFL Season (AFC)
Well we've made it through 14 weeks almost (MNF game still left) and it's been a doozy of a season. 2 teams at 13-0, looking for the Lombardi and history. Former powers struggling (Pats, Steelers, etc.) although we shouldn't be too surprised because this is a league of quick turnover in the contenders. My 2 Super Bowl predicted teams (Bal and GB) have seen their share of problems but both seem to be on their way to playoffs. We've seen in the past few years that it's a crapshoot once you get into the "tournament". Here' s a quick synopsis of each AFC team (through my eyes of course) and how I see them coming down the stretch and into January:
AFC East: (Amidst the rumors of Randy Moss "quitting" on the field at times in the past month, I can't see the Pats not winning this division. They currently have a 1 game lead on NYJ and Miami with games against Buffalo, Jacksonville and Houston remaining. They'll win at least 2 of them to get to 10-6. They have gone from a favorite to a darkhorse in the suddenly thin AFC. Most of the conference will finish right around .500 (7-9 to 9-7) and that screams obvious parody. The Jets have an interesting finishing kick with Atlanta, Indianapolis & Cincinnati to close out the year. 3 teams with something to prove and play for equals no playoffs for NYJ. Miami also plays 3 contenders (Tennessee, Houston & Pittsburgh). There's no reason to believe that the Dolphins can win out so I'd say 9-7 is their best bet at this point. Buffalo has played a little better of late but is getting nothing from Ryan Fitzpatrick. Marshawn Lynch isn't even starting anymore either and this team has major rebuild job written on it. So I'll put NE in the playoffs while the other 3 dream of next September.
AFC North: (It's down to two teams for the division title. One Bengals win or One Ravens Loss will give Cincinnati it's 2nd playoff game in the decade. That shouldn't be a problem but one has to glance at the Ravens schedule and wonder if they can win out? Chicago, Pittsburgh & Oakland remain for the Ravens, leaving a chance for them to remarkably finish 10-6. The Bengals do need to watch though as San Diego, Kansas City & NY Jets are all possible problems. If SD beats Cincy next week, the Chargers will clinch the #2 seed in the AFC in all likelihood. Cincinnati gets at least 1 more win and wins this division but will be in a battle for the #3 seed with New England. Baltimore wins out and gets to 10-6, grabbing a wild card in the process. If the Ravens can get Ed Reed back sooner rather than later, who wants to play this team in the playoffs? Pittsburgh needs to win out to get to 9-7 and join the group that will likely finish the year at that record. They get Green Bay, Baltimore & Miami to finish, leading me to believe .500 is the best they can do. Cleveland is fighting for a Top-5 pick and have no playoff aspirations.
AFC West: (San Diego is at 10 wins with Denver two games back. The Chargers should win the division and have a chance to get a bye with a win vs Cincy next week. No one wants to play them right now having won 8 in a row. Phillip Rivers is playing as well as any other QB in the league and they will be a force in January. They also hold the secret kryptonite to a perfect Colts season. Denver is in a good spot at 8 wins, sitting in 5th in the AFC by itself. Since I don't see any 6 or 7 win team other than Baltimore with a realistic shot at 10 wins, a 2-1 finish would propel the Broncos to the playoffs. Luckily, Denver has Oakland, Philly and KC left.....so 10 wins is a probablilty. They'll end up as the #6 seed in my scenerio though as they tie the Ravens at 10-6 as the 2 wild cards.....with the Ravens having the tiebreaker due to a head to head victory. Kansas City and Oakland are integral parts of the 2010 NFL Draft order.....as they both have to play Cleveland still. Just kidding.....but don't be surprised to see Cleveland win a few games to end this season and Kansas City move up the draft board.
AFC South: (Indianapolis has what it takes to go 16-0. Will they play out the string? This affects playoff wannabes Jacksonville and NY Jets in the next few weeks. Either way, Indianapolis will be the #1 seed in the AFC and could be looking at the Patriots in the Divisional Playoff Round. The other 3 "pretenders" will play meanigful games only because the AFC is so even this year. Jacksonville is 7-6 with Houston and Tennessee at 6-7. All 3 would need to win out to have any chance...with Jacksonville in much better shape as they can get to 10 wins. 9 wins may not even be enough and without looking at the head to heads, I can tell you that Houston and Tennessee are in trouble when it comes to conference record (another tiebreaker). The Jaguars have Indy and New England the next 2 weeks. That should just about put the final nails in their chances with a finale in Cleveland. If Jacksonville can beat either Indy or NE, they could finish 9-7 and have a chance to get in that way. Houston has St. Louis, Miami and New England to finish while Tennessee has Miami, San Diego (short week at home) & Seattle left. I'd say the Titans have a better chance to win out, given the schedule and the way their playing right now. Does 9-7 get them in? Not in my scenerio but as I outlined, we could see a few teams tied at 9-7 at the end of the year...with it all coming down to the fun NFL Tiebreakers.
AFC East: (Amidst the rumors of Randy Moss "quitting" on the field at times in the past month, I can't see the Pats not winning this division. They currently have a 1 game lead on NYJ and Miami with games against Buffalo, Jacksonville and Houston remaining. They'll win at least 2 of them to get to 10-6. They have gone from a favorite to a darkhorse in the suddenly thin AFC. Most of the conference will finish right around .500 (7-9 to 9-7) and that screams obvious parody. The Jets have an interesting finishing kick with Atlanta, Indianapolis & Cincinnati to close out the year. 3 teams with something to prove and play for equals no playoffs for NYJ. Miami also plays 3 contenders (Tennessee, Houston & Pittsburgh). There's no reason to believe that the Dolphins can win out so I'd say 9-7 is their best bet at this point. Buffalo has played a little better of late but is getting nothing from Ryan Fitzpatrick. Marshawn Lynch isn't even starting anymore either and this team has major rebuild job written on it. So I'll put NE in the playoffs while the other 3 dream of next September.
AFC North: (It's down to two teams for the division title. One Bengals win or One Ravens Loss will give Cincinnati it's 2nd playoff game in the decade. That shouldn't be a problem but one has to glance at the Ravens schedule and wonder if they can win out? Chicago, Pittsburgh & Oakland remain for the Ravens, leaving a chance for them to remarkably finish 10-6. The Bengals do need to watch though as San Diego, Kansas City & NY Jets are all possible problems. If SD beats Cincy next week, the Chargers will clinch the #2 seed in the AFC in all likelihood. Cincinnati gets at least 1 more win and wins this division but will be in a battle for the #3 seed with New England. Baltimore wins out and gets to 10-6, grabbing a wild card in the process. If the Ravens can get Ed Reed back sooner rather than later, who wants to play this team in the playoffs? Pittsburgh needs to win out to get to 9-7 and join the group that will likely finish the year at that record. They get Green Bay, Baltimore & Miami to finish, leading me to believe .500 is the best they can do. Cleveland is fighting for a Top-5 pick and have no playoff aspirations.
AFC West: (San Diego is at 10 wins with Denver two games back. The Chargers should win the division and have a chance to get a bye with a win vs Cincy next week. No one wants to play them right now having won 8 in a row. Phillip Rivers is playing as well as any other QB in the league and they will be a force in January. They also hold the secret kryptonite to a perfect Colts season. Denver is in a good spot at 8 wins, sitting in 5th in the AFC by itself. Since I don't see any 6 or 7 win team other than Baltimore with a realistic shot at 10 wins, a 2-1 finish would propel the Broncos to the playoffs. Luckily, Denver has Oakland, Philly and KC left.....so 10 wins is a probablilty. They'll end up as the #6 seed in my scenerio though as they tie the Ravens at 10-6 as the 2 wild cards.....with the Ravens having the tiebreaker due to a head to head victory. Kansas City and Oakland are integral parts of the 2010 NFL Draft order.....as they both have to play Cleveland still. Just kidding.....but don't be surprised to see Cleveland win a few games to end this season and Kansas City move up the draft board.
AFC South: (Indianapolis has what it takes to go 16-0. Will they play out the string? This affects playoff wannabes Jacksonville and NY Jets in the next few weeks. Either way, Indianapolis will be the #1 seed in the AFC and could be looking at the Patriots in the Divisional Playoff Round. The other 3 "pretenders" will play meanigful games only because the AFC is so even this year. Jacksonville is 7-6 with Houston and Tennessee at 6-7. All 3 would need to win out to have any chance...with Jacksonville in much better shape as they can get to 10 wins. 9 wins may not even be enough and without looking at the head to heads, I can tell you that Houston and Tennessee are in trouble when it comes to conference record (another tiebreaker). The Jaguars have Indy and New England the next 2 weeks. That should just about put the final nails in their chances with a finale in Cleveland. If Jacksonville can beat either Indy or NE, they could finish 9-7 and have a chance to get in that way. Houston has St. Louis, Miami and New England to finish while Tennessee has Miami, San Diego (short week at home) & Seattle left. I'd say the Titans have a better chance to win out, given the schedule and the way their playing right now. Does 9-7 get them in? Not in my scenerio but as I outlined, we could see a few teams tied at 9-7 at the end of the year...with it all coming down to the fun NFL Tiebreakers.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Week 14 NFL Picks
Here are my NFL picks for Week 14. On the season I am 98-96 on the season after Thursday.
Steelers -9.5 (LOSS)
Saints -9.5 (Tough road game at a desperate ATL but I see NO 34, ATL 20)
Packers -3.5 (Coming off MNF could be a let down game; GB 31, Chi 14)
Colts -7.5 (Broncos never beat the Colts.....IND 38, Den 20)
Chiefs -0.5 (Ugly ballgame, don't watch if you can avoid....KC 20, Buf 17)
Jets -3.5 (Ugly, low scoring game with Clemens and Freeman at QB....NYJ 17, TB 10)
Dolphins +2.5 (Big game in AFC picture....Dolphs are a bit better; Mia 23, Jac 14)
Ravens -13.5 (I'm not too comfortable with this one....but we'll say Bal 28, Det 10)
Seahawks +6.5 (Back and forth game comes down to final minutes.....Hou 23, Sea 20)
Bengals +6.5 (Two good defenses...give me the points.....Min 27, Cin 23)
Panthers +13.5 (Pats don't lose at home.......NE 31, Car 19)
Titans -12.5 (Rout city USA tomorrow......Ten 34, Stl 7)
Redskins -1.5 (Rugged game, over 60 combined carries.......Was 17, Oak 14)
Chargers +3.5 (SD is the ultimate sleeper as well as GB to make SB....SD 37, Dal 20)
Eagles +0.5 (Huge game in NFC East.......Eagles win late.......Phi 23, Nyg 17)
Cards -3.5 (Arizona races to 2nd straight NFC West title.....AZ 27, SF 20)
Steelers -9.5 (LOSS)
Saints -9.5 (Tough road game at a desperate ATL but I see NO 34, ATL 20)
Packers -3.5 (Coming off MNF could be a let down game; GB 31, Chi 14)
Colts -7.5 (Broncos never beat the Colts.....IND 38, Den 20)
Chiefs -0.5 (Ugly ballgame, don't watch if you can avoid....KC 20, Buf 17)
Jets -3.5 (Ugly, low scoring game with Clemens and Freeman at QB....NYJ 17, TB 10)
Dolphins +2.5 (Big game in AFC picture....Dolphs are a bit better; Mia 23, Jac 14)
Ravens -13.5 (I'm not too comfortable with this one....but we'll say Bal 28, Det 10)
Seahawks +6.5 (Back and forth game comes down to final minutes.....Hou 23, Sea 20)
Bengals +6.5 (Two good defenses...give me the points.....Min 27, Cin 23)
Panthers +13.5 (Pats don't lose at home.......NE 31, Car 19)
Titans -12.5 (Rout city USA tomorrow......Ten 34, Stl 7)
Redskins -1.5 (Rugged game, over 60 combined carries.......Was 17, Oak 14)
Chargers +3.5 (SD is the ultimate sleeper as well as GB to make SB....SD 37, Dal 20)
Eagles +0.5 (Huge game in NFC East.......Eagles win late.......Phi 23, Nyg 17)
Cards -3.5 (Arizona races to 2nd straight NFC West title.....AZ 27, SF 20)
Sunday, October 4, 2009
MLB Predictions Review
Here's a quick review of my MLB predictions I made before the 2009 season. For the records, I'll give a +/- review of their wins (-1 means they won 1 less game than I predicted. These can be reviewed in an April blog post):
AL East
Boston (-1)
New York (+9)
Tampa Bay (-4)
Baltimore (-11)
Toronto (+10)
AL Central
Minnesota (Either exact or -1)
Chicago (-4)
Cleveland (-17)
Kansas City (-14)
Detroit (+13 or +14)
AL West
LA Angels (+8)
Texas (EXACT)
Oakland (EXACT)
Seattle (+15)
NL East
Philadelphia (EXACT)
NY Mets (-20)
Florida (+2)
Atlanta (+13)
Washington (+3)
NL Central
St. Louis (+1)
Chicago (-6)
Houston (-9)
Milwaukee (-2)
Cincinnati (+4)
Pittsburgh (-1..could have won a makeup game though and I'd be exact)
NL West
Colorado (+4)
Los Angeles (+10)
Arizona (-11)
San Francisco (+14)
San Diego (+8)
I predicted 3 of the 4 NL playoff teams (switching out the Mets for the Dodgers. In the AL, I will have nailed all 4 teams if the Twins beat the Tigers in the Playoff Game. The awards won't be out for awhile so I won't comment on those yet. We can now look at the Stat Leaders I predicted.
Stat Leaders Predictions:
AL HR's: Mark Teixiera, NY Yankees (Tied for 1st with Carlos Pena with 39)
NL HR's: Prince Fielder, Milwaukee (Finished with 46 in 2nd place, 1 behind Pujols)
AL Batting Title: Ichiro, Seattle (Finished 2nd behind Mauer)
NL Batting Title: Albert Pujols, St. Louis (Finished 3rd behind H. Ramirez and P. Sandoval)
AL RBI's: Justin Morneau, Minnesota (Finished tied for 12th...was hurt the last month though)
NL RBI's: Albert Pujols, St. Louis (Finished 3rd behind Fielder and Howard)
AL SB's: Jacoby Ellsbury, Boston (Finished 1st)
NL SB's: Jose Reyes, NY Mets (Got hurt early and never was close)
AL Wins: Jon Lester, Boston (Finished tied for 10th)
NL Wins: Johan Santana, NY Mets (Finished tied for 17th...missed 2 months though)
AL ERA: Jon Lester, Boston (Finished 5th)
NL ERA: Tim Lincecum, San Francisco (Finished 2nd)
AL Saves: Joe Nathan, Minnesota (Finished 2nd)
NL Saves: Jason Motte, St. Louis (Not even close, wasn't closer for more than 2 weeks)
AL Strikeouts: CC Sabathia, NY Yankees (Finished 7th)
NL Strikeouts: Tim Lincecum, San Francisco (Finished 1st)
AL East
Boston (-1)
New York (+9)
Tampa Bay (-4)
Baltimore (-11)
Toronto (+10)
AL Central
Minnesota (Either exact or -1)
Chicago (-4)
Cleveland (-17)
Kansas City (-14)
Detroit (+13 or +14)
AL West
LA Angels (+8)
Texas (EXACT)
Oakland (EXACT)
Seattle (+15)
NL East
Philadelphia (EXACT)
NY Mets (-20)
Florida (+2)
Atlanta (+13)
Washington (+3)
NL Central
St. Louis (+1)
Chicago (-6)
Houston (-9)
Milwaukee (-2)
Cincinnati (+4)
Pittsburgh (-1..could have won a makeup game though and I'd be exact)
NL West
Colorado (+4)
Los Angeles (+10)
Arizona (-11)
San Francisco (+14)
San Diego (+8)
I predicted 3 of the 4 NL playoff teams (switching out the Mets for the Dodgers. In the AL, I will have nailed all 4 teams if the Twins beat the Tigers in the Playoff Game. The awards won't be out for awhile so I won't comment on those yet. We can now look at the Stat Leaders I predicted.
Stat Leaders Predictions:
AL HR's: Mark Teixiera, NY Yankees (Tied for 1st with Carlos Pena with 39)
NL HR's: Prince Fielder, Milwaukee (Finished with 46 in 2nd place, 1 behind Pujols)
AL Batting Title: Ichiro, Seattle (Finished 2nd behind Mauer)
NL Batting Title: Albert Pujols, St. Louis (Finished 3rd behind H. Ramirez and P. Sandoval)
AL RBI's: Justin Morneau, Minnesota (Finished tied for 12th...was hurt the last month though)
NL RBI's: Albert Pujols, St. Louis (Finished 3rd behind Fielder and Howard)
AL SB's: Jacoby Ellsbury, Boston (Finished 1st)
NL SB's: Jose Reyes, NY Mets (Got hurt early and never was close)
AL Wins: Jon Lester, Boston (Finished tied for 10th)
NL Wins: Johan Santana, NY Mets (Finished tied for 17th...missed 2 months though)
AL ERA: Jon Lester, Boston (Finished 5th)
NL ERA: Tim Lincecum, San Francisco (Finished 2nd)
AL Saves: Joe Nathan, Minnesota (Finished 2nd)
NL Saves: Jason Motte, St. Louis (Not even close, wasn't closer for more than 2 weeks)
AL Strikeouts: CC Sabathia, NY Yankees (Finished 7th)
NL Strikeouts: Tim Lincecum, San Francisco (Finished 1st)
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
NHL Points Over/Unders
I'm not going to go out and try to predict each team's record like I do with the other sports. Instead, I'll take the point over/unders from Bodog.com and give you my predictions on each team. We'll see how well I do on the 30 teams. I predict I can get 21 or more right? Can I do it? We'll see.....
Anaheim- UNDER 96.5
Atlanta- UNDER 80.5
Boston- OVER 101.5
Buffalo- UNDER 91.5
Calgary- OVER 96.5
Carolina- UNDER 94.5
Chicago- UNDER 105.5
Colorado- OVER 72.5
Columbus- OVER 86.5
Dallas- OVER 89.5
Detroit- OVER 106.5
Edmonton- UNDER 89.5
Florida- UNDER 87.5
Los Angeles- OVER 86.5
Minnesota- UNDER 88.5
Nashville- UNDER 84.5
New Jersey- UNDER 96.5
NY Islanders- UNDER 70.5
NY Rangers- OVER 91.5
Ottawa- UNDER 83.5
Philadelphia- UNDER 102.5
Phoenix- OVER 72.5
Pittsburgh- OVER 102.5
San Jose- UNDER 107.5
St. Louis- OVER 91.5
Tampa Bay- UNDER 85.5
Toronto- UNDER 85.5
Vancouver- OVER 96.5
Washington- UNDER 104.5
Montreal- OVER 93.5
So I ended up with 13 Over's and 17 Under's. We shall see if I can get the magic 21 right that I believe I can. Here are some other predictions:
Art Ross Trophy (Most Points) - Sidney Crosby, Pit (5/1 odds)
Vezina Trophy (Best Goaltender) - Nickolas Backstrom, Min (15/2 odds)
James Norris Trophy (Best Defenseman) - Dion Phanuef, Cal (6/1 odds)
Anaheim- UNDER 96.5
Atlanta- UNDER 80.5
Boston- OVER 101.5
Buffalo- UNDER 91.5
Calgary- OVER 96.5
Carolina- UNDER 94.5
Chicago- UNDER 105.5
Colorado- OVER 72.5
Columbus- OVER 86.5
Dallas- OVER 89.5
Detroit- OVER 106.5
Edmonton- UNDER 89.5
Florida- UNDER 87.5
Los Angeles- OVER 86.5
Minnesota- UNDER 88.5
Nashville- UNDER 84.5
New Jersey- UNDER 96.5
NY Islanders- UNDER 70.5
NY Rangers- OVER 91.5
Ottawa- UNDER 83.5
Philadelphia- UNDER 102.5
Phoenix- OVER 72.5
Pittsburgh- OVER 102.5
San Jose- UNDER 107.5
St. Louis- OVER 91.5
Tampa Bay- UNDER 85.5
Toronto- UNDER 85.5
Vancouver- OVER 96.5
Washington- UNDER 104.5
Montreal- OVER 93.5
So I ended up with 13 Over's and 17 Under's. We shall see if I can get the magic 21 right that I believe I can. Here are some other predictions:
Art Ross Trophy (Most Points) - Sidney Crosby, Pit (5/1 odds)
Vezina Trophy (Best Goaltender) - Nickolas Backstrom, Min (15/2 odds)
James Norris Trophy (Best Defenseman) - Dion Phanuef, Cal (6/1 odds)
Thursday, September 10, 2009
2009 NFL Predictions!
Here are my NFL Predicted Standings and Playoffs:
AFC East
*New England (13-3)
Miami (9-7)
NY Jets (8-8)
Buffalo (4-12)
AFC North
*Pittsburgh (12-4)
*Baltimore (10-6)
Cleveland (5-11)
Cincinnati (4-12)
AFC South
*Indianapolis (11-5)
*Tennessee (9-7)
Houston (7-9)
Jacksonville (4-12)
AFC West
*San Diego (12-4)
Denver (7-9)
Oakland (4-12)
Kansas City (3-13)
NFC East
*NY Giants (11-5)
*Philadelphia (11-5)
Washington (9-7)
Dallas (7-9)
NFC North
*Green Bay (11-5)
*Chicago (11-5)
Minnesota (8-8)
Detroit (3-13)
NFC South
*Carolina (10-6)
New Orleans (10-6)
Atlanta (7-9)
Tampa Bay (3-13)
NFC West
*Arizona (9-7)
Seattle (8-8)
San Francisco (5-11)
St. Louis (2-14)
Wild Card Playoffs:
(#3) Colts 17, (#6) Titans 10
(#5) Ravens 23, (#4) Chargers 10
(#4) Cardinals 24, (#5) Bears 20
(#3) Panthers 27, (#6) Eagles 17
Divisional Playoffs:
(#2) Steelers 20, (#3) Colts 7
(#5) Ravens 23, (#1) Patriots 13
(#1) Giants 34, (#4) Cardinals 17
(#2) Packers 16, (#3) Panthers 13 (OT)
Conference Championships:
(#5) Ravens 14, (#2) Steelers 13
(#2) Packers 20, (#1) Giants 14
Super Bowl 44:
Ravens 27, Packers 14
AFC East
*New England (13-3)
Miami (9-7)
NY Jets (8-8)
Buffalo (4-12)
AFC North
*Pittsburgh (12-4)
*Baltimore (10-6)
Cleveland (5-11)
Cincinnati (4-12)
AFC South
*Indianapolis (11-5)
*Tennessee (9-7)
Houston (7-9)
Jacksonville (4-12)
AFC West
*San Diego (12-4)
Denver (7-9)
Oakland (4-12)
Kansas City (3-13)
NFC East
*NY Giants (11-5)
*Philadelphia (11-5)
Washington (9-7)
Dallas (7-9)
NFC North
*Green Bay (11-5)
*Chicago (11-5)
Minnesota (8-8)
Detroit (3-13)
NFC South
*Carolina (10-6)
New Orleans (10-6)
Atlanta (7-9)
Tampa Bay (3-13)
NFC West
*Arizona (9-7)
Seattle (8-8)
San Francisco (5-11)
St. Louis (2-14)
Wild Card Playoffs:
(#3) Colts 17, (#6) Titans 10
(#5) Ravens 23, (#4) Chargers 10
(#4) Cardinals 24, (#5) Bears 20
(#3) Panthers 27, (#6) Eagles 17
Divisional Playoffs:
(#2) Steelers 20, (#3) Colts 7
(#5) Ravens 23, (#1) Patriots 13
(#1) Giants 34, (#4) Cardinals 17
(#2) Packers 16, (#3) Panthers 13 (OT)
Conference Championships:
(#5) Ravens 14, (#2) Steelers 13
(#2) Packers 20, (#1) Giants 14
Super Bowl 44:
Ravens 27, Packers 14
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
2009 College Football Bowl and Poll Predictions
Final Top 10 Predictions (Last poll before bowl games)
1) Florida (13-0)
2) Oklahoma State (12-1)
3) USC (11-1)
4) Ohio State (11-1)
5) Oklahoma (11-1)
6) TCU (12-0)
7) Georgia Tech (12-1)
8) Notre Dame (11-1)
9) Penn State (11-1)
10) Tennessee (11-1)
Other Notable Teams: West Virginia (10-2), Oregon State (10-2), Oregon (10-2), Wisconsin (11-1), Boise State (12-1)
BCS Bowl Predictions
BCS National Title Game: Florida 41, Oklahoma State 28
Rose Bowl: USC 28, Ohio State 21
Sugar Bowl: Tennessee 23, West Virginia 16
Fiesta Bowl: TCU 23, Notre Dame 17
Orange Bowl: Oklahoma 40, Georgia Tech 14
Explanation of BCS Bowl Predictions
Florida and Oklahoma State finish #1 and #2, clinching National Title Game berths. USC and Ohio State win their respective conferences, clinching Rose Bowl berths. I have USC winning the rematch of an earlier season game in which I have them giving Ohio State their only defeat of the season. TCU receives an Automatic bid due to finishing in the top 6 in the final BCS standings. Notre Dame receives an Automatic bid due to finishing with 9 wins and/or finishing in the top 8 of the final BCS standings (either would put them in a BCS game). West Virginia and Georgia Tech win the Big East & ACC, respectively. Tennessee and Oklahoma receive the other two bids as the Sugar will have the first pick of automatics after losing Florida to the title game, choosing Tennessee over Notre Dame. The Fiesta will then choose Notre Dame with the 2nd pick after losing Oklahoma State to the National Title Game. After that, the Orange will have the next 2 and will take their teams, leaving West Virginia as the final pick for the Sugar.
1) Florida (13-0)
2) Oklahoma State (12-1)
3) USC (11-1)
4) Ohio State (11-1)
5) Oklahoma (11-1)
6) TCU (12-0)
7) Georgia Tech (12-1)
8) Notre Dame (11-1)
9) Penn State (11-1)
10) Tennessee (11-1)
Other Notable Teams: West Virginia (10-2), Oregon State (10-2), Oregon (10-2), Wisconsin (11-1), Boise State (12-1)
BCS Bowl Predictions
BCS National Title Game: Florida 41, Oklahoma State 28
Rose Bowl: USC 28, Ohio State 21
Sugar Bowl: Tennessee 23, West Virginia 16
Fiesta Bowl: TCU 23, Notre Dame 17
Orange Bowl: Oklahoma 40, Georgia Tech 14
Explanation of BCS Bowl Predictions
Florida and Oklahoma State finish #1 and #2, clinching National Title Game berths. USC and Ohio State win their respective conferences, clinching Rose Bowl berths. I have USC winning the rematch of an earlier season game in which I have them giving Ohio State their only defeat of the season. TCU receives an Automatic bid due to finishing in the top 6 in the final BCS standings. Notre Dame receives an Automatic bid due to finishing with 9 wins and/or finishing in the top 8 of the final BCS standings (either would put them in a BCS game). West Virginia and Georgia Tech win the Big East & ACC, respectively. Tennessee and Oklahoma receive the other two bids as the Sugar will have the first pick of automatics after losing Florida to the title game, choosing Tennessee over Notre Dame. The Fiesta will then choose Notre Dame with the 2nd pick after losing Oklahoma State to the National Title Game. After that, the Orange will have the next 2 and will take their teams, leaving West Virginia as the final pick for the Sugar.
2009 WAC and Independent Predictions
WAC Predictions
Boise State 8-0 12-1
Hawaii 6-2 9-4
Fresno State 6-2 7-5
La. Tech 5-3 6-6
San Jose State 5-3 6-6
Nevada 3-5 5-7
New Mex. St. 2-6 4-8
Idaho 1-7 1-11
Utah State 0-8 1-12
Independent Predictions
Notre Dame 11-1 (only loss vs USC)
Navy 9-4
Army 2-10
Boise State 8-0 12-1
Hawaii 6-2 9-4
Fresno State 6-2 7-5
La. Tech 5-3 6-6
San Jose State 5-3 6-6
Nevada 3-5 5-7
New Mex. St. 2-6 4-8
Idaho 1-7 1-11
Utah State 0-8 1-12
Independent Predictions
Notre Dame 11-1 (only loss vs USC)
Navy 9-4
Army 2-10
2009 Sun Belt Predictions
Sun Belt Predictions
Troy 8-0 8-4
Florida Atlantic 7-1 9-3
Middle Tennessee 6-2 6-6
La. Lafayette 4-4 5-7
North Texas 3-5 3-9
Western Kentucky 3-5 4-8
FIU 2-6 2-10
Arkansas St. 2-6 3-9
La. Monroe 1-7 2-10
Troy 8-0 8-4
Florida Atlantic 7-1 9-3
Middle Tennessee 6-2 6-6
La. Lafayette 4-4 5-7
North Texas 3-5 3-9
Western Kentucky 3-5 4-8
FIU 2-6 2-10
Arkansas St. 2-6 3-9
La. Monroe 1-7 2-10
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
2009 SEC Predictions
SEC Predictions
SEC East
Florida 8-0 12-0
Tennessee 7-1 11-1
Georgia 4-4 6-6
South Carolina 2-6 5-7
Kentucky 2-6 6-6
Vanderbilt 0-8 2-10
SEC West
Mississippi 7-1 11-1
LSU 6-2 10-2
Auburn 4-4 8-4
Alabama 4-4 7-5
Arkansas 3-5 7-5
Miss. St. 1-7 4-8
Conference Title Game: Florida 28, Mississippi 18
SEC East
Florida 8-0 12-0
Tennessee 7-1 11-1
Georgia 4-4 6-6
South Carolina 2-6 5-7
Kentucky 2-6 6-6
Vanderbilt 0-8 2-10
SEC West
Mississippi 7-1 11-1
LSU 6-2 10-2
Auburn 4-4 8-4
Alabama 4-4 7-5
Arkansas 3-5 7-5
Miss. St. 1-7 4-8
Conference Title Game: Florida 28, Mississippi 18
2009 Pac-10 Predictions
PAC-10 Predictions
USC 8-1 11-1
Oregon St. 7-2 10-2
Oregon 7-2 10-2
UCLA 7-2 9-3
California 6-3 9-3
Arizona 4-5 7-5
Arizona St. 3-6 5-7
Wash. St. 1-8 2-10
Stanford 1-8 2-10
Washington 1-8 2-10
USC 8-1 11-1
Oregon St. 7-2 10-2
Oregon 7-2 10-2
UCLA 7-2 9-3
California 6-3 9-3
Arizona 4-5 7-5
Arizona St. 3-6 5-7
Wash. St. 1-8 2-10
Stanford 1-8 2-10
Washington 1-8 2-10
2009 Mountain West Predictions
Mountain West Predictions
TCU 8-0 12-0
BYU 7-1 9-3
Utah 6-2 9-3
Air Force 5-3 7-5
Col. St. 4-4 6-6
SDSU 2-6 4-8
New Mexico 2-6 3-9
Wyoming 2-6 3-9
UNLV 0-8 1-7
TCU 8-0 12-0
BYU 7-1 9-3
Utah 6-2 9-3
Air Force 5-3 7-5
Col. St. 4-4 6-6
SDSU 2-6 4-8
New Mexico 2-6 3-9
Wyoming 2-6 3-9
UNLV 0-8 1-7
2009 MAC Predictions
MAC Predictions
Eastern Division
Miami (OH) 6-2 6-6
Buffalo 6-2 9-3
Bowling Green 5-3 7-5
Akron 4-4 5-7
Kent State 3-5 4-8
Ohio 1-7 2-10
Temple 1-7 3-9
Western Division
Central Michigan 7-1 8-4
Western Michigan 6-2 7-5
Northern Illinois 5-3 7-5
Ball State 5-3 8-4
Toledo 3-5 4-8
Eastern Michigan 0-8 1-11
Conference Title Game: Central Michigan 41, Miami (OH) 17
Eastern Division
Miami (OH) 6-2 6-6
Buffalo 6-2 9-3
Bowling Green 5-3 7-5
Akron 4-4 5-7
Kent State 3-5 4-8
Ohio 1-7 2-10
Temple 1-7 3-9
Western Division
Central Michigan 7-1 8-4
Western Michigan 6-2 7-5
Northern Illinois 5-3 7-5
Ball State 5-3 8-4
Toledo 3-5 4-8
Eastern Michigan 0-8 1-11
Conference Title Game: Central Michigan 41, Miami (OH) 17
2009 Conference USA Predictions
Conference USA Predictions
East Division
East Carolina 7-1 8-4
Central Florida 5-3 6-6
So. Miss. 3-5 4-8
Marshall 3-5 4-8
UAB 3-5 4-8
Memphis 1-7 4-8
West Division
Rice 7-1 8-4
Tulsa 6-2 8-4
Houston 6-2 7-5
UTEP 5-3 6-6
SMU 2-6 3-9
Tulane 0-8 2-10
Conference Title Game: East Carolina 31, Rice 21
East Division
East Carolina 7-1 8-4
Central Florida 5-3 6-6
So. Miss. 3-5 4-8
Marshall 3-5 4-8
UAB 3-5 4-8
Memphis 1-7 4-8
West Division
Rice 7-1 8-4
Tulsa 6-2 8-4
Houston 6-2 7-5
UTEP 5-3 6-6
SMU 2-6 3-9
Tulane 0-8 2-10
Conference Title Game: East Carolina 31, Rice 21
Monday, August 31, 2009
2009 Big East Predictions
Big East Predictions
West Virginia 6-1 10-2
South Florida 6-1 10-2
Cincinnati 5-2 8-4
Louisville 4-3 7-5
Pittsburgh 3-4 7-5
Connecticut 2-5 4-8
Rutgers 1-6 5-7
Syracuse 0-7 2-10
West Virginia wins conference based on head to head win over South Florida.
West Virginia 6-1 10-2
South Florida 6-1 10-2
Cincinnati 5-2 8-4
Louisville 4-3 7-5
Pittsburgh 3-4 7-5
Connecticut 2-5 4-8
Rutgers 1-6 5-7
Syracuse 0-7 2-10
West Virginia wins conference based on head to head win over South Florida.
2009 Big XII Predictions
Big XII North
Nebraska 6-2 10-2
Colorado 5-3 8-4
Kansas 4-4 8-4
Kansas St. 2-6 5-7
Missouri 2-6 5-7
Iowa St. 1-7 4-8
Big XII South
Okla. St. 7-1 11-1
Oklahoma 7-1 11-1
Texas 6-2 10-2
Texas Tech 4-4 8-4
Baylor 3-5 7-5
Texas AM 1-7 4-8
Conference Title Game: Oklahoma State 48, Nebraska 17
Nebraska 6-2 10-2
Colorado 5-3 8-4
Kansas 4-4 8-4
Kansas St. 2-6 5-7
Missouri 2-6 5-7
Iowa St. 1-7 4-8
Big XII South
Okla. St. 7-1 11-1
Oklahoma 7-1 11-1
Texas 6-2 10-2
Texas Tech 4-4 8-4
Baylor 3-5 7-5
Texas AM 1-7 4-8
Conference Title Game: Oklahoma State 48, Nebraska 17
2009 Big Ten Predictions
Big Ten Predictions
Ohio State 8-0 11-1
Penn State 7-1 11-1
Wisconsin 7-1 11-1
Illinois 5-3 9-3
Iowa 4-4 7-5
Michigan 4-4 7-5
Michigan St. 3-5 6-6
Purdue 3-5 5-7
Northwestern 2-6 6-6
Minnesota 1-7 4-8
Indiana 0-8 3-9
Ohio State 8-0 11-1
Penn State 7-1 11-1
Wisconsin 7-1 11-1
Illinois 5-3 9-3
Iowa 4-4 7-5
Michigan 4-4 7-5
Michigan St. 3-5 6-6
Purdue 3-5 5-7
Northwestern 2-6 6-6
Minnesota 1-7 4-8
Indiana 0-8 3-9
2009 ACC Predictions
This is the first of the many conference predictions to come out before Thursday's first kickoff. After all conferences are previewed, I will project the bowl matchups and give a final Top 10 for the regular season.
ACC Atlantic
Florida State 5-3 8-4
Clemson 5-3 8-4
Boston College 4-4 7-5
Maryland 3-5 6-6
Wake Forest 2-6 5-7
N.C. State 1-7 3-9
ACC Coastal
Georgia Tech 7-1 11-1
Miami (Fla) 7-1 9-3
Virginia Tech 7-1 10-2
North Carolina 5-3 9-3
Virginia 1-7 4-8
Duke 1-7 4-8
Conference Title Game: Georgia Tech 23, Florida State 10
ACC Atlantic
Florida State 5-3 8-4
Clemson 5-3 8-4
Boston College 4-4 7-5
Maryland 3-5 6-6
Wake Forest 2-6 5-7
N.C. State 1-7 3-9
ACC Coastal
Georgia Tech 7-1 11-1
Miami (Fla) 7-1 9-3
Virginia Tech 7-1 10-2
North Carolina 5-3 9-3
Virginia 1-7 4-8
Duke 1-7 4-8
Conference Title Game: Georgia Tech 23, Florida State 10
Monday, July 6, 2009
What are the Cavs going to do now?
Adam Miezin
if the cavs give varajao 10 mil a year over 5 years, thats crazy. give the same money in an offer sheet to david lee (like i been saying) and make the knicks match or else we got an even better player. if they match, then they have less money for next offseason (unless they move jeffries and curry). please don't resign varajao. thanks mr ferry.
Rob PaterniteThursday, June 25, 2009
NBA Draft- My Draft Board
These are my top 10 players coming into the draft (this won't be the draft order but it's my rankings of the 10 best players in the draft):
1) Ricky Rubio
2) Blake Griffin
3) Stephen Curry (Lights out shooter at times, could score 25 a game in the right system)
4) Brandon Jennings (Remember the name, he will contribute and have big games & a long career)
5) Jrue Holliday (Much better pick than Tyreke Evans, the other big 1 and done college player)
6) Earl Clark (He will be effective unlike college teammate Terrance Williams)
7) Jeff Teague (Great draft for PG's, just look at my list)
8) Jeff Adrien (Similar player to Jeff Green, a bit smaller but will find his spot in an NBA rotation)
9) Erik Maynor
10) Ty Lawson (sleeper city, similar to DJ Augustin and I was all over him last year)
1) Ricky Rubio
2) Blake Griffin
3) Stephen Curry (Lights out shooter at times, could score 25 a game in the right system)
4) Brandon Jennings (Remember the name, he will contribute and have big games & a long career)
5) Jrue Holliday (Much better pick than Tyreke Evans, the other big 1 and done college player)
6) Earl Clark (He will be effective unlike college teammate Terrance Williams)
7) Jeff Teague (Great draft for PG's, just look at my list)
8) Jeff Adrien (Similar player to Jeff Green, a bit smaller but will find his spot in an NBA rotation)
9) Erik Maynor
10) Ty Lawson (sleeper city, similar to DJ Augustin and I was all over him last year)
Monday, April 20, 2009
NBA Predictions Review
Well my NBA preseason predictions weren't as good as I thought they were. I posted these on October 28th, 2008 for those who want to look at my "success" or lack thereof. Here's a quick recap of what I picked earlier this year:
-4 of the 6 division champs (Detroit and Utah were wrong).
-6 of 8 Eastern Conference playoff teams (I had Toronto & Washington in, Atlanta & Chicago out)
-3 of 8 Eastern Conference teams seeds correct. (Boston #2, Orlando #3, Philadelphia #6)
-6 of 8 Western Conference playoff teams (I had Phoenix & Golden St. in, Dallas & Portland out)
-1 of 8 Western Conference teams seeds correct (San Antonio as the #3)
-My East Final was Cleveland over Boston (a likely scenerio right now)
-My West Final was Utah over LA Lakers (they're playing in the first round)
-4 of the 6 division champs (Detroit and Utah were wrong).
-6 of 8 Eastern Conference playoff teams (I had Toronto & Washington in, Atlanta & Chicago out)
-3 of 8 Eastern Conference teams seeds correct. (Boston #2, Orlando #3, Philadelphia #6)
-6 of 8 Western Conference playoff teams (I had Phoenix & Golden St. in, Dallas & Portland out)
-1 of 8 Western Conference teams seeds correct (San Antonio as the #3)
-My East Final was Cleveland over Boston (a likely scenerio right now)
-My West Final was Utah over LA Lakers (they're playing in the first round)
Sunday, April 5, 2009
09 MLB Predictions!
The long awaited predictions page! This was tough to do but here's but my best shot at what the 2009 baseball season has to offer for us. Enjoy. Award winners and stat leaders listed below team records as well for your enjoyment.
AL East
Boston 96-66
New York 94-68
Tampa Bay 88-76
Baltimore 75-87
Toronto 65-97
AL Central
Minnesota 87-75
Chicago 83-79
Cleveland 82-80
Kansas City 79-83
Detroit 73-89
AL West
LA Angels 89-73
Texas 87-75
Oakland 75-87
Seattle 70-92
NL East
Philadelphia 93-69
NY Mets 90-72
Florida 85-77
Atlanta 73-89
Washington 56-106
NL Central
St. Louis 90-72
Chicago 89-73
Houston 83-79
Milwaukee 82-80
Cincinnati 74-88
Pittsburgh 63-99
NL West
Colorado 88-74
Los Angeles 85-77
Arizona 81-81
San Francisco 74-88
San Diego 67-95
Playoff Predictions:
Boston over Minnesota, 3-1
NY Yankees over LA Angels, 3-1
Colorado over Philadelphia, 3-2
St. Louis over NY Mets, 3-1
League Championship Series:
Boston over NY Yankees, 4-2
St. Louis over Colorado, 4-1
World Series:
St. Louis over Boston, 4-3
For the second time in four years, the St. Louis Cardinals will be World Series Champs, defeating the team that took them down in the 2004 World Series. I also predict the NL to win the All-Star Game, giving the Cardinals the decisive Game Seven at home.
Award Winners Predictions:
AL MVP: Mark Teixiera, NY Yankees
NL MVP: Albert Pujols, St. Louis
AL Cy Young: Jon Lester, Boston
NL Cy Young: Tim Lincecum, San Francisco
AL Manager of the Year: Ron Gardenhire, Minnesota
NL Manger of the Year: Clint Hurdle, Colorado
AL Rookie of the Year: Matt Wieters, Baltimore
NL Rookie of the Year: Cameron Maybin, Florida
Stat Leaders Predictions:
AL HR's: Mark Teixiera, NY Yankees (44)
NL HR's: Prince Fielder, Milwaukee (47)
AL Batting Title: Ichiro, Seattle (.339)
NL Batting Title: Albert Pujols, St. Louis (.349)
AL RBI's: Justin Morneau, Minnesota (129)
NL RBI's: Albert Pujols, St. Louis (134)
AL SB's: Jacoby Ellsbury, Boston (61)
NL SB's: Jose Reyes, NY Mets (69)
AL Wins: Jon Lester, Boston (20)
NL Wins: Johan Santana, NY Mets (19)
AL ERA: Jon Lester, Boston (2.51)
NL ERA: Tim Lincecum, San Francisco (2.40)
AL Saves: Joe Nathan, Minnesota (48)
NL Saves: Jason Motte, St. Louis (47)
AL Strikeouts: CC Sabathia, NY Yankees (256)
NL Strikeouts: Tim Lincecum, San Francisco (286)
AL East
Boston 96-66
New York 94-68
Tampa Bay 88-76
Baltimore 75-87
Toronto 65-97
AL Central
Minnesota 87-75
Chicago 83-79
Cleveland 82-80
Kansas City 79-83
Detroit 73-89
AL West
LA Angels 89-73
Texas 87-75
Oakland 75-87
Seattle 70-92
NL East
Philadelphia 93-69
NY Mets 90-72
Florida 85-77
Atlanta 73-89
Washington 56-106
NL Central
St. Louis 90-72
Chicago 89-73
Houston 83-79
Milwaukee 82-80
Cincinnati 74-88
Pittsburgh 63-99
NL West
Colorado 88-74
Los Angeles 85-77
Arizona 81-81
San Francisco 74-88
San Diego 67-95
Playoff Predictions:
Boston over Minnesota, 3-1
NY Yankees over LA Angels, 3-1
Colorado over Philadelphia, 3-2
St. Louis over NY Mets, 3-1
League Championship Series:
Boston over NY Yankees, 4-2
St. Louis over Colorado, 4-1
World Series:
St. Louis over Boston, 4-3
For the second time in four years, the St. Louis Cardinals will be World Series Champs, defeating the team that took them down in the 2004 World Series. I also predict the NL to win the All-Star Game, giving the Cardinals the decisive Game Seven at home.
Award Winners Predictions:
AL MVP: Mark Teixiera, NY Yankees
NL MVP: Albert Pujols, St. Louis
AL Cy Young: Jon Lester, Boston
NL Cy Young: Tim Lincecum, San Francisco
AL Manager of the Year: Ron Gardenhire, Minnesota
NL Manger of the Year: Clint Hurdle, Colorado
AL Rookie of the Year: Matt Wieters, Baltimore
NL Rookie of the Year: Cameron Maybin, Florida
Stat Leaders Predictions:
AL HR's: Mark Teixiera, NY Yankees (44)
NL HR's: Prince Fielder, Milwaukee (47)
AL Batting Title: Ichiro, Seattle (.339)
NL Batting Title: Albert Pujols, St. Louis (.349)
AL RBI's: Justin Morneau, Minnesota (129)
NL RBI's: Albert Pujols, St. Louis (134)
AL SB's: Jacoby Ellsbury, Boston (61)
NL SB's: Jose Reyes, NY Mets (69)
AL Wins: Jon Lester, Boston (20)
NL Wins: Johan Santana, NY Mets (19)
AL ERA: Jon Lester, Boston (2.51)
NL ERA: Tim Lincecum, San Francisco (2.40)
AL Saves: Joe Nathan, Minnesota (48)
NL Saves: Jason Motte, St. Louis (47)
AL Strikeouts: CC Sabathia, NY Yankees (256)
NL Strikeouts: Tim Lincecum, San Francisco (286)
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Plethora of Thoughts- January 20, 2009
First post of the new year. New President. New world with the Arizona Cardinals making the Super Bowl. With their success and the Rays success in making the World Series, we've entered into a sort of bizzaro world time period for sports. Add into the mix that the Cleveland Cavaliers (another franchise with very mild success all time, especially before Lebron) could possibly end the drought for Cleveland championships in June and you'll see that the world looks a bit different than it did 12 months ago. My next post (to be up by Saturday) will explore the Cavs potential trade options at the trade deadline (using the fun and easy to use ESPN.com Trade Machine)
-The Arizona Cardinals did what many couldn't even fathom after getting shelled multiple times at the end of the regular season. Making the Super Bowl is extraordinary for this franchise but considering their playoff run, one can't be all that surprised can we? They got to play two of the three games at home, where they are a much better and different football team. Their road game at Carolina (8-0 at home this season) seems to be the toughest task yet when one looks at the Panthers "home-field advantage" historically. Yes they were 8-0 but no one was making this look as tough as if they had to go to New York. The Panthers were under .500 at home before this season (although 2-0 in the playoffs) all the while having competitive teams in every year except two (1998, 4-12 and 2001, 1-15). The Cardinals defense has played to it's athletic abilities and Clancy Pendergast has them "overachieving" is the new rallying cry. Simply put, this is a team that seems to show up in big games this year while being easily overcome on others.
-The Cleveland Cavs continue their improbably march to 41-0 at home as they've now reached 20-0. They'll be on the west coast all week, giving us a chance to look ahead. Can they finish 41-0 at home? Probably not. They still host many of their tougher games in the next 21. But, for the Cavs to establish a great home court advantage while occupying the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference (and possibly overall?) is a big step towards post-season success. Consider the Cavs chances to defeat Boston last year if Game 7 was at the Q. I think most people would agree that the Cavs would have taken that game if in Cleveland, even though Boston went on to win the title and had over 20 more regular season wins. Now I know others may say the same thing for Atlanta but I can't agree because of the way Boston closed that series out. It took them until the final seconds to eliminate the Cavs last season.
-The Orlando Magic as the new Eastern Conference Favorites? Another popular rallying cry around the league today. Personally, I don't see Orlando beating Cleveland or Boston in a 2nd round series. If they get the #1 seed, then sure they can beat Atlanta or Detroit and go to the conference finals. But even with an improved Jameer Nelson and the man-child Dwight Howard, this team still has some work to do, especially in May to be considered a contender. Take last year for example as they bowed out easily to a Detroit team that was nowhere near as good as they had been in the past.
-North Carolina has an incredible amount of talent at the college basketball level this season. But with all that talent and the multiple blowouts that this team produces each year with this nucleus, why have they been bounced the past 3 years from the NCAA Tournament? They've lost two games in league play already (Wake Forest and Boston College) and seem to have a few more in store. They were the overwhelming favorite coming into the season with no publication that I saw picking anyone but them. So what makes me think that this team will somehow figure out a way to come up short again in March? Well, Boston College is only a bit above-average team in the ACC. Any team that loses to a mid level conference team can't be considered elite and could be sent home in the second round of the NCAA Tournament if the right matchup is on the bracket. Personally, they still rank in the four best teams I've seen this season. Duke doesn't. I don't know what it is but I always feel that they need to get another dominant big man (Boozer, Brand, etc.) to win another title. The team can shoot the lights out of the gym any night but will get knocked out once again when they meet a team with a big man who can control the paint.
My NCAA Basketball Ranks (as of Jan.19)
1: Wake Forest (Good team but playing over their heads)
2: North Carolina (Most talented; will fall short in the end again though)
3: Louisville (Killer conference will harden every team for NCAA Tournament)
4: Pittsburgh (Big East will have at least one final four team, guaranteed)
5: Gonzaga (Another talented Zags team will find it's way to the program's 1st Final Four)
6: Marquette (A team not getting much attention but has quality wins and a good record)
7: Connecticut (Everyone's #2 in the preseason is just getting warmed up)
8: Oklahoma (A team with a star player capable of leading them all the way; great start as well)
So my Final Four predictions right now would be Connecticut, Louisville, Oklahoma and North Carolina. Sleepers to consider for now would be Marquette, Arizona State, Michigan State and Texas.
-Can anyone in the world tell me why Matt Carroll and Desagna Diop (traded for each other last week) have 5 and 4 year contracts worth the mid-level exception? I mean I guess Dallas figured they needed to some height but then they go and trade Diop. I have officially ruled Dallas as the team most likely to finish 9th in the race to the Western Conference Playoffs. As of now, it's 9 teams for 8 spots but the other teams in the West have to be happy about this deal.
-Is there any team playing worse defensively than the Golden State Warriors? And to think they have Biedrins, Ellis and Jackson tied up for 5+ years as of now doesn't help. They're also on the hook for three more years of Jamal Crawford (who wakes up in the morning shooting) and Ronny Turiaf (grossly overrated player, not worth the 4.5 million a year they found it so wise to give him this past offseason). Their best deal is the one given to Kelenna Azubuike. But he will find more money somewhere else in 2 years when Golden State won't be able to afford to sign him. Now I was all for the signing of Corey Maggette in the offseason. I thought he'd offset Baron Davis' departure well enough scoring wise that he would win Most Improved Player. True, he's been hurt some of this season. But that deal likes terrible in the oh so 20-20 vision that we tend to have when looking back on things.
-The Arizona Cardinals did what many couldn't even fathom after getting shelled multiple times at the end of the regular season. Making the Super Bowl is extraordinary for this franchise but considering their playoff run, one can't be all that surprised can we? They got to play two of the three games at home, where they are a much better and different football team. Their road game at Carolina (8-0 at home this season) seems to be the toughest task yet when one looks at the Panthers "home-field advantage" historically. Yes they were 8-0 but no one was making this look as tough as if they had to go to New York. The Panthers were under .500 at home before this season (although 2-0 in the playoffs) all the while having competitive teams in every year except two (1998, 4-12 and 2001, 1-15). The Cardinals defense has played to it's athletic abilities and Clancy Pendergast has them "overachieving" is the new rallying cry. Simply put, this is a team that seems to show up in big games this year while being easily overcome on others.
-The Cleveland Cavs continue their improbably march to 41-0 at home as they've now reached 20-0. They'll be on the west coast all week, giving us a chance to look ahead. Can they finish 41-0 at home? Probably not. They still host many of their tougher games in the next 21. But, for the Cavs to establish a great home court advantage while occupying the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference (and possibly overall?) is a big step towards post-season success. Consider the Cavs chances to defeat Boston last year if Game 7 was at the Q. I think most people would agree that the Cavs would have taken that game if in Cleveland, even though Boston went on to win the title and had over 20 more regular season wins. Now I know others may say the same thing for Atlanta but I can't agree because of the way Boston closed that series out. It took them until the final seconds to eliminate the Cavs last season.
-The Orlando Magic as the new Eastern Conference Favorites? Another popular rallying cry around the league today. Personally, I don't see Orlando beating Cleveland or Boston in a 2nd round series. If they get the #1 seed, then sure they can beat Atlanta or Detroit and go to the conference finals. But even with an improved Jameer Nelson and the man-child Dwight Howard, this team still has some work to do, especially in May to be considered a contender. Take last year for example as they bowed out easily to a Detroit team that was nowhere near as good as they had been in the past.
-North Carolina has an incredible amount of talent at the college basketball level this season. But with all that talent and the multiple blowouts that this team produces each year with this nucleus, why have they been bounced the past 3 years from the NCAA Tournament? They've lost two games in league play already (Wake Forest and Boston College) and seem to have a few more in store. They were the overwhelming favorite coming into the season with no publication that I saw picking anyone but them. So what makes me think that this team will somehow figure out a way to come up short again in March? Well, Boston College is only a bit above-average team in the ACC. Any team that loses to a mid level conference team can't be considered elite and could be sent home in the second round of the NCAA Tournament if the right matchup is on the bracket. Personally, they still rank in the four best teams I've seen this season. Duke doesn't. I don't know what it is but I always feel that they need to get another dominant big man (Boozer, Brand, etc.) to win another title. The team can shoot the lights out of the gym any night but will get knocked out once again when they meet a team with a big man who can control the paint.
My NCAA Basketball Ranks (as of Jan.19)
1: Wake Forest (Good team but playing over their heads)
2: North Carolina (Most talented; will fall short in the end again though)
3: Louisville (Killer conference will harden every team for NCAA Tournament)
4: Pittsburgh (Big East will have at least one final four team, guaranteed)
5: Gonzaga (Another talented Zags team will find it's way to the program's 1st Final Four)
6: Marquette (A team not getting much attention but has quality wins and a good record)
7: Connecticut (Everyone's #2 in the preseason is just getting warmed up)
8: Oklahoma (A team with a star player capable of leading them all the way; great start as well)
So my Final Four predictions right now would be Connecticut, Louisville, Oklahoma and North Carolina. Sleepers to consider for now would be Marquette, Arizona State, Michigan State and Texas.
-Can anyone in the world tell me why Matt Carroll and Desagna Diop (traded for each other last week) have 5 and 4 year contracts worth the mid-level exception? I mean I guess Dallas figured they needed to some height but then they go and trade Diop. I have officially ruled Dallas as the team most likely to finish 9th in the race to the Western Conference Playoffs. As of now, it's 9 teams for 8 spots but the other teams in the West have to be happy about this deal.
-Is there any team playing worse defensively than the Golden State Warriors? And to think they have Biedrins, Ellis and Jackson tied up for 5+ years as of now doesn't help. They're also on the hook for three more years of Jamal Crawford (who wakes up in the morning shooting) and Ronny Turiaf (grossly overrated player, not worth the 4.5 million a year they found it so wise to give him this past offseason). Their best deal is the one given to Kelenna Azubuike. But he will find more money somewhere else in 2 years when Golden State won't be able to afford to sign him. Now I was all for the signing of Corey Maggette in the offseason. I thought he'd offset Baron Davis' departure well enough scoring wise that he would win Most Improved Player. True, he's been hurt some of this season. But that deal likes terrible in the oh so 20-20 vision that we tend to have when looking back on things.
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Adam Miezin
ya well i didnt think we'd resign him when he held out a few years back but we ended up doing that too. the longer we wait and don't sign someone else, even a shawn marion (another fegan guy), the better chance he makes us pay up big time. thats what im trying to avoid. if we gave lee the MLE the knicks would probably just resign him for it so that... Read More sucks then. the knicks also don't have a first round pick next year (goes to utah, unprotected). that'll make trading one of their bad contracts (jeffries and curry) a bit harder i'd imagine. I'm thinking they have to move lee because they also wanna keep nate robinson and he's going to command some money soon too. the one good problem is no one really has that much money except memphis and atlanta now and their not spending. detroit blew their cap room on gordon and villa which was good. so we'll see i guess unless we can make something happen through a trade. o and now that boston has garnett, sheed and perkins down low, that post defense is going to be even tougher. i'm saying bye to orlando for sure as a contender because there's no way they beat boston next year. vince carter is a corpse out there and certainly a downgrade from turkoglu (have fun in toronto winning 35 games). they also traded courtney lee, who was undervalued. so cavs beef up the front line. i also just thought of a trade that would never happen but would certainly help the cavs for 2009. Z for tyson chandler. contracts work out and Z is a UFA in the summer of 2010 with Shaq. Chandler has a year more left on his deal after the 09-10 season. New Orleans gets the cap relief they need for 2010 (saving big money and not going over the luxury tax line). The cavs then cut bait with shaq after this year and use that money to lure someone else in 2010 (wade or bosh? lol...) Chandler is a good expiring contract for the future too....not to get too far ahead. too bad it won't happen.