Favre Facing Retirement... Again

With the Saints beating the Vikings in last Sunday's NFC championship, I can't help but ask whether or not Brett Favre is going to be coming back for his 20th season? I know a lot of people are sick of having to go through this every off-season, but I just believe that Brett Favre is a once in a lifetime type of quarterback. He has set records that may never again be close to being touched, including his streak of consecutive starts, which in my mind is similar to Joe DiMaggio's hit streak record. I have enjoyed every second of watching Brett this year, and he has played at a level that not even he has been to before. So here is to ONE MORE YEAR of Brett. I've never watched a single NFL season that he hasn't be a part of. And it won't be the same once he's gone. Don't hang em up just yet Brett. I know you have one more year in you.



A look towards the Superbowl.. Colts Vs. Saints

I think it's absolutely great that the Saints made it. Besides Reggie Bush I like almost every player on their team and I believe that Drew Brees and Co. deserve the chance to compete for the championship. Unfortunately, I think that they come up short in this quest. Payton Manning is looking more and more like the best quarterback in the history of the game. And I just don't think that the Saints porous defense can stop anybody. The Vikings had 6 turnovers and STILL should have won the game. My superbowl prediction: Payton wins ring no. 2..... 35-20

Just For Fun

Lets look at the best Red Sox players over the past 20 years. What a team this would have been huh?

C- Jason Varitek
1B- Mo Vaughn
2B- Dustin Pedroia
SS- Nomar Garciaparra
3B- Kevin Youkilis
LF- Manny Ramirez
CF- Johnny Damon
RF- Trot Nixon
DH- David Ortiz

SP- Pedro Martinez
SP- Curt Schilling
SP- Josh Beckett
SP- Jon Lester
SP- Roger Clemens

RP/SP- Tim Wakefield
RP- Keith Foulke
RP- Jonathan Papelbon
RP- Tom Gordon
RP- Ugueth Urbina
RP- Mike Timlin


Best trade in the last 20 years?? There are a couple you could point to, but this one is my all time favorite:

Mariners Receive- Hecliff Slocum

Red Sox Receive- Jason Varitek, Derek Lowe

Thoughts From The Weekend/ Tidbits

WOW... I honestly cannot believe that the J..E..T..S.. JETS JETS JETS won. Kudos to their whole team to a dominating performance against the Chargers. But one thing I cannot help but look at is the how the Chargers choked once again in the playoffs. They looked like the hottest team coming into the playoffs and after half time you could see how discouraged they looked. Unbelievable.

Maybe firing Marty Schottenheimer a few years back wasn't the best idea. The way the Chargers lost on Sunday, they should have fired Norv Turner. They lacked heart, discipline, and composure. Today, San Diego announced an extension for their head coach.

I still can't make myself believe in the JETS. As good as their defense is and as good as Darrelle Revis is, which believe me he is incredible, I still cannot take their offense seriously. And their defense will be facing possibly the best QB mind EVER. If they beat the Colts next weekend, then they will have made a believer out of me. Its just hard to jump on their bandwagon when I know they have a rookie QB/RB/Head Coach combo. When was the last time that a rookie QB won the superbowl?? The answer: NEVER.

I also lost a lot of resect for Keith Brooking. After he loses, scratch that, gets his ass handed to him, he complains that the Vikings have no class and that them scoring a touchdown in the last few minutes was disrespectful. This is not high school football!!!!! Get over it Keith! This is the NFL, there is no cease fire. If you don't want them to score then do something about it. Stop crying and start winning.

Brett Favre is a Beast. Simply put I LOVE watching him play and hope he continues. He is a one in a generation type of player. How can you not love this Vikings team? Jared Allen is a man too. Adrian Peterson is the best RB in football. GOOO VIKINGS!

What is with all these terrible kickers lately? I will never understand how they do this for a living and can be so bad. The Chargers lost because of him. The Cowboys couldn't make a field goal to save their life.

How about this for an interesting idea?? LaDainian Tomlinson to the Patriots next year.. Just a thought.

A look at how I fared on my last week predictions- 3-1 The only game I lost on was the Jets game, which is still a shock to me.

Lets do some predictions for this upcoming week:

Colts Vs. Jets

To me this is NO question. Colts 27 Jets 16

Saints Vs. Vikings

This could be an incredible game. Vikings 31 Saints 28

What a great superbowl if this happens: Colts vs. Vikings. Favre vs. Manning. UNREAL



Final thought: Tiger is in rehab for a sex addiction. Glad he is getting help, I hope this isn't a publicity stunt, and I hope he figures out what is important in life- family.

p.s. Jay Mariotti is obnoxious and an idiot. How did this man make it?

Injuries In Sports/ New USC Coach

Today it was announced that Carlos Beltran of the New York Mets underwent knee surgery that will likely have him miss a significant amount of time into the start of the season. The interesting aspect to this is that he is in the second to last year of his 7-yr $119 million contract. The other interesting aspect is that the Mets were apparently not in agreement with the surgery and were actually opposed to him having the surgery. Now the Mets are going to file a grievance against Beltran for the whole incident. The real question though is whether the decision should be left up to the player or up to the team to make that decision. On one hand, it is the player's body and they should be able to do whatever they want to do. But on the other hand, these organizations have invested millions and millions of dollars into players and expect them to follow the rules they have set. Teams and players should be able to come to some sort of an agreement and a consensus on what is best for both sides. This reminds me of the situation between Curt Shilling and the Red Sox in his final year of his contract. I think that ultimately we will start seeing more and more of these contracts that protect organizations from specific injuries and thus lessening their risk.

Lane Kiffin is the new USC coach and to me this looks like it will probably be a good decision. It is incredible to think that his whole coaching career came from a 5-15 record with the Oakland Raiders. I think his personality fits perfectly with the Trojans and that he was perhaps the best available person to fill the shoes of Pete Carroll. But really what has the man done? 5-15 in the NFL followed up by a 7-6 season at Tennessee does not really scream great improvement. I'm sure that at some point he will call out UCLA and call out Notre Dame just as he did with Florida. In his press conference he stated that he wouldn't go after any of the Tennessee recruits. Not even a day later there have already been allegations of him doing just that. Tennessee also had 5 players de-commit in the past few days. What a huge step back for this program. One good thing that comes from this is that we'll be seeing more of Layla Kiffin (She's in the blue).

"Agent Zero" or the idiot known as Gilbert Arenas is said to be working on a plea with the district attorney. For a player who came up with his own nickname, he sure has given himself a great new reputation. Who brings four guns into a basketball arena? I mean, people make mistakes, but I don't even know if I can consider this a mistake. This was just plain dumb. They should kick his ass out of the NBA for this little stunt. Brings back memories of Michael Vick and the dog fighting charges.

Playoff Picture & Random Notes

After the first week of the playoffs we saw a few favorites get knocked out of the AFC and we saw an incredible game between the Packers and the Cardinals. Also, my pre-season superbowl pick, the Eagles, got bounced pretty easily by the Cowboys. So far since trying to pick the winner during the pre-season I am now 1-1 (I picked the Steelers last year). We have some very good matchups for next weekend's playoff round, including my personal favorite, Minnesota Vikings Vs. Dallas Cowboys. Lets take a look at the playoff picture thus far.



Heres an interesting little fact: The NFL is DEFINATELY a QB dominated league.. The top ten quarterbacks in the regular season are as follows: Drew Brees, Brett Favre, Philip Rivers, Aaron Rodgers, Ben Roethlisberger, Peyton Manning, Matt Schaub, Tony Romo, Tom Brady, Kurt Warner. No.'s 12 & 13 are Donovan McNabb & Joe Flacco. Notice anything?!? Out of the top 13 QB's in the regular season, 11 of them are in the playoffs. With Schaub & Roethlisberger being the odd men out. And the one who isn't in the top quarterbacks? Mark Sanchez, who was ranked 28th out of the 32 opening day starters.

Ok so now lets breakdown the matchups:

AFC:

Chargers vs. Jets

Chargers Offense- Ranked 4th in the NFL in points.
Chargers Defense- Ranked 11th in the NFL in points allowed.

Jets Offense- Ranked 17th in the NFL in points.
Jets Defense- Ranked 1st in the NFL in points.

My Pick- Chargers
Score- 24-13

Colts vs. Ravens

Colts Offense- Ranked 7th in the NFL in points.
Colts Defense- Ranked 8th in the NFL in points allowed.

Ravens Offense- Ranked 8th in the NFL in points.
Ravens Defense- Ranked 3rd in the NFL in points.

My Pick- Colts
Score- 27-17

NFC:

Cowboys vs. Vikings

Cowboys Offense- Ranked 14th in the NFL in points.
Cowboys Defense- Ranked 2nd in the NFL in points allowed.

Vikings Offense- Ranked 2nd in the NFL in points.
Vikings Defense- Ranked 10th in the NFL in points allowed.

My Pick- Vikings
Score- 31-28

Cardinals vs. Saints

Cardinals Offense- Ranked 11th in the NFL in points.
Cardinals Defense- Ranked 15th in the NFL in points allowed.

Saints Offense- Ranked 1st in the NFL in points.
Saints Defense- Ranked 20th in the NFL in points allowed.

My Pick- Saints
Score- 38-31


SOME OTHER THOUGHTS:

Nick Green signed with the Dodgers today, ending his stint with the Boston Red Sox. In his one year with the Red Sox he ended up batting .236 with an OBP of .303. But more importantly he played a significant role as a stop gap for the Sox and the SS position. Thanks for helping us out Nick, good luck with the Dodgers. He joins a list of former Sox players to join the Dodgers; Manny Ramirez, Nomar Garciaparra, Bill Mueller, Derek Lowe, Mark Loretta, Shea Hillenbrand.

Mark McGwire finally admitted to his steroid use. This of course only further taints an already tainted era. Although I am happy that he finally admitted his use, he should have done it right from the start. Also, it would be refreshing to see someone come out and say they used steroids without ever being implicated. To me, this really makes me think even more about Pedro Martinez's domination in this period. To think that he struck out 5 of the first 6 batters in the 1999 All-Star Game is absolutely insane. When steroid usage was at its' peak, Martinez struck out Barry Larkin, Larry Walker, Sammy Sosa, Jeff Bagwell, and you guessed it, Mark McGwire. Absolutely unreal. Pedro ended up going 23-4 with a 2.07 ERA in the American League East in 1999. This could end up being the greatest single year pitching performance in the history of baseball, given the era in which it was thrown. His three year totals from 1998-2000: Record- 60-17, ERA (AVG)- 2.23, Strikeouts-848 or 283/yr., and a WHIP of .917.

I just hope he doesn't add his name to the list of steroid users.

Last but not least, lets talk a little bit about Pete Carroll. I cannot stand this man; after watching him walk on Notre Dame field like he owned it, that was it for me. He was extremely successful at USC, but absolutely not without controversy. My guess is that we will find out about a lot of things later regarding NCAA violations. Similar to John Calipari, I think Carroll is a dirtbag and will eventually get his. For now, it looks like he jumped ship to the NFL just as USC was starting to crumble. Put him in the bag with Calipari, Saban, Petrino, & Leach as the scumbags of the coaching profession.

Here's hoping that 2010 reveals some good that comes from sports. No more Tiger Woods, no more mis-treatment players with concussions, and no more basketball players cheating on their wives.

National Championship Thoughts/ Bandwagon

First of all let it be said that I could not be happier that the Longhorns lost. To be quite honest I cannot stand a single Texas sports fan and think all of them are obnoxious and ignorant to any other teams besides their own.

Second.. I mentioned to someone yesterday that they were simply bandwagon fans because all of the sudden they are HUGE Longhorns fans after only living there for a year. They even stooped as low as making personal attacks towards me because I pointed out that they were bandwagon and then I went on to point out how their pathetic team lost. However the difference between myself and a Texas fan is that I am willing to point out how well the team I was rooting against played. Despite losing their starting QB on the first series, Texas inserted a freshman QB and actually played the Tide extremely tough in the 2nd half despite being down 24-6 at half time. They could have packed it in and felt sorry for themselves but instead they hung tough, battled, and almost came back in the end. The game was much closer than the final score indicated.

Back to the bandwagon comment. There isn't a single thing I hate more in sports than a bandwagon fan. Maybe it is because I've grown up watching and rooting for the same teams my whole life. Loyalty is something that means everything to me. It just so happens that my teams have been fortunate enough to win, and win a lot, in the past few years. This has given my haters more than enough to question my loyalty. To an outsider who doesn't know me, it looks as if I root for the team that always wins from a town I never lived in. That town is Boston. But for those who know me well, they know that I eat, sleep, and drink Red Sox baseball. Lets have a closer look at where I'm from:

Born- Niskayuna, New York.
Closest Major City- Boston, Massachusetts.
Distance to New York City- 214 Miles; 3 Hours 55 Minutes
Distance to Boston- 186 Miles; 3 Hours 3 Minutes

Year Born- 1988
Last time Red Sox won a championship- 1918
Last time Patriots won a championship- Never

So you think I'm bandwagon?? HA! When I was growing up I watched the Yankees win 4 out of 5 years in the late 1990's. I also watched the Patriots have 6 out of 7 years with losing records in the 90's. But who were my favorite sports players? Who was hung up all over my room? Who did I watch every chance I get? Mo Vaughn and the Red Sox and Drew Bledsoe and the Patriots. The 21st century has been EXTREMELY good to me. Not only have the Patriots won 3 Superbowls (1 I went to) but the Red Sox won 2 World Series (Both of which I went to). However, I did not start liking them only once they won. Sports is more than that. Its not just about winning and losing, its about the struggle to get there and then once you're there it is about staying there. And those who abandon their teams just because they haven't won in a while or just because they moved some where new, are not true fans. They will never, ever, ever feel the way that my Father and I did when the Red Sox won it all in 2004. The greatest postseason EVER!

That moment was about a team being passed down through generations from my grandpa to my father, to myself. It was about 96 years of losing, but remaining loyal. Yankee fans cannot feel that. They were booing Derek Jeter not long ago. One of the best, if not the best shortstop ever. And all I hear about is how bad the Cowboys are this year and they went 11-5 and WON THEIR DIVISION. How they want a new coach after him posting a .681 winning percentage there.. Give me a break.

It just honestly amazes me how many more Yankee fans there are after winning last year. Friends of mine who claim to be Yankee fans haven't said a single word to me in years about them. And then all of the sudden, I get an a-bomb of comments on my facebook and texts about how great the Yankees are and how much the Red Sox suck. But that is what happens when you win. Everyone wants a piece of you and everyone begins to hate you. When Tom Brady and the Patriots beat the Rams in Superbowl XXXVI, everyone was estatic that the underdog Patriots won. Not even a decade later all that people say now is how badly they wish the Pats would lose and how sick they are of Boston sports. But you know what? The difference between me and you?
I would never, ever, ever boo Derek Jeter.

So go ahead and call me bandwagon. I won't say a word. But next time you boo the best SS in baseball history or the next time you boo a coach with a .681 winning percentage, don't for a second think I won't be standing right there throwing it right back at you, wiping that stupid smug little look off your face.

New Red Sox Signings

2010 Offseason


The Sox recently added Beltre, Cameron, Lackey, Hall, Boonser, and Scutaro.



Here are my thoughts:

Beltre

-All I keep hearing about is how spectacular his defense is. How reliable are these defensive metrics that I've read so much about? I need to check into that. But as for now I believe he is definately a step up from Lowell only because of his hip and other injuries. Also, I do believe that he will have an offensive resurgence just like Lowell had when he came to the Sox after a down turn. I'm really not exactly sure how Epstein got Beltre to commit to only a single year with an option, but for a one year deal he is a STEAL.

Cameron

-Not sure why the Sox gave up 8 million a year to sign him, but I guess his defensive metrics say he is an upgrade over Ellsbury in center. To me it would have been smarter to push harder for Holliday even if it means more money and a longer contract. The one thing missing from the Sox is a middle of the order guy which they did not get with Cameron.

Lackey

-Absolutely love this signing by Theo. This guy is a winner and just the kind of guy you want out there every 5th day. He has the stuff to be a number one but give the Sox the best number 3 starter in baseball. Ill take Lackey over Burnett ANY day of the week. Say what you will about shoulder injuries, but Theo protected himself against it. Plus this is the type of player who wants the ball and wants to be out there every single day. Can't say enough about this signing. After watching him beat the Sox in the playoffs last year I couldn't help but hate him and yet still wish he was on our side.

Hall

-Again not sure how Theo managed to swing this, but this saves money and allows for an offensive upgrade from Kotchman. It also allows the Sox to keep Lowell if they can't find a suitor. If all of you don't remember, Hall hit 35 hrs one year and could be an absolute monster off the bench for Boston. GREAT trade.

Boonser

-He will compete for the last spot in the Sox bullpen and could end up being another good pickup. He has had some injuries in the past few years, and when healthy he was very productive. I think he is definately a good pickup to compete for that spot in the bullpen and could be valuable as a spot starter and insurance incase someone gets hurt.

Scutaro

-This is the one pick up this offseason that I really question. I understand that the SS position has not been very solid the past few years since Nomar was traded, but I am not sold on Marco. He is coming off a career year and still committed 10 errors with most of his games played on a turf field. For those of you who have ever played SS you know that you get true hops on turf and it is much harder to play on natural grass and dirt. I am not convinced either that last year wasn't an anomaly at the plate rather than a steady increase in production. Not to mention Boston had to give up a first round draft pick. They really could have stacked their farm system with these picks, and with Theo's philosophy with building the farm system, I don't quite understand it. I cannot help but believe this was a mistake. However, as with every free agent signing and trade and draft pick, only time will tell whether it was a good move.



Summary- Theo did a wonderful job this offseason by putting together a team when there was not a lot out on the free agent market. I believe that Beltre will end up being a better signing than people may think and I also believe that Lackey was a move that people will look back on as ingenious and ultimately a bargain. I also think that Theo saying that he is focusing on run prevention is complete bullshit that is just a tactic to keep the focus off of a lackluster offense. That being said, I also think he did the best he could with the talent that was out there and in the end, he pulled off some moves that have high upside for little cost. I'm very curious to see what they do with Lowell and in the draft this year.



This is definately a bridge year. To what?? I'm not as confident in the farm system as Theo is. To me, the farm system is unproven and untested. But again... Time will tell.


Prediction- Sox haven't won 100 games since 1946!! This won't be the year that changes either.


89-73 Second in AL East. Second in Wild Card.