September Recap and Playoff Matchups I’d Like to See

September 30, 2011 By 1 Comment
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larussa

Maybe Commissioner Bud Selig should hold off on those plans on expanding the field of the MLB playoffs to ten teams. Do the Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox really deserve a second chance???

And then there is a certain Braves broadcaster who on-air proclaimed that the Brewers and Cardinals were getting a break beating up on the bottom-feeders of the NL Central.

After the Brewers/Cards played 18 games against each other??

And the Brewers were scheduled against the Yankees, Rays, AND Red Sox in interleague?? (went 2-7 against that trio).

I’ll give you the Phillies being a tough task, but are the Mets, Marlins, or Nats anything resembling world-beaters??

All I know is if I ever run for political office, I want Jim Powell as my campaign manager, he’s a master of spinning anything he sees fit.

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Filed Under: MLB

Texas Rangers v Tampa Bay Rays ALDS Preview: Analysis, Prediction, TV Schedule, Pitching Matchups

September 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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joe-madden-t1

This is the Divisional Series I am most looking forward to. Most likely, so should you. This match-up has all the makings of a classic, featuring two teams that have had good fortune shine upon them this season.

The Rays have a juggernaut of momentum going their way as they closed the season with five straight wins to bamboozle a stunned Boston Red Sox team and storm into the playoffs. They set a record by being the first team to make the playoffs after heading into the final month 9 games out. Tampa posted a 32-17 record after Aug. 8, showing that their surge is for real.

The Texas Rangers, on the other hand, led the AL West for the majority of the season and just concluded the best season in franchise history with 96 wins.

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Filed Under: MLB Tagged With: alds, joe maddon, mlb playoffs, tampa bay rays, Texas Rangers

Away From the Action Podcast: Josh and Dennis Goodman on Bartman, Moneyball, the Colts and Much More

September 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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As much as we hate to relive the events of October 14, 2003, we harbor no ill will toward Steve Bartman. (Photo: Morry Gash/Associated Press)

In this episode of the Away From the Action Podcast, I talk to my good friend, Cubs fan and statistician Dennis Goodman, about Catching Hell (ESPN’s new documentary about the Steve Bartman incident), Moneyball, statistics, the Colts, the Evansville Purple Aces, and much more.

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Filed Under: Away From the Action, Podcast Tagged With: chicago cubs, dennis goodman, Indianapolis Colts, Moneyball, steve bartman

Relive the Boston Red Sox “Level 5 Epic Collapse” in this very well done chronological music video

September 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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redsox-collapse

Just caught this video in today’s Hot Clicks and it is absolutely outstanding. I’m not a Red Sox fan or a hater, but I watched the whole thing and thoroughly enjoyed it.

What a great, great night of baseball. Wow.

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Filed Under: Funny, MLB Tagged With: baseball, boston red sox, dan shaugnessey, funny, MLB, september 28 2011, tampa bay rays, video

Sunday Night Football Preview and Prediction: New York Jets at Baltimore Ravens

September 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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jets-ravens preview prediction point spread pick

This Sunday night’s game between 2010 playoff teams the Jets and Ravens is actually an anticipated matchup compared to the game last week, even though the Colts didn’t do too badly. (Or did the Steelers just do that bad? Either way, the Colts are 0-3 and Curtis Painter is their starting quarterback. He’s no Ryan Leaf, but at the same time he is no Peyton Manning…)

Let’s take a look at this game, which will feature Jets head coach Rex Ryan going up against the future Hall of Famers he used to coach in Ray Lewis and Ed Reed.

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Filed Under: Game Previews, NFL Tagged With: Baltimore Ravens, jets-ravens prediction, jets-ravens sunday night football, joe flacco, new york jets, ray lewis, rex ryan

Fantasy Baseball 2011 Year in Review: 30/30 & 20/20 Hitters

September 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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ryan-braun

When you talk about the 30/30 or 20/20 club in baseball, it usually refers to players with 30+ home runs & 30+ stolen bases and 20+  home runs & 20+ stolen bases in the same season. After a thrilling end to the regular season, here’s a review of the 2011 30/30 & 20/20 club members.

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Filed Under: Fantasy Baseball Tagged With: 20/20, 30/30, Alex Rios, andrew mccutchen, bj upton, bobby abreu, carlos gonzalez, chris young, curtis granderson, drew stubbs, dustin pedroia, fantasy baseball, hanley ramirez, Indiana Hoosiers Basketball, jacoby ellsbury, jeff francouer, Justin Upton, matt kemp, ryan braun, Shin-Soo Choo

Minnesota Vikings vs. Kansas City Chiefs Preview and Prediction

September 30, 2011 By 2 Comments
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“If the Vikings lose this game I’m never watching them again.”

The above line, spoken by my father, is the first memory I have from watching Minnesota Vikings football.

From what I remember, Warren Moon was the quarterback so I was somewhere around five years old at the time. I also remember that the Vikings did indeed lose that game, yet the next weekend my dad was back on the couch watching the Vikings.

“If you are going to be a Vikings fan, you better get used to it. This happens to them all the time.”

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Filed Under: Game Previews, NFL Tagged With: Jared Allen, Kansas City Chiefs, Minnesota Vikings, nfl week 4, randy moss, vikings-chiefs

3 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Be Upset that R.E.M. Broke Up

September 30, 2011 By 1 Comment
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R.E.M., as your grandparents knew them

R.E.M. announced last week that they’d be calling it quits. A few thousand awful it’s-the-end-of-the-band-as-we-know-it headlines later, I still feel fine.

I’ve been an R.E.M. fan for at least 20 years. There have been times in my life when they were my favorite band, and I still have several albums worth of R.E.M. material on my iPod. But when I heard that Mike, Michael, and Peter were disbanding, I shrugged and went on with my day. Here’s why:

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Filed Under: Away From the Action, Music Tagged With: bands, Music, musicians, r.e.m.

Milwaukee Brewers v Arizona Diamondbacks NLDS Preview: Analysis, Prediction, TV Schedule, Pitching Matchups

September 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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yovani

Despite having written about it multiple times, including here and here, and despite the fact that they have been playing with a wide NL Central lead for most of August and September, it is still a little surreal to me that the Milwaukee Brewers (96-66) are in the playoffs.

And with all of the possible scenarios that could have possibly shaken out this week, I’m very happy with the ways things turned out for the Brew Crew. Home field advantage and no Phillies in the first round? Fine by me.

Here is a preview of the NLDS matchup between Milwaukee and Arizona.

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Filed Under: MLB Tagged With: arizona diamondbacks, Justin Upton, milwaukee brewers, mlb playoffs, nlds, Yovani Gallardo

#3 Alabama v #13 Florida Preview, Prediction, and Keys to Victory – College Football Game of the Week

September 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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Alabama-Florida

Saturday’s game of the week features two undefeated teams from the SEC and could be a preview of the conference championship. #3 Alabama heads to The Swamp to take on #12 Florida in a night game that has all the makings of another classic SEC battle.

The Crimson Tide has a defense that could carry them all the way the national title game and they will be tested in this game by the Gators’ high-powered offense.  Florida’s defense is no slouch and they are going to have to stop the run if they want to pull off the upset.

Here is what to expect from this game. [Read more...]


Filed Under: CFB, CFB Preview, SEC Football Tagged With: Alabama Crimson Tide, alabama-florida, CFB, florida gators

Hey Jonathan Papelbon, It’s Not Your Fault

September 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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pap

It’s not your fault.

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Filed Under: MLB Tagged With: boston red sox choke, good will hunting, its not your fault, jonathan papelbon

MSF Fantasy Football League Week 3 Recap

September 29, 2011 By 1 Comment
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Week 3 Standings

Fantasy football wears me out. I can really only have so many discussions about Ryan Fitzgerald and Plaxico Burress before I go crazy. And then each week when a Torrey Smith or Eric Decker have a breakout game, we all jump to the waiver wire and hope these guys aren’t one week wonders. Then there is the stress that comes with Mike Vick each week.

I just want to watch football, not grab my computer whenever someone suggests Dez Bryant has a hangnail and missed pregame warmups.

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Filed Under: MSF League Recap

Purdue v Notre Dame Preview and Prediction

September 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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brian-kelly

The old “battle for the Shillelagh Trophy” will ensue this Saturday when the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame (2-2) travel to West Lafayette to take on the rival Purdue Boilermakers (3-1).

Notre Dames’ 15-12 win against Pittsburgh last Sunday was anything but pretty, but it was a must-win game on the road if the Irish have any hope of playing in a major bowl game.

Purdue is coming off a whopping 59-0 victory over Southeast Missouri State, but the Boilermakers will be facing a much bigger test this Saturday.

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Filed Under: Big Ten Football, CFB, CFB Preview Tagged With: football, ncaa, Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football, Preview and prediction, Purdue Boilermakers

Video: Dan Johnson’s pivotal home run nails fan in the junk

September 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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nutshot

The video below serves as proof that Red Sox and Braves fans weren’t the only ones who got hit in the nuts at the ballpark last night.

On Dan Johnson’s pinch hit home run in the 9th inning, which sent the Yankees-Rays game to extras, an uncoordinated and/or slow to react fan in the outfield took it in the worst possible spot.

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Filed Under: MLB Tagged With: new york yankees, nut shot, september 28 2011, tampa bay rays

Watch Cappie Pondexter go one-on-one with Sebastian Telfair

September 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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I try to stay away from discussions about how women would fair in the men’s game and vice versa, but Cappie holds her own:

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Filed Under: Random Stuff
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