2010 MLB Predictions

This blog is as stale as a Foghat concert, so let's get this going again.

AL East
1. New York Yankees
2. Boston Red Sox*
3. Tampa Bay Rays
4. Baltimore Orioles
5. Toronto Blue Jays

AL Central
1. Chicago White Sox
2. Minnesota Twins
3. Detroit Tigers
4. Kansas City Royals
5. Cleveland Indians

AL West
1. Texas Rangers
2. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
3. Seattle Mariners
4. Oakland A's

NL East
1. Philadelphia Phillies
2. Atlanta Braves*
3. New York Mets
4. Florida Marlins
5. Washington Nationals

NL Central
1. St. Louis Cardinals
2. Chicago Cubs
3. Milwaukee Brewers
4. Cincinnati Reds
5. Pittsburgh Pirates
6. Houston Astros

NL West
1. Colorado Rockies
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
3. Arizona Diamondbacks
4. San Francisco Giants
5. San Diego Padres

ALDS
New York Yankees over Texas Rangers
Boston Red Sox over Chicago White Sox

NLDS
Philadelphia Phillies over Colorado Rockies
St. Louis Cardinals over Atlanta Braves

ALCS
New York Yankees over Boston Red Sox

NLCS
St. Louis Cardinals over Philadelphia Phillies

World Series
New York Yankees over St. Louis Cardinals in 6 games

AL MVP: Miguel Cabrera, 1B, Detroit Tigers
NL MVP: Albert Pujols, 1B, St. Louis Cardinals
AL Cy Young: Jon Lester, SP, Boston Red Sox
NL Cy Young: Roy Halladay, SP, Philadelphia Phillies
AL ROY: Brian Matusz, SP, Baltimore Orioles
NL ROY: Jason Heyward, OF, Atlanta Braves

2009-2010 NHL Season Predictions

I figure I'm on the twice-a-year plan when it comes to posting on this blog. I'm utterly unmotivated and I'm completely okay with that. Anyway, on with the predictions. I'm leaving playoff predictions out of this because I feel directly responsible for the Bruins losing. Don't like my predictions? Be sure to berate me later.

Eastern Conference
1. Boston Bruins
2. Washington Capitals
3. Philadelphia Flyers
4. Pittsburgh Penguins
5. New Jersey Devils
6. Montreal Canadiens
7. Carolina Hurricanes
8. New York Rangers

9. Buffalo Sabres
10. Toronto Maple Leafs
11. Ottawa Senators
12. Tampa Bay Lightning
13. Atlanta Thrashers
14. Florida Panthers
15. New York Islanders

Western Conference
1. Chicago Blackhawks
2. Vancouver Canucks
3. San Jose Sharks
4. Calgary Flames
5. Detroit Red Wings
6. Anaheim Ducks
7. St. Louis Blues
8. Dallas Stars

9. Columbus Blue Jackets
10. Los Angeles Kings
11. Minnesota Wild
12. Edmonton Oilers
13. Colorado Avalanche
14. Nashville Predators
15. Phoenix Coyotes

Awards
MVP: Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
Vezina (Best Goaltender): Evgeni Nabokov, San Jose Sharks
Norris (Best Defenseman): Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins
Adams (Best Coach): Andy Murray, St. Louis Blues
Rookie: Jonas Gustavsson, Toronto Maple Leafs

2009-2010 NHL Predictions

Good to see everyone's been keeping up with posts. If I have to I'll throw this god damn blog on my shoulders and take it to the Promised Land. That being said, I haven't wrote an actual article on this thing in what seems like decades, so my apologies.

2009-2010 NHL Predictions

Eastern Conference
1. Washington Capitals
2. Pittsburgh Penguins
3. Boston Bruins
4. Philadelphia Flyers
5. Carolina Hurricanes
6. New York Rangers
7. Montreal Canadiens
8. New Jersey Devils
9. Buffalo Sabres
10. Ottawa Senators
11. Florida Panthers
12. Toronto Maple Leafs
13. Atlanta Thrashers
14. Tampa Bay Lightning
15. New York Islanders

Western Conference
1. Vancouver Canucks
2. San Jose Sharks
3. Chicago Blackhawks
4. Anaheim Ducks
5. Detroit Red Wings
6. Calgary Flames
7. Minnesota Wild
8. Columbus Blue Jackets
9. St. Louis Blues
10. Dallas Stars
11. Nashville Predators
12. Edmonton Oilers
13. Los Angeles Kings
14. Colorado Avalanche
15. Phoenix Coyotes


Stanley Cup Finals

Washington Capitals defeat Anaheim Ducks in 7 Games

2009-2010 Awards Winner:

MVP: Alexander Ovechkin, Washington
Vezina: Roberto Luongo, Vancouver
Norris: Zdeno Chara, Boston
Rookie: James van Riemsdyk, Philadelphia
Coach of the Year: Alain Vigneault, Vancouver

2009 NFL Predictions

Ok so the Texans and Jets are about to kick off here, and I know the Titans and the Steelers already played. But I really don't care. Here are my 2009 NFL Predictions, ya dig?

AFC East
1. New England Patriots 12-4
2. New York Jets 10-6
3. Miami Dolphins 7-9
4. Buffalo Bills 4-12

AFC North
1. Pittsburgh Steelers 13-3
2. Baltimore Ravens 10-6
3. Cincinnati Bengals 6-10
4. Cleveland Browns 5-11

AFC South
1. Indianapolis Colts 11-5
2. Houston Texans 9-7
3. Tennessee Titans 8-8
4. Houston Texans 7-9

AFC West
1. San Diego Chargers 10-6
2. Denver Broncos 8-8
3. Kansas City Chiefs 6-10
4. Oakland Raiders 3-13

NFC East
1. Philadelphia Eagles 13-3
2. New York Giants 11-5
3. Washington Redskins 9-7
4. Dallas Cowboys 7-9

NFC North
1. Chicago Bears 11-5
2. Green Bay Packers 11-5
3. Minnesota Vikings (F*** you, Favre) 7-9
4. Detroit Lions 3-13

NFC South
1. Atlanta Falcons 11-5
2. Carolina Panthers 9-7
3. New Orleans Saints 8-8
4. Tampa Bay 2-14

NFC West
1. Seattle Seahawks 10-6
2. San Fransisco 49ers 8-8
3. Arizona Cardinals 6-10
4. St. Louis Rams 4-12


AFC Wild Card
3. Colts lose to 6. Ravens
4. Chargers beat 5. Jets

NFC Wildcard
3. Seahawks lose to 6. Packers
4. Bears defeat 5. Giants

AFC Divisional Games
1. Steelers defeat 6. Ravens
2. Patriots defeat 5. Chargers

NFC Divisional Games
1. Eagles lose to 6. Packers
2. Falcons lose to 4. Bears

AFC Championship
1. Steelers lose to 2. Patriots

NFC Championship
4. Bears lose to 6. Packers

Super Bowl 44
1. Patriots defeat 6. Packers

Super Bowl Champions: New England Patriots

NFL MVP: Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers
AFC Offensive Rookie of the Year: Knowshon Moreno, RB, Denver Broncos
NFC Offensive Rookie of the Year: Hakeem Nicks, WR, New York Giants
AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year: Brian Cushing, LB, Houston Texans
NFC Defensive Rookie of the Year: Aaron Curry, LB, Seattle Seahawks

A Blog post while listening to 2 Live Crew is just what this country needs....

Okay, so our last blog post was about Manny serving a suspension. Right now the Dodgers are better without him, somehow. But let's recap some other things that are magically happening in Sports.

1. King James was slain by Superman. To this, I look to barstoolsports.com and laugh at all of those Cleveland videos about sports and how "Cleveland....where amazing never happens". That you get for being a state whose majority of residence like NASCAR over baseball and basketball. Enjoy the recession because I don't see you winning a real lottery, let alone a draft lottery.

2. I'm going to say this now: In 10 years, Tim Lincecum is going to be the best pitcher to step foot on a mound. He has 500 k's after a year and a half in the MLB. Just so long that he doesn't go all Zach Greinke on us. At his rate, he could have Randy Johnson's numbers by the time he's 34.

3. David Ortiz decided to be the player in the entire league with the 3rd worst VORP. For those who don't know what VORP is, it's Value Over Replacement Player, i.e. that players value in the open market. Ortiz is worth -$5.2 million, which means if the Red Sox traded him, they'd have to pay for him to get something in return.

Now for more important news:

4. Obama nominated Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. Her stance on Affirmative Action is not what I would have liked, because after taking Labor Economics, affirmative action hurts firms more than it helps. Equal Opportunity employers, however, are the right way to go. It's ridiculous to hire someone just because they are a certain race. You wouldn't hire a clown to fix the john would you? Sotomayor would, so long he was black.

5. GM filed for bankrupcy this week. I sort of am glas that this happened. I know Manning and I have out disputes about this. I don't blame them for giving what the customer wanted, but I blame for them for trying to give them the same product when it was obvious no one wanted an H3, or could afford it when gas hit $4 a gallon. The economics of cars and gas prices is rather interesting. I wonder if anyone ever studied the sales of automobiles by type (SUV, mid size, hybrid) when the gas prices are higher or lower. That would've been something GM could have used a while ago, but it's their fault for thinking that people will get an SUV because it says hybrid on the side of it. Or that their plans to develop the electric car are about 10 years too late. This also bares a question: If I see Transformers 2 and want to buy one of the cars I see, will it be available by the time I see Transformers 2? This also bares the question, will Ford be taking over for Transformers 3? Bumblebee as a Focus?

6. This Rockefeller guy seems very smart for a ruthless criminal. I know it seems weird to say that, but he managed to con 3 different women into 3 different lifestyles while still maintaing them all. I think this guy and the Unibomber could fix the recession if they were put up to it. Not that anyone's pitching the idea...yet.

By the way, I'm going to do a movie review right now:

Star Trek:

Growing up a Transformers fan, I had little time to watch Star Trek. Besides when I was younger, the Next Generation was on with Worf and Picard. Having said that, I am happy that JJ Abrams brought Star Trek back to the front of the line. From start to finish, this movie was awesome. The whole story, or at least what every person who was either a fan or had never seen an episode of Star Trek, was perfect. Every little detail about Star Trek that people were skeptical about was revamped. The casting was perfect because everyone fit their role perfectly. Everyone from Zulu, Kirk, Uhura, and Scotty was right down to the last bit, perfect as I could only imagine it.

Grade: A-


Terminator Salvation:

Christian Bale is going to be busy for the next couple of years between this series of movies (yes there are more) and Batman. Although I didn't think he was the best actor in the movie, I think that Bale can pretty much play any one on the screen. Having said that, Bale needs to pick a voice and stick with it. His voice isn't Batman in this one, and it isn't Patrick Bateman from American Psycho, so PICK ONE. The movie, was clever and what I always wanted from a Terminator movie. Not running around from Arnold, Robert Patrick, or some hottie in pleather pants, but a war between machines and people. Anton Yelchin (kid from AlphaDog and Star Trek) and Sam Worthington were better than Christian Bale in this one. What I want to know is whether there will be a special feature in the DVD with Christian Bale flipping out on a lights guy. Great movie though.

Grade: B

Be on the look for Up, Transformers 2, Angels & Demons, The Hangover, Land of the Lost, Taking of Pelham 123, and many more to make this summer an awesome time at the movies.

Another Dark Day in Baseball, and This Time It Hits Home...

Thanks to Mark Manning, I woke up this morning around 11:15 to the most peculiar text message: Manny Ramirez suspended 50 games for the use of Performance Enhancing Drugs. The term "Performance Enhancing Drugs" has become the new "Weapons of Mass Destruction." Sad, but very true. There's always a slight gasp followed by whispers when "PED's" are mentioned.

In my sleepy bliss, I laughed at the text. I laughed for two reasons: One, I couldn't believe it. And two, if it was true, good. I've cursed Manny since the day he forced his way out of Boston. His antics last season were almost a disgrace to the game. Between rolling around in the outfield like a 4 year old in a sandbox who isn't quite ready to go home yet, to not hustling down the baseline on a ground ball, Manny seemed to just give up. The money was and always will be the issue with Manny. There always seemed to be something better out there for Manny. Year after year, Manny was always on his way out. But it never happened. He'd come back and we'd welcome him right back into our hearts. Telling us that "Boston was the place to be," we always believed him. But on July 31st, 2008, he got that "something better." LA was the place to be. Manny finally walked out that door, and so did my admiration for him.

From 2000 to 2008, Manny was it for me. Being a young ball player, I idolized him, especially his hitting. The way he approached hitting was like nothing I had ever seen. His plate presence, his balance, his hip rotation, and the way his hands quickly moved through the strike zone. It was fluid as can be. It was truly a work of art. I think I can count on one hand how many times Manny looked foolish at the plate. One Hand.

My initial reaction to the news does truly depict how I am truly feeling right now. I laughed it off, saying "good for you, you deserve it you hack." I also laughed when he got traded, and I laughed when he didn't sign with the Dodgers until February. And, of course, I laughed today. I sat and watched continuing coverage of Sage Steele (a lot hotter than I thought) and Hannah Storm (apparantly hooker boots on ESPN are in) reporting the "Developing Story." The reality had begun to set in. I became numb. No sadness, no despair, nothing. I remembered how Manny was my idol for the better part of my baseball life. And now everything he had done in a Red Sox uniform might eventually be called into question. We knew the steroid era took place during his tenure with the Red Sox, but we never thought Manny would have the brain capacity to pull off such a devious feat. With the needles, the cycles, the location of the shots, there was no way he could have pulled it off. But after today, I'm not so sure.

To be honest, I can't put my feelings into words. Like I said, I'm numb. Am I surprised? No. Am I hurt? Not so sure. The point is that it really seems like nothing is impossible anymore. It has come to the point where the next name that will come out (and it will most definitely be a big name) will not be a shocker. Baseball suffered yet another black eye today as the news broke that Manny Ramirez, the fun-loving, nonschalant slugger, tested positive for an illegal substance. Bud Selig and company better break those First-Aid ice packs with their collective fists, because there's going to be a lot of healing coming in the near future, starting with this MANNY-ac.

Maybe it's time I write something this time...

So it's been a LOOONG time since I've written on this blog. Buck and Mark both have written more than I have in the last couple of months. Kind of ironic since I am usually the blabber-mouth blogger. But there are somethings I should say since I have been a job-hunting hermit for about 2 months now. So here we go:

1. What the fuck is Swine Flu? I mean, is there a flu for every kind of genus of animal that Americans eat? Maybe its some sort of Jewish/Islamic joke since Passover just ended. The symptoms of Swine Flu make it seem like all you need to do is to wake up after a long night of drinking. Headache, nausea, aching joints...maybe they should be more specific with epidemics like this. Granted this is happening in Mexico, so maybe Americans will see this blow in their face when Taco Bell starts selling Pork Quesadillas for $.45. Think outside the emergency ward!

Update: LA Times reports 21 new cases of Swine Flu in U.S. WTF America!

2. So how many of you are really caring on how Obama did in his first 100 days? Here's my assessment: Within Obama's first 100 hours, he sent out a memo that pretty much stated: "Hey Lobbyists, cut the shit and play ball or else you're gonna get a fist in your ass". The only flaws I can see in Obama's 100 days were as follows: Not knowing that most of his cabinet choices didn't pay taxes, Giving the worst gifts to foreign leaders, and maybe not stopping the Koreans from testing a huge rocket.

3. Did anyone really know that Bea Arthur died this weekend? I found out when someone put it up on AIM or Facebook. I am kicking myself everytime something like this happens and I am not in a Deadpool.

4. Who really gives a shit that some Swede can sing Les Miserables songs well? Really! C'mon.

5. Is anyone else beside Mark and I going to care that Pontiacs won't be made anymore?

6. What the fuck were half the teams from the NFL Draft thinking when they walked into that room? I'm pretty sure they all watched some Tom Cruise movie post-2000 and thought, "Man he's such a great actor".

7. When will Comedy Central stop thinking that Korg Mandoong or whatever the hell that show is called is what people want after South Park? Two words to fill that gap of television: Drawn Together.

8. So for those of you who don't know this, Facebook has allowed companies to get in contact with your personal information, wall posts, pictures, videos, and pretty much anything that Facebook really shouldn't have let happen. Ladies and Gentlemen, your Mark Zuckerberg!

9. Shit, Swine Flu has already hit Minnesota. I should probably wear my mask thing just to be sure about this.

10. So....Bruins.....yeah, how bout them. Interesting Sports Econ class, we had a Boston Sports presentation where we talked about the Sox, Pats, Celts winning strategies. My professor had made a slide for the Bruins but at a last minute because he wasn't much of a fan. It didn't have season records like the other 3 teams, but instead showed whether they did horrible, Ok or Great. I think there were 5 horribles, an Ok, and a Great for this season. So, not to be naive or rushing it, but the countdown for Boston becoming Sports Paradise continues once the Rangers-Crapitals series ends. Should be an interesting month of May.