Brewcity Blogger

BEAST MODE!

2011-11-22T12:44:00.000-08:00

Brewers OF Ryan Braun was awarded the 2011 NL MVP after a career season.

Brewers OF Ryan Braun was named National League MVP today, following the best season of his career. Braun, who finished second in the NL in batting with .332 also produced 33 home runs, 33 steals, 111 RBIs and lead the league in OPS. That, along with leading the Brewers to their first National League Central division title since 1982, and helping the Brewers reach the National League Championship Series.

Braun is the first Brewers player to win an MVP award in 22 years, producing one of the best seasons the Brewers have ever seen. His brilliance this season is a reflection of the potential and talent the young star has. The Brewers recognized his efforts, rewarding him with an 8-year $160 million contract at the start of the 2011 season, money well-spent for a player of his talents.

It's hard to dispute that Braun's efforts this season were MVP-worthy, but many believe Los Angeles Dodgers CF Matt Kemp was more worthy of the award. Kemp, who finished third in the batting race with .324, was easily this year's most statistically impressive player. With a league-leading 39 home runs and 126 RBIs Kemp was certainly deserving of the award, however, the Dodgers finished 82-79 and 11.5 games out of first place in the NL West.

I will admit Kemp's race for the triple crown, and nearly 40-40 season was impressive, and in many other cases an easy lock for the award. But, normally players who put up those sorts of numbers will be seen playing in October. The Dodgers struggles this season probably damned Kemp's chances of winning MVP this year, despite his outstanding season.

Also, many who have argued that Kemp should have won hands-down have failed to recognize Braun's successes this season. Not only was he the best player on the Central's best regular season team, he was also in the top 10 in every offensive statistical category. Braun's efforts on defense, although shaky in the past, were outstanding this season. Braun's only committed one error all season and had a fielding percentage of .964.

Braun's efforts this season were outstanding, and it's good to see that his play didn't get unnoticed. As a Brewers fan, who has seen more downs than ups in recent seasons, 2011 was a glimpse of hope for a young Brewers squad built to be a competitor in the Major Leagues for years to come.

Best Finish in Sports

2011-09-30T01:20:00.000-07:00

The Tampa Bay Rays celebrate third baseman Evan Longoria's walk-off home run just minutes after the Boston Red Sox finished their September collapse losing 18 of their last 26 games. The win gave the Rays the A.L. Wild Card and capped a come back after being down 9-games to Boston.

On a night filled with potentially the most dramatic set up in Major League history, the MLB did not disappoint. After the dust settled on Wednesday, two teams celebrated unthinkable come backs while still another two wondered where it all went wrong.

It all started at the beginning of September. The Tampa Bay Rays and St. Louis Cardinals found themselves each 9 and 8.5 games respectively out of the Wild Card positions in their respective leagues. As the month went on, each team jockeyed for position as the rest the division leaders began to pull away. By Sept. 26, the divisions were all locked up which left the rest of the teams still in contention for the Wild Card scrambling to either pull close to the leader or pull away.

The A.L.:

The A.L. Wild Card spot was in contention by two teams in the same division, the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox. They entered Wednesday with identical 90-71 records, and each relied on the other to lose the final game in order to clinch a playoff birth.

The Rays got down early giving up 5 runs in the first two innings including a grand slam to Yankee's first baseman Mark Texeira. Red Sox fans cheered at Camden Yards as they watched the Rays go down early. They, as many of us were, thought the Rays were out of it, and the worst that could happen would be a play-in game in Boston the next day.

Meanwhile, in Baltimore, the Red Sox took the lead early when second baseman Dustin Pedroia singled to center in the top of the third inning, scoring Mike Aviles. Baltimore would answer in the bottom of that inning when Shortstop JJ Hardy hit a towering two-run home run to left to take the lead. The Red Sox knew this game would be a battle.

The Yankees continued to pour it on in the fourth and fifth innings scoring a run in each giving them a 7-0 lead. At this point all I could think was that the Rays season was over, the Red Sox would beat the Orioles and that I should watch a different game. Foolish.

As if scripted, the Red Sox score on a balk from pitcher Alfredo Simon in the top of the fourth inning, and in the top of the fifth, Pedroia hits his twenty first home run of the year to take the lead 3-2, where it would stay for a while.

The Rays stay dormant until the bottom of the eighth inning when the fireworks began. The inning started off with a soft fly ball to leftfield that drops for a single by designated hitter Johnny Damon. Then pitcher Logan Boone loads the bases with a Double by second baseman Ben Zobrist and a hit by pitch by first baseman Casey Kotchman.

After a pitching change Luis Ayala walks left fielder Sam Fuld and the Rays are on the board. The Rays add another with another hit by pitch and sudden the inning begins to take life. The Rays add one more on a sacrifice fly from center fielder B.J. Upton before third baseman Evan Longoria hits his 30th home run of the year for three more runs. All together the Rays tack on six runs and pull to within one of the lead.

Red Sox fans take notice in Baltimore, but the Sox are still in good shape with a 1-run lead on the Orioles. The game moves quickly through the middle innings and the Red Sox win looks inevitable. Set the stage: closer Jonathan Papelbon takes the mound with three outs to get for the postseason. He knows the Rays are still trailing and that if he doesn’t do his job there is no tomorrow.

Papelbon makes quick work of the first two hitters sending both center fielder Adam Jones and first baseman Mark Reynolds down on strikes. He looks like a man possessed, his fastball hitting spots all over the strike zone. Then, as if awoken by some outside force third baseman Chris Davis sends a double deep to right field and suddenly the Orioles are back in it. In the next at-bat left fielder Nolan Reimold hits a double scoring Davis from second, the game is tied and Sox nation is holding their breath.

Terry Francona takes the mound I realize, the Red Sox are going to blow this one. Papelbon is shaken up, and when he gets shaken up he throws meatballs. Sure enough, Papelbon lays a fastball over the middle of the plate and second baseman Robert Andino hits a single that falls inches short of Carl Crawford’s glove. Reimold rounds third and with barely even a play slides home to win the game for the Orioles. Celebration ensues and you would think that the Orioles won the pennant the way they met Reimold at home plate.

The Rays are alive again. By this time they had already tied the game, on a pinch hit home run from Dan Johnson, just his second of the year. The game had gone into extras and it was the bottom of the twelfth inning. The coverage from the Red Sox game had just switched over, and Evan Longoria was up to bat with one out in the inning.

Then, just three minutes after the Red Sox had suffered their most crushing defeat of the season, before they could even getundressed in the club house, Longoria takes a 2-2 pitch down the left field line on a rope. The ball flies merely feet over the left field wall just a few feet right of the foul pole. The stadium erupts in cheer and the Rays had done it. Despite all the odds they had clinched a Wild Card birth and earned the right to play another day.

The N.L.:

Much like the A.L. the N.L. Wild Card race consisted of two teams down the stretch. The St. Louis Cardinals entered the month of September down 8.5 games to the Wild Card leading Atlanta Braves. However as the season was reaching an end they found themselves tied atop the standings with one game to play.

The Cardinals entered game 162 of the season the leagues worst team, the Houston Astros, and it showed. St. Louis got off to an early start as first baseman Albert Pujols singled to center scoring center fielder Jon Jay from second. The Cardinals would score four more runs in the inning on singles from right fielder Lance Berkman, second baseman Skip Schumaker and short stop Nick Punto, as well as a double from third baseman David Freese.

The Braves entered play with a considerably tougher opponent, the Major League leading Philadelphia Phillies. Both teams got off to good starts with first baseman Ryan Howard doubling in a run for the Phillies, and Chipper Jones scoring left fielder Raul Ibanez on a sacrifice fly. The Braves would then take the lead, as second baseman Dan Uggla hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the third, giving the Braves a 3-1 lead.

The Cardinals would continue to pour it on throughout the game as Chris Carpenter pitched a gem against the Astros, scattering two hits over 9 complete innings. The Cardinals would get three more runs on RBIs from pitcher Chris Carpenter, right fielder Allen Craig and Schumaker. They would enter the clubhouse with an 8-0 win, completing their half of the deal.

The Braves meanwhile were stuck in a battle with the N.L. East champion. The Phillies had earned a run in the seventh inning when catcher Carlos Ruiz reached on a throwing error from shortstop Jack Wilson. Then, in the top of the ninth inning with one out and the bases loaded second baseman Chase Utley hits a sacrifice fly to left field and the Phillies tie the game pushing it into extra innings.

In extras the teams went back and forth each putting up three scoreless innings. In the thirteenth inning with men on first and third and two outs right fielder Hunter Pence reaches on an in-field single to Uggla taking the lead 4-3. The Braves have one last chance to tie the game up or take the lead in the bottom of the inning. With one out and a man on first in the bottom of the thirteenth, first baseman Freddie Freeman hits into the game ending, 3-6-3 double play. Just like that the season is over for the Braves and the 8.5 game lead in the Wild Card is erased.

This is why I love sports. Nowhere else do you get the drama, the energy, the fandom that you get in sports. People flock from all over the country to watch their favorite teams perform. It is so much more than a game for most, or business for most of the world, and tonight proved that.

Following the madness Facebook and Twitter exploded with updates about the chaos. Many mentioned the worst collapses in Major League history. Others mentioned the clutch performances, namely Evan Longoria. Some took time to reflect, much like I am now on the quality of what we experienced, and many including myself, and ESPN MLB Insider Tim Kurkjian, proclaimed this to be one of the best moments in Major League history.

Much can be taken away from Wednesday, Sept. 28. Many will remember just where they were when the Orioles took the lead in the Bottom on the ninth and just minutes later Longoria sent that pitch screaming over the wall. Most won’t forget who they were with when the Cardinals celebrated in the Houston clubhouse following the Atlanta loss. I know I won’t forget that night when hearts were filled with hope and crushed all in the same moment—will you?

Unlocked and loaded

2011-07-26T23:02:00.001-07:00

Indianapolis Colts Player rep Jeff Saturday and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft hug-it-out after the NFL labor disputes ended Monday.

That's it, it's over, finito, done with. Finally! The NFL lockout, which loomed over fans and teams alike has come to an end and just like that, we have football again.

The 132-day chess match, which began on March 12, is the longest labor dispute in the league's history. Since its inception, the threat of losing an NFL season burrowed into the mind of fans across the country, becoming more and more real with each passing day. The dispute was so far apart at one point that a week long meeting back in May reportedly pushed owners and players further apart, as it simply portrayed how far apart the two sides were in negotiations.

Some of the issues addressed in the new collective bargaining agreement agreed upon by the NFLPA and the owners were as follows. For the players, they received a 48 percent share of all revenue, not including a $1 billion expense credit that was taken off the top of the previously agreed upon CBA. The players will also receive increased player safety including increased a restriction on full-contact practices and more retirement benefits including an increased pension and health care.

The owners will benefit from a rookie wage scale which will require rookies to sign 4-year deals, putting a limit on how much they can earn. The option for an 18-game season is open for discussion, but is being "tweaked" by the sides to be available for the 2013 season. The deal will have to be accepted by the NFLPA.

Now that all of the technical mumbo jumbo is behind us, time to start talking football! I for one couldn't be more excited to set aside collective bargaining and forget about debating whether or not we would lose games. Ultimately I didn't think that would ever be the case because the amount of revenue to be lost by the two sides would have been too large. That said, with every DeMaurice Smith interview my heart weakened more and more and the thought of losing games seemed imminent.

But now that its all over There's nothing left for me to do but to make predictions. Normally I would focus my predictions specifically on the Packers, but with the NFL being the the focus of the sporting world for the last few days, I'm going to give you an array of predictions involving everything NFL.

First, Free agency. ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reportedly said this free agency period will be the most hectic and exciting in sports history. The usual 2-4 month courting period for coveted free agents has been reduced to just days with teams needing their players to get into shape for the fast approaching season. Here is a list of this year's top free agent prospects and what I think they should do.

Santonio Holmes- Holmes, arguably the best offensive player in this list, recorded 746 yards and six touchdowns in just 12 games last season. The no. 1 receiver for the New York Jets last season will be looking for no. 1 receiver money. That said, I think Holmes will be best served staying home and giving himself a chance to grow with the Jets. There are plenty of teams with quarterbacks who are probably more talented, but as a body of work, there are not a lot of options that get much better than the Jets. Holmes guarantees himself a bulk of the catches, and to be on a team that will produce on both ends of the ball.

Braylon Edwards- The no. 2 in the Jets receiving corps, Edwards has been knocked for his tendency to take plays off and drop balls. That said, he has also been seen making miraculous plays and scoring touchdowns, seven of them with 904 yards. He will look for big money, but will not see it. I can see him landing on a team like Chicago or Tennessee, two teams looking for help at the position but not willing to spend a lot of money. This is all dependent however on whether the Jets are able to sign Holmes, if not Edwards is a must sign for the Jets.

Sidney Rice- Rice spent most of his season sidelined with injury last year, but in his third year went for 1300 yards and eight touchdowns. Teams will look at that season and be interested, but ultimately I think Rice should remain in Minnesota. If the talks about acquiring Donovan McNabb are true for the Vikings, than Rice will have an accurate and proven veteran to throw his way.

DeAngelo Williams- Williams who has been a staple in the Carolina Panthers running game struggled last season with just 304 yards and one touchdowns last season. He has shown studliness throughout his career, but might be reaching the end of his prime in his sixth season in the NFL. A new team may fix this, but not too many teams have shown interested. I expect Williams to stay in Carolina, but I wish for Williams that he finds somewhere else start over.

Antonio Cromartie- The second cornerback in the Jets lineup played in the shadow of Darelle Revis all last season. However his 17 broken passes and three interceptions will not go unlooked. There are plenty of teams looking to add another piece in the secondary, that said I believe he'll want to go somewhere with a championship caliber team. A place like Atlanta would be perfect for the athletic corner.

Nnamdi Asomugha- Finally, Nnamdi. He is arguably the most sought after free agent in the entire group. The shutdown corner from Oakland was so effective last season that opposing quarterbacks only threw at him seven percent of the over 400 passes thrown against the Raiders last season. Asomugha is the kind of player who can change a team's defense with just his presence. Rumors have surfaced around teams such as Tampa Bay and the New York Jets, and teams such as Dallas and Baltimore have made abundant cap space, assumably for a big signing. Any of these teams would be an upgrade for Nnamdi, but I like the Cowboys for the shutdown corner.

There you have it. With the free agency period looming large on the NFL expect all of these players to sign contracts very soon.

Stay tuned soon for an NFL division breakdowns and my picks for division winners, top players and even a Super Bowl matchup.

This Week in the NFL

2010-11-09T09:34:00.000-08:00

Wade Phillips axed as Cowboys coach after 1-7 start.

Ok, I just want to start by saying that this is the first post I've had in a very long time. That said, I would like to take the opportunity to apologize to anyone who may have gone to my page looking for a post only to see it the same old, Tim Tebow drafted in first round bla bla bla.

Now that it's out of the way, back to what we're here for. I'll start out by saying, did anyone NOT see this coming? Wade Phillips, even when the Cowboys were playing well was highly scrutinized as too much of a "players coach." Phillips who was given the reigns to "America's team" and all the glitz and glam that went along with that. Unfortunately for Phillips Jerry Jones, when hiring a new coach, expects what he already believes, that the Cowboys are Super Bowl Champions at the start of the season, and the games played are nothing but arbitrary events done to please fans, and advertisers. As far as Jones is concerned all Phillips was supposed to do was show up and the team, in all of their glory would do the rest.

I think what this proves, more than anything else, is that good coaching in this league is an absolute must. We're seeing it all across the league, Brad Childress hanging by a thread, and bringing down a clear-cut Super Bowl contender because of his big, fat, ugly ego. Chilly decided that instead of trying to work it out with a former hall of famer, and without consulting his team, or ownership, waived their most talented receiver. This, along with the fact that he can't get along with his hall of fame quarterback, and the only viable receiver he has left, Childress, I believe, is on thin ice.

Another quarterback-coach squabble that has made headlines as of late is the situation in our Nation's Capitol. Mike Shanahan, the epitome of egotistic head coach decides that Donovan McNabb, arguably the best quarterback that team has seen since Joe Theismann isn't knowledgeable enough, or wait was it that he was not athletic enough... Well whatever Shanahan decided to base his decision off of, it was dumb. First off, if McNabb isn't the right quarterback to run your two-minute offense, than he isn't the right quarterback. That would be like saying here Lebron you're the guy for 45 minutes, but if the games on the line, we're letting someone else finish it out. Not only that but the person who was chosen to close it out was Rex Grossman! Grossman aside from being the starting quarterback on the over-achieving Chicago Bears Super Bowl team has been a plague to this league as far as quarterbacks go, which is probably why he's playing back-up. To relate this back to the original analogy this would be like telling Lebron not only do you not get the game-winning shot, but you know that undrafted rookie we just picked up? Yea he's takin' it. If you believe Grossman is the guy in the 2-minute drill than make him your starter, and fall back into obscurity once again Redskins.

NFL Draft Day 1

2010-04-22T22:01:00.000-07:00

Tim Tebow former Florida quarterback was drafted as the 25th overall pick in the draft tonight leaving some fans wondering was Tebow a serious draft pick or a publicity stunt?

Ok, so say what you want about Tim Tebow. He's not an NFL ready quarterback, he should play a different position, he doesn't have what it takes bla bla bla. One thing you can say about the guy is he wins games, he did it high school and he did it at Florida, the question to be asked now is if he can continue to do it in Denver.

Now that you think I'm going to spend the rest of this blog defending the Tebow pick I'm going to 360 on you and say that I hated it. The paragraph before this was simply the justifications that I've been reading from Broncos fans for the pick. That along with the undying fact that he will work harder for you than any other player ever. Yea, we've heard it before, but I'm not buying it.

Tebow as most sane football fans know does not have, nor did he ever have the tools to play in the NFL. He more often times than not relied on his legs to do the work for him in college, and that simply isn't going to cut it at the next level.

The guys that he is going to face are bigger stronger and faster than ever before. Imagine Tebow game planning to face a highly ranked player in college, now take that player add a few more next to him and make it every week and you have what you'll face in the NFL.

And what's next for the Broncos, they've made this ridiculous draft pick and you can't honestly tell me that they plan to start the guy. I've seen the guy play and i'll tell you one thing, that jump pass, not gonna work in the NFL buddy.

On a bright note, way to go Packers! The Pack were able to draft Bryan Baluga an offensive tackle out of Iowa who will immediate improve their offensive line. Baluga, who many anticipated being a top 5 pick dropped down to 23 for the Packers and will surely be able to make an impact early and often. Standing in at 6'6 and weighing 312 pounds Baluga fits the stature of a Green Bay offensive lineman to a tee. He will be the building block that our offense needs to move forward for the 2010 season and beyond. I'm really excited about this pick!

The Only Story Not Talked About

2010-04-12T07:35:00.000-07:00

Phil Mickelson strung together back 9 gems on both Saturday and Sunday to take home a 3 stroke Masters victory Sunday.

On a weekend that was all about Tiger Woods return, and Tom Watson and Freddy Couples' fight against age the one story that slipped through the cracks was Phil Mickelson.

Mickelson who, in the last year has endured more heartbreak, more sadness than most people will endure in a lifetime was able to pull out his 3rd Masters victory by a convincing 3 strokes.

In a 6 week period Mickelson was hit with the news that both his wife, and his mother would be battling breast cancer. Mickelson, who took it upon himself to cut down his PGA appearances in order to spend time with his ailing wife defied the odds by becoming a 3-time Masters champion despite all that he'd been through.

How could his mind have been on golf? How could he have focused so much to dominate the field on Saturday and Sunday? How could he have been so concentrated to string back to back eagles on 15 and 16 on Sunday? And how could he have been so determined to take the shot out of the pines on 16 on Sunday that in my eyes won him the tournament?

Mickelson showed a level of poise, and confidence that given all that he'd been through takes my vote as the best Masters win of all time. Watching his emotion on Saturday and when it was all said and done on Sunday was what makes me proud to be a sports fan.

The hug that he shared with his wife Amy right after making the final putt on 18th was so touching, and so heartfelt. Then, seeing him don the green jacket, tears still in his eyes was something beyond explanation.

With all the things that Mickelson has done in his career, all the things accomplished throughout, this win has to be far sweeter than all the ones before it. The expression says that everyone in the world has been touched by cancer in some way shape or form, and it's this expression that makes this story far better than any other on this weekend. The fact that people can relate to exactly what Mickelson is going through, and the fact that he was able to persevere so elegantly is a gleam of hope for people struggling to find reason in a battle against cancer.

Shut Your Rich Mouth

2010-04-07T11:00:00.000-07:00

The New York Yankees team revenue for this season was somewhere around the 200 million dollar mark. To put this in perspective, the Yankees infield is currently making around 85 million dollars, just about equal to what the Milwaukee Brewers entire revenue is for this year.

New York Yankees president Randy Levine has made headlines recently for lashing out at Brewers owner Mark Attanasio for apparent "whining" about the troubles the Brewers front office has had reaching a deal with star first basemen Prince Fielder.

Levine told ESPNNewyork.com "I'm sorry that my friend Mark continues to whine about his running the Brewers," Levine said. "We play by all the rules and there doesn't seem to be any complaints when teams such as the Brewers receive hundreds of millions of dollars that they get from us in revenue sharing the last few years. Take some of that money that you get from us and use that to sign your players."

This was in response to Attanasio's remarks about the Yankees infielders allegedly making more than the entire Brewers team.

This came after weeks of drilling questions from Milwaukee media about the progress of Fielder's signing. Attanasio was quite obviously annoyed by the amount of questions directed toward just Fielder and not about the rest of the team.

On another note, the Brewers who's team revenue is right around 80 million for the year, have much more spending money now than they have had in recent years. Before Attanasio took over the team in 2004 their annual revenue was traditionally around 30 million dollars. Since then Attanasio has made it a point to put more of the team's total revenue into team itself, and not focus as much on outside expenditures. This attitude has obviously made a world of difference as the Brewers have gone from lovable losers to legitimate pennant contenders in a short amount of time.

Furthermore, what the hell Randy Levine, why are you lashing out at the Brewers. I understand that Attanasio made a statement about your spending, but it was more of a fact than it was a jab at your spending style.

Obviously there's something wrong with the way expenses are handled in the MLB, but that's a whole different topic in itself, right now I would like to focus on the fact that although there are plenty of teams out their that spend their revenue share on things not directly involved with the team, where as the Brewers have put a significant amount of their share into the team itself.

It's not like the Brewers can go out and sign a guy for 30 million dollars a year without worry. The Yankees, who are infamous for shelling out perhaps more than what players are worth just to be the front runners in the free agent market, have nothing to worry about when signing a big name free agent. If they miss with a guy, they can just shrug it off and pay him off and be rid of him, no harm, no foul.

However, if the Brewers swing and miss with a guy for 20 million a year, they will be forced to eat it for as much as a decade before they can make that money back. So for Levine to try and advise the Brewers front office on how to spend their money, and how to sign their players is absolutely ridiculous.

I honestly believe that any kind of an idiot could go out and do the job Levine does. I can figure out how to spend as much money as I want on the best players in the league and the best coaching staff there is to offer. I do it all the time on my franchises in MLB The Show. The fact of the matter is, the Yankees organization is run much like a video game, it's not real life, it's fantasy, and it's absurd.

If the MLB had any decency, any discretion, any pride, than they would find a way to make this terrible construction of financial absurdity disappear. If only they were able to set a salary cap on the league, and cut down the amount of spending for players. I would love to watch A-Rod's salary be cut in half in order to fit budgetary restrictions. I would love to see everybody have a shot at signing big name free agents. I would love to see a team like the Brewers have a legitimate shot at a title run, without hearing the small market team story that they get every time they do something right.

Obviously I, an unknown blogger from southern Wisconsin have no say in the way that Major League Baseball runs it's commissions. However, I feel as if I have a better idea as to how to make a more competitive, more popular league. Make it happen and reap the benefits, it works out best for everyone. I promise.

So What Now?

2010-04-05T06:14:00.000-07:00

Donovan McNabb has flown the coop, and now the Eagles are left with an unproven, inexperienced option in Kevin Kolb

The city of brotherly love has apparently found a new leader this morning. Donovan McNabb, perennial pro bowler, finds himself playing for a new team.

If you ask me, and you obviously are if you're reading this, the Eagles did everything wrong in this trade.

For one, the Eagles decided to trade within the division. What was that all about? Are the Eagles not confident that McNabb can be successful still? Are they that confident in their own team that they could trade the best quarterback in their history to a division rival? I don't think so, what I think is that they are arrogant enough to think that, because they're the Eagles, the Redskins are going to just roll over for them. Wrong!

The Redskins were able to snag a proven, multi-pro bowl QUARTERBACK for a few draft picks?!? COME ON MAN! Have the Eagles forgotten that this a quarterback driven league, in which a championship is virtually impossible without a guy who can not only manage the game, but make a few big plays as well.

I don't doubt that Kolb can probably manage an NFL game, in fact, within the offense he's playing he MIGHT be able to make a few big plays... But, will that translate to wins? Is there any way to ensure that he can be successful? At least with McNabb you know what you're going to get. You're going to get at least 20 touchdowns, a few really big bombs down the field, and enough swagger to pull in at least 10 wins.

With the draft being as hit and miss as it has been in recent years, how can you possibly justify trading a more than high quality quarterback for a second round draft pick? What kind of player are you going to get in that second round? A slim chance you get a great player, a decent chance that you get a guy that will start for you for the next 5 years, and the best chance is that you'll get a guy who needs to be coached up for 2 or 3 years, and then maybe start for you after for about 5 years. That would mean that you take almost as much time preparing the guy as you do starting him.

Now I know, my beloved Packers made a move similar to this a few years back trading Brett Favre, and I know it sounds so much alike, but in all honesty, it's not at all. Favre, who was 38 when he was traded had announced his retirement at the end of the previous season. He had basically cut ties with the Packers for a few months, in which they had coached up a young guy in Aaron Rodgers. Then when Favre had a change of heart he decided he was going to say he wanted to come back, and play another season, something that he'd been doing to the Packers for years (which is a whole nother story in itself). The Packers had prepared themselves to start Rodgers, they trained the team with Rodgers, and they were ready to move on without Favre.

I don't think you can say the same for the Eagles. McNabb was definitely going to be back, no questions. McNabb McNabb is 33 years old, and has at least 3 more quality seasons in him, and McNabb has never toyed with the emotions of his franchise the way that Favre did.

The bottom line is that McNabb was the face of the Eagles franchise, and had given so much to that franchise, including 4 straight seasons in the NFC championship game, and one Super Bowl appearance. That is all gone now, and the Eagles will have to start over from scratch.

If you ask me, and you obviously are if you're reading this the Eagles have made a mistake, and it will probably be a painful process watching them go from a playoff team with a lot of potential, and youth to a team who will inevitably struggle in the next season, and will be filled with controversy for the next few seasons.

BUST a Move

2010-03-01T08:39:00.000-08:00

Perepetually there are players who enter the NFL destined to fail. No matter the circumstance, whether it be an unreadiness to compete at a higher level or injuries that prevent them from playing to their full potential, the NFL is a cruel business that only has time for the best of the best.

That said, entering this year's draft will be a plethora of role players, doing what it takes to help their teams, a handful of stars who will go on to be pro bowlers and or hall of famers, and there will inevitably a few busts that just don't have what it takes to piece it all together. I'm going to discuss who I believe this players will be, and what players are going to be successes at the next level.

1. Jimmy Clausen QB Notre Dame: Clausen exempted his senior year to enter the draft, most likely because of the slim pickings at Quarterback. This decision guaranteed Clausen a pick in the first round, and a lot of guaranteed money. Now I know that sounds like a really good thing, but I tend to question whether or not Clausen was ready. Clausen was only able to lead his Notre Dame squad to 6 wins last season, despite having some of the premiere receivers in college football on his side. Despite having pretty good numbers, Clausen's lack of poise in the pocket, and lack of strength behind his throws make me nervous that he would be able to make throws across the middle in the NFL. Also, as eluded to before Clausen tends to hold the ball a little longer than is necessary to really key on open receivers. This is a problem in two areas. One Clausen holding the ball will inevitably lead to more sacks (i.e. Aaron Rodgers and Ben Roethlisberger) Two Clausen taking the time to key in on his receivers will only tip off the DBs and lead to more interceptions. It's one thing to throw against college corners, most of which won't end up playing at the next level, but in the NFL each week you will go up against what would amount to the best corner in the country, every week, and sometimes they're even better than that. All these variables plus what I believe is the most telling fact about Clausen, his lack of maturity, really make me feel as if he is heading down a road to no where.

2. Taylor Mays FS USC: Mays, who is being called the prototypical safety coming out of the draft this year has had a lot of hype from ESPNs Todd McShay since the season started all the way up until now. Don't get me wrong I thought Mays was an excellent player in college, maybe one of the best safeties that USC has seen since Troy Polamalu. That said, Mays will be hard pressed to play at a Polamalu like level next season. Mays has all the things that scouts look for in a young player, good size standing at 6'3 and weighing 235. He's got good speed in and out of cuts, and was a smart player in college who could put a big hit on any wide receiver coming across the middle. So what's wrong huh? Well the thing that worries me was his lack of presence in his final season at USC. Despite putting up decent numbers, his presence was not known throughout the country, or the conference for that matter. Great players coming out of the NFL draft are known in college for their accomplishments, Mays isn't as highly touted and I believe there's a reason. Mays didn't show up when it counted, the numbers don't say it all. USC was unable to stop a lot of teams last year from punishing them on defense, which lead to the Trojans losing the pac-10 this season. If Mays is as good as everyone says he is, he should have been able to do something about it last season.

Now, onto the Players who will definitely make a difference at the next level. It would be easy to come out and say a name like Ndamukong Suh and have it be the end, but that's not what this is about so we're gonna chalk his name up to obvious and go on from there.

1. Colt McCoy QB Texas: McCoy, who was injured in his last game as a Longhorn, watched his team lose viciously to what appeared to be a far more powerful Alabam squad. Whether or not the outcome of that game would have been different had McCoy played is a whole nother discussion, but for now let's just say I'm not so sure. Regardless of that injury McCoy was able to, with his time at Texas cement himself as one of the best to have played their, and put up astronomical numbers year in and year out. A Heisman runner-up, and a four year starter, Mc Coy put on impressive display after impressive display in tough situations, and narrowly missed out on a chance at a National Championship in 2008. All of these accolades should not, and hopefully will not go unnoticed as I believe McCoy is the most talented QB in this year's draft.

2. Brandon Spikes ILB Florida- Spikes, a part of a Florida team who has won two National Championships in the last four years acted as a leader on a defense full of studs. This guy played lights out, despite being slapped with a suspension his senior year, cutting his time. He, to me looks a lot like Patrick Willis in college, with the natural leadership abilities that any good linebacker should have. He's quick, explosive, and hits harder than anyone in this draft class making him one of the most feared players on the list. His natural talent, raw ability, and sharklike instincts make him my favorite defensive player in this draft (with the exception of Suh).

Brewers Season Preview

2010-02-26T08:35:00.000-08:00

I've taken claim to being a home town sports fan, and haven't really paid too much attention to my hometown teams. I hope to change that today drawing some attention to my beloved Brewers. Today I'm going to discuss the things that the Brewers need to do to make it back to the playoffs this year and the predictions for the season.

First, the things that need to happen for the Brewers to be successful this season.

1. The team needs to be able to beat the teams that they should beat. The Brewers have not been an elite team, but they have been good enough to be named at the top of the pecking order as far as talent is concerned. Coming off of several pathetic seasons in Milwaukee, the Brewers have turned things around and have been a joy to watch the last few years. But one blemish that we've seen in Brewers play has been losing close games to bad teams. For example they lost a collective 12 games to teams at the bottom of our division last season. That's something that an elite team can not do.

2. Corey Hart needs to step it up and play like he deserves his salary. Corey Hart won his arbitration suit against the Brewers recently and is being paid considerably more than what the Brewers anticipated. Now, it is Hart's responsible to step it up and be a good early lineup batter and base runner. There's no question that Corey Hart has the speed, and the power to be a 20-20 player, but his impatience at the plate, and overall lack of interest while batting has made him nothing more than a mediocre player as of late. Hart doesn't need an MVP type season or even to bat .320 for him to win his fans back, he just needs to continue being the solid fielder in left that he has been and step up his game at the plate. The stolen bases will then come.

3. This one plays a little off of the first one. The Brewers need to not only win a major majority against the bottom half of the division, but they need to at least finish even in the series against the good teams in the division. When I say good teams I mean the Cardinals and Cubs. The Brewers were not successful against the elite teams in the division last season and for that they suffered at the end of the season. I don't expect them to go out and win all the games they play against the teams, but at least keep it even in the series. I would go as far as to say as they NEED to win one of the series and at least tie another in order to have a shot at winning the division.

4. The pitching staff needs to get off to a fast start. Brewers pitching has been a problem for as long as I can remember. With the exception of 2008 when C.C. Sabathia was able to come in and make a major contribution the Brewers have struggled to find an established ace. That said, the Brewers have made some significant off-season moves, bringing in two free agent pitchers. Neither of these players are ace material at this point in their careers, but both of them could be very solid contributing factors. Any Brewers fan knows that Yovanni Gallardo is the ace, and future of this franchise as far as pitching is concerned. He has shown great stuff the last two seasons, and been a very exciting player. What we need is for Randy Wolf and Doug Davis to make an impact in the lineup immediately. In order for this team to be successful they will need to each win at least 10 games this season, and Gallardo will need to be above the 15 game win mark. More about the pitching staff to come in the predictions section

5. The team needs to stay healthy. This is obvious, but a good discussion point nonetheless. obviously in the course of a 162 game season there will be a few bumps and bruises here and there, but the Brewers NEED to avoid a serious injury in their starting lineup this season. Before his season ended last year, Ricky Weeks was on track to have a career year batting lights out, and playing considerably better defense than in the past. They will need him this year to step up, play good defense, and be a solid leadoff hitter in the lineup.

Predictions:

1. Ryan Braun, not Prince Fielder will lead the team in offensive statistics this season. I say offensive statistics because I don't want to go out on too much of a limb and say that Braun will out homer Fielder. Fielder has crazy power, and Braun although less powerful is still a phenomenal hitter at the plate. Also, Braun tends to step up in big situations. His batting order against postseasons squads is tremendous, if I remember correctly it was something over .600, and he is just getting older, more mature, and more confident. Watch out for Braun this year, as he will compete for NL MVP.

2. A forgot about pitcher will emerge as a solid starter in the rotation this summer. My guess would be Chris Capuano. I loved Capuano a few years ago when he was able to win 18 games for the Crew, before his injury eventually leading to Tommy John surgery. Now that his surgery is over and he has had some time to heal, he should be back and ready to go. I'm not saying he'll ever be the 18 win guy that he was a few years ago, but I think he still has the stuff to be a good player in the starting rotation, possibly relieving the terrible Jeff Suppan.

3. Ricky Weeks will stay healthy and he will be a 20-20 player. Weeks has always been one of the quickest guys on the Brewers squad since they drafted him, and has always had considerable power. His plate presence and poise haven't always been great, but he has had his moments while healthy that show me that he is able to be a solid contributing factor to this lineup. Everyone knows that Fielder and Braun are the players that make this offensive move, but in order for the Brewers to get good run production, they will need players on base. That means that Weeks will need to have a solid batting average (something over .250) and good OBP. I see this happening. I know it was brief, but last season when Weeks was able to start off as strongly as he did, I knew that we were starting to see the Ricky Weeks that the Brewers saw when they drafted him a few years ago. If he can gain the confidence that he needs and continue the success he was having before his injury Weeks will be a solid starter, and possibly even an all-star.

4. The Brewers will be in the post-season again in 2010. This is a bold, and awfully fan-based prediction, but I've said it every year since 2006. This team is talented, all around there are players that can make plays, and a determination that is only seen in elite teams in the league. With the amount of youth, mixed with experience in this lineup it should be a realistic goal to expect the Brewers to contend for a playoff spot. Whether that be a wild card position, or a division title will remain to be seen, but a division title sure would be sweet.

Well there ya have it Brew Crew. Follow these simple steps and you will be on the road to greatness. This season has a lot in store, with the amount of off-season moves that Doug Melvin has made this year, and the two young stars in the middle of this lineup the Brewers have just as good a chance as any to make a solid run this year.

24... One Better Than 23

2010-02-24T09:10:00.001-08:00

Surely I'm not suggesting that Kobe Bryant is indeed better than the great Michael Jordan, but it does stand to reason to make a comparison between the two.

This season alone Kobe has hit five game winning buzzer beater jump shots, and last night was arguably the best of them all. Coming off of a five-game absence due to an ankle injury didn't miss a beat last night. He went 13-19 for 32 points, none more important than the last second three-point field goal to put the Lakers up by one towards the end of the game.

More importantly however was the fact that despite stating that he was playing at about 85%, Bryant was able to go out and compete for 40 minutes of the game, and didn't look any less extraordinary than the usual Kobe.

The stamina and strength that Bryant was able to play with last night, and throughout his career solidifies the fact that he, in my eyes, is the more entertaining of the two players.

I know it's hard to compete with all of the personal accolades of Jordan, six NBA championships, two Olympic gold medals, and an NCAA Championship says a lot about your success. But I would suggest that throughout his career Bryant has been more fun to watch.

To take it one step further I believe that had Kobe and Shaq been able to stay together they may have won two or three more championships. The two of them were as dominant a pairing as the NBA has ever seen, and proved a nightmare for teams attempting to defend them.

Since then however Kobe has made a name for himself going from the cocky young player who was Shaq's sidekick, to the star of stars in Los Angeles. He put away his ego, and started playing a team game, and with the help of the Lakers organization organized another team of superstars competing for a second straight championship.

Kobe's legacy is far from over, his achievements are far from over as well. To suggest that his championships and statistics will surpass that of Michael Jordan is neither here nor there, but I believe that Kobe is primed for at least one more championships with this talented Lakers team.

Watching Kobe Bryant has been more entertaining than I could have ever imaged, the only thing better I suspect would have been watching the two of in their respective primes go face to face. Now that would have been entertaining.

USA USA USA!

2010-02-22T05:55:00.000-08:00

There are a few things that really make me feel American. Super Bowl Sunday, tailgating a baseball game, and a new face to this list, USA Hockey.

I will confess, I do not, and will not pretend to know anything about hockey. What I see is pretty much what every other unknowing bystander sees, but that doesn't make it any less exciting to watch my countrymen win decisively against a notably greater and more powerful oppononent.

These sorts of things are what dreams are made of. This opportunity is one of a lifetime. These men know what they're doing is mind bogglingly extravagant and important.

Ok, all cliches aside the opportunity for these men to represent their country in possible the most notable of sports in these winter games, and to do so valiantly thus far really makes me swell up with pride, and this game was no exception. The effort and the determination put in to make this happen on Sunday was extraordinary and here are a few reasons why.

First off, this was the first time that the United States had defeated Canada in hockey since 1960 Squaw City games in which they were able to rob both Canada and Russia of a gold medal. Could we be seeing a repeat of history this Winter. In case you didn't catch this already this year marks the 50 year anniversary of that fateful team and they're efforts to spread joy and pride across America and the efforts of that team, are surely rubbing off on this current one.

We live in a country where hockey sort of falls to the wayside of other more prominent American sports. Football, baseball, and basketball are the first three sports that come to mind when thinking about American sporting events, making this event all the more miraculous. How can, in a country so geared toward these three sports, can they develop a team of bright stars such as these. That comes from the will and determination of these men to defend their country which brings me to my next point

I've said before that I do not, and will not hesitate to show bias, and I make no exception here. For years these games have meant way more than the sport alone. These men have the honor and privilege of defending the greatest and most powerful country in the world, and it is their responsible to show the same integrity, strength, and determination as our country does. These men know that they not only represent the American people, but they represent the American Military, and American beliefs.

So today, while you settle in at your jobs, on your walk to class, or while you settle into your jobs take a moment to think about what the U.S. Hockey team is currently accomplishing. Remember what it took to get where they are, and don't forget exactly what it means to be there.

Today is a day to celebrate American spirit, your American spirit. Feel proud, feel free, feel brave, because that is what this country was founded on, and that is exactly what this hockey team represents.

What was the point

2010-02-19T08:17:00.000-08:00

Tiger Woods for the first time since his infamous sex scandal was unveiled appear in front of the public. There was tons of speculation as to what he would say and who he would address in his statements some of which included tour come back dates and apologies.

Well after watching his "contrite" apology I have a few problems.

For one after watching the replay courtesy of ESPN it was apparent to me that Tiger was anything less than contrite. Reading his statements off of a piece of paper in front of him in a monotone and rather presentational tone. I found it surprisingly annoying how often he looked down at the paper in front of him. There was actually a not so brief period of time in the middle of the speech in which he didn't even look up at the crowd. Now does that tell you he's sorry, or that he didn't even go over what he was TOLD to say but his publishers and reps.

Second
His tears and "sorrow" were in a word unbelievable. We've seen tears like this from plenty of people who have turned around and grinned in the faces of the people who adored them i.e. Brett Favre. I want to see something real. I'm sick of seeing these high profile sports athletes messing up and making these pre-meditated and under rehearsed statements. They're always filled with apologies that mean nothing and tears that mean even less. Not to mention the fact that they tend to just repeat themselves.

Third
What purpose did his buddhist comments serve? There's no room for religious confessions in a religion that you've drifted away from. People don't want to hear about your newly found faith and religious behaviors.

In a nutshell Tiger's press conference was useless and impersonal. He didn't really say anything, and gave no one anything to work with. He needed to come out and give a time frame for people to look forward to, and he needs to realize that he is the face of all things golf and the entire organization surfaces around him. Telling people that he plans to return at some point was I guess a start, but was anyone really concerned that he wasn't going to return. He is only 5 majors away from tying Jack Nicklaus in the all time column and my guess is he won't want to stop there. He has a lot of golf in his future, and so what the people really needed to know was when. When are you going to get back into the public eye. When are you going to let people love you again. When are you going to get over yourself and your personal issues and go back to work.

If a person in a normal corporate job gets into a person epidemic they aren't allowed to just take enough time off as they need, they have to pull themselves together and go out and do their jobs. So why should we expect Tiger to be any different. Yes I understand he has enough money to retire 20 times in 20 different lifetimes and still not have to work after that, but Tiger has developed an obligation to the PGA and his fans. Especially after this event Tiger owes it to his still loyal fans to go out and be at his best, and even better. Tiger needs to go out and in the next two years win at least four majors to make this disappear as fast as he wants.

So here's to hopefully seeing Tiger redeeming himself this April at the Masters and making it much easier for not only himself but his family. He pleaded to the paparazzi to stop stalking his family, but I truly believe that the only way to make this go away is to make yourself the focus again. You may be able to hide away in your mansion and not let anyone near you Tiger, but your family and friends have to live their lives just as normal people live their lives and your selfishness is making that process that much harder.