Another year...and the dream continues for me - a Braves fan. Maybe we'll win it all, who know, but there's always the hope of the new season.
I'm not going to say I'm super pumped about the season, I haven't had too much time to pay attention of spring training baseball. But I'll be ready come Thursday - Opening Day.
The Phillies, Marlins and Nationals are supposed to be better this year. So that means the Braves will have to step up their game since they are basically the same team this year.
C - Brian McCann
1B - Freddie Freeman
2B - Dan Uggla
SS - Tyler Pastranecky
3B - Chipper Jones
LF - Martin Prado
CF - Micheal Bourne
RF - Jason Heyward
Shortstop is the only change. Chipper will probably be hurt half the season so Erick Heinske and Matt Diaz will have to platoon in LF when that happens.
My prediction is 94-68 for the Braves. I think the pitching will be solid again. Tommy Hanson, Jair Jurrjans, Tim Hudson, Mike Minor, Randall Delgado, Julio Terahan, Kris Medlen - the Braves have a lot of arms.
My NL East predictions:
Phillies: 103-59
Braves: 94-68
Marlins: 92-70
Nationals: 88-74
Mets: 63-99
JB
Friday, March 30, 2012
Friday, March 23, 2012
Manning/Broncos/Tebow/Jets
I've always been a Payton Manning fan. Even though I hate Ole Miss, and the Mannings are royalty there, Payton went to Tennessee and I like to root for him. But, of course, I love Tebow. So, I had mixed emotions when I found out Manning would sign with Denver, forcing Tebow out.
But I thought, hey, this is a chance for Tebow to go to a place like Jacksonville where they can sell a ton of tickets and embrace him because of his Florida roots. But the Jets end up acquiring him for a 4th round pick. Seriously, the Jags couldn't give up a 3rd round pick for this guy? He would have raked in a ton of money via season tickets, jersey sales, etc.
Maybe Jacksonville is solidly behind Blaine Gabbert. That's a joke to me, but if they've invested a lot into him that could certainly be the case. But what about the Miami Dolphins? They have nothing. No future QB, nothing on the horizon. They couldn't give up a 3rd round pick for Tebow? That is absurd. It's still Florida, it would have been a great fit. Tebow has even had some of his most storied games at the Dolphin's stadium in high school, college and the NFL.
In the end, Tebow is headed to New York behind Mark Sanchez. Now the Jets have two QBs who put up awful stat lines but seem to win more times than not. Fans will be pissed at Sanchez and cry for Tebow, then they'll be pissed at Tebow and cry for Sanchez. It will be interesting. Especially since the Jets are such a mess half the time, and Tebow is about as clean cut as you can get.
It would be a shame for Tebow to end up riding the bench all year except for a few running plays here and there. After taking the Broncos out of the pine box and into the playoffs, then leading them to a playoff win, he gets booted to a place where he's 2nd string. But we'll see what happens. He's like Kurt Warner, people keep stacking the deck against him and he keeps coming through.
JB
But I thought, hey, this is a chance for Tebow to go to a place like Jacksonville where they can sell a ton of tickets and embrace him because of his Florida roots. But the Jets end up acquiring him for a 4th round pick. Seriously, the Jags couldn't give up a 3rd round pick for this guy? He would have raked in a ton of money via season tickets, jersey sales, etc.
Maybe Jacksonville is solidly behind Blaine Gabbert. That's a joke to me, but if they've invested a lot into him that could certainly be the case. But what about the Miami Dolphins? They have nothing. No future QB, nothing on the horizon. They couldn't give up a 3rd round pick for Tebow? That is absurd. It's still Florida, it would have been a great fit. Tebow has even had some of his most storied games at the Dolphin's stadium in high school, college and the NFL.
In the end, Tebow is headed to New York behind Mark Sanchez. Now the Jets have two QBs who put up awful stat lines but seem to win more times than not. Fans will be pissed at Sanchez and cry for Tebow, then they'll be pissed at Tebow and cry for Sanchez. It will be interesting. Especially since the Jets are such a mess half the time, and Tebow is about as clean cut as you can get.
It would be a shame for Tebow to end up riding the bench all year except for a few running plays here and there. After taking the Broncos out of the pine box and into the playoffs, then leading them to a playoff win, he gets booted to a place where he's 2nd string. But we'll see what happens. He's like Kurt Warner, people keep stacking the deck against him and he keeps coming through.
JB
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Mid-Majors Success in the Big Dance
I'm curious about which mid-major program has had the most success in the NCAA Tournament in the last 20 years. I'm just classifying any team not in a BCS conference as a mid-major.
Gonzaga - 15 appearances, 5 Sweet 16's, 1 Elite 8
Xavier - 15 appearances, 5 Sweet 16's (including currently), 2 Elite 8's
Butler - 6 appearances, 4 Sweet 16's, 2 Elite 8's, 2 Final Four's, 2 times runner-up
VCU - 6 appearances, 1 Sweet 16, 1 Elite 8, 1 Final Four
Murray State - 9 appearances
George Mason - 5 appearances, 1 Sweet 16, 1 Elite 8, 1 Final Four
Memphis - 11 appearances, 5 Sweet 16's, 3 Elite 8's, 1 Final Four, 1 time runner-up
Creighton - 8 appearances
Southern Illinois - 9 appearances, 2 Sweet 16's
St. Mary's - 5 appearances, 1 Sweet 16
BYU - 11 appearances, 1 Sweet 16
JB
Gonzaga - 15 appearances, 5 Sweet 16's, 1 Elite 8
Xavier - 15 appearances, 5 Sweet 16's (including currently), 2 Elite 8's
Butler - 6 appearances, 4 Sweet 16's, 2 Elite 8's, 2 Final Four's, 2 times runner-up
VCU - 6 appearances, 1 Sweet 16, 1 Elite 8, 1 Final Four
Murray State - 9 appearances
George Mason - 5 appearances, 1 Sweet 16, 1 Elite 8, 1 Final Four
Memphis - 11 appearances, 5 Sweet 16's, 3 Elite 8's, 1 Final Four, 1 time runner-up
Creighton - 8 appearances
Southern Illinois - 9 appearances, 2 Sweet 16's
St. Mary's - 5 appearances, 1 Sweet 16
BYU - 11 appearances, 1 Sweet 16
JB
Monday, March 12, 2012
Give Me More Tournament, Less Regular Season
I have long since held the idea that the NCAA Tournament is a flawed way of determining a national champion. Before you call me crazy, hear me out.
I love upsets (except when they happen to MSU) in the tourney, but is one 40 minute game really enough to determine which team should advance to the next round? Can you say the best team will win in each round, or will the team who happens to get hot in that particular game win? After a team has played 30+ games in the regular season, is it really fair to judge them all on one quick game?
You and I both know the answer to those questions. The best team really only wins 60-70% of the time. We had a 3, 4, 8 and 11 seed make the Final Four last year. Was VCU really one of the top 4 teams in the country? Would you say that is a good representation of the best teams in the country? UConn was a deserving champ, but shouldn't they have had to beat some of the other great teams of 2011?
Here is what I would like to see - each round be best 2 out of 3.
Yeah, I'm nuts. Who would complain about March Madness? Well, I'm not really complaining so much as I am suggesting that people recognize that the best teams don't always win in the big dance. I'm suggesting that an early exit or long run in the tournament isn't really the best indication of how good your team ultimately was. It's a flawed tournament; a fun one, but flawed.
The NBA is best 4 of 7 in each round of the playoffs. The reason is because the teams adjust to one another after each game. It may take the Mavericks two games to realize what they need to do to score on the Lakers for example; but after they do, they may beat them four in a row. The best team always wins. I don't think that is the way to go for college, but 2 of 3 would be a better way than do or die.
Here's how I would do it: 64 teams, all neutral site games. At first I thought the idea of a home and home and neutral site would be amazing for college basketball, but that is not logistical. Play Game 1 on a Friday, Game 2 on Saturday, and Game 3 if necessary on Sunday. Then do the next round the following weekend. It would take six weeks.
That's a long time you say. Well, does anyone out there love the regular season of college basketball? I'm saying double the part of the season which is by far the most enjoyable, and decrease the boring regular season. All we'd have to do is move the start of conference play to mid-December and start the NCAA Tournament in mid-late February. We'd already be into Round 2 today!
And here's what it would do: 1. allow for a mulligan. Not two mulligans, just one. And you'd still get those amazing upsets. Say for example a 14 seed was going to upset a 3 seed. Well, they still do in Game 1. Now the 3 seed still has a chance to come back and win the next two games. They are the better team, and it's likely they will, but they might not. I just don't think a team who was 24-5 during the year should exit early because southwest San Francisco state got hot and made 12 of 14 from behind the arc.
2. You'd get better match-ups. Those first two days of the tournament are probably the best days of the sporting year, I agree. But then you get to round 2 and you realize you've got southwest San Francisco state playing Billy's cow college for the right to go to the Sweet 16. Snooze. Of course, it's still amazing when you get that Cinderella who slays the dragon in round 1 and round 2. But then you get to the Sweet 16 and you thought you'd see Michigan State vs. Kentucky but now your left with North Dakota Academy facing a Kentucy team who has prepared for them all week, result: 80-45.
3. The best teams make the biggest games. If Kansas is going to win it all, I'd rather them play four or five top 25 teams on the way to the national championship instead of two. I'd like to see a Sweet 16 and Elite 8, a Final Four filled with compelling matchups...none of those blowouts when Cinderella losses its slipper. How big of a let down was Bulter vs. VCU in the Final Four? Sure, it was nice rooting for Butler both years (and I'll say they are legit no doubt), but that game left little to get excited about.
Anyway, that is my two cents about a topic probably no one other than me would bring up. March Madness will be fun again, but I won't take too much stock in Sweet 16s or teams getting upset in the first weekend.
I love upsets (except when they happen to MSU) in the tourney, but is one 40 minute game really enough to determine which team should advance to the next round? Can you say the best team will win in each round, or will the team who happens to get hot in that particular game win? After a team has played 30+ games in the regular season, is it really fair to judge them all on one quick game?
You and I both know the answer to those questions. The best team really only wins 60-70% of the time. We had a 3, 4, 8 and 11 seed make the Final Four last year. Was VCU really one of the top 4 teams in the country? Would you say that is a good representation of the best teams in the country? UConn was a deserving champ, but shouldn't they have had to beat some of the other great teams of 2011?
Here is what I would like to see - each round be best 2 out of 3.
Yeah, I'm nuts. Who would complain about March Madness? Well, I'm not really complaining so much as I am suggesting that people recognize that the best teams don't always win in the big dance. I'm suggesting that an early exit or long run in the tournament isn't really the best indication of how good your team ultimately was. It's a flawed tournament; a fun one, but flawed.
The NBA is best 4 of 7 in each round of the playoffs. The reason is because the teams adjust to one another after each game. It may take the Mavericks two games to realize what they need to do to score on the Lakers for example; but after they do, they may beat them four in a row. The best team always wins. I don't think that is the way to go for college, but 2 of 3 would be a better way than do or die.
Here's how I would do it: 64 teams, all neutral site games. At first I thought the idea of a home and home and neutral site would be amazing for college basketball, but that is not logistical. Play Game 1 on a Friday, Game 2 on Saturday, and Game 3 if necessary on Sunday. Then do the next round the following weekend. It would take six weeks.
That's a long time you say. Well, does anyone out there love the regular season of college basketball? I'm saying double the part of the season which is by far the most enjoyable, and decrease the boring regular season. All we'd have to do is move the start of conference play to mid-December and start the NCAA Tournament in mid-late February. We'd already be into Round 2 today!
And here's what it would do: 1. allow for a mulligan. Not two mulligans, just one. And you'd still get those amazing upsets. Say for example a 14 seed was going to upset a 3 seed. Well, they still do in Game 1. Now the 3 seed still has a chance to come back and win the next two games. They are the better team, and it's likely they will, but they might not. I just don't think a team who was 24-5 during the year should exit early because southwest San Francisco state got hot and made 12 of 14 from behind the arc.
2. You'd get better match-ups. Those first two days of the tournament are probably the best days of the sporting year, I agree. But then you get to round 2 and you realize you've got southwest San Francisco state playing Billy's cow college for the right to go to the Sweet 16. Snooze. Of course, it's still amazing when you get that Cinderella who slays the dragon in round 1 and round 2. But then you get to the Sweet 16 and you thought you'd see Michigan State vs. Kentucky but now your left with North Dakota Academy facing a Kentucy team who has prepared for them all week, result: 80-45.
3. The best teams make the biggest games. If Kansas is going to win it all, I'd rather them play four or five top 25 teams on the way to the national championship instead of two. I'd like to see a Sweet 16 and Elite 8, a Final Four filled with compelling matchups...none of those blowouts when Cinderella losses its slipper. How big of a let down was Bulter vs. VCU in the Final Four? Sure, it was nice rooting for Butler both years (and I'll say they are legit no doubt), but that game left little to get excited about.
Anyway, that is my two cents about a topic probably no one other than me would bring up. March Madness will be fun again, but I won't take too much stock in Sweet 16s or teams getting upset in the first weekend.
Friday, March 2, 2012
How Come in Country Songs Guys Have Trouble Making it Home on Time?
I listen to a lot of country music, and there's one common theme that I don't understand. It's when a guy is singing about himself or a girl about her man, he can't make it home on time. He doesn't call to tell her he'll be home late, and of course he had told her not to worry when he does this, but she leaves him. It's sad.
Do these guys not have cell phones? They can't call, or text? Are they alcoholics and are in such a rush to to make it to happy hour after work and completely forget to tell their wives? What's the deal?
Now, I understand the gist of the problem: he's cheating on her...so she leaves. But can't they make up some other story line? Coming home late? This was ok in the 70s and 80s when they didn't have cell phones, but it just doesn't make sense any more. I think these guys should give their wife a call or text to let them know they'll be messing around, and be home late.
JB
Do these guys not have cell phones? They can't call, or text? Are they alcoholics and are in such a rush to to make it to happy hour after work and completely forget to tell their wives? What's the deal?
Now, I understand the gist of the problem: he's cheating on her...so she leaves. But can't they make up some other story line? Coming home late? This was ok in the 70s and 80s when they didn't have cell phones, but it just doesn't make sense any more. I think these guys should give their wife a call or text to let them know they'll be messing around, and be home late.
JB
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)