NFL Thursday Night Football Week 9 Prediction

Here is my prediction for this weeks Thursday Night Football game between the Cincinnati Bengals(6-2) and the Miami Dolphins(3-4).

I like the Bengals in this one. They are on fire and should win fairly easily over a mediocre Miami team.

Predication: Bengals 34, Dolphins 17

Thanks for reading.

The Boston Red Sox Are Your 2013 World Series Champions

The Boston Red Sox captured the 2013 World Series title on Wednesday night, defeating the St. Louis Cardinals by a score of 6-1. It was the first time since 1918 that Boston won a World Series at Fenway Park, as their wins in 2004 and 2007 were both on the road. It is the 8th time in franchise history that the Red Sox have been kings of baseball, as they previously won in 1903, 1912, 1915, 1916, 1918, 2004 and 2007.

The Red Sox bats knocked around St. Louis starter Michael Wacha, getting all 6 runs off of him in just 3 and 2/3 innings. It was Wacha's 1st bad start of the postseason, as he had been so good in his first 4 starts, posting an ERA of 1.00. Boston starter John Lackey, on the other hand, was fantastic, going 6 and 2/3 innings and giving up just 1 earned run.

The Red Sox fun night began in the bottom of the 3rd, when Shane Victorino hit a 3 run double that made it 3-0 Red Sox. The Sox added on 3 more runs in the bottom of the 4th. First, Stephan Drew leadoff the inning with a solo homer to make it 4-0. Then, Mike Napoli singled to make it 5-0, and Victorino also singled to make it 6-0. The Sox never looked back from there. The Redbirds would score 1 run in the top of the 7th on a Carlos Beltran single, but it proved to be meaningless. Tonight was Boston's night. Koji Uehara came in in the top of the 9th in a non save situation, and got the first 2 men out, then struck out Matt Carpenter, and with that, Fenway erupted as for the first time in the lives of anybody in that stadium, the Red Sox won it all in front of their hometown fans. David Ortiz, as expected, was named World Series MVP after his phenomenal series, as he has earned a reputation as one of the best postseason hitters ever.

I would like to say, Mike Matheny, John Mo St. Louis Cardinals and their fans, congratulations on a great season. Even though it sucks not to win it all, it was still a great season and you guys have nothing to be ashamed of.

To the Boston Red Sox and their fans, congrats on a great season and World Series. Expectations were not high for this team following a 69 win season in 2012, but manager John Farrell did a phenomenal job turning around Boston, and free agent pickup Shane Victorino and the resurgence of pitcher John Lackey as well as a bounce back season from ace John Lester and the emergence of closer Koji Uehara played huge roles in getting Boston to where they are right now, as well as the stars who had been with Boston before 2013, like Ortiz, Pedroia etc. GM Ben Cherington and the Red Sox front office did a fantastic job putting this team together. Let's not forget the fans, most of whom had been waiting their whole lives to see their team win it all in person and finally got to do it tonight.

Well that's it for this post. Thanks for reading, and congrats to the Boston Red Sox.

Lester's Strong Start Backs Red Sox In Game 5 Win; Lead Series 3 Games To 2, 1 Win Away From Title

The Boston Red Sox are 1 win away from the 2013 World Series championship, thanks to John Lester's 7 and 2/3 inning, 1 run allowed performance, and well as some clutch late inning heroics.

The Red Sox struck first in the top of the 1st, as David Ortiz doubled to right, scoring Dustin Pedroia and giving the Sox a 1-0 lead. It would stay that way until the bottom of the 4th, when Matt Holiday crushed a solo homerun to deep center to tie the game at 1, which it would stay until the top of the 7th, when with 1 out and runners on 1st and 2nd, Boston catcher David Ross hit a ground rule double, scoring rookie Xander Bogaerts while Stephan Drew had to be held at 3rd. Drew would later score on a single by Jacoby Ellsbury, giving the Red Sox a 3-1 lead. That would be enough, as after Lester departed with 2 outs in the bottom of the 8th, Koji Uehara continued his fantastic postseason with a 4-out save, his 2nd of the fall classic. Starter Adam Wainwright pitched well for St. Louis, giving up 3 earned runs over 7 innings, but Lester was better, and that proved to be the difference in game 5.

The Red Sox will return to Fenway Park on Wednesday night, as they will try to take home their 3rd World Series title in the past 10 seasons. John Lackey will pitch for Boston, and he will oppose rookie Michael Wacha, who will look to continue his amazing postseason.

An interesting note. the Cardinals team plane's takeoff for Boston was delayed until 9:09 on Tuesday night because of mechanical issues. Also, Boston is expect to get left fielder Shane Victorino back in the lineup for game 6, and he was sidelined with back tightness.

That's all for this article. Thanks for reading.

Gomes 3 Run Blast Propells Red Sox to 4-2 Win, Series Tied At 2

Red Sox left fielder Johnny Gomes, who was a late addition to the lineup after Shane Victorino was scratched late with lower back tightness, hit a go ahead 3 run homerun off of St. Louis reliever Seth Maness with 2 outs in the top of the 6th inning to break a 1-1 tie and propel the Red Sox to a much needed win to tie the 2013 World Series at 2 games apiece.  The Cards struck first in the bottom of the 3rd on a Carlos Beltran single. However, the Sox would tie it in the top of the 5th on a sacrifice fly by Stephan Drew. That set the stage for the key moment of the game. In the top of the 6th, after 2 quick outs, Dustin Pedroia singled and David Ortiz walked. Mike Matheny than pulled starter Lance Lynn in favor of reliever Seth Maness to face Gomes. It proved to be a mistake as Gomes hammered a 387 foot blast to left field, giving the Sox a 3 run lead which proved to be the difference. I personally think Matheny should have stuck with Lynn to face Gomes. He was pitching well and had only thrown 89 pitches to that point. But I am not an MLB manager. The Cards would get a run in the bottom of the 7th on a single by Matt Carpenter to make it 4-2. Then in the bottom of the 9th, with 2 outs and nobody on, Allen Craig singled. Matheny called on rookie Kolten Wong to pinch run, with Carlos Beltran at the plate. Wong would end up getting picked off of 1st to end the game. Now it is unlikely that St. Louis would have won the game had Wong not gotten picked off, but with Beltran, one of the greatest postseason hitters ever at the plate, all the Cards needed was a double to get them within 1 run and have the tying run in scoring position. But, a lot of things happen over the course of a game, and to blame Wong for the Cardinals loss is just not right. Both teams got decent efforts out of their starting pitchers, as Lance Lynn pitch 5 and 2/3 innings, giving up 3 earned runs(2 off of the Gomes homerun),  and Clay Buchholz had a short but strong outing, giving up 1 run(0 earned) in 4 innings. The Sox got a big boost out of Felix Doubront, who relieved Buchholz and pitch 2 2/3 innings, giving up 1 earned run for the win.

Game 5 will be huge, and I think whoever wins will end up taking home the World Series title. Note: Up until this weekend, no postseason games had ever ended on a obstruction call of a pickoff. Both of those things happened in games 3 and 4.

Well that's it for this article. It should be a great rest of the series. Thanks for reading.

College Football Week 9 Recap: Missouri, Virgina Tech Upset, Miami Narrowly Escapes Wake Forest

Week 9 of the 2013 College Football season is in the books, and although it was not quite as dramatic as Week 8, it had some excitement of its own. We will start in the ACC, where #7 Miami took on unranked Wake Forest. The Demon Decons frustrated the Canes all day, and were ahead 21-17 late in the 4th quarter. But the Hurricanes prevailed when running back Duke Johnson, who had 168 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns on the day, scored on a 1 yard run with 53 seconds left, and the Canes kept their perfect season and National Title hopes alive.

We now move onto the Big Ten, where #24 Nebraska visited unranked Minnesota. The Gophers pulled off the upset, 34-23, led by running back David Cobb's 138 yards rushing. The Huskers fell despite 165 yards on the ground from running back Ameer Abdulla, and it was another crushing loss for Big Red.

We now move on to the Big 12, where #10 Texas Tech visited #15 Oklahoma. The Sooners handed the Red Raiders their first loss by a score of 38-30, led by WR Jalen Saunders, who had 6 REC for 153 yards and 2 touchdowns, and running back Damien Williams, who had 97 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns. The Raiders fell despite 385 yards passing and 2 touchdowns from QB Davis Webb.

We now move on to the Pac 12, where #3 Oregon took on #12 UCLA. The Bruins hung tough through the 1st half, as the game was tied at 14 going into the 3rd Quarter. But the Ducks pulled away, led by running back Byron Marshall, who had 133 yards rushing and 3 Touchdowns on the day, as the Ducks prevailed, 42-14. It was another impressive win for the cool uniforms as the are making a case for #1 in the country.

We now move on to the ACC, and the upset of the week. Unranked Duke came into Lane Stadium and stunned #14 Virginia Tech, 13-10. Surprisingly, the MVP for the Blue Devils on Saturday was kicker Ross Martin, who nailed 2 50+ yard kicks, one from 51 and one from 53, both in the second quarter, as Duke got their biggest win in recent memory. Duke's defense help them out as well, picking off VA Tech quarterback Logan Thomas 4 times. On paper, the Hokies dominated the game, led by Thomas who had 101 yards rushing and the Hokies only touchdown, outgaining Duke 387 to 198 in total yardage, but the Dukies scored more points, and that it all that matters. The Dukies are proving that their athletic program is more than just Coach K, as they are 6-2 on the year. It was a crushing loss for head coach Frank Beamer and the Hokies, who fall to 6-2.

We now move onto the game of the day, which took place in the SEC, where #5 Missouri took on #21 South Carolina. The Tigers led 17-0 going into the 4th quarter, aided by QB Maty Mauk, who was making his 2nd start since regular QB James Franklin was lost for the season with a separated shoulder, throwing a 96 yard touchdown pass to WR L'Damian Washington  in the 2nd quarter. It look like Mizzou had the game one, but the Gamecocks battled back, led by WR Bruce Ellington, who had 10 REC for 136 Yards and 2 Touchdowns on the night, to tie the game at 17 and force Overtime. In OT, Missouri would strike first on a 1 yard touchdown run by running back Marcus Murphy, but USC would tie it on a pass to Ellington from QB Connor Shaw to tie the game and force a 2nd overtime. In the 2nd OT, the Gamecocks would take the lead on a 40 yard field goal by Elliot Fry. Mizzou would have a chance to tie the game and send in to a 3rd OT with Andrew Baggett attempting a chip shot 24 yard field goal. It seemed like a chip shot, but Baggett's kick hit off of the left crossbar and USC pulled of the stunning upset, 27-24. The miss was not all Baggett's fault, as the laces on the ball were in instead of out, which made the kick more difficult. But, nonetheless, Mizzou lost and their dreams for a National Title are crushed.

The last game that I will go into detail about also took place in the Pac 12, as #6 Stanford visited #25 Oregon State. The Cardinal prevailed, 20-12, led by their defense and running back Tyler Gaffney, who had 145 yard rushing and 3 touchdowns.

In other news, #1 Alabama rolled over Tennessee, 45-10, #2 Florida State rolled over NC State, 49-17, #4 Ohio State embarrassed Penn State, 63-14, #8 Baylor was impressive yet again, destroying Kansas, 59-14, #9 Clemson defeated Maryland, 40-27, #11 Auburn pounded Florida Atlantic, 45-10, #13 LSU pounded Furman, 48-16, Johnny Football and #16 Texas A&M pounded Vanderbilt, 56-24#17 Fresno State escaped San Diego State, 35-28 in Overtime, #18 Northern Illinois pounded Eastern Michigan, 59-10, #19 Oklahoma State destroyed Iowa State, 58-27, #20 Louisville destroyed South Florida, 34-3, and #23 UCF pounded UCONN, 62-17.

That is it for Week 9. Thanks for reading.

World Series Games 1-3 Recaps

Hey, sorry I am so late. I have been busy, or lazy, and did not write recaps for games 1 or 2 of the 2013 World Series. So lets get started.

In Game 1, the Red Sox rode Mike Napoli's bases clearing 1st inning double and John Lester's arm to an easy 8-1 win. The turning point of the game came in the Bottom of the 1st, when David Ortiz hit a ground ball to 2nd Baseman Matt Carpenter, who flipped to Shortstop Pete Kozma for the force out. Or so we thought it was a force out. So it turns out, Kozma never had possession of the ball. The umpires got together and correctly overruled the call, which set up Napoli's 3 run double. A play that summed up the night for St. Louis happened in the Bottom of the 2nd inning, when Stephan Drew hit a pop up to Catcher Yadier Molina. The problem was, Molina and Pitcher Adam Wainwright could not decide on who would catch the ball, and it dropped between them. It was all Sox from there as they would score 5 more runs in the game to win 8-1. John Lester was fantastic, pitching 7 and 2/3 shutout innings for the win. Carlos Beltran would suffer a rib injury, but X-Rays came back negative and he is back in the Cardinal lineup. Wainwright would leave the game being roughed up for 5 runs(3 earned) in 5 innings. The Cardinals only run came on a Matt Holiday solo homerun in the Top of the 9th, but it was meaningless. Game 1 belonged to Boston.

Game 2 was a different story. St. Louis struck 1st in the Top of the 4th inning, with Matt Holiday scoring on a Yadier Molina groundout. However, the Sox would answer in the Bottom of the 6th on a 2 run homer by David Ortiz. The Cards would regain the lead in the next half-inning on a odd play. With the Bases Loaded and 1 out, Matt Carpenter hit a fly ball to Left. The throw by Johnny Gomez bounced past Catcher Jarred Saltalamacchia, allowing the tying run to score. Relief Pitcher Craig Brreslow than threw to 3rd, but the ball sailed over Stephan Drew, who was covering the base, and allowed the go ahead run to score. The Cards would add an insurance run on a Carlos Beltran single and would hang on to win 4-2. Both John Lackey for Boston and Michael Wacha for St. Louis were fantastic, but it was the rookie Wacha, who continued his unbelievable postseason, who's team would come out on top.
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Game 3 was a wild one. The Cards struck first on a Holliday single in the Bottom of the 1st, and would add another run in the inning on a Molina single. The Cards would threaten to break the game open in the Bottom of the 4th when the loaded the bases with 0 outs. But Boston starter Jake Peavy would then strikeout Pete Kozma and get pitcher Joe Kelly and Matt Carpenter on popups to get out of a huge jam. The Sox would cut the lead in half in the Top of the 5th when Mike Carp grounded into a fielders choice, and would tie the game in the 6th on a single by Daniel Nava. The Cards would regain the lead in the Bottom of the 7th on a Matt Holliday 2 run double. The Sox would fight back, however. In the next half inning, they would cut the lead in half on a fielder's choice by Nava, than tie the game on a single by rookie Xander Bogaerts off of Cards Closer Trevor Rosenthal that came up on Kozma, who would not have had a play on it anyway. Ok, now lets get to the part that will be talked about for years to come. With 1 Out, Molina singled. John Farrell than called on lights out closer Koji Uehera to pitch to the recently returned Allen Craig. Craig would double, and the Cards had runners on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out. Now for the play that will forever go down in World Series lore. After John Farrel made what I think was a dumb move pitching to John Jay when he had an open base, with the weak hitting Kozma on deck, Jay hit a ground ball to 2nd. Dustin Pedroia, who made a great play to get the out at home. Saltalamacchia than made the curious choice of throwing to 3rd to try to get Craig, and the ball sailed past 3rd Baseman will Middlebrooks. Craig would than trip over Middlebrooks, who was on the ground. Johnny Gomes would throw home to get Craig, and the throw beat him easily. However, obstruction was called, so therefore Craig was ruled safe, and the Cards got a big 5-4 win. It was a call that is controversial among Red Sox fans, but was absolutely correct. When a runner trips over a fielder, no matter what the fielders intent, it is obstruction. Shoutout to 3rd Base umpire Jim Joyce for getting it right.


Overall, it has been a great first 3 games, and I cannot wait to see the rest. Thanks for reading.

NFL Week 8 Picks

Here are my picks for Week 8 of the 2013 NFL Season. Not a good slate of matchups for this week at all. Lets get into it.

Cowboys(4-3) at Lions(4-3)
1 of the 2 decent matchups for this week, the Cowboys and Lions both have decent teams, but I am going to go with Detroit in this one because they are at home and of their offense.

Prediction: Lions 34, Cowboys 24

 

Browns(3-4) at Chiefs(7-0)

Easy one. Chiefs will be too much for Cleveland.

 

Prediction: Chiefs 34, Browns 14

 

 

Dolphins(3-3) at Patriots(5-2)

Another no brainer. Tom Brady and co will come out firing after last week's madness in New York.

Prediction: Pats 35, Dolphins 14

                                                           Bills(3-4) at Saints(5-1)
Are you noticing a pattern here? Drew Brees will tear apart the Bill secondary and the Saints will roll.
Prediction: Saints 41, Bills 20

Giants(1-6) at Eagles(3-4)
A rap team vs. a not very good team. The crap team wins.

Prediction: Eagles 37, Giants 17

49ers(5-2) at Jaguars(0-7)
Jags still suck. The end.

Jets(4-3) at Bengals(5-2)
The other decent matchup thus week. It will be a close game, but I think the Bengals defense at the fact that they are at home gives them the edge.

Steelers(2-4) at Raiders(2-4)
Who the hell cares?

Prediction: Steelers 24, Raiders 14

Redskins(2-4) at Broncos(6-1)
Denver will be pissed off after last weeks lost to the Colts. Payton Manning and company will roll.

Prediction: Broncos 45, Redskins 21

Falcons(2-4) at Cardinals(3-4)
I think the Falcons still are talented and will win this one over the less talented Cards.

Prediction: Falcons 38, Cardinals 24

Packers(4-2) at Vikings(1-5)
Aaron Rodgers and the Pack will roll in this one.

Prediction: Packers 45, Vikings 17

Seahawks(6-1) at Rams(3-4)
The Rams will get smacked after losing QB Sam Bradford to a torn ACL. The Seahawks being 6-1 does not help either.

Prediction: Seahawks 37, Rams 13

Well, that's it. Boring post, boring week of Football. Thanks for reading.

World Series Breakdown/Prediction

It's World Series time once again, and this should be a good one. It is extremely rare when the teams with the best record in each league face off in the Fall Classic, but that is exactly what is happening this season for the first time since 1999, as both the Cardinals(97-65) and Red Sox(97-65)have the best records in their respective leagues. Before we get into the 2013 World Series, allow me to give you a history lesson on the 3 previous times these 2 teams met up in the Fall Classic. 1946- The Cards defeated Ted Williams and the favored Red Sox in 7 games. The most famous play of the series is by far the ''Mad Dash'' by Cards outfielder Eons Slaughter.(Pictured above) The play happened when, with the game tied at 3 in the bottom of the 8th inning, Cardinal outfielder Harry Walker lined a double to left center field. Slaughter, who was on 1st, ran through 3rd Base Coach Mike Gonzalez's stop sign and scored what proved to be the serious clinching run. 1967- The Cards again prevailed over the Sox in 7 games. The Sox, led by manager Dick Williams and Triple Crown winner Carl Yastrzmeski, came from last place in 1966 to the AL Pennant in 1967, in what is know as the ''Impossible Dream'' season. The Redbirds won 3 of the first 4 games, but the Sox battled back, led by pitching ace Jim Lonborg to win the next 2 games and force a deciding Game 7. Before Game 7, Dick Williams allegedly said the line ''Longborg and Champagne'', although he disputed ever saying it. But one thing stood in Boston's way of winning their first World Series since 1918: Bob Gibson. The Cardinal Ace pitched a complete game in Game 7, and, to add insult to injury, hit a homerun too as the Cards rolled 7-2.

2004- The most memorable, yet least competitive series between these 2 teams took place in 2004. The series is memorable because the Red Sox won their 1st World Championship since 1918, breaking the infamous ''Curse of the Bambino''. The Series itself was a dud. The Sox won in 4 games and only Game 1 was exciting.

                                                                 Pitching

This is an easy one. The Cards have a very strong pitching staff anchored by Adam Wainwright, who has a very strong supporting cast which include Joe Kelly and Michael Wacha. Wacha has not allowed a run in 3 starts this postseason. While Boston's staff, which is anchored by John Lester and also includes Clay Buchholz and John Lackey, they are just slightly above average, as their 3.79 ERA ranked 14th in Baseball. Edge: St. Louis Offense

                                                                      Offense
Both teams post potent offensive attacks, but I am going to give Boston the edge here. The Sox have the perfect balance of power(David Ortiz, Mike Napoli) and speed (Jacoby Ellsbury), and were 1st in baseball in runs, On-Base Percentage and Slugging Percantage, and are 2nd in batting average. Although the Cards post a potent attack of their own, led by Carlos Beltran, Yadier Molina, and will receive another boost because 1st Baseman Allen Craig is returning to the lineup, the Red Sox have the best offense not only in this series but in all of baseball.

                                          Edge: Boston

                      
                                                                     Defense
. Both of these teams play strong defense, but I will give the edge to the Redbirds here. They finished 2013 ranked 4th in the league in team fielding percentage and had an impressive 1,718 assists, and have the best defensive catcher in the game in Molina. Boston also ranks in the top 10 in fielding percentage, but St. Louis is just a little better defensively in my opinion. Edge: St. Louis Bullpen
http://bcbaseballtoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Trevor+Rosenthal+Los+Angeles+Dodgers+v+St+m2wBRRyXUQvl.jpg

Bullpen 

This is a no brainer. The Cardinals bullpen has been lights out, led by hard throwing rookie closer Trevor Rosenthal, fellow rookie Kevin Siegrist(0.45 ERA in 2013) and rookie Seth Maness, the Cards pen is young, good, and throws real hard. Boston's bullpen outside of stellar closer and ALCS Mvp Koji Uehara has been OK but not overwhelming. Edge to St. Louis in this one. Edge: St. Louis Managing

                                                                         Managing
John Farrell has done an incredible job turning around the Red Sox this year, and while Mike Matheny is not bad, his in game decision making has been a little questionable to me at times. Edge: Boston Overall, I expect a very hard fought and exciting series, but I think St. Louis comes through in the end because of their pitching a knack for coming threw in the clutch. I think you will be seeing a sight similar to this very soon.

That's about it. Hope you enjoyed reading.

Thoughts on Jim Leyland stepping down/RIP Bud Adams

Today marked the end of an era for 2 Pro Sports franchises: The Detroit Tigers and the Tennessee Titans. Today the Tigers got the news that Jim Leyland, who has managed the club since 2006, would not be returning to the team, and will take another front office position with the Tigers, and Tennessee Titans/Houston Oilers owner/founder Bud Adams passed away at the age of 90. Sure, he was criticized for his decision making as all managers are, but Leyland was overall a great baseball man. Leyland began his big league managing career in 1986 when he took over the Pittsburgh Pirates, who were at that time at one of the lowest points in franchise history, having just lost 108 games the year before. By 1988, the Bucs were back, and Leyland would go on the lead Pittsburgh to 3 straight division titles in 1990-92. Unfortunately, the Bucs were eliminated in the NLCS all 3 years, the last 2 against the Atlanta Braves. 1992 will always be remembered for Sid Breams infamous slide. Although he never got to a World Series in Pittsburgh, Leyland took a team that was at the bottom and brought them to the top, and he should always be remembered in Pittsburgh for that. Unfortunately, the loss of star players(Barry Bonds, Doug Drabek, etc.) finally caught up with Pittsburgh, and the glory days would end. Leyland would stay in Pittsburgh through 1996, when he left to take over the then Florida Marlins, who were in just their 5 season of existence.

In Leyland's 1st season in Florida, Leyland did what he could never do in Pittsburgh: He won the World Series, on a walkoff hit by Edger Renteria in Game 7 to beat the Cleveland Indians.

The fun would not last, however, as Marlins owner Wayne Huizenga decided to sell off many of the team's star players in attempt to sell the team. The Marlins would lose 108 games in 1998, and Leyland would leave Florida, stating that he thought his job there was to win games, but that apparently that was not what Huizenga wanted. Leyland would then go on to manage the Colorado Rockies, where he had an uneventful 1 year reign. Leyland would not manage again for 5 years, spending that time as a Pittsburgh based scout for the St. Louis Cardinals, until he got to call to manage once again by the Detroit Tigers in 2006.

Like the Pirates, the Tigers were a losing baseball team when Leyland took over them, having lost 91 games in 2005 and being 3 years removed from one of the worst seasons in MLB history, where they lost a woeful 119 games. In his first season with the Tigers, Leyland led them to the AL Pennant. Although they would lose the World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals in 5 games. Despite the loss, Leyland's turnaround of the Tigers was remarkable, and he was named AL Manager of the Year. Leyland would lead Detroit to the playoffs 3 more times in his tenure, including a return trip to the World Series in 2012, where they were swept by the San Francisco Giants. That brings us to today, where Leyland ended his managing career. I wish him the best in the future, and hopefully his accomplishments land him a plaque in Cooperstown.

The second person I would like to talk about tonight is Bud Adams, who passed away today at the age of 90. He was the owner/founder of the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans. I will not get into too much detail about Adams, because there is a lot to talk about in his life. He founded the Houston Oilers in 1960, than part of the long-defunct American Football League. The Franchise has had many up's and downs, the ups being in the 1970's and late 1990's. Adams decided to move the Oilers in 1996, a decision for which he is still frowned upon for in Houston, similar to the way Art Modell is viewed in Cleveland. I look at Adams as one of the men who helped make Football what it is today, as he was a part of the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. In conclusion, both Leyland and Adams are influential figures in sports, and they should be talk about with some form of respect. That wraps it up for this post. Thanks for reading.

College Football Week 8 Review: Lots of upsets, Florida State proves that they just might be best team in country.

 

Week 8 of the 2013 College Football season was certainly an eventful one. 8 top 25 teams were knocked of by lower ranked/non-ranked opponents. The drama started on Friday, with Unranked Central Florida stunning #8 Louisville. The game appeared to be sealed as the Cardinals had a 28-7 lead midway through the 3rd Quarter. But Running Back Storm Johnson led the Knights back to take a 31-28 lead. Louisville would then retake the lead on a Dominique Brown Touchdown Run, but the Knights would than win the game on a 2 Yard Touchdown Pass from QB Blake Bortles to WR Jeff Godfrey, and the Knights stunned potential

No. 1 overall draft pick Teddy Bridgewater and the Cards, 38-35. The first surprise of Saturday came when #11 South Carolina was upset by unranked Tennessee by a score of 23-21, with Vols Kicker Michael Palardy kicking a game winning 19 Yard Field Goal as time expired. To make matters worse for Steve Spurrier and the Gamecocks, QB Connor Shaw left the came with what appears to be a sprained knee. It was certainly a huge win for 1st Year Coach Butch Jones and the Vols.

More drama in the SEC followed as #15 Georgia fell to Unranked Vanderbilt, 31-27. The Dawgs looked to be in control as they took a 27-14 lead into the 4th Quarter. But the Commodores rallied scoring 17 points in the final frame to pull the upset. RB Jerron Seymour scored the winning Touchdown with 2:53 left in the game, and the Dores got their 1st SEC win of the season, and the biggest so far of the James Franklin Era.

We now move over to the PAC 12, where #9 UCLA fell to #13 Stanford, 24-10. RB Tyler Gaffney led the way for the Cardinal, rushing for 171 Yards and 2 Touchdowns, and Stanford's Defense smothered star Bruins QB Brett Hundley. It was a big win for Stanford, avenging their shocking loss at Utah last week, which knocked them out of the National Championship picture.

In other PAC 12 news, #20 Washington was dominated by Unranked Arizona State, 53-24. RB Marion Grice led the way for the Sun Devils, who had a 26 point 2nd Quarter, with 158 yards and 2 Touchdowns.

Still more SEC drama followed, as #24 Auburn stunned Johnny Football and Texas A&M, 45-41 on the road. It was an eventful game indeed. The Aggies had a 34-24 lead in the 4th quarter, but Auburn rallied to take the lead, 38-34. The Aggies would get the lead back, 41-38, on a TD Run by Manziel, but the Tigers would than score the winning TD on a 5 Yard run from Tre Mason with 1:19 left in the game. Manziel would leave the game after hurting his knee early in the 4th quarter, but would return. He will be further evaluated. The Aggies fell despite monster games from Johnny Football(454 Yards, 5 Total TD's) and WR Mike Evans(11 Rec, 287 Yards, 4 TD's. Tre Mason led the way for Auburn, with 178 Yards rushing and a Touchdown. It was the biggest win of the Gus Malzahn era for Auburn so far.

Still more SEC drama followed, as #6 LSU was stunned by Unranked Ole Miss, 27-24. The Rebels jumped out to a 17-0 lead, and looked in control as the had this lead in the 3rd Quarter. But the Tigers battled back, tying the game at 24 with 3:09 left in the game. However, Ole Miss kicker Andrew Ritter kicked a game winning 41 Yard Field Goal with 2 seconds left, and the Rebels pulled off the upset. QB Bo Wallace had 346 Yards Passing for the Rebels, and RB Jaylen Walton had 106 yards on the ground and 2 Touchdowns.

That does it for the upsets, but we still have more big news. #5 Florida State meet #3 Clemson, in what looked like the game of the week. Well, it didn't turn out that way. The Noles rolled over Clemson, 51-14. It was the most points ever scored on Clemson in Death Valley. Freshman QB Jameis Winston is the real deal, as he had 444 yards passing and 3 Touchdowns. He was helped out by WR Rashad Greene, who had 8 Rec for 146 Yards and 2 Touchdowns. The Noles were dominant, and in my opinion, they might be the best team in the country. In other news, #1 Alabama rolled over Arkansas, 52-0, #2 Oregon rolled over Washington State, 62-38, despite the Cougars attempting an amazing 89 passes. #4 Ohio State escaped an upset attempt against Iowa, winning 34-24. #12 Baylor was impressive again, beating Iowa State, 71-7. #14 Missouri beat #22 Florida, 36-17, in another tough loss for the Gators. #16 Texas Tech beat West Virginia, 37-27. #17 Fresno State beat UNLV, 38-14. #18 Oklahoma beat Kansas, 34-19. #21 Oklahoma State beat TCU, 24-10. #23 Northern Illinois beat Central Michigan, 38-17, and #25 Wisconsin beat Illinois, 56-32. That's it for my Week 8 College Football Recap. Thanks for reading.

Victorino's Slam Propels Red Sox to AL Pennent

Once again, Jim Leyland made a pitching change with the Bases Loaded. Once again, it led to a game-changing Grand Slam. Once again, it led to a Tigers defeat. This time, it ended the season for Detroit. The first eventful play of Game 6 of the ALCS happened in the Bottom of the 3rd inning with 1 out and runners on 1st and 2nd for the Sox in a 0-0 game. Star 2nd Baseman Dustin Pedroia was at the plate, and he hit a ball deep to left field that was just inches foul. The play went to replay review, and the call was confirmed. Boston than struck 1st in the Bottom of the 5th with Jacoby Ellsbury's RBI Single scoring rookie Xavier Bogaerts.

The lead would not last long, however, as the Tigers struck for 2 runs in the Top of the 6th on a Victor Martinez 2 run single, given the Tigers a 2-1 lead. Detroit had a chance to tack on more runs, as they had runners on 1st and 3rd with 0 outs. But Johnny Peralta grounded into an extremely odd  double play, where Martinez was tagged out in between 1st and 2nd, and Prince Fielder, for whatever reason, decided to run home and was tagged out in between 3rd and home. Alex Avila struck out looking to limit the damage. The Sox would threaten in the Bottom Half of the 6th, as they had runners on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out. But Mike Napoli struck out swinging and Jared Saltalamacchia popped out to end the threat. Now we will talk about the Bottom of the 7th, and the point of the beginning of this article.

Johnny Gomes led off the inning for Boston with a double. Stephan Drew than struck out swinging. Bogaerts than walked. It was clear by this point the Detroit's starting pitcher Max Scherzer was done for the night, and Jim Leyland called on Lefty Drew Smyly from the bullpen. The 1st he faces batter, Ellsbury, hits a groundball to the normally defensively gifted Jose Iglesias. Stunningly, Iglesias bobbles the ball, and everybody is safe. So instead of a potential inning ending double play, the Red Sox now have the Bases Loaded with 1 out. Leyland than calls on Setup man Jose Veras to get out of the jam. First batter he faces is Shane Victorino. You know what happens next. Grand Slam on an 0-2 pitch. 5-2 Red Sox, and Fenway Park goes into a frenzy. The Tigers went down quietly after that, and the Red Sox are going to the World Series.

Unlike in Game 2, when Leyland made the foolish decision on not calling on Lefty Phill Coke to pitch to David Ortiz, who ended up hitting a game-tying Grand Slam, I do not blame him at all for putting in Veras to face Victorino. Veras had been very reliable for the Tigers, and it would not have made much sense to leave the lefty Smyly in considering the fact that Victorino hit .314 against left handed pitching this season.

In closing, I would like to say congrats to the Boston Red Sox. This Red Sox-Cards World Series should be great to watch.

NFL Week 7 Picks

Here are my picks for Week 7 of the NFL Season:

Buccaneers at Falcons

0-5 vs. 1-4. Yippee. The Falcons have been one of the biggest disappointments of the season so far, but they are still a talented team, even though they lost talented WR Julio Jones for the season, and Roddy White will also be out this week. I still expect the Bird's to triumph over the hapless Bucs.

Prediction: Falcons 28, Buccaneers 13

Bengals at Lions

Unlike the 1st game on our list, this should be fun to watch. Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson have led the Lions high powered offense, and they are 4-2 on the year. Unfortunately for Detroit, their defense has been shaky. The Bengals are, in my opinion, a more balanced team, and they are 9th in the league in Pass Defense, so they should be able to somewhat slowdown the Lions air attack. It will be close, but the Bengals superior defense will be the difference in this one, as CJ and company won't be able to out score it. div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> Prediction: Bengals 27, Lions 24

Bills at Dolphins

This NFC east battle is a fairly even matchup. The Bills are 2-4, but 3 of their losses have been decided by a total of 12 points. The Dolphins have been a surprise, as they are off to a 3 and 2 start. I will pick Miami in this one because of the fact that they are at home and because of the uncertainty surrounding the Bills QB situation. Thaddeus Lewis has not proven enough to me yet, and that is one of the reasons Miami wins this game.

Prediction: Dolphins 27, Bills 17

Patriots at Jets

The Jets have not been as awful as expected at 3-3, but it is hard to imagine them beating Brady and Company

Prediction: Patriots 34, Jets 13

Cowboys at Eagles

Always fun when these 2 teams meet, epically when the game is in Philly. This is a very even matchup. However, the Eagles are 31st in the league in pass defense, and considering what Tony Romo did against the Broncos, that spells trouble for the Birds. It will be a offensive shootout, as both teams have solid offenses and sub par defenses, but Dallas will pull this one out.

Prediction: Cowboys 45, Eagles 28

Bears at Redskins

I'll take the Bears in this one for the simple fact that they are the better team. Prediction: Bears 28, Redskins 17

Rams and Panthers

Who the hell cares?

Prediction: Rams 28, Panthers 20

Chargers at Jaguars

Jags suck. The end.

Prediction: Chargers 38, Jaguars 14

49ers at Titans

Again, I will pick the better team in this one.

Prediction: 49ers 31, Titans 13

Browns at Packers

The Browns have been surprising at 3-3 after the much scrutinized trade of star RB Trent Richardson, but Aaron Rodgers and company will be too much for the Brownies.

Prediction: Packers 41, Browns 24

Texans at Chiefs

The Texans, along with the Falcons, have been terribly disappointing this season at 2-4, while the Chiefs have shocked pretty much everybody with a 6-0 start. I predict that the frustration will continue for Texans fans, as the Chiefs will just be too good in the end, pulling out a close one.

Prediction: Chiefs 24, Texans 20

Ravens at Steelers

Ah, Ravens-Steelers week. Normally, there is a lot of excitement going on around Pittsburgh during this time, but not this year. The Steelers being 1-4 may have something to do with that. I believe that the Steelers will be competitive, but the better team will win in the end.

Prediction: Ravens 27, Steelers 17

Broncos at Colts

Matchup between 2 very good teams. Normally, I would expect a very hard fought game, but Payton Manning and company are just superhuman this season. Payton will dominate his former team in his former stadium.

Prediction: Broncos 45, Colts 24

Vikings at Giants Who the hell cares? Crappy Monday Night Matchup. Giants get 1st win. Prediction: Giants 27, Vikings 17 Well, that's it for my picks. Thanks for reading.