October 18, 2005
I meant to post this earlier today, but of course Bill Simmons beat me to it. So I’ll just say this:
Both the Houston Astros and the St. Louis Cardinals are going to be thinking about the fact that last year, the Red Sox were one out away from elimination before going on The Greatest Comeback in the History of Man. They’ll try not to–especially the Astros–but it’ll be buzzing at the back of the mind like flies on a dungheap.
Even down three games to two, and with two of Houston’s best pitchers coming to the mound for Games Six and Seven, this series is now the Cardinals’ to lose.
Has anyone ever won a series MVP award with one swing of the bat?
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Filed under: Baseball | Posted by Allen Holt @ 3:39 pm
October 17, 2005
1. Indianapolis (5-0) — Until they give me some reason to believe otherwise, the Colts are the best team in football. I don’t expect them to give me any reason to believe otherwise until their trip to Foxboro on November 7 [1]. Super green me eco sports
2. San Diego (3-3) — Record be damned. The Chargers are playing as well as any team in football right now, and LaDanian Tomlinson just keeps getting better, which has to induce tremors in oppoosing defensive coordinators. Their three losses are by a combined nine points to three teams that are a combined 12-4. Their three wins are by a combined 49 points, two of those wins over teams that should be in the playoff hunt all year. I’m telling you right now: the Chargers will pass Denver for the division lead by early December, if not sooner.
3. Cincinnati (5-1) — I’m starting to believe in these guys. I realize that of their five wins, four were against teams who could be probably be prosecuted for illegally impersonating NFL franchises (Cleveland, Minnesota, Chicago and Houston), but one of the marks of a good team is beating the opponents you’re supposed to beat, and the Bengals have been doing that so far. This week’s game against Pittsburgh will be their first real test this year.
4. Denver (5-1) — I swear, I think the Broncos might be the worst 5-1 team I’ve ever seen. But I can’t knock the results–five straight wins, all over good teams (with the possible exception of the Redskins; tests there are inconclusive thus far). Denver is the Renee Zellweger of the NFL right now: not very pretty, not especially talented, but somehow pulling down Oscar nomination after Oscar nomination…er, win after win. I just don’t get it. They do realize that Jake Plummer is their quarterback, right?
5. Tampa Bay (5-1) — The Buccaneers might be the second-worst 5-1 team I’ve ever seen. Like the Bengals, the Bucs have been blessed with a creampuff schedule that should grease their road directly into the playoffs, but they need a healthy Cadillac Williams and the hope that Chris Simms doesn’t kill them if they have any chance of doing anything once they get there. Isn’t it funny to think that an injury to Brian Griese could derail a team’s season? Didn’t fans in Denver used to pray for Griese to get hurt?
6. Seattle (4-2) — The Seahakws seem to be playing more consistently than they have any other time in the last several years, and have the added advantage of playing in a division where every team except them is wretched. Seattle needs to ride Shaun Alexander’s contract-year legs as far as they’ll carry them, which should be into at least the second round of the playoffs.
7. Jacksonville (4-2) — I’m still not 100% sold on the Jags. I think they’re still on the way up, but I don’t know that they’re quite there yet. Three of their four wins were quality, but they got shellacked by both Denver and Indy. Nice job stealing a win in from a beat-up Pittsburgh team on Sunday, though–you’ve got to take advantage of those kinds of situations, and the Jacksonville did. go green sports eco football
8. Dallas (4-2) — Ugly game against the Giants aside, the ‘Boys have looked pretty good so far, even without Julius Jones injured. But don’t you worry…this mirage Bledsoe will remember who he is by late November and we’ll all be spared Dallas’s presence in and inevitable early exit from the playoffs.
9. Philadelphia (3-2) — In other news, Donovan McNabb managed to lacerate one of his kidneys while watching the Giants-Cowboys game on Sunday and was scheduled to receive a donated kidney later this week. Coach Andy Reid said he didn’t expect the injury to cause McNabb to miss any playing time.
10. New England (3-3) — Is there anybody who seriously can’t see this team rolling off ten straight wins and finishing 13-3–especially given their bye this week, Tedy Bruschi’s emotional return and the fact that their brutal early schedule is done? Anybody?
Next. Pittsburgh (3-2), Kansas City (3-2), Atlanta (4-2), New York Giants (3-2), Carolina (4-2).
[1] Of course, as I’m typing this, I see that “improved” Colts’ D give up 17 first-quarter points to the friggin’ Rams. I knew I shouldn’t have started writing this before the Monday night game was done…
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Filed under: Football | Posted by Allen Holt @ 9:55 pm
August 9, 2005
A funny thing happened on my karma delivery route this morning. After months of trying to scorch Philly WR Terrell Owens to ashes with my Bullshit Seeking Heat Vision, my attention will now be moving elsewhere. Not far, though. I’m turning my death rays upstairs, toward the Eagles’ front office.
The Eagles had seemed to be saying and doing all the right things: holding their ground, refusing to renegotiate a deal after one season, expecting Owens to honor his contract and show up (which he did, reluctantly). Nothing personal, just the business of football (and contracts in general).
Owens, for the most part, has been saying and doing all the wrong things: sniping at teammates, calling his coach (Andy Reid) to warn him that he’d be a divisive force if he wasn’t placated soon, trotting out the tired-ass family card (like his family prays for another sunrise in a hovel in Kosovo), blah blah blah.
Owens’ agent (much accursed Drew Rosenhaus), apparently in the spirit of compromise, has been espousing the truth (the right thing), but has so fervently done so that he sounds like a overheated sports-talk radio host (the wrong way). Rosenhaus rightly states that the Eagles, like any NFL team, hold most of the cards in any contract situation. However, he distorts the degree to which the contract in question injures or otherwise short-changes Owens.
Both sides having something substantial to lean on (the Eagles and their signed contract with Owens, Owens with his not-off-base assertion that the Eagles could basically fire him tomorrow and pay him nothing), I’ve been firmly in the Eagles camp until now. Owens (and Rosenhaus) has done virtually nothing to elicit sympathy for, or even strong agreement with, his position that the Eagles are taking advantage of their leverage and treating Owens like an indentured servant.
Until now. Until Owens sustained a groin injury in training camp last week. An injury which prompted Reid to hold a highly odd (not to mention unsolicited) press conference immediately, just to stress that Owens’ injury was genuine and that T.O. was absolutely not the kind of player to pull a stunt like that. While I can’t speak for media members and regular citizens and other Eagles players and coaches who were actually there, the thought of Owens faking an injury just to make some sort of statement to the Eagles never crossed my mind; I wonder if it crossed anyone else’s.
It’s much easier for me to believe that Reid found a great way to add another floor to T.O.’s House of Bad Character, while appearing to have his player’s back. And oh, how Eagles management must love Reid for that slick move. This kind of shrewd maneuver is why Reid’s been in more NFC championship games than Gatorade. It’s also why the Eagles have players grumbling and/or leaving almost non-stop. I wouldn’t stand that close to window, Jeffrey Lurie. You might end up with a sunburn that Aloe Vera can’t soothe. Eco friendly NFL football equipment
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Filed under: Uncategorized | Posted by Timmy B @ 11:35 pm
May 20, 2005
For any of you might have tried to access the ol’ Sportsgeekz site this week, you probably noticed you had some difficulties doing so. (If you didn’t notice, then you’re not particularly perceptive.) Due to some unfortunate timing, and by that I mean the domain expired during a time when I didn’t have the cash to re-register it, visitors to the site got a nice friendly “Coming Soon!” page from the most excellent domain registrar GoDaddy.
So, sorry all–the perceptive among you might notice that we’re back up now. Shan’t happen again (at least until at least next May…).
“But what about the lack of content on this site, jackass?” I hear you asking. Well, honestly, during non-football season, there’s not as much that really gets me excited enough to feel like commenting on it. It happens, but not as frequently. If you simply can’t get by without the occasional joyful frolic in the lush green fields of my prose, you may venture on over to Moviegeekz for some movie reviews and the occassional other bit, or drop by my personal blog (Do Or Do Not) for some miscellaneous miscellany.
And if it’s sports news you crave, or at the very least football news (fantasy and otherwise), head on over to Field Position. They’ll do you right.
Check back here reguarly, though–even though we’re still a good couple of months away from NFL training camp, you never know when something in the world of sports will put a bee up my bonnet and inspire me to actually, y’know, write.