Resurgence of the Knicks

The Knicks fantastic opening to this 2012-2013 season has prompted people to ask "are the Knicks BACK?!". Can the Knicks continue being this good or is this merely a fluke? After 2 straight winning seasons and playoff appearances(though only 1 win in 9 games), I believe this question deserves to be a rhetorical one now. It is understandable though, after a decade of ineptitude, that fans from everywhere would be apprehensive about believing in this team. The organization was after all, a joke in the NBA, with few playoff appearances and more losses than wins succeeding the great teams fielded in the 90s. Over the years in the 00's under gm's such as Scott Layden and Isaiah Thomas, the problem was always that there was always an attempt at a quick fix through either coaching or through acquisition of talent. Often, these players and coaches did not mesh well with each other or the potential of the players was never that of one of the upper echelon in the league. Players like Stephon Marbury, Jamal Crawford, Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph all had great talent but never found a way to translate that into wins when they were here in New York. Coaches, like Mike D'Antoni for example, never had all the players to fit his system and recapture the magic he achieved in Phoenix. 

The thing about a lot of the players acquired in New York is that they all have achieved levels of success once leaving New York. Marbury went on to be a champion and legend in China, Crawford has been a 6th man on a winning team in Atlanta and Zach Randolph, he's been one of the best players on the Memphis Grizzlies leading them to the playoffs multiple seasons after a career full of questions about his character and ability to lead a team. The  past few years for the Knicks have been a changing of philosophy. The drafting of players in the past few years(not trading them away for whatever) and the signing of a legitimate superstar(well, at the time..) in Amare lead to a winning season, and the eventual acquisition of another established top 10 player in Carmelo Anthony. The resignation of Mike D'Antoni also lead to the promotion of Mike Woodson who has turned out to be a blessing for the Knicks. The last 2 seasons with Carmelo and Amare here were rough due to injuries and lack of cohesion, but the improvement was noticed. The pickups of Steve Novak and J.R. Smith helped a good amount as well as Linsanity helped the Knicks to weather the storm in the 2011-2012 season, as did the incredible draft pick of Iman Shumpert. 

      A win against the Heat in the 2012 playoffs, though to some may have been marginal, to others this was seen as a definite step in the right direction. And in the offseason, the Knicks finally were able to get full time to practice and got established talent in the league(Jason Kidd, Raymond Felton, Rasheed Wallace, Marcus Camby) to solidify the team. The narrative of Carmelo Anthony has changed! He is now being seen as more of a team player and a star willing to give the effort that he may have previously shirked on. Not only has the narrative of the team changed, but so has the identity. The identity of the New York Knicks is no longer that as laughingstock of the NBA, but of a very good team that has made the right decisions to transform themselves into one of the best, as they were in the 90s. As they were way, way back in the day when they won their first NBA Championships. 

NFL Season Award and Superbowl Predictions 2012

MVP: Matt Ryan QB, Atlanta Falcons.


This is the year Ryan takes that next step into the elite class of NFL QB's, that was all the talk last year. He may have disappointed those that felt that way, I just believe they were a year ahead of schedule. Ryan opens up the season with ol' reliable Roddy White and a young, eager to prove himself receiver in Julio Jones, to go along with the always consistent (when healthy) Michael Turner which should make attaining the necessary stats the easy part.


Rookie of the Year: Andrew Luck QB, Indianapolis Colts


Filling the shoes of a Legend will not be easy in the long run scheme of things, but for his rookie season Andrew Luck should put up the numbers to justify the hype machine that has backed him the last 2 seasons. Veteran receiver Reggie Wayne while on the downside of his career will be a necessary safety blanket for Luck in his rookie year while fellow rookie, and former Stanford teammate Coby Fleener will give the QB the instant chemistry needed for success. I am one in the minority that does believe RGIII has the larger upside of the two to go along with an owner that won't be scared to spend money to bring Griffin help, but for the rookie campaign Luck is definitely the safer pick.


Defensive Rookie of the Year: Luke Kuechly LB, Carolina Panthers.


Luke Kuechly is the kind of player you see in EVERY PLAY in the film room, hitting guys with or without the ball just to make contact. He's a defensive coordinators dream, and will instantly form a top-tier LB group for the Carolina Panthers with Jon Beason  and James Anderson (if they can remain healthy). He was a tackle machine in his time at Boston College becoming the NCAA's 2nd all time leader in solo tackles with 532 in 38 games. He's been making an instant impact with the Panthers including 10 tackles in a preseason game vs the Jets. Expect great things from this kid, very very soon.


Offensive Player of the Year: Arian Foster RB, Houston Texans


If Arian Foster played QB he'd be in everyones conversation for MVP, since he plays the once prestigious, now for some reason unheralded RB position he's written off as just a Fantasy Football gem. Arian Foster will be BIG this year. Through his interviews he strikes me as a guy who plays for the love and pride moreso than the check, although a 5year 43.5 mil contract (20.5 guaranteed) might make me water up at the podium as well. I think those values will keep him from being a guy who receives an extension and feels like he no longer has anything to prove. Besides Andre Johnson's shaky health, nothing can stop this Texans team from achieving their Super Bowl aspirations with the Schuab's consistency and All-Purpose Arian.


Defensive Player of the Year: Aldon Smith LB, San Francisco 49ers

Coming off a great rookie season with the 49ers that put their defensive on front street as the 9ers made an improbable run to the NFC championship game, Aldon Smith is on pace for much more. Listed at 6'4 258 pounds this beast of a man nh looks to extremely build upon the 37 tackles and 2 forced fumbles from last year as he continues to play next to the best LB in the business Patrick Willis. I expect Smith's number of sacks to rise immensely as he'll get almost double the snaps compared to what he got last year, while continuing to be great vs the run. This 49ers defense is here to stay.


Coach of the Year: Greg Schiano, Tampa Bay Buccaneers


I don't know how often a rookie Head Coach is named Coach of the Year, so I definitely don't know if it'd happen two years in a row! With that said, I do believe Schiano has a chance both to win this award and to turn the Bucs back onto their pace from 2010-11 instead of 2011-12. Schiano has brought his no nonsense attitude into a team with a young budding star at QB in Josh Freeman who finally has the necessary weapons in Vincent Jackson and rookie all-purpose back Doug Martin from Boise State. They had a terrific draft bringing in Safety Mark Barron from Alabama, and the aforementioned Doug Martin. While I don't expect a playoff berth from Tampa Bay this season, I wouldn't be surprised if they were knocking on that Wild Card door.



AFC Champs: Houston Texans


In my opinion the Houston Texans are the best team in the NFL, as they maintain the best balance between both running game/passing game, and offense/defense as a whole. The AFC for the first time in a while is not as strong as the NFC. It's still top heavy with teams like the Patriots, Steelers, Ravens who may be able to trip up the Texans on their path but I believe a healthy Arian Foster and Andre Johnson will prove to be too much for the rest of the AFC.


NFC Champs: Atlanta Falcons

As I said when crowning Matt Ryan with this years MVP, this Falcons offense is stacked! However I do believe the NFC is extremely deep this season, but with the Saints coaching fiasco, the Packers defensive deficiencies, etc I think the Falcons will be able to overcome the odds and represent the NFC in the Superbowl.


Superbowl Champ: Houston Texans, MVP: Arian Foster

Once again, I truly believe the Texans are the best team in football this season. It took me a while to come to that conclusion, as a Jets fan it's tough to discount the Patriots because of Brady or the GOAT (in my humble opinion) Peyton Manning, especially a Manning with something to prove. I just believe the Texans with that defense, which can withstand the loss of Mario Williams, an offense boasting that kinda firepower AND balance they can't lose. I'm always afraid of the curse that gets put on a team overtime they become almost a unanimous favorite but with all the untimely injuries they've had the past few seasons, the Texans are due for some good fortune.

Players under the MOST pressure this NFL Season

5. Carson Palmer, Oakland Raiders

Probably a surprise to some that he's on this list, but when a team gives up (possibly) multiple 1st round picks for you and you have a ton of speed on the outside mixed with arguably the top RB in the game, the pressure is on. I can give Palmer some what of a pass for that poor excuse for QB play he displayed last season as he was "retired" trying to get the Bengals to trade him and then had to come to Oakland with a bunch of young receivers, learn the offense, etc. However, that 80.5 QB rating (62.3 QBR for the ESPN heads) to go with 2700 yards, 13TD 16INT in 10 games will not cut it. The Raider fanbase is dying for their first playoff berth since Jon Gruden and will not be ok with Palmer's mediocrity. Not only does Palmer need to live up to that trade hype, but he also has to prove the naysayers wrong as so far in his career he looks more like a flash in the pan then a franchise QB. 

4. Mark Sanchez, New York Jets

I remember it like yesterday, Kyle Orton (better than both Sanchez and Tebow) and the Denver Broncos having a rough start to the season and Orton struggling in another game. The entire crowd in Denver chanting "We Want Tebow!!" which brought us the ugly but thrilling stretch which became known as "Tebowtime!" Kyle Orton was coming off of a career season in Denver when his job was STOLEN from him by the fans. It did end up going well for Tebow as he led the then 1-4 Broncos on a winning streak, into the playoffs, and even overcame the vaunted Pittsburgh Steelers in his first career playoff game before getting beatdown, bumrushed and embarrassed by the Patriots the following week. Mark Sanchez is in a far worse situation. He's coming off a season where all Jets fans including myself second guessed him every step of the way and he looked like nothing more then a bottom tier QB which isn't what he was drafted for. Rex Ryan wanted Tebow personally, is a run-first kind've offensive mind, and brought in another like minded coach in Tony Sporano to give the offense some direction, which points to a Tebow Takeover as he did lead the best running offense in the league last year. If you've watched any sports TV over the past few days you'd know the Jets haven't scored a TD in preseason which is more a product of a terrible O-line and bad receiver in my opinion but Sanchez isn't doing much to solidify his spot. Opening the season home vs Buffalo, @Pittsburgh, @Miami, home to San Fran, and MNF  home vs Houston, will not be easy as a 1-4 start is very possible and just like Kyle Orton that 5th game is at home on MNF, the fix is in.




3. Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys


The man everyone seems to love to hate, Tony Romo coming in at #3 on this list and I think it's pretty self explanatory. The Dallas Cowboys have entered the last 3 seasons as favorites to win it all and each season they come up short. Whether it's through fluke plays, terrible Romo decisions, or injuries there's always something stopping this team from making their progression. Now this season, with the worst team Romo has had in the last 5 seasons the pressure is completely turned up as owner Jerry Jones has even acknowledged the closing window of the Cowboys as currently constructed. Injuries haven't been Romo's friend so far this preseason as his favorite targets Witten and Austin are already hurting (Witten narrowly dodging season ending surgery), and Dez Bryant continuing to be Dez Bryant (arrested for allegedly beating his mother, as crazy as that sounds) and the offensive line has proven to be troublesome in the preseason as well. However I do believe Romo will take himself off this list this season, I don't think they'll win a ring but in an all of a sudden considerably better NFC I still believe they can be a playoff team behind the much underrated arm of Tony Romo. How he performs down the stretch and in the crunch time moments of this season will ultimately make or break his career from this point forward and I believe he will finally rise to the occasion.

2. Mike Vick/Andy Reid, Philadelphia Eagles

This list is about players but I believe the gun is being held to Andy Reid's job, and Mike Vick is on the other side of that gun, because it's up to him and his performance whether that trigger will be pulled. Mike Vick coming off the "dream team" season that didn't yield a playoff berth, knows the pressure has risen as he agreed with that stance in a recent ESPN interview. The pressure shouldn't all fall on Vick and Reid as Vick has already exceeded most people's expectations as A QUARTERBACK since coming from prison, especially coming off of a season where an offensive line coach was promoted to defensive coordinator (????) and their key free agent signing Nnamdi Asomuagh struggled in a new defensive scheme. However, when the teams flourish the QB gets the credit and when the team fails the QB gets the blame, whether fair or not it's true. On the other side of this team coming up short, Vick's 100mil contract and his proneness to injury aren't a very good mix. Not much to garner a #2 spot on a most pressure list eh? Well add to the equation that the Eagles have a loop hole in his huge contract where they can get out of it after this season and only take a $4mil cap hit, yea I'd say that puts the feet to the fire.

1. Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos


On pace to break every formidable QB record known to man, including the infamous Brett Favre most games played without missing a start streak, it all came to a screeching halt last season. As a complete Peyton Manning fanatic I held out hope that it was all a facade and somehow he'd be back in time to start last season which obviously didn't happen. Peyton not only missed the 1st game of his career, but missed the entire season with an injury to his neck which eventually caused nerve damage, and required surgery. Peyton's loss to the Colts led them to the worst record in the NFL, the opportunity to start over with a new franchise QB in Andrew Luck and allowed Peyton to test the free agent waters for the first time in his career. To my surprise (and heartbreak) Manning eventually signed to the Broncos. The questions have already began swirling about whether Peyton will be able to get up after "the big hit", will Peyton be the same Peyton we know and love? Can Peyton lead this team with all it's young receivers to the playoffs, after Tebow did it last season? (yes I went there) Can Peyton catch his younger brother Eli who now has 2 superbowl rings to Peyton's 1? The NFL did the Greatest QB alive (my humble opinion) no favors with an opening schedule of Pittsburgh, @ Atlanta, Houston, Oakland, @ New England, and @ San Diego before what would be a much needed bye week. A 10 win season and playoff berth would be a remarkable accomplishment all things considered, and I believe if anyone on this list can live up to the pressure it's Peyton Manning.

Honorable Mentions: Tom Brady (coming off another superbowl loss), Andrew Luck (replacing Peyton Manning), Robert Griffin III (Redskins gave up the house and car for him), Adrian Peterson (Did he come back too soon?)

8 Things I Hate About Sports Fans

It’s been a while since any material has come from this blog but with the football season upon us as well as a live 4^th quarter of boxing, it seems necessary to get the creative juices flowing yet again. This is a slightly humorous, very factual piece to get you prepared for our work in the fall.

A lot of things about fans are media induced but a lot of this ridiculousness comes  directly from the mind of the fan, uninfluenced. Here we go..

When A Player Holds Out…

And the fans after loving a player’s production for their team, instantly become at odds with him. “How dare he do such a thing! We need him to get in sync with the team and he’s sitting out the offseason. What a selfish player!!” Never mind the fact that this same player has produced at an all pro level for the past couple of years while being severely underpaid e.g. Darrelle Revis, Chris Johnson and many others. Oh shame on these greedy players for wanting to get bigger contracts in a non fully guaranteed league, a league in which players literally face season ending injuries almost week in week out. The same league where these players can get cut at any period by the team after poor play or injury. Poor billionaire owners. They don’t deserve these insubordinate players making life hard for them.

Why Do These Athletes Make So Much Money???

I don’t know. Why do owners pay them so much? No seriously. Do you watch your teachers on the tv or stream? Would you pay to watch your friends fight on ppv? If the answer is yes, you may quite possibly be a twisted individual. High level athletes who generate tons of revenue for their teams most certainly deserve to be paid a ton of dollars. I appreciate teachers, doctors, etc contributions to the world just as much as the next man but cmon.  I know it sucks when your team signs a player to that huge contract and they under perform you get a little pissed off. That's too bad. A lot of these contracts are based off what the player has done previously. I’m sure when Gilbert Arenas was offering 100 billion dollars while having a bum knee he didn’t think “maybe I should be kind and save the team some money”. No.  He knew there was a chance that might be his last big pay day. Was he really wrong? He outplayed the initial contract he signed with the Wizards anyways. Blame the players? Nah b. Blame the gms for giving undeserving (your opinion) players these idiotic contracts.

Consistently Injured…I mean, “Lazy” players 

 

There once was a superstar in the NBA named Tracy McGrady. He was one of the top 3 players in the league and arguably the best player. As the years went by, Tmac began to get injured constantly degrading the quality of his play until he was no longer the superstar we all came to know, but a  veteran just trying to maintain a spot in the league. For some reason, though, Tmac got the label “lazy” from Houston Rockets fans who were disappointed by his declining play. It was revealed at some point by Tmac himself, that he had scoliosis and his doctor years back didn’t expect him to last very long in the NBA. Tracy managed to become a household name for almost a decade. But hey, don’t let facts get in the way of deriding these lazy players. Slacker! All he had to do was his pushups and weights to stay healthy.

He’s…So….Humble! 

There once was a player named Marvin Harrison, who was one of the best receivers in the NFL. Beyond his great hands, timing and route running, he was also seen as one of the most humble players in all of the NFL. He was very quiet and didn’t celebrate much after scoring touchdowns like the other “Diva” receivers in the league. Little did we know , underneath the humble exterior, he was a stone cold…nah I’m kind of exaggerating. But you know what happened with Marvin and the shootings. But how could a humble player do such a thing! He played the game the right way! How? Because you don’t actually know who these people are aside from the persona they give out. Humble is mostly code for boring. Would we want every superstar to have a dry personality. Sports wouldn’t be enjoyable without the celebrations…the arrogance..etc. And besides…being humble means nothing on the court/field(see supposedly arrogant Lebron beat supposedly humble Durant in 5 games in the finals).

Man….Jordan would average 50 in this era!!

If you ever have someone try to convince you of this, just mention that Wilt himself said he would average 50 in the 90s, or simply ask them if they understand anything about pace and possessions. The most annoying thing might be fans that automatically disregard their own era and big up past athletes as if they can’t be surpassed or defeated. The Lebron “The Decision” backlash describes this to a tee. The nostalgia blinders “Jordan, Bird or Magic would never leave and team up!!”. Lol. Sure, but their teams would also have multiple hof’ers to surround them in the first place. This happens often in boxing when fighter vs fighter comparisons are made. The older fighter will automatically win every fight regardless of the logic brought to the table. No matter the matchup.  “Duran would whoop Floyd and Pacquiao with an arm tied behind his back!”  “Roy Jones?? Hagler would rock him to sleep in 3 rounds!”  My advice if you encounter one of these people: stay calm and keep a clear mind. Don’t allow their fanaticism to infect yours. 

Look at his Per! His Win Shares! He’s so efficient!!! FIP, ISO, BABIP…OMG

These are typical internet sports fans that most of the time either barely played any sports or just enjoy pretending their knowledge of sports is superior because they read the stats. Advanced stats in particular are the new craze of late. It allows people to pretend like they know sports without actually watching games. Players like James Harden are lauded because of their gaudy advanced stats, but does anyone (who watches games) actually believe he’s as good as his stats indicate? (*cough finals cough*)? If you looked at his advanced stats alone you would assume he was a great player, not a 6^th man playing with the safety net of 2 other superstars. Kevin Love is another internet sensation. Listen..everyone acknowledges Love is a very good player, but for all his win shares he hasn’t managed to lead a team to a winning record in any of his seasons. Don’t tell his fans that, though. Stats are cool…when you combine em when actually viewing and understanding what you watched. Just don’t condescend me, dun.  

Perceived Scapegoat

This often happens when a team has had a rough history. The fans often resemble victims suffering PTSD. It’s tough being a fan of a team that hasn’t ever won a superbowl or hasn’t done so in a couple decades. A team that has been close to getting there lately, only to squander these opportunities. Fans get frustrated, yo. A good example might be the New York Jets. The Jets in the 21^st century have been a relatively successful team, with multiple playoff appearances and 2 afc championship appearances. But all of that is irrelevant when fans have had to endure decades of almost being there to not even being close since their only Superbowl(won some time around when the Civil Rights Act was passed). There is that one player everyone hates(Mark Sanchez), that regardless of the Jets accomplishments, will always get flack for something. No matter the offensive line, bad playcalling, inconsistent receivers. NOPE. None of that matters because it’s perceived as just excuses for the poor or inconsistent play. The perceived scapegoat was Brian Schottenheimer, who for years has been derided by Jets fans for his up and down playcalling. After reaching 2 straight afc championships and then a setback 8-8 season he was fired. It was the moment a lot of rational Jets fans were anticipating for a long time. But there is still that little sect of fans that believe he was a scapegoat. Newsflash: he wasn’t a scapegoat, just a mediocre offensive coordinator, and it was time for him to go. Every moment that Sanchez persists as starter proves them right. In their minds.

Good Effort, Good Job. 

This is mostly focused on tennis fans. If you don’t really watch tennis you can learn a little something about how their fans act. The current pantheon is Federer, Djokovic and Nadal. They have dominated the Grand Slams over the past..who knows how many years(feels like forever).  These are the top 3 then the rest of the top 10 consists of good to great players. To make a long story short, whenever certain fan favorites manage to give a good effort and make the match kind of tough for one of these greats, they get a ton of love for it. Even when they lose. Good Effort, Good Job. Wait..what? You’re telling me if a player is leading then chokes (choking happens too frequently) when they have an opportunity to beat a great, it’s ok? It’s ok sometimes when it’s a young player who is bringing it to one of these greats, but when established top 10 players have a chance to make an imprint(in any kind of tournament, major or minor) and fail to do so, that shouldn’t be lauded. I’m sure if you asked the players, they themselves wouldn’t be fine with just getting to the brink. WIN DAMNIT! We’re tired of the same old players doing the same old thing. Thank you Lukas Rosol for blasting Nadal out of Wimbledon. Or del Potro being the ONLY one to break the stranglehold of grand slams by the top 3. Even if it was only once. 

Looking over my 8, I acknowledge there could at least be 5 more but if I kept going I may never end! 

MLB 2012 1st Half Grades/Awards

AL East:

Yankees – B+ Had some key injuries early in the season (Gardner, Robertson, Mariano Rivera), but still managed to amass a big lead in arguably the strongest division in baseball. The starting rotation put forth an incredible June and the hitting was better than ever with Cano leading the way. Still need to get the hitting with RISP in order and stop relying on homeruns.

Orioles – A  Who would’ve expected the Orioles to be leading the division early in the season? Noone. It’s July, and while they’re not leading the AL East anymore, they’ve still managed to be 6 games over .500 and 2^nd in the division. Their hitting is pretty good, but their starting pitching is still a question with Arrieta possessing a 6.13 era and Matusz a 5.42 era. 

Rays – B- Early on like the Orioles they were at the top of the division, but that was expected from a playoff team like the Rays. Progression. Suffered some important injuries to Longoria and Joyce, and in an offense like the Rays, which is pretty anemic at times, it’s only gotten worse. Their pitching will always help them secure close wins, but better hitting is needed if they’re truly going to challenge for the division. 

Red Sox – C-  Boy they can still hit! They’re not a very good team though. A lot of injuries have hurt the team, and their bullpen has been one of the worst in the league surrendering big leads. Their starting pitching has been no better with 2 of their regular starts with era’s over 5 and the other 3 with eras over 4. Boy, they can hit doe!

Blue Jays – C+ I’ll cut them some slack because they started well but tailed off due to injuries to a couple of their starting pitchers(who still aren’t very good). But hey..Romero(5.35 era)…last season you were an ace, fam..what happened??? They can hit tho. Like…4 of the 5 teams in the AL East. Their saving grace.

AL Central:

Chicago White Sox – A++ - 1^st in a division most expected the Tigers to be leading. Hitting has been phenomenal (Dunn has bounced back nicely from his all time WOAT season with 25 homeruns). Pitching has been really good, except for Humber who has been terrible since his perfect game.. And the recent trade for Youkilis has given them even more strength. 

Cleveland Indians – B  Weird team. I don’t know exactly what they’re doing, but they are 4 games over 500. Scoring some runs, but I wouldn’t think of them as anything special. Decent pitching. They’re not exactly good but the Central has been pretty subpar outside of the White Sox. 

Tigers – C  More was expected from this team with the Prince Fielder signing but unfortunately for them things have not gone as planned. Doug Fister, one of their most important pitchers, got injured early in the season and that hasn’t exactly helped a rotation that isn’t the greatest outside of Justin Verlander. The good news? Fister is finally healthy and their offense is still good. Austin Jackson has turned into the great player people expected him to become. 

Kansas City Royals – D  Terrible start but they’ve bounced back pretty well. They can use the young team excuse for the next couple of months, or years, like they’ve been doing for a while. They’ll eventually have to become a good team. 

Minnesota Twins – F Terrible team. They’re behind the Royals!

AL West:

Texas Rangers B+ - Great team yet so up and down this season. It feels like they sometimes don’t even care about these games, yet they still have a solid lead in the division. Talent. Yu Darvish has had a good 1^st half with them thus far and Josh Hamilton and Beltre have had great seasons as well. 

Los Angeles Angels A – Mike Trout!  His arrival to the Angels sparked their offense after a listless start where Pujols was severely underachieving with his gargantuan contract. The entire offense has picked it up, led by Trout, who is leading the AL in steals, Batting Average, and is in the top 10 in runs. Let’s not forget about Mark Trumbo whose ops is over 1.000. CJ Wilson has had a good first half as well (9-5 2.43 era) with his new team. 

Oakland A’s – B They’ve done a surprisingly good job even with their hitting deficiency. It seems like the A’s throw out a young pitcher every other day and manage to shut down some potent offense. The signing of the Cuban, Cespedes, has helped their offense a good amount at times as well as Josh Reddick’s 19 homeruns. 

Seattle Mariners – F Still can’t hit. They haven’t been a good team in a long time. The Universe’s Order and Disorder.   

NL East:

  

Washington Nationals – A+  What a phenomenal season for the Nationals. For a while you could see the incremental improvements from the team and they’ve finally managed to put it all together. They have the best pitching staff, statistically, in the league right now and they’ve managed to win even with injuries to some important hitters. The Bryce Harper call up kind of rivals the Trout one in terms of hype as the kid has really done a good job in the Majors. 

New York Mets – A++ Name a hitter in the Mets lineup outside of David Wright…I’ll give you 5 seconds….No? You know some? You googled. Let’s face it, when Jose Reyes left during the offseason, most people expected the Mets to really flounder this season but that hasn’t happened at all. Instead, they’re top 3 in runs in the National League. Wait…wtf?? A team with Daniel Murphy..Ike Davis…Ruben Tejada…who? Well..Ruben Tejada, Jose Reyes’s replacement, is actually filling in quite nicely batting almost 330. David Wright is having a career year batting over 340. R.A. Dickey, who was already pretty good, is having a legendary year for a knuckleballer  with a 12-1 record, 2.43 era, and 123 strikeouts in 120 innings. Wait…this season is the first time you heard of RA Dickey? Biggest issue with them is their terrible bullpen which has cost them a couple games.

Atlanta Braves – B The Braves…remember last year when they choked to allow the Cardinals in the playoffs…and the Cardinals ended up winning the whole thing?? Well..that’s what I think about this era of the Braves.  Good but not good enough. To their credit (I did give them a B), their hitting is really coming into its own and their young players are playing well. 

Miami Marlins – C The additions of The Great Ozzie and Jose Reyes, Heath Bell and the new stadium in Miami were supposed to energize this team. Things haven’t gone exactly as planned. Understatement of the year. And don’t we all love Castro? Giancarlo Stanton, though, has been a bright spot in the Marlins lineup showcasing his slugging ability(though his injury may compound issues).

Philadelphia Phillies – D It’s been a bad season for them with injuries to Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Roy Halladay. Their pitching remains really good with Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels but their offense simply doesn’t cut it. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

NL Central:

Pittsburgh Pirates – A+ Last year the Pirates were in a similar situation through the 1^st half of the season. This year, though, there seems to be a different aura about them. MCCUTCHEN. Batting just under .360 for the season. Arguably the best player in baseball. He’s carried their offense for most of the season which has actually been picking up as of late. Meanwhile, Aj Burnett’s resurgence continues(9-2 , 3.74 era) after a dismal last 2 seasons with the New York Yankees(over 5 era in both). 

Cincinatti Reds – B For some reason everyone tries to convince themselves that the Reds are this prolific offense because of all the names in their lineup. They aren’t, but that doesn’t stop them from being a pretty good team. Joey Votto is incredible. Their rotation led by Johnny Cueto(SNUB) has been pretty good if you look past the regular era stats. 

St. Louis Cardinals – B They might have the most dynamic offense in the whole MLB. Even without Pujols, the Cardinals maintain their great hitting. Their young pitchers have stepped as well but there’s just something about them..that’s disconcerting. Ah yes..terrible bullpen.

Milwaukee Brewers – D After last season, winning the NL Central and getting to the NLCS, you would’ve expected a better start from the Brewers. Nope. The loss of prince fielder was big, but they’ve scored 379 runs. Unfortunately, they’ve also given up 390 for a run differential of -11.

Houston Astros – F  Awful. I won’t waste your time.

Chicago Cubs – F Even worse yet have managed to beat the Mets 4 of 6 times in their 2 series.

NL West:

Los Angeles Dodgers – A They possess one of the most anemic offenses in the entire MLB yet still manage to hold the lead in this division. Injuries to Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier have made their already suspect lineup look even worse. Having Kershaw always helps things. And a rejuvenated Capuano. Sometimes the Dodgers just have that…”clutch gene”..no Bayless. 

San Francisco Giants – B- Tim Lincecum..what happened fam? Awful season for the 2x Cy Young Winner with an era over 6. The rest of their rotation has remained great as usual, and that is helping their mediocre hitting. Melky Cabrera, though, possesses a batting average over 350. Incredible 1^st half. 

 

Arizona Diamondbacks – C  Similar story to the Milwaukee Brewers. Coming off a season in which they won the NL West, more was expected. Their rotation has underachieved a bit (except for young Wade Miley) headlined by their Ace, Ian Kennedy. Kennedy after winning 21 games(2.88 era, only 4 losses) last season is now 6-7 with a 4.26 era. Their lineup hasn’t missed a beat even with their leading hitter Justin Upton slumping. Last season Upton had an ops just under .900 and a .298 average, while this season his ops is well under that at .735 and his average is only at .267.  Still. Only 4 games out of 1^st place.

San Diego Padres – F – NL West version of the Mariners. 

Colorado Rockies – F – Behind the Padres. They deserve even lower than an F. 

Now on to the 1st half Awards written by  @hoodcertified 

As always, the first half of the season has been as unpredictable as ever. The Pirates are 10 games over .500. The Nationals are possibly the best team in the National League, the Phillies are 14 games back and the Orioles are a bad team that is somehow still within striking distance of the Yankees. Just like you predicted, right? Not so much. The Angels and Albert Pujols have come on strong since a terrible start, the Dodgers have sputtered since having the best record in April and May, and Cliff Lee waited until July to tally up his first win. 

I'm sure everyone saw Mike Trout and Bryce Harper being all stars in their rookie season as well. As someone who has followed Harper since first hearing of the prodigy when he dropped out of high school after his sophomore year, I'm surprised how soon he made it to the majors, and the immediate impact he has had. Mike Trout is no bum himself. Definitely in the mix, possibly in the lead for ROY, since being called up in late April. Mark Trumbo is having quite the year himself, but is left out of rookie talk because of time spent in the majors late last year. 

In what's certainly shaping up to be another 'Year of the Pitcher', we've already seen 5 no hitters, two of which were perfect games (Humber, Cain), and a team effort no hitter that the Mariners put on the Dodgers that included 6 different pitchers.  

Yu Darvish has been phenomenal since making the transfer to American baseball, seeming to have no trouble with the larger baseball used here. Posting a 10-5 record with a 3.59 ERA. The Rangers chose to give him a little extra rest before the All-Star Break.   

Enough of the first half story lines, let's get into the first half awards. 

AL Cy Young- Jered Weaver. Pretty simple category aside from Justin Verlander having another great season. Weaver is 10-1 with a 1.94 ERA. He pitched a no hitter while giving up only 5 HR's, 2 stolen bases, and allowing opposing hitters a .194 batting average. 

NL Cy Young- R.A. Dickey. This one was a MUCH harder call than the American League. In the mix are Matt Cain (9-3, 2.62 ERA and a perfect game), Stephen Strasburg (9-4, 2.82 ERA, 128 strikeouts in 99 innings, coming off Tommy John Surgery). Dickey is 12-1 with a 2.40 ERA and has been flat out astonishing. His knuckleball has left hitters looking clueless. He posted a 44 2/3 innings scoreless streak while racking up back to back one hit shutouts. Not bad for a guy who was fighting for a spot on the Mets rotation in February. 

AL ROY- Mike Trout. Although he has only been in the league for just over two months this season, he's been on complete fire the entire time. Hitting .347, 11 HR's, 39 RBI and a .401 OBP. Trout has won a lot of fans over for his all out play. 

NL ROY- Bryce Harper. Another midseason call-up, Harper has held his own with the giant target he has on his back according to Cole Hamels. Called up at about the same time as Trout, Harper has put up a .283 BA, 8 HR's and 25 RBI's with a .355 OBP. His stats certainly aren't as good as Trouts, but like I said, I think he's got a large target between his numbers.

AL MVP- Josh Hamilton. Another crowded category. If Trout keeps up his numbers, I think he'll win this. But Hamilton has had quite the year. Hitting .315 with 27 HR's, 75 RBI and an OBP of .384. He has stayed rather healthy aside from a stomach virus and recent back spasms. His health is what's kept him from having gargantuan years in 2010 and 2011. 

NL MVP- Andrew McClutchen. Someone who has always had star potential, but until this year couldn't put it all together. That seems to have changed with a .359 BA. 16 HR's and 56 RBI's with a .411 OBP. No player has been more crucial to their team as McClutchen. The Pirates have done a complete turn around and sit atop the NL central, thanks a lot to him. 

UFC 148 Co Main Event and Main Event Analysis & Predictions

Written by @mulattobawse

Finally we get to the two fights that we as MMA fans been anxiously awaiting. We finally get to see an ending to what is the most anticipated rematch in MMA history, and the final fight of an MMA legend (Ortiz) and a long time rivalry. Forrest Griffin will try to ruin Tito Ortiz's retirement party as he will attempt to close the final chapter in the rubber match of their rivalry dating back to March 2006. And, to finish off the card, is the fight we've been looking forward to for about 2 summers… Anderson Silva will attempt to shut up the biggest rival of his career and make sure he never has to deal with Chael Sonnen's big mouth again. So with all that let’s get started.

Forrest Griffin vs. Tito Ortiz III

This fight has big time significance in that it will mark the end of the "Punishment Era". Whether you liked or hated Tito Ortiz, no one can deny the impact he’s had on the sport. Tito is one of the main reasons that MMA is a mainstream sport in the world right now. For a long time he was the most marketable star in not just the UFC, but MMA as whole. He is responsible for turning me into a fan of the sport. What initially got me into MMA was the Tito Ortiz/Ken Shamrock rivalry which resulted in me buying their UFC 40 match. On top of his star power, no UFC Light Heavyweight Champion has defended the title more than Tito, accomplishments that are very celebrated among the MMA community. It's remarkable how Tito Ortiz went from the most hated fighter in MMA to a beloved figure over the past few years. The fans have really rallied behind Ortiz over the last few years knowing that these will be the last few times they see him in the cage.

Forrest Griffin is another fighter who has been influential in the rise of UFC into the mainstream. It was his fight with Stephan Bonnar on the Ultimate Fighter Finale that gave the UFC much credibility in the eyes of many curious fans. They were able to witness the brutality of the sport mixed in with the heart and determination of two fighters trying to get a UFC contract. This bloodfest was able to catch the attention of the causal fans turning the UFC into one of the most watched combat sports in the world.

Tito and Forrest have fought twice before splitting wins between each other. In the first fight, Tito was able to use his vintage ground and pound game to control Griffin. As the fight went on, Forrest put up a fight, but what ultimately won Tito the bout was a takedown in the final minute. In the second fight, Tito was able to takedown Forrest in the first round and ground and pound him but after that, Forrest stuffed Tito's takedown attempts and picked him apart in the stand up to secure the win.

For Tito to win, he needs to counter Forrest in the stand up, because we know Forrest will push the pace. Use that to set up his takedowns and use his vintage Tito Ortiz elbows to bloody Forrest. For Forrest to win, he needs to use his range and keep Tito at bay. In the last few fights Tito has lost because of knees to his gut from Rashad and Lil Nog. I'm sure that Forrest's Muay Thai coach, Shawn Yarborough, is working on the clinch and knees with him so don't be surprised if he utilizes that.

My prediction is that Forrest will win another decision. He has been the much more improved fighter while Tito has declined over the years. I don't expect Forrest to stop Tito but I see him busting Tito up in the stand up and winning a wide decision. Regardless of a loss, Tito will be remembered as one of the greatest and most memorable fighters of all time.

My Prediction - Forrest Griffin by Decision

Anderson Silva Vs. Chael Sonnen

Now on to the fight we’ve all been waiting for since the summer of 2010. This is the most anticipated rematch of all time and quite possibly the biggest fight in UFC history. Since their memorable first fight a lot of controversial things have occurred. Originally they were slated to fight in Feburary of 2011 on Superbowl weekend, but Sonnen tested positive for TRT. Anderson went on to destroy Vitor Belfort and Yushin Okami while Sonnen waited over a year to make his return to the Octagon.

In the first fight, Chael Sonnen surprised the world and was able to beat on Anderson Silva like a drum for nearly 4.5 rounds. But Anderson Silva like a true champion came back from adversity and exposed Chael Sonnen's weak submission defense and locked in a triangle choke for the win. Although Chael lost, he gained respect among the MMA fans and community for almost dethroning the most dominant UFC champion in history. Even if you don't agree with Chael's trash talking and antics you have to respect his toughness and ability as a fighter. He did what was thought unthinkable and beat Anderson to a pulp although he lost the fight in the end.

Anderson's poor performance in that fight was explained later as the result of a rib injury he suffered before the fight. You could tell the difference when he faced Yushin Okami, who is a similar fighter to Chael Sonnen and also his training partner. Anderson was able to avoid all of Okami's takedowns and batter him in the stand up, as opposed to in the Sonnen fight where he looked sluggish and even allowed Sonnen to beat him in the stand up, which shocked everyone. Now Anderson looks to be 100% and so there will be no excuses after this fight.

For Chael Sonnen to win he needs to do the same as the first fight and that’s to put the pressure on Anderson. He shouldn’t allow Anderson to set up any of his strikes and if he does he needs to counter him with overhand rights like he did in the first fight. For Anderson to win, he needs to combat Sonnen coming in for a takedown with knees or kicks. He needs to cut off the octagon on Sonnen like Bisping did and put the heat on Sonnen. Although Anderson can knock out any fighter at any point, Sonnen has shown he has a very strong chin. He took a lot of hard shots from Bisping yet still kept pressing forward. Anderson can't look for a highlight reel KO and needs to play it smart and just tactically out strike Sonnen.

I believe Anderson will defeat Chael in a tough fight. I see Chael pushing hard for the takedown but Anderson stuffing him a few times and beating up Chael with knees and his superior boxing. With Anderson being 100% in this fight he will be able to deal with Chael's pressure a lot better. Anderson TKO's Chael in the middle rounds

My Prediction - Anderson Silva by TKO