2004 NFL Wild Card Weekend (and random other stuff...)
First, before I write anything today (well, anything else…), I have to give credit to two blogs on Xanga. First, a blog I stumbled upon while going through the other members of the “! RED SOX NATION !” blogring. Be forewarned, there is audio that loads automatically (which is the point of my link), so if you’re at work or something, turn the speakers off.
The second blog is actually run by someone I know. I guess I must be doing something right (or wrong, depending on your perspective) because I now have a blog dedicated to nothing other than being “Anti Big D”. Even the color scheme matches! I’m not sure how I feel about this. I guess imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so maybe I should be flattered. Or is it flattened? I always get those mixed up…
OK, onto today’s stuff. There haven’t really been any big stories so far this week, and as such, today will just be a couple of rambling thoughts and a quick 2004 NFL recap, along with the picks for the Wild Card games this weekend. And, as always, don’t hesitate to drop a comment below – although I know I’ve got readers, I’d like to know who they are and what they like/hate about the stuff I post here…
Oh, one quick thought (sorry if this is jumpy today). Any chance Pedro Martinez is getting royalties from FOX for the “Who’s Your Daddy” TV show? And I use that term – TV show – very loosely…
I guess I should start with college football and the sham that is the BCS. Obviously, I’m not a big fan. I think that the last two seasons, along with the AP pulling their own poll out of the formula used by the BCS will lead us down the road to a playoff.
Here’s my question: Most schools did not play a game for over a month, from the end of November/beginning of December right up through last night’s “National Title” game. You’re trying to tell me that a month isn’t enough time to have a playoff system? Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t the NFL playoff season last only a month, including the “dead” week before the Super Bowl? So how hard would it be for an eight-team playoff system to be implemented?
Most players want it. Most coaches want it, though they wouldn’t say so without fear of reprimands from the NCAA. Just about every fan wants it. The only argument for not doing it is to give the “students” time during final exams to study. (Hold for laughter…)
I understand that the NCAA is still trying to pass itself off as an amateur league where players are students first, but c’mon. College Football is a multi-billion dollar a year business. Boston College cost themselves over $10M in BCS bonus money by choking away the Big East title, not to mention the national exposure and future recruiting value that playing in a New Year’s Day game would have given them.
I have no doubt that some type of playoff will be implemented soon; if not next year, then definitely by the 2006 season. And that’s fine by me. Although I doubt it will help the bowl-game chances of either of the colleges I attended…
Onto the Baseball Hall of Fame selections. I have no problem with Wade Boggs or Ryne Sandberg getting elected to the Hall of Fame. Both more than deserve their elections.
I grew up watching Boggs in his prime in the mid to late 80’s. Best left-handed hitter I ever saw in a Sox uniform. Plus, I had a neighbor that looked exactly like him, minus the weird curly hair.
Ryno is another deserving choice. Until last year he was the all-time leader among 2B in career homeruns. He played his entire career with the Cubs. And although he never “won” anything, in terms of postseason play, he was an All-Star, a Gold Glove fielder, and one of the best 2B ever. No question he’s a Hall-of-Famer.
Notable omissions? Well, of course I’ll lobby for Jim Rice until he’s in or I’m dead. The only reason he’s not there is because he spit venom at the media for so many years that most writers and broadcasters despised him and are only now getting to take it out on him. His numbers warrant it, so put him in.
Lee Smith, Bruce Sutter and Goose Gossage all deserve to be in there. Hell, if Dennis Eckersley, who has less saves than any of them, can get himself elected, then they should all be there too. Not to say that Eck wasn’t deserving, just that his election opens the doors for other modern closers.
Election should also be near for Andre Dawson and Dale Murphy, two of the more dominant players in the National League for the entire decade of the 1980’s. Unfortunately, both of them missed by more than 115 votes (117 for Dawson, 333 for Murphy)
Dale has no shot of ever making it, and that’s too bad. He was a 2-time NL MVP, a 30-30 player, a 5-time Gold Glover, and the player that led the National League in runs scored, hits, and RBI for the entire decade of the 1980’s. AN ENTIRE DECADE PEOPLE!
Biggest surprise? Darryl Strawberry getting just 6 votes (or 1.2%), keeping him below the requisite 5% line to reappear on the ballot next year. Just like his career, his Hall of Fame chances will be nothing more than a flash in the pan.
Quick update on more current baseball happenings…
Randy Johnson to the Yankees. Shawn Green to Arizona. Javier Vasquez (probably) to Baltimore. Odalis Perez and Derek Lowe to the Dodgers. Nah, no major moves this week.
Of course, the biggest news in baseball surrounded two players and two teams: the Carlos’ (Beltran and Delgado) and the New York franchises. Apparently, Beltran’s agent, Scott Boras, isn’t going to get the bidding war he wanted from the Mets and Yankees, as the Mets have made an offer, and the Yankees actually backed down. Imagine that – a world where even the Yankees are forced to work within a budget.
Although, considering the Mets’ reported offer (6 years, $102M - $17M AAV), the Yankees would be smart to stay away. Let the Mets take on yet another overloaded contract that lasts too long, even if it is the best all-around player in the game. King George already has a few of those he probably wishes he didn’t, not to mention the looming $32M extension he’s going to have to give Randy Johnson.
As for Carlos Delgado, well, his comment that the Mets’ initial offer of 3 years, $30M was an insult is just comical. Gee, a power hitting left handed first baseman with little speed and mediocre (at best) defensive skills – nope, I don’t think there are ANY of those around baseball. Don’t expect the Mets to go much higher – they still remember Mo Vaughn.
Quickly, a little poker talk (scroll down now if you just want football stuff…)
I’ve been playing more online recently, probably for about an hour or so a night. It’s making for a nice supplement to my actual earned income to the job I work 9-5. Anyway, last week I was on a $1-$2 NL Hold-‘Em table with about $120 in front of me. In the small blind, I got dealt pocket Queens. Now, if there’s one thing I’ve learned about playing online, it’s this – DON’T SLOWPLAY.
After three callers, action came back to me. I raised to $10. The Big Blind called, as did one of the other callers. Flop came up Ks-Qs-2h, giving me a set and other players a possible flush draw with the spades. It also gave me an opportunity to represent nothing more than that flush draw, so I fired out $10. The Big Blind raised to $20, and the other player went all-in for his last $23 or so. I put him on either the flush draw, or maybe an AK, and the Big Blind on Aces. I called the $23 and so did the BB.
The turn was 2d, giving me Queens full of Twos and severely hurting anyone chasing a flush. I bet $20, and the BB just called. When the river came down with the 8 of spades, I figured I was golden. If he’d been chasing a flush, he just made it. If he’d had Aces, he still had top two pair with the King kicker, which he had to feel pretty good about.
I bet out $25. He raised it to $50, and I re-raised it to my last $60 or so. He called immediately…
…and flipped over his pocket Kings, giving him Kings full. The other called showed his AK unsuited, and I showed my Queens before quickly signing off to go lay down and stew over the hand. Un-freakin’-believable.
Finally, a little recap of the 2004 NFL season before I make this week’s picks. On August 11th, I ran my 2004 NFL Preview column, in which I predicted the outcome of every division in football, as well as the playoffs and Super Bowl. And I’m proud to report that I actually got some things right.
Perfect Record: (Teams who’s record I predicted correctly)
Chicago (5-11), Arizona (6-10), San Francisco (2-14), Denver (10-6), Baltimore (9-7), New England (14-2), Buffalo (9-7)
One-Away:
Miami (predicted 3-13 / actual record 4-12), Cleveland (same), Indy (11-5 / 12-4), Houston (8-8 / 7-9), Jacksonville (10-6 / 9-7), Atlanta (10-6 / 11-5), New Orleans (9-7 / 8-8), Tampa Bay (4-12 / 5-11), Green Bay (9-7 / 10-6)
Oops: (Off by two or more games, or as with Pittsburgh, eight)
Philadelphia (11-5 / 13-3), Washington (10-6 / 6-10), Dallas (8-8 / 6-10), NY Giants (8-8 / 6-10), Detroit (9-7 / 6-10), Minnesota (10-6 / 8-8), Carolina (10-6 / 7-9), Seattle (11-5 / 9-7), St. Louis (11-5 / 8-8), San Diego (5-11 / 12-4), Kansas City (12-4 / 7-9), Oakland (8-8 / 5-11), Tennessee (8-8 / 5-11), Pittsburgh (7-9 / 15-1), Cincinnati (6-10 / 8-8), NY Jets (7-9 / 10-6)
Well, 7 out of 32 isn’t horrible, right? And I had 16 of 32 teams within one game of their actual records, which certainly isn’t half bad - I prefer to be an optimist and say it’s half good. And that little rant I went on halfway through the season, opining the fact that I ever thought the Bills could go 9-7… Well, uh, what rant? Eh, let’s forget that whole predictions post ever happened…
Onto the picks.
Rams (+4) over SEAHAWKS: Like I said in the last posting, the Seahawks are about the least deserving playoff team ever. Just imagine this – if the Rams can get past Seattle, they would go to Atlanta, a team they matchup pretty well against (not much running game, very little passing defense), and get to play indoors on turf. They could win that game, and have a legit shot against the T.O.-less Eagles in Philly at going back to the Super Bowl. Of course, there’s always the Mike Martz factor…
CHARGERS (-6.5) over Jets: Jets have to fly cross-country to face a far superior team. They’ll probably still be without John Abraham, meaning LaDanian Tomlinson can more or less run wild. The Chargers have an underrated pass defense, and a very highly rated run defense. Explain to me again why I would take the Jets?
Broncos (+10) over COLTS: No, I haven’t gone insane. Mike Shanahan made a comment after last week’s big win over Indy that makes a lot of sense. The best way to stop Peyton Manning is to keep him off the field. If there’s one team in the NFL that I trust will be able to run the ball down a defense’s throat, it’s the Broncos. I think we’ll see a lot of draws and inside handoffs, plays that set up like passes and then finish up as a run up the middle. Of course, the Colts still win this game, but it would be fun to watch them get knocked back on their heels a little bit…
PACKERS (-6) over Vikings: Hey Randy, Randy Moss, hey, wait a second! Hey, there’s still a game left! Randy! RANDY! Hey, Rand… aw forget it. It’s Brett Favre, it’s Lambeau, it’s January, it’s the playoffs, and it’s not Mike Vick under center across the line of scrimmage. Besides, there’s no way that they could have three games end 34-31 on a last second Longwell field goal in the same season, right…?
Let’s see how close I actually am once the games are played…
Lata.
posted by Big D @ 10:56 AM
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