The Bottom Line Sports Show

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2009-12-27T22:41:00.000-05:00

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Big Time Interviews, Athletes, and Attitude

NFL matchup week 4

2009-11-15T13:31:00.001-05:00

Spokester's three pack... Can Ohio State run the table?

2009-11-06T11:37:00.001-05:00

The game of the week of folks...

# 9 LSU at # 3 Alabama

3:30 PM ET Saturday

On Saturday coach Nick Saban will go to battle against his old squad, the LSU Tigers. Some may call it a redemption game, but Nick doesn’t want to talk about the past. Alabama’s win over LSU last season (27-21 in OT) snapped a five game skid for the Tide against the Tigers and with a win on Saturday they can secure the SEC West Title. Both offenses have been pretty average, if not poor this season. That may be an understatement! Bama’s one bright spot has been Heisman hopeful running back Mark Ingram who leads the Tide with 1,004 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. Both defenses on the other hand have been rock solid all year. The Tide led by Rolando McClain have only given up 11.4 points per game, which is fifth best in the nation and LSU’s defense hasn’t been too shabby either; they are 7th in the nation. With all of this said, I’m looking forward to another low scoring field goal fest, the epitome of a SEC grudge match, a total classic, with Bama coming out with a small but victorious win.

#16 Ohio State at #11 Penn State

3:30 PM ET Saturday

On Saturday in what is essentially an elimination game in the Big Ten, Ohio State and Penn State will battle to keep pace with the surprise of the year, the Iowa Hawkeyes. If the Buckeyes can somehow pull the upset, they can still run the table and claim the Big Ten title. On the other hand, if the Nittany Lions win, they’ll be the ones that are still in the title hunt. However, they will need some timely luck and help from a few spoilers. Both teams are 4-1 in the Big Ten and a game back of Iowa, which defeated Penn State earlier in the year, and Iowa still must play Ohio State. Is it me, or is this scenario more complicated than the quadratic formula? Ohio State leads the all time series 10-6. Terrelle Pryor will need to show up big in this one if Ohio State has any chance to upset Penn State, but with that said I have a hunch that Terrelle will get on track Saturday and deliver a dandy of a game. I’m taking the Ohio State University to pull a nice little upset, and I’m even going to go out on a limb and call the Ohio State upset against Iowa next week.

The last game of the week…. No other real marquee matchups, so I thought I’d take another stab at an upset.

Oregon State at # 20 Cal

7:00 PM ET Saturday

On Saturday Cal will be gunning for its fourth straight Pac-10 win when it hosts Oregon State. But it’s been the Beavers who have felt at home in Berkeley recently, winning the past four matchups, and 8 of the last 10 overall. Cal is second in the conference averaging 33.6 points per game, but their defense has been pretty atrocious, ranking 8th in the league against the pass. They are going to need to step up big, because they will have their hands full with the Rogers brothers. Jacquizz and James have been absolute studs this year, leading the team in almost every offensive category. Jacquizz has gained 1,253 yards with 11 TD’s and James has 60 catches for 706 yards and 5 TD’s. With all of that said, I am going to take the Beavers to pull another big Pac-10 upset this Saturday.

BCS

Florida

Texas

Alabama

Iowa

Cincinnati

Florida

Texas

Alabama

Cincinnati

Boise State

Be sure to check in next week, Thurs 9 EST for more of our picks.

Blogtalkradio.com/bline

Tuesday and Thursday 9 EST, and Sunday 7 EST

www.thebottomlinesportsshow.com/blog/

By: Morgan Spokny

2009-11-05T23:01:00.000-05:00

2009-11-05T22:58:00.000-05:00

2009-11-05T22:42:00.002-05:00

2009-11-05T17:09:00.000-05:00

2009-11-04T13:44:00.001-05:00

2009-11-04T12:15:00.002-05:00

2009-11-04T11:31:00.001-05:00

Spokester's three pack

2009-10-30T00:27:00.001-04:00

# 5 USC at # 10 Oregon

8:00 PM ET, Saturday

On Saturday these two west coast powerhouses will be engaged in an all out battle for Pac-10 supremacy. The Trojans have been on the winning side of this rivalry recently, going (4- 1 during the past 5 meetings). USC comes in as the slight favorites, despite playing on the road and actually trailing the Ducks in the conference standings. USC will be looking to continue their winning ways and capture their eighth consecutive league title. However, the Ducks are a formidable opponent and are riding a six game winning streak. Oregon’s biggest strength is the rush attack, led by LaMichael James, who has stepped up big since LeGarrette Blount’s untimely and embarrassing suspension. James has rushed for 657 yards and six touchdowns in his last five games and he will be the key to Oregon’s explosive offense. Coming into the season, the Trojans defense was touted as one of the best of all-time, and early on they played like it, holding opposing offenses to 8.6 ppg and 238.6 yards through the first 5 games. But the Trojans have been on a slide lately, allowing 367 yards of offense to the Fighting Irish, and 482 yards to the Beavers. Quite simply this may be the best Pac-10 showdown in a long time, eclipsing even the epic field goal fest between USC/Cal in 2003. A lot has been made of the Oregon Ducks explosive spread offense, in particular, that USC has traditionally had trouble defending the spread. But with all that said, I just can’t pick against the Trojans, Matt Barkley, Taylor Mays, or Pete Carroll in this one, because USC always seems to find a way to win the big games.

# 3 Texas at # 14 Oklahoma State

8:00 PM ET, Saturday

On Saturday the lone remaining teams with perfect Big 12 records meet with first place in the South Division on the line. Mack Brown and the Longhorns have won the past 11 games against Oklahoma State, but the Cowboys have had their chances, blowing big leads on multiple occasions. Texas leads the all- time series 21-2. The Texas defense is ranked second in the nation, and three of the last four Texas opponents have managed fewer than 175 yards of offense. Oklahoma State has been a great surprise this season, but will be without two of their best offensive players. RB Kendall Hunter, the leagues leading rusher last season, has missed the last five games with a sprained ankle and is expected to have a very limited role in this one. Hunter had 161 yards on 18 carries last season against Texas, and of course stud wide out Dez Bryant has been suspended for the rest of the season for lying about his relationship with Deion “primetime” Sanders. On Saturday, Oklahoma State’s luck will run out, and I see no way that Texas losses this one. Go ahead and chalk up the Longhorns 12th straight victory right now.

Georgia at # 1 Florida

3:30 PM ET, Saturday

It’s publicly known that these two SEC powerhouses hate each other passionately and on Saturday we will all witness a physical grudge match with huge BCS implications. Florida has won 17 straight games, and 16 of the last 19 against Georgia. The Bulldogs have been very stagnant on offense this season and are last in the SEC in rushing yards per game at 108. Georgia is really missing 1st round draft picks, Matt Stafford and Knowshon Moreno. Going into this one, the big story has got to be former Heisman winner Tim Tebow. Tim has six rushing touchdowns this season and 49 for his career, one shy of breaking former Georgia stud Herschel Walker’s SEC record. Superman suffered a concussion a few weeks back and has yet to fully rebound, but I have a hunch that he will get back on track and have a huge game. With all of that said, it should come as no surprise that I am taking the Gators to pull out the win.

AP top 5-

Florida

Alabama

Texas

USC

Cincinnati

BCS top 5-

Florida

Alabama

Texas

Iowa

USC

Be sure to check in next week for more of our NCAA and NFL predictions.

By: Morgan Spokny

2009-10-29T20:35:00.000-04:00

2009-10-28T14:22:00.001-04:00

Mayne Street: Sports Guy Mansion - ESPN Video

2009-10-27T23:17:00.001-04:00

2009-10-23T20:40:00.001-04:00

2009-10-23T20:36:00.001-04:00

2009-10-23T20:08:00.001-04:00

2009-10-23T19:42:00.001-04:00

BLSS:NFL predictions

2009-10-19T12:02:00.002-04:00

2009-10-15T18:07:00.001-04:00

2009-10-15T18:05:00.001-04:00

2009-10-15T18:00:00.000-04:00

2009-10-15T17:57:00.002-04:00

Spokester’s 3 pack

2009-10-12T21:17:00.001-04:00

3 Alabama crimson tide defeats 20 old miss-

22-3

As predicted the Crimson tide easily rolled to a victory. It was so bad that Ole Miss failed to get a first down during the first half. Alabama’s defense picked off Jevean Snead four times. Bama HB Mark Ingram, ran rampant for 173 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries, and caught three balls for 14 yards. Bama kicker Leigh Tiffin knocked in 5 fg’s, one shy of the school record. 5 Turnovers killed Ole Miss, but gaining just 57 yards on the ground on 23 carries certainly didn’t help. Bama held the rebels to 19 yards and one first down in the first half on the way to a 16-0 lead and allowed them past the 50 yard line just for times. Bama has now held four of six opponents under 88 yards in the first half. Ole Miss QB Jevean Snead led the rushing attack with 44 yards and that’s never a good sign. Jevean completed just 11 of 35 passes (31.4 percent), the lowest completion percentage for a quarterback with at least 35 attempts this season. The second lowest mark also came against the dominant crimson tide defense. As I said it was so bad the school record 62, 657 fans booed the running rebels as they ran off the field to end the game.

Michigan wolverines loses vs. 12 iowa hawkeyes-

30-28

I went out on a limb and took the Wolverines in this one and they almost took the win, despite the fact that they had 5 turnovers and stud QB Tate Forcier was benched in the 4th. History was made on Saturday for the Hawkeyes. Iowa hasn’t started the season 6-0 since 1985 and hasn’t been 2-0 in the big ten since 2002. This is the first Hawkeyes 10 game winning streak in more than 80 years, since they won 20 in a row from 1920-1923. Iowa QB Ricky Stanzi was huge throwing for 283 yards and 2 touchdowns on 20-38 passing. My boy Tate Forcier, was pulled in the 4th, after getting into a verbal confrontation on the sidelines with Rich Rodriguez. Keep in mind that this was the coldest college game for Forcier who is a SD native. A enormous win for Iowa, but keep in mind that they have won three home games by a total of just six points.

1 Florida Gators defeats 4 LSU tigers-

13-3

I took the Gator’s with or without Tim “Superman” Tebow and the Gators did not disappoint. The Gator’s proved that you can’t knockout the champs just yet. Two weeks after suffering a concussion, Florida’s heisman trophy winning qb, silenced the largest crowd in Tiger stadium history with a 13-3 victory. The Gators have picked off a pass in 17 consecutive games and won 15 straight. The win snapped LSU’s 32 game winning streak in Saturday night home games. The Gators may have not dominated Ole Miss on the scoreboard, but they destroyed Ole Miss on the field. The gators had 22 1sts and 327 yards as opposed to the running rebels 12 1sts and 162 yards. The Tigers came in ranked last in the SEC in total offense and managed only 162 yards. It was so bad for the Tiger’s that they never even threatened to score in the second half. The Gator d showed up big, sacking QB Jordan Jefferson 5 times. He was sacked 6 times last week and he has got to be pointing some fingers at his o-line who has really been letting him down recently.

Top 5: Entering the weekend

Florida
Texas
Alabama
Lsu
Vt

Top 5 after the weekend

Florida
Alabama
Texas
VT
Boise State

On the bubble

USC
Ohio State
Cincinnati

By: Morgan Spokny

The big games on tap for this weekend

2009-10-11T18:01:00.002-04:00

Spokester's 3 pack

2009-10-10T16:24:00.004-04:00

Spokester’s 3 pack

3 Alabama crimson tide at 20 old miss-Saturday 3:30 est

Bama has gone 16-2 during the past 18 games with the rebels. Although the past four games have all been bama wins, the Rebels have played Bama very tough of late with all four games being decided by three points. Keep in mind this is LSU’s best defensive team during that run. The Crimson Tide come into the game with the 2nd best defense in the nation, allowing 222 yards per game, and the tides rushing attack alone averages more than the stingy defense is giving up with 228 yards per game. Bamas stud WR Julio Jones has yet to really get it all together this season but the threat always remains and the passing attack is among the top in the nation. There is no question that Julio will be a stud at the next level, and it’s only a matter of time before he explodes. I’m still not sold on Jevean Snead who coughed up 3 picks to Vanderbilt last week and I’m going to take Bama in a close one.

Michigan wolverines at 12 iowa hawkeyes- Saturday 8:00 est

Iowa is off to there best start in 14 years, they have not gone 7-0 since 1985 and they have gone 9-0 dating back to last year. There is no question that the Hawkeyes have an amazing streak going. Iowa has yet to allow a rushing touchdown in 33 consecutive quarters, dating back to almost the middle of last season. However, they have lost 6-7 to the Wolverines. With all this said, I’m going with Michigan in the huge upset because of one man. QB Tate Forcier who is boasting an impressive (142.69 QB rating). I’m on the bandwagon and feel like this kid has the makeup and ability to be a huge star at the next level. Despite the Wolverines terrible defense which is close to last in every category in the division I see Michigan squeaking out another close win.

1 Florida Gators at 4 LSU tigers- 8:00 est

The Tigers have won an impressive 32 consecutive night games at home and they will be looking to end the gators 14 game winning streak on Saturday. The gators may or may not have QB Tim Tebow, who is third in the nation in passer rating (170.3), has 6 tds through the air and 5 on the ground. If tebow can’t make it they do have a Gatorade high school player of the year to replace him. Enter, John Brantley. The kid is an elite talent with a big gun. He could have gone to any school he wanted and if the Gators need to replace Tim, they have a more than serviceable piece to plug in. Brantley has 4 touchdowns and 0 picks in limited action and some even feel as though he will be a better collegiate player than superman Tebow. The winner of this game has gone on to capture the last three BCS championships and this may the case again this year. The Gators are the champs and they will take this one.

Top 5: Entering the weekend

Florida

Texas

Alabama

Lsu

Vt

On the bubble looking out

Boise state

USC

Cincinnati

By: Morgan Spokny

BLSS breakdown of the weekly standings

2009-10-07T13:53:00.002-04:00

NFL Matchup Week 4

2009-10-07T13:23:00.001-04:00

BLSS weekly NFL pick breakdown

2009-09-30T13:48:00.000-04:00

Things that caught my eye during week 3 of the NFL season

2009-09-28T12:29:00.007-04:00

• That bs call against Shawntae Spencer for taunting- Really? Don’t they do that every play? What a Joke!

• Percy Harvin- 101 yd td. Kid has a td in every game of his young career. Write it down… Stud

• Brett Favre- Arm looked impeccable. Did you see that drive? A little more than a minute left and no timeouts… No biggy for Favre.

• Vernon Davis- All the potential in the world, and it showed on Sunday. 7 receptions, 96 yards and 2 td’s…. Stud

• Patriots- Dominated against the Falcons. Brought the heavy run as I predicted. Don’t doubt the Pat’s… Stud

• Chris Johnson- Had 22 carries and was held to 97 yards. This will be one of the best lines against the Jets all year long. Jets are for real!

• Kolb- Might make a play to take the starting job from McNabb. Another great performance. 24/34 for 327 yards and 2 td’s. Kid had 391 yards last week, and is the only Qb in NFL history to start a career with back to back 300 yard games. A former 1st rder... Stud

• Ravens- Wow...These guys are for real. Write it down. Pats vs. Ravens next week is going to be the game of the year.

Side note- Robinson Cano and Derek Jeter became the first 2b/SS combo since the 1880’s to both get 200 hits in the same season. Take that DJ doubters!

By: Morgan Spokny

Open up a can from Spokester's three pack

2009-09-28T12:13:00.005-04:00

1).Oregon defeats # 6 California 42-3

Where did this come from? QB Jeremiah Masoli, 253 yards and 3 touchdowns. Last week the kid had 4 completions for 95 yards and a pick. Ducks posted a studly 524 yards of total offense, which was a huge reversal from the team that lost so badly to Boise State opening week. The Ducks held Jahvid Best to 55 yards. Coming into the game he was averaging 137.5 yards per game.

2.) #9 Miami loses to #11 Virginia Tech. 31-7

A wet and sloppy game in Blacksburg that ended in a rout. Qb’s were the story in this one as Jacory Harris went 9/25 with 150 yards and a costly pick. His counterpart Tyrod Taylor was an efficient 4/9 with 98 yards and one td. Tyrod ran the ball at will and posted an impressive 10 carries for 75 yards. Both of these Qb’s had about the same overall yards in the game but there was a huge difference on the field. The Hoakies moved the ball whenever they wanted to, whereas the Canes offense was completely stagnant. The Canes were 1/11 on 3rd down. The Canes converted TE Graham is a physical specimen at 6’8, and was a 4 year starter for the basketball program but he had two crucial drops that killed drives. The Canes were quite simply dominated on the field. The Hoakies posted 272 yards of rushing, while the Canes put up a paltry 59 yards of rushing.

3.) Iowa knocks off #5 Penn St. 21-10

For the second year in a row Iowa has upset Penn St. They have now won 7/8 ball games. The Iowa special teams and defense stepped up big in this one, with a blocked punt for a touchdown and a safety. Also of note, Qb Darryl Clark essentially took himself out of the Heisman running. Clark came into the game with 8 td’s and 3 picks. Verse Iowa Clark threw 3 picks and only 1 td. Clark started the game hot going 5/5 and tossing a td on his first drive. However, he finished up the game going 7/27 the rest of the way and looked lost and overmatched on the field.

By: Morgan Spokny

Featured on the September 17th, 2009 show: The Carl Banks poker/blackjack tournament

2009-09-17T23:24:00.008-04:00

The man himself, none other than.... insert drumroll.....followed by a standing ovation.... a NY Giant legend...... Carl Banks dropped in to show the BLSS some love tonight. If you call yourself a football fan, than you had better checkout the interview. Carl let's us know how he feels about this years Jets/Giants squads, and let's just say that he's very happy to be living in NY this year.

Also be sure to check out the Carl Banks poker/blackjack tournament. For all those ladies out there who don't want to play card games, fear not, Carl has taken care of you and there will be plenty of fun and games to keep you happy and occupied as well. We're talking about a full martini bar, and pedicures. Sounds like Carl knows how to get those ladies out to an event!

http://www.marinersbk.com/CarlBanks_MarinersBankCelebrityGolfPokerTourn.html

Featured on the September 10th, 2009 show: NJ HS Sports Network website

2009-09-11T19:23:00.006-04:00

http://www.njhssportsnetwork.com/

A topic of discussion featured on the BLSS:

Chris Olsen, veteran head football coach at Wayne Hills High, doesn't like his team playing in a new conference.

His quarterback, senior Mike Quinn, thinks it's a good thing.

But no matter what anyone thinks, the conference realignment, which affected everything north of Middlesex County, is here to stay for all scholastic sports. And perhaps no team in any sport will be quite as affected as the Wayne Hills football team.

Wayne Hills has won five consecutive sectional titles and 52 straight games -- the third-longest winning streak in state football history. Should the Patriots go 12-0 for the fifth straight year, they would break the all-time state record of 63 consecutive victories set by Paulsboro from 1992-98. Randolph is second on the state list with a streak of 54 triumphs, which ended in 1991.
But this season, thanks to the realignment that moved Wayne Hills from the North Bergen Interscholastic Athletic League to the North Jersey Tri-County League's Division 3, the Passaic County power will have to go up against nine unfamiliar opponents -- including a couple of state powers in their own right."The new schedule is good for everyone," Quinn said. "It will show everyone how good our team really is. I look forward to the challenge."

That challenge will include facing West Essex on the road in North Caldwell in the season opener Friday night and perennial state powerhouse St. Joseph of Montvale in Week 4. West Essex reached the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 1, Group 2 championship game last season and St. Joseph won the Non-Public, Group 3 title."The new schedule won't really affect us," Quinn said. "It's just a different level of play. I think our team is good enough to play with any team in the state, but we will really be tested from the first game against West Essex. We just play whoever they put in front of us. Do the same things, which means do whatever it takes to get the win."
Wayne Hills will get to face rival Wayne Valley in a rare cross-town contest on Sept. 25, but Olsen is irritated by the fact that Wayne Hills will lose traditional rivalry games against Ramapo, Old Tappan and Pascack Valley under the new conference alignment.

"The last 15 years we've had one of the greatest rivalries in the state with Ramapo, and to not be playing them anymore makes no sense," said Olsen, whose team has not lost since a 24-20 defeat to Ramapo on Oct. 29, 2004. "Those rivalries are what high school sports are all about. It was one of the worst days in the history of sports in New Jersey when the state sent out those guidelines saying they were going to realign."

Wayne Hills isn't the only school whose schedule has undergone a complete overhaul.
The realignment has thrown teams together from different parts of the state as the new football leagues fight through growing pains in their inaugural season.

Consider:
Last season there were 72 football games pitting a team from Essex County against a team from neighboring Morris. With the advent of the Super Essex Conference and the Northwest Jersey Conference, there will be only five Essex/Morris crossover games this season.

The Greater Middlesex Conference remains intact, but smaller schools lost games with Union County members of the Mountain Valley Conference. The GMC forged an alliance with the Shore Conference, and that set up a non-conference matchup at 11 a.m. Sunday at Rutgers Stadium, where Piscataway will face Howell. Piscataway also will play Toms River North this season and Howell is scheduled to face Woodbridge and Sayreville.

The Thanksgiving Day game between East Orange Campus and Barringer will be revived after a 15-year absence. It was one of the oldest continuously run public school holiday rivalries (97 straight through 1993) in the country. The game is set for 10 a.m. on Thanksgiving at East Orange. Barringer won the last meeting, 42-0, but East Orange leads the series, 49-39-9.
The formation of the Super Essex Conference means West Essex and Newark Central can finally start playing Essex County teams again. West Essex, long a member of the Iron Hills Conference-Hills Division, has played only four Essex schools since 1988. Central has played only one Essex opponent -- Verona, in 2002 -- since the Newark City League disbanded after the 1988 season.

Pope John, a parochial school in rural Sussex County, will face urban Essex County power Irvington tomorrow in Sparta. Both schools are filling an open date in their schedule caused by the realignment.

Whether or not the realignment derails Wayne Hills on its way to making state history remains to be seen. But with Quinn at quarterback, junior standout Brian Dowling in the backfield and star linemen Chris Fonti, Ryan Salerno and Nick Tumminello, Olsen said the schedule shouldn't make a difference.

"St. Joseph will be tough, but as far as the schedule goes, it's always tough," he said. "Our first goal is always to get to the championship game and our second goal is to win it. Winning every game is third. I'm not naive, I know we're not going to win every game in the history of Wayne Hills football. That's just not going to happen."

Quinn agreed that the streak is secondary to winning another state title. But losing a game, no matter what team Wayne Hills plays, is not an option, he said.
"It would be catastrophic," he said. "I'd be very upset just thinking about the people who played here before us, the kids who played on undefeated teams who worked so hard to make a name for the program. I would be upset and the team would be upset. I think it would destroy me.

"Then I think we would get back up and rip apart our next opponent."

By: Ed Murray

http://www.njhssportsnetwork.com/

D-Wade:Feautred guest September the 8th, 2009

2009-09-11T11:43:00.005-04:00

Profile

Dwyane Tyrone Wade is a member of the Miami Heat. He was selected with the 5th overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. From unheralded draft pick to fast evolving NBA star, Dwyane Wade has experienced a whirlwind career in fewer than two years. Perhaps this might have been expected of a player widely known as “Flash”.

In his first season (2003-04), the Chicago-area native who also flashed his athletic brilliance for Marquette University, achieved NBA All-Rookie Team status with the Miami Heat. Before he knew it, Dwyane was an Olympian, representing the United States in the 2004 Athens Summer Games. Now he’s a major catalyst behind the Heat’s current NBA campaign with a new teammate and admirer, former L.A. Laker Shaquille O’Neal.

O’Neal is on the record saying that Dwyane is the most phenomenal second-year player he has seen since himself, and has praised his young teammate for possessing “fire” and “heart”, and all of the qualities of a great competitor as the Heat have emerged as the team to beat in the NBA’s Eastern Conference. Dwyane joined the Heat as the fifth pick of the 2003 NBA Draft. In 56 starts, Dwyane averaged a solid 16.2 points in 35 minutes per game, and was one of the reasons the Heat emerged as an unlikely #4seed in the 2004 playoffs.

Yet it was Dwyane’s all-world showing in the playoffs that solidified his spot as one of the NBA’s brightest young performers. Wade led the Heat in scoring in seven of the team’s 13 playoff games. Dwyane’s heroics in Games Five and Six of the opening round led the Heat past the New Orleans Hornets and into the Conference semifinals against the top-seeded Indiana Pacers. While the Heat could not subdue the powerful Pacers, Dwyane left his mark on the series with monster dunks and an average of 21 points per game.

There was little time afforded Dwyane to reflect on all of that. In the summer of 2004, he averaged 7.3 points, playing 17.5 minutes in the eight games played by Team USA on its eventful journey in Athens to an Olympic bronze medal last August. Dwyane was the No. 2 rated team member in registering steals against Olympic opponents, averaging slightly more than two per game.

With a similar meteoric rise in college, Dwyane catapulted Marquette to the 2003 Final Four. In two years at Marquette he became one of the most decorated players in school history where he averaged 19.7 points per game, had 150 steals and 79 blocked shots. That was upstaged only by Dwyane’s history making NCAA Tournament triple-double (against No. 1 ranked Kentucky) to take the Golden Eagles to the Final Four for the first time since 1977.

The first Marquette player since 1978 to earn Associated Press First Team All-America, a United States Basketball Writers First Team All-American and a National Association of Basketball Coaches Second Team All-American, Wade was a finalist for the Wooden, Naismith and Oscar Robertson awards. He burst onto the national radar when ESPN The Magazine nominated him in 2002 as Shooting Guard of the Year. Wade was the Conference USA 2003 Player, and Defensive Player of the Year for what would be his last season in college.

It was all a fast ride for Wade who concentrated on academics his freshman year at MU as a partial qualifier from Richards High in Oak Lawn, Ill. His senior year the team was 24-5 and gained a berth in the title game of the Illinois Class AA tournament.

Bounce Mag. Featured August 27th, 2009

2009-08-27T22:02:00.003-04:00

http://www.bouncemag.com/2009/08/25/boost-mobile-elite-24-2009-gives-the-fans-what-they-came-for/

Rants and raves of an avid baseball fan about steroids

2009-08-16T23:58:00.021-04:00

Let’s talk about steroids in sports. I hate to chime in on an already well documented issue but I feel that it is time that I do so. As an avid 22 year old sports fan I have had the great opportunity to observe the dynamics of the game, day in and day out for nearly the last two decades. I have a great perspective on the issues at hand because I have viewed the game completely impartially and have no vested financial interest in the game. My involvement as an avid fan and consumer is purely driven by the fact that I love the competition and entertainment the game brings to my life. The owners, players, and media all profit off of the game, but not the fan. We show up and we follow because we care. The fan wasn’t good enough to make it to the big show but we all wish we were. We admire the work ethic and the desire it takes to be a big leaguer and we live vicariously through our favorite players and teams.

It’s a sad day when you see your favorite player listed in the paper for using steroids, women fertility drugs, HGH, or even speed. We want our heroes to be clean and “the real deal”, and it definitely leaves you wondering if what you thought you were watching was really baseball or WWF wrestling. None of the recent steroid allegations and headlines surprises me, or the avid fan. As a youngster I knew something was fishy. I played ball growing up and I had a grasp for the sheer strength and desire it took to be a pro at an early age. Even to an uneducated, 8 year old untrained eye these guys looked freakishly huge and anyone could tell that they were much bigger than other players from previous eras. I always figured that at least 80 percent of athletes if not more were on some sort of steroid. None of the recent leaks or positives have shocked me in the least. It seems like an oxymoron to call a player clean nowadays. What players are truly clean? Every player takes something. You can claim all you want that your favorite player is only hitting protein shakes and herbal supplements but I’m not buying it. If you have ever played sports you know that it takes a special personality to make a pro athlete. You have to be able to handle pain and most importantly keep playing even when you’re sick of the game. Most guys you talk to tell you that they stopped playing a given sport in high school. You have to be a winner and you have to want to win to be a successful athlete. These guys live with the mindset that they must do whatever it takes to be the best at whatever they do. You’re a hypocrite to ask professional athletes to dedicate their mind and body to the game, but not want them to use something that has been proven to enhance their performance. If you could take a pill that made you a better talk show host, doctor, lawyer or politician how could you not take it? Performance enhancers are not a new trend. Players have always attempted to one up the competition. Arguably the greatest Centerfielder of all time, Willie Mays allegedly used uppers during his playing career and I think it is safe to say that he wasn't the only one of his era to dabble. Willie's alleged amphetamine usage was first reported during the 1980's drug hearings by John Milner a former teammate of Mays. There is an inherit pressure to use in sports because players have a relatively short career and are constantly under pressure to perform or they will lose the job and be replaced by the next up and comer. 30 teams and roughly a few hundred roster spots make it incredibly alluring to use anything and everything you can find to improve your chances and earning potential. I love sports, but honestly I have lost all faith that any of the top athletes really competes with a clean slate. With that said, it's not fair to point fingers at athletes of our generation who use steroids because most athletes given the opportunity to enhance their performance will do so. Would Mickey Mantle use steroids if given the chance? I'm 100 percent sure he would, although we obviously have no way of proving this speculation. Mantle already had a tendency to abuse his body and given the chance to enhance his abilities I'm sure he would have taken any risks. Players back in the day abused amphetamines because that was the technology of the day, but if steroids were more readily available I'm sure they would have used them as well. Ballplayer ethics have not changed, the technology and advancement of performance enhancers has changed.

What makes me pissed off is not that my favorite players were roided beasts, but that everyone in the media and even baseball officials seem to discredit the incredible achievements that have been accomplished during the era I have been an avid fan. What makes me sick is that Bud Selig and the players union led by Donald Fehr, had a chance to stem these problem years ago, but because both parties are so self interested and arrogant no compromise could be reached. Columnist Dave Newhouse put it best when he wrote this comment recently, "Selig is the owners' servant; thus he tiptoes through the steroid garden, picking as few weeds as possible, always protecting his green (as in money) thumb. Manny Ramirez, out two months? Should have been one year minimum. Selig monitors the game instead of protecting its future".

If either party really wanted to address steroids in baseball they could have implemented a real testing policy. The fact remains in my mind that steroids have been a part of all sports since the 1970’s. Owners silently love steroids because they improve the product they sell. They love roided out players because they bring in fans and fans spend ridiculous amounts of hard earned cash at the ball park. Much like our government, sports owners only claim to care about things publicly so that they can claim plausible deniability down the road. Players love being roided out because they want to be the best at what they do and this is a tool that allows them to excel past even their god given ability. If the owners, commissioner and players really cared about the avid fan or steroids they would have agreed to a real testing policy back in 1994. They would have implemented a real strategy to combat steroids, one that included rigorous hair follicle and blood testing. Note, even the current piss test does not detect many forms of steroids and there remains no test that detects HGH.

Technology and medical advances will always attempt to prevail and you cannot stop the use of steroids, but you can attempt to curtail the rampant usage in the league. However, again the owners do not really want to stop steroids, they just want to patch the damaged situation and move forward as is. If the union and commissioner really cared about their players they would implement a strong suspension system and make a public statement that steroid use in the league will not be tolerated. One positive, you’re out for the year. A second positive and you’re banned. A strong policy from the start and you could have saved the game a lot of negative publicity, but no, you didn’t want to concede to testing because the players were guilty of using and the owners even more guilty of enabling. Due to the lack of accountability by both parties the only action a player can implement to clear his name nowadays is to drop their pants and piss into a cup, extract a hair follicle from their bulging head, prick themselves in their exploding arms for blood, and offer to take a lie detector test after each and every game. As silly as that sounds that is the only way anyone can keep a clean name in this day and age, during the infamous time of shadows. If Pujols, Jeter, Chipper, and company want to make it into the hall with a clean slate the time is now to make a public statement and demonstrate that they are clean and willing to go to any extent to prove this fact. Unfortunately between the two of us this is a fallacy and will never happen because there is no such thing as a clean player anymore.

By: Morgan Spokny

Senior Editor, Bottom Line Sports Show

You can check out more of my stuff live every Tuesday/Thursday on the Bottom Line Sports Show @ 9 PM Eastern.

blogtalkradio.com/bline

Big Time Athletes, Interviews, and Attitude

8/4 Show recap: Feature guests- Ben Gordon and Antawn Jamison

2009-08-09T17:14:00.004-04:00

Dear, Bottom Line Sports Nation

First we'd like to thank all of our fans who had a chance to support the show Tuesday night. We had another superb show and our showing in the chat room was strong, to quite strong. But that should be expected, because every week at the Bottom Line Sports Show we bring you Big Time Athletes, Interviews and Attitude. Incase you didn’t have a chance to listen, be sure to look up this one in our archived section. Your going to want to hear what these two NBA legends have to think about just about everything. Let’s just say as a tease that Antawn Jamison is a big fan of getting outside and playing away from the computer. I can’t blame him, and in fact I totally agree. Computers have been an amazing invention and have revolutionized the way we conduct business but have also led to human isolation, laziness and if anyone has ever had to deal with an error message from a printer or virus, general unhappiness.

Furthermore on a more serious note, during Tuesday’s show we discussed the status of WR Plaxico’s Burress legal troubles and the recent speculation of his imminent jail sentence. The District Attorney has already promised that Plax will serve at least 3.5 years in jail, if not more. This situation is extremely saddening and unfortunately for Plax he messed up big time, rules are rules, and he must face the consequences of his actions. In just a few months Plax has gone from the hero of NY to a convict. His young career ends in a tragic fashion at a time when his value and talent was at a pinnacle. The crime does not fit the crime, but unfortunately for Plax the District Attorney can’t let him slide because he must apply the law in a fair and consistent manner. Donte Stallworth commits vehicular manslaughter and serves less than a month in jail. Plax shoots himself in the leg, harming no one, certainly not killing anyone and he is the one serving multiple years in a state penitentiary. Go figure!

Alright well be sure to check out this episode to hear everything that both Ben and Antawn have to say. Also if you haven’t heard already, we have expanded to a second day. You can now get twice the coverage and interviews!

Look for the Bottom Line Sports Show every Tuesday and Thursday @ 9 eastern!

Thanks again for all the support and stay tuned for a big news item in the coming weeks!

BLSS

Big Time Iterviews, Athletes and Attitude

By: Morgan Spokny

2009 NFL Preseason Preview

2009-08-09T00:22:00.027-04:00

The 2009 NFL season is just around the corner and it’s never too early to start playing the guessing game about who win it all next year. The Steelers are the champions now, but will they be able to retain the title? The NFL is a league designed to ensure parity and a few small moves here and there can drastically alter the final outcome for an organization. As we have seen for the last few decades since the inception of free agency and the hard salary cap, it is incredibly difficult for a team to win back to back championships, let alone assemble a dynasty. In fact the reality of the situation is that most teams that make the super bowl and lose fail to even make the playoffs the following year. It is a brutally hard feat to replicate a winner every year and most teams that are able to end up paying the price down the road and must rebuild in order to make another run. The off-season was quite busy and there were quite a few significant roster changes around the league. Lets not waste any time, without further ado, here is a dissection and preview of the 2009 NFL season.

The biggest name to change teams this off-season was clearly none other than the sideshow extraordinaire Wide Receiver Terrell Owens. As we touched on a few weeks back on the show, Terrell has been busy attempting to amend his image on his highly amusing VH1 series, The T.O. show. If you haven’t checked it out yet, be sure to do so. It quite simply is superb. You can check him working out in the pool with rubber bands in his hilly humble abode. Or better yet, buying $100,000 earrings only days after being cut for his on and off-field shenanigans. But wait, there is more, did I mention that you can watch him attempt to explain his final talks with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones prior to being released, using only a white board, pen and some sort of analogy involving a ring of trust. If your'e confused, don't worry, I literally witnessed the entire event unfold several times and still have no idea what he was trying to convey. What I can tell you is that the show is down right ridiculous, and whether your a fan or not, you will be entertained. Who wouldn’t find all this highly amusing? But on a serious note, the man who has been known to sack more Qb’s than Julius Peppers and Dwight Freeney combined has taken his show from Dallas to Buffalo. T.O. brings with him a long legacy of verbally assaulting his quarterbacks and that most certainly won‘t stop this year. If he starts attacking Bills Quarterback Trent Edwards, the Bills will be in serious trouble, but it will definitely serve as a hilarious reality program. If only they could play this on VH1! Sadly I fear that they do have the technology for such an undertaking.

The second biggest name to trade alliances this off-season was Quarterback Jay Cutler. Cutty forced his way out of Denver and ended up in Chicago. Wow, what a solid move for the Bears. Spot on to the Bears for sacking up and making the big move. Cutty for Orton was a terrible trade and the Broncos are going to fall apart this year. Orton was supposed to be a Heisman winning Qb back in the day, but his career has fallen apart and he has proven more than once that he doesn’t have the makeup or talent to be an elite Qb. What is going to change this year, and why did the Broncos go after this guy? Cutler will carry a huge burden on his shoulders this year as he is looked to as a savior to the Bears seemingly nonexistent ability to fill the Qb position. I love the kid and am predicting big things for the Bears this year. Cutty is a diabetic who is just starting to understand how to regulate his body and I think he’s going to fit well with the club and the fans in the windy city.

The New York Jets also attempted to make a big splash during the off-season by acquiring, Cornerback Lito Sheppard from the Philadelphia Eagles and inking up yet another beastly former Raven Linebacker, Bart Scott. The Jets look like a team on a march for a title, and if you’re a Jet fan your quite pleased with all the changes around town. If only the team had an established Qb, this group could contend for a championship, but realistically they are still a season away from doing anything. New head coach Rex Ryan brings a defensive mindset and the Jets will have a studly defense this year. Maybe one of the best Jet defenses ever. Jenkins and Ellis are two of the best DL’s in the league and will plug the hell out of the line, stopping the run completely. Revis and Rhodes will shut down the secondary and Scott will kill everything in between. The Jets lost Brett Favre to retirement, but drafted USC pretty boy, Mark Sanchez in the draft to replace the void. Favre subsequently toyed with the Vikings and then finally blew them off. Brett clearly wants to play and we haven't heard the last from him. It sure sounds to me when you clear through all the smoke and mirrors that he wants to heal up his surgically repaired arm and it wouldn’t surprise me if he makes another run at it next year. Favre always gets the itch to play once June or July comes along, and it’s going to hurt him a ton once he watches the year fly by without him. It won't surprise me a bit if we hear about Favre signing later in the year.

In other news, the Jacksonville Jaguars parted ways with long-time RB, Fred Taylor. The highly talented but injury prone Taylor left Jacksonville to sign with the veteran-laden New England Patriots and will make a formidable tandem alongside Maroney. The Jaguars let Fred walk but signed a legend of their own in Wide Receiver Torry Holt. Holt will be looked on to fill holes on the Jags offense. Matt Jones and Jerry Porter both left and the Jags will need Torry to step it up if they are to win a championship. If their defense can improve and Jags Quarterback David Garrard can rebound from a subpar year in 2008, the Jags could make a strong showing as a dark horse, but they certainly will not viewed as a favorite out of the gate.

With that said here is a breakdown and power ranking for the 2009 NFL season.

Top of the charts: The penthouse dwellers

The Steelers claim the top spot by default by virtue of being the defending champions. The familiar faces, Roethlisberger, Parker, Hines, Holmes are back and these guys quite simply know how to get it done. Holmes came on strong last postseason and it looks like he may even have more some untapped potential left in the tank. Smith and Hampton for a solid defensive line and Harrison, Farrior and Woodley are one of the most talented linebacker trios in the league. Another top defensive season is a given for this infamous franchise. A new steel curtain is amongst us, brace yourself.

With that said as much as I love the Steelers, I feel like the Patriots will end up winning it all. A healthy Brady will knock the champs out. A “Rumble in the Jungle” is a strong, to quite strong possibility. The Steelers come into the year having a similar team as the one that won the Super Bowl last season. You can’t bump the Champs, because they have the belt. Rules are rules, and I am a man of ethics.

The Patriots claim the second spot because they have a healthy Tom Brady, and are returning with a proven combo of receivers in Randy Moss and Wes Welker. This team did go 16-0, just two seasons ago and still managed to go 11-5 despite losing Tommy Boy for the entire season. They kept on ticking, and patched the quilt with Cassell. Keep in mind Cassell had never started at any level since high school. This kid rode the bench behind Leinhart at USC and was drafted despite never starting a game while at USC. He supsequently sat behind Brady and only last year had a chance to show his stuff. When he was finally given a chance he was thrown into the fire, and he responded like a champ. Cassell is a true testament to the system and despite what is said about the Pat’s cheating, they know how to scout and they know how to assemble a winning product. Moss and Brady set almost every offensive record imaginable in their first season together, imagine what they could do with more experience and time to acclimate.

The Giants are number three because they will be fielding yet another balanced squad. The physically freakish RB Brandon Jacobs will have another sick line in front of him and he will run rampant this year. The Plax, misfired in more than one way this year, and it really is a silly and sad waste of talent. The crime does not fit the crime. The Giants will miss Plax because he was not only a good WR, he physically dominated other teams at the edges while Jacobs punished the middle. If they can manage to replace his height and ability at the WR position they may be able to rival the champs but the early outcome looks grim. They will be serious contenders but Plax cost them a shot. The hero of the town instantly becomes a cursed man. It surely is a sad sight and I will personally miss his presence this year.

The Eagles steal the number four slot this year. The soaring Eagles are fielding what looks to be an elite squad. As long as Qb Donovan McNabb can stay healthy, the Eagles should contend in a tough NFC East. Look for Westbrook and the run game to destroy opponents this year. Westbrook is a studly, versatile joy stick HB and the line led by Peters, the Andrews boys, Herremans and Jackson will provide the necessary blocking for this offense to truly blossom. Jackson proved to be more than a special teams player, once again proving the scouts and skeptics wrong. The small and swift WR showed us last year that he seems to have what it takes to lead an offense. The defense is once again solid. Cournerbacks Samuel and Brown will shutdown the passing game and you can count on this team to be in the postseason.

The Ravens round out the top five because of their consistently elite defense, strong running game and up and coming pass offense. If second-year Quarterback Joe Flacco can continue to mature and can build on his success from last year they could easily challenge the Steelers in the AFC North. The WR’s are a little weak and this remains a weak spot on the team, yet again. It seems like every year this team refuses to make any moves to improve the WR talent, but at least they signed TE L.J. Smith. Smith and Todd Heap should make a formidable TE tandem and that is a bright spot for Flacco, who will have two superb TE’s who he can throw to on check downs. The Ravens lost Jonathan Ogden but did sign Matt Birk so they line was not completely decimated when he retired earlier this off-season.

Complete Rundwon: 2009 NFL Rankings

1. Pittsburgh Steelers - The Steelers just won their 6th Super Bowl in franchise history, and coming into the season they are the favorites to win a 7th. They have a solid defense and Big Ben has evolved into a very clutch big money Qb. 12-4

2. New England Patriots - The Patriots didn't make the playoffs last year despite going 11-5, losing out to the surprising wildcat Dolphin offense. They showed us that despite considerable bad luck they could compete every Sunday. Look for another record breaking year in New England. 13-3

3.New York Giants - The Giants are a great all around team with a dominate run attack. The return of Osi Umenyiora will do wonders for the defense and they will once again return to form. Justin Tuck and Osi are two of the most feared DE’s in the league and together they will shut down defenses and gobble up Qb’s. The loss of Plaxico will drastically hurt this team, as the only reason they were able to the beat the Patriots a few years ago was because they were physically superior in height and strength and were able to overmatch the Patriots superior skill, technique and game plans. Plax was a huge piece and a major reason they were so physical. Eli Manning will not be the same Qb without Plax in the starting lineup. Smith, Hicks, and Hixon will have to step up big time. My money is on the rest of the field but they are still a mighty fierce squad. 12-4

4. Philadelphia Eagles - If you saw how the Eagles were able to end the year then you know why they deserve the number 4 spot. An improved offense meets and already superb defense and boom, good things happen. Note to the rest of the league, here is yet another franchise that has found the formula that is guaranteed to work. 11-5

5. Baltimore Ravens - The Ravens will give the Steelers some serious competition in the north. Joe Flacco looked great at times last year and the Ravens are hoping that he can continue to mature. To try and help him along, they brought him a new a toy. Enter L.J. Smith, a physical guy who has a ton of potential but has yet to really enter the elite realm. The defense led by Ray Lewis and Ed Reed will be stellar but the losses at LB of Bart Scott and Adalius Thomas will take a toll and they will not be able to overtake the Steelers. Watch for HB Ray Rice to have a sweet year. McGahee fantasy owners may be upset with another man trying to steal his numbers, but Baltimore fans will be tickled to death to watch these guys brutalize defenses. 11-5

6. San Diego Chargers - After just squeaking into the playoffs, the Chargers will bounce back in a strong way. Philip Rivers has a huge mouth but he has the game to back it up. Ladanian Tomlinson is on the decline, but Sproles is a human ping bong and will continue to impress this year. 11-5

7. Arizona Cardinals - After making it exceedingly far last year and literally defying physics, we were alerted to the fact that Arizona is a threat. After threats of breaking up the team, it seems as if both Boldin and Warner will end up staying, so that equates to another dominant passing attack. They are poised to make another deep run in the playoffs, especially with the less-than-stellar NFC West. The Rams are on the down slide, the 49ers, and SeaHawks on the up’s. 11-5

8. Chicago Bears - This team has all the pieces to compete, and they finally landed the quality Qb they have been missing for decades. Matt Forte proved to be a feature back with a ton of agility, speed and overall talent. 11-5

9. Carolina Panthers - Last year the Panthers featured a dominate run, and that is exactly what they are going to do this year. Jonathan Stewart now has one more year of experience under his belt, which will make him even more deadly. The combined 1-2 of DeAngelo Williams and Johnathan Stewart will easily surpass 2,000 rushing yards and I wouldn’t be surprised if they make a strong case for 2,500 yards. Look for the Panthers to be at the top of NFC next year. 10-6

10. Indianapolis Colts - The loss of Tony Dungy and company will hurt the Colts. They will still make the playoffs because they still have Peyton Manning throwing to Reggie Wayne, but the loss of Harrison and the lack of defense will be too much for them to overcome. Bob Sanders is a stud, but he’s proved time and time again that he is too small to make it through the entire season without sustaining an injury. The team rocked in the second half last year, so let's not totally count them out. 10-6

11. Atlanta Falcons - What seemed like a complete fiasco, quickly took a 180 last year for the Dirty Birds. Atlanta quickly moved past Vick and nowadays it is all about Matt Ryan in Atlanta. Ryan has a much more accurate arm than his predecessor Vick, and Roddy White and company finally showed their talent once someone could throw them the ball consistently. I love Vick and still believe he can help a team, but you can’t argue with what works and Ryan works in Atlanta because he can distribute the ball. Michael Turner will once again be the feature back, and he will be looked on to carry the pill quite frequently. 9-7

12. Washington Redskins - The Redskins are a good team that just got substantially better when they signed Haynesworth to a $ 100 million dollar deal. Look for Clinton Portis to be back at the top of his game in 2009 and the Redskins to make a serious push for the division. 9-7

13. Houston Texans - The Texans did a great job last year making positive gains. They had one of the most dominating offenses in the NFL led by Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson. Mario Williams continued to step up his game and answered all the critics who wanted the franchise to draft Reggie Bush. Steve Slaton is a unique back who was arguably the best rookie running back last year, ahead of C. Johnson and M.Forte. 9-7

14. Seattle Seahawks- They were terrible last year, but I like the additions of Julius Jones and T.J.Houshmanzadeh. T.J and DeionBranch form a sold WR tandem. They also have a great Defense led by Tatupu, Trufant, Curry, and Kerney. Look for big things out the Seahawks this year and if things go well and the pieces gell they could slide up the power rankings very quickly. 9-7

15. New Orleans Saints - The Saints are real solid, and I'm still on the Reggie Bush bandwagon. We’ve all seen his incredible talent but he’s been plagued by injuries. The defense is decent, but not amazing. Brees is a beast and the offense is once again very potent. They have a chance to make the playoffs, but may still be a year away. If they can sneak in, they are incredible threat to win it all. 8-8

16. Dallas Cowboys - A year removed from the T.O experiment the Cowboys will look to Roy Williams to fill the void, and while he has yet to show any real worth, I still am a fan and will give him the benefit of the doubt. Look for a rebuild year for Roy Roy. The coaching is too soft, and Wade Philips is a bad excuse for a coach. Another year removed from Parcells, and another year worse. 8-8

17. Minnesota Vikings - Adrian Peterson is a beast and comes into the season as the number 1 fantasy back in the league. While he certainly is a bright spot, their QB situation is still atrocious. Neither Tavaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels are franchise QB‘s and this will once again hinder all chance of winning a championship. 8-8

18. Miami Dolphins - The Dolphins were one of the greatest comebacks in the history of sports last year. They went 11-5, following a season where they went 1-15. However with that said, I do not think they will be able to have repeat results in 2009 because the Patriots are healthy and will take the division. They will make a run at the wildcard and have an intriguing wildcat offense that features Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams and Pat white. 8-8

19. Jacksonville Jaguars - Garrard is a not that impressive, but "M.J.D" Maurice Jones Drew will continue to improve and his running will pick up the lack of passing offense. The team is solid everywhere and they remind me a lot of the Ravens. 7-9

20. Green Bay Packers - Even though they were 6-10 last year, I think the Packers will be much improved and have a good chance at making the playoffs. Aaron Rodgers had a good season last year and all signs point to the fact that he will be even better this season. A solid team with no major weakness, they also have no major strengths. 7-9

21. Tennessee Titans - After a great season last year, reality has settled in and the loss of Haynesworth will devastate this team. Big Albert was the heart of the team and his loss will hurt them dearly in the standings. Former USC star LenDale White, who has made a career in the NFL as a touchdown guru couldn’t seem to find his production at the end of the year, and I don't think Chris Johnson can stay healthy long enough to be a feature back. The defense will be good, but not good enough to take them to the Super Bowl in 09. 7-9

22. New York Jets - They went 9-7 last year and they have the framework for a solid team, but they lack the consistent and proven Qb. They lose Brett Favre, and the AFC East is very strong. They won’t be able to survive in the tough division starting either Clemens or Sanchez and it will doom any chances they may have had. 7-9

23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - I’m sure Buccaneers fans are still crying after their 4 game collapse last year and unfortunately this years record will be even worse. A year older, and there are glaring holes all around the roster. Leftwich will get another shot to redeem his career and the run game gets a needed injection with the signing of Hb Ward. However, it’s a bad sign when your best WR, Antonio Bryant is a former reclamation project who the rest of the league neglected to sign. The O-line is solid but the D-line is young and needs some work. Chris Hovan is an above average DT and DE Gaines Adams has shown flashes of greatness. If Talib can step up as a rookie, then the Bucs have a chance, but realistically they can’t go that far with the pieces they currently have. Look for a stagnant offense that at times will struggles to score. 6-10

24. Cleveland Browns - Another disappointing showing last year, but things look brighter in Cleveland. Brady Quinn will have a big year and they will be on the cusp of making the playoffs. Thomas and Steinbach form the frame for a solid offensive line, and as long as Shaun Rodgers can control his weight, the Browns have a fixture on the defensive line. 6-10

25. Kansas City Chiefs - With new GM Scott Pioli, the Chiefs will be much improved, and will make a strong push to overtake the Chargers in the West. They enter the season without longtime franchise TE Anthony Gonzalez, but they did add Cassell and that will be enough to at least be a respectable team. 6-10

26. San Francisco 49ers - Frank Gore is a bright spot for this team, and they seemed to improve late last season under new coach Mike Singletary. However, They enter the season with a lot of question marks. Crabtree is threatening to hold out, and there are issues at Qb. If Hill or Smith can step it up, big things are possible, but that remains to be proven. 6-10

27. Buffalo Bills - The slump from last year continues. The addition of Terrell was huge, adding respectability to an otherwise silly franchise. But they lack an offensive line, Lynch enters the year a question mark, they have no Tight end and they are relying on an unproven Qb in Edwards. This roster stinks of mediocrity. 6-10

28. Denver Broncos - This team has the pieces but will not be going anywhere with Kyle Orton in the starting Qb slot. Coaching changes will break what was a proven running system in Denver and they will fail to make the playoffs. 5-11

29. Oakland Raiders - Last year was another year of untapped potential in the Bay, but things will start to turn around in 09. They made an unpopular and well documented pick in D. Heyward-Bey, and if he works out like any of their other recent lottery picks then he is in for a world of hurt. With that said, I love Darren McFadden and think he will bounce back in a major way in 09. The 4.2 sec/40 yard dash beast will be a fantasy stud, write it down. But the team will need another year before they can make any real run at things. 5-11

30. Cincinnati Bengals - Not much to say. They need serious help on defense and in the courtroom. Not even OchoCinco, Chad Johnson will be able to help them. Look for an improved team with a healthy Carson Palmer, but they still lack the depth at defense to compete at an elite level. 5-11

31. Detroit Lions - They picked up a stud in Georgia QB Matt Stafford and they will be much improved this year, but with that said they still have a lot of holes. The defensive line will need to improve before this team has any shot at legitimately competing. 2-14

32. St. Louis Rams - Marc Bulger is a good Qb, and Steven Jackson has proven to be a legit Hb, but the once plentiful WR group has been decimated by age and while the defense has improved, they still have still too many holes to compete. 2-14

NFC EAST W L
NY Giants 11 5
Philadelphia 11 5
Washington 9 7
Dallas 8 8

NFC NORTH W L
Chicago 11 5
Minnesota 8 8
Green Bay 7 9
Detroit 2 14

NFC SOUTH W L
Carolina 10 6
Atlanta 9 7
New Orleans 8 8
Tampa Bay 6 10

NFC WEST W L
Arizona 11 5
Seattle 9 7
San Francisco 6 10
St. Louis 2 14

AFC EAST W L
New England 13 3
Miami 11 5
NY Jets 7 9
Buffalo 6 10

AFC NORTH W L
Pittsburgh 12 4
Baltimore 11 5
Cleveland 6 10
Cincinnati 5 11

AFC SOUTH W L
Indianapolis 10 6
Houston 9 7
Jacksonville 7 9
Tennessee 7 9

AFC WEST W L
San Diego 12 4
Kansas City 6 10
Denver 5 11
Oakland 5 11

By: Morgan Spokny, Senior Editor, Bottom Line Sports Show

You can check out more of my stuff live every Tuesday/Thursday on the Bottom Line Sports Show @ 9 PM Eastern.

http://blogtalkrado.com/bline

Big Time Athletes, Interviews, and Attitude

The show features a superb collection of archived interviews with legends like Vince Carter, Patrick Ewing, Allan Houston, Chris Bosh and many many more

2009-07-30T20:41:00.014-04:00

MLB news and notes: An in depth 2009 trade deadline dissection and review

With the looming July 31st trade deadline less than a day away, it's seems only fitting that we recap the biggest moves that have transpired so far this season. In just a few weeks a handful of trades have drastically altered the landscape of the league. Postseason contenders tinkered in an attempt to plug holes and the usual perennial cellar dwellers once again frivolously unloaded anything with talent and or salary in an alleged attempt to become more viable in the future. With that said, here is a breakdown of each trade that has taken place so far leading up to the 2009 trade deadline.

Phillies and Indians- Acquired pitchers Carlos Carrasco, Jason Knapp, infielder Jason Donald, and catcher Lou Marson from the Philadelphia Phillies for pitcher Cliff Lee and outfielder Ben Francisco.

After weeks of heated negotiations the Phillies finally gave up on trying to pry Roy Halladay from Toronto, but Cliff Lee is no doubt an amazing consolation prize that came at a much more affordable price. The former Cy Young winner leaves the team a year after the Indians were forced to deal Sabathia and it officially ends an era of Indian baseball that looked so promising only a few seasons ago. The once acclaimed trio of Sabathia, Lee and Carmona has disappeared into the wind, and it must be an incredibly sad for Tribe fans who I’m sure must be heartbroken and are wondering what could have been. I think Angels Centerfielder Torii Hunter put it best when he said this, "Man, the Phillies won the World Series last year with one great starter Cole Hamels] . . . Now they have two. They're going to be tough." Indeed they are Torri, indeed they are. The Dodgers were my early favorites to win it all and the rest of the league knew it too, as the Phillies and Cardinals both made big splashes in an attempt to try and even the playing field. Spot on to both teams for sacking up and making the needed moves.

Prospect breakdown

Carlos Carrasco- 2009 - #2 ranked for PHI. Carrasco has above average stuff (8 K’s/9) but has had issues with control throughout his time in the minors (3.6 BB’s/9). A career 4.14 era and 1.32 whip in the minors are not that impressive, and with a 5.18 era this year in AAA, Carrasco was certainly expendable. I don’t see much future for Carrasco in the big’s and Philly was lucky to be able to cash him in for something useful.

Jason Knapp- 2009 - #10 ranked for PHI. Knapp was the 71st overall player taken in 2008, and is currently in A ball. He has a lot to learn, and is definitely an unproven commodity. Knapp is the epitome of the word prospect. Knapp has solid stuff (11.6 K’s/9), (6.6 H/9) but is another guy that has at times struggled to find the strike zone (4 BB/9). As I said earlier when I discussed whether the Dodgers should make a run at Hallady, I have no problem shipping out a young A baller in a trade for an established player. Knapp looks to have potential, but he’s most certainly a project.

Jason Donald-2009 - #4 ranked for PHI. Donald was the 97th overall pick in 2006 and at 24 is now struggling at AAA where he is hitting a paltry .236. He does have above average power, but the rest of his game has many flaws. His contact and eye are below average and he’s not particularly quick. Again the prognosis for Donald doesn’t look to be very promising, and he was more than expendable.

Lou Marson- 2009 - #3 ranked for PHI. Marson was the 122nd overall player taken in 2004 and at 23 he has finally developed enough to be considered close to MLB ready. With that said he’s another fringe prospect in my opinion. Marson has a mere career .276 average, .760 ops and he has never hit more than 7 hr’s in any season in the minors. Those numbers don’t do much for me and I project Marson to be a career backup if he can even stick in the big leagues. Considering position scarcity and the relative lack of solid catchers in the big leagues, maybe I am being too critical, but I just don’t see anything about his game that I am particularly thrilled with. He does have an above average eye, but he can only utilize his patience if he can make contact, and that remains to be proven.

Grades- The only player I like in the deal is Knapp and he is years away from contributing. I’m going to go out and say it now, this was a terrible trade for Mark Shapiro and I honestly don’t understand how this was the best offer he received, especially considering how stingy the Jay’s have been with Halladay and the relative lack of good sp’s available.

Indians- D

Phillies- A+

Mariners and Pirates- Acquired first baseman Jeff Clement, shortstop Ronny Cedeno and pitchers Aaron Pribanic, Brett Lorin and Nathan Adcock from the Seattle Mariners for shortstop Jack Wilson and pitcher Ian Snell.

The Pirates continued to unload and have officially entered the running for the Bryce Harper sweepstakes. After years of trying to compete and failing miserably, they have waived the white flag and given up. As unpopular as the moves have been, I actually respect the fact that they have decided to rebuild and have chosen a direction for the franchise. Win big or give up and tank, it’s the American way! The Mariners pick up a decent hitting SS from my home city, Thousand Oaks and a reclamation project in Snell who has proven so far to be nothing more than a quadruple A spct. However I do like the pickup of Snell and think he has a chance to turn it around on a new club and finally fulfill his once promising potential. The kid did strike out 13 batters in a row at AAA. How could he not translate that K potential in the big show.

Prospect breakdown

Jeff Clement- 2008 - #1 ranked for SEA. Clement is a former 1st rd pick who was once considered to be one of the best catching prospects in baseball but his progress has been limited due to injuries, and he has been relegated to playing 1B. He has solid power and a well disciplined eye, but he has yet to show that he can hit for contact in the big’s. Even with the injuries and unproven contact, he has the potential to be a solid MLB player for many years and at 25 he is primed to show his stuff right now.

Ronny Cedeno- 2006 - #3 ranked for CHC. He was once a highly regarded prospect but he’s never been able to live up to the hype. He’s a career .238, .277, .616 guy in 5 plus years in the bigs. Enough said, he’s got a few more minutes of spotlight left and then he will most likely fade into the distance and be forgotten.

Aaron Pribanic- unrated. He’s 22, and only has one year of college ball under his belt. He’s 6-4, 200 and at least has the physical makeup to succeed. He is a relative unknown, but he is still young and has potential.

Brett Lorin- unrated. Lorin was the 162nd overall pick in 2008. He has solid stuff and although he has difficulty with his control I feel as though he will grow out of this once he matures as a pitcher. Consider him a younger Carrasco, with more upside.

Nathan Adcock- unrated. Nathan was the 141st selection in 2006 and he is still toiling in high A ball. He has shown above average stuff, but the control is an issue for him. He’s 21 so he still has some more life in him, but he’s been in the system for 5 years and he has yet to reach AA. Seems pretty expendable to me!

Grades- I think Snell will turn it around, and Wilson is a solid blue collar SS.

Mariners- B

Pirates- B

Giants and Pirates- Acquired infielder Freddy Sanchez from the Pittsburgh Pirates for pitcher Tim Alderson.

The Giants have been struggling to score runs all year and balked at the chance to sign any FA’s last off-season. They could have signed a guy like Bobby Abreu for 4 million dollars and given up no prospects, but instead they went out and traded one of their best prospects for an over paid middle infielder. With that said, if they had any shot at competing they needed to pick up a bat and at least they attempted to improve their anemic offense, which is a commendable feat for the Giants. The question remains, was adding the former batting champ enough to overtake the Dodgers, or even take the wildcard? Nope, I still like the Cardinals to win the Central and the Braves to end up taking the WC. So in essence I feel the Giants dealt away a stud for a chance at second place in the NL West. Well done gentleman, Sabean you never cease to amaze me.

Prospect breakdown

Tim Alderson- 2009 - #4 ranked for SF. Tim was the 22nd overall pick in 2007. The 20 year old Alderson has steadily progressed and is currently in AA. Although Tim is only the 4th highest prospect in the Giants organization, he is highly regarded and has star written all over him. Baring any major injuries this kid has the upside to be a legit stud in the league. He has superb stuff, control and he understands the art of pitching.

Grades- A hell of a lot to trade for a light hitting 2b. Couldn't the Giants package Alderson for Lee, Halladay, or Holliday? He is a top notch prospect and it seems odd to me that Giants didn't go after a more productive player if they were willing to part with Alderson. I realize the Giants have a plethora of pitching, but really? Sanchez has a career .756 OPS, which is terrible!

Giants- C-

Pirates- A-

Cardinals and A’s- Acquired outfielder Matt Holliday and cash considerations from the Oakland Athletics for third baseman Brett Wallace, pitcher Clay Mortensen and outfielder Shane Peterson.

The Cardinals already had a playoff contending team in my opinion and with the addition of Holliday they essentially became a lock to win the Central. Holliday, Ludwick, Ankiel and Rasmus roaming the outfield is just plain nasty. I love the vibe I get from this team and I feel like they are a dark horse to win it all. Pujols, Holliday, Carpenter and Wainwright form a solid nucleus. On the other hand you have got to give the wizard Billy Beane his due credit. He essentially flipped Carlos Gonzalez, Gallagher and company for a half season Holliday rental and when it didn’t work out for the A’s he was able to flip Holliday for Wallace. He tried to put together a winner and if it wasn’t for the terrible injuries to his young sp’s, things might have gone differently, but they didn’t and he was still able to save grace.

Prospect breakdown

Brett Wallace-2009 - #2 ranked for STL. Brett has good contact, exceptional power and plate discipline. He is a bit of a defensive liability but he’s got a big enough stick to overlook his fielding inefficiencies. He has been successful at every level, and will most likely be a solid contributor at the big league level very soon. Brett hit .410, and .423 while at ASU and has .301 average during his two seasons in the minors.

Clay Mortensen-2009 - #6 ranked for STL. Clay has posted a 4.28 era in three minor league seasons. Clay has above average stuff, but needs to work on the rest of his game. I don’t expect much from him, but Billy must have seen something to include him in a deal.

Shane Peterson- unrated. Shane has a solid eye and is the prototypical Athletic. Shane is not particularly athletic nor is he the best power hitter, but he does have some upside. Shane hit .390 while playing at Long Beach and has a .291 average in two minor league seasons.

Grades- The Cardinals are giving up on Wallace right as he was about to contribute, but you can’t complain too much because they finally landed the lineup protection for Pujols that they have so desperately needed for years. A good deal for both parties, but a slight edge to the Cardinals.

Cardinals- A-

A‘s- B

By: Morgan Spokny, Bottom Line Sports Show

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Rumors: Will Roy Halladay Get Traded?

2009-07-24T22:59:00.013-04:00

The highly anticipated Roy Hallday and for that matter Toronto Blue Jay’s sweepstakes has so far been very interesting, with rampant rumors and speculation a bound, but nothing substantial has happened in Toronto just quite yet. My gut instinct is that J.P. Ricciardi finally realizes that while the organization has been injected with talent, his current roster just isn’t going to ever leap frog the Yankees, Red Sox’s or the Rays in the East, and being a 4th place team this year and every year after for the next decade isn’t going to get him anywhere. He realizes that it is only going to hurt his draft picks, leaving the team in a state of mediocre purgatory. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, and if the team was in almost any other division in the league they could have easily been to the playoffs the last 5 years. But that isn’t the case, and the clock is ticking on Halladay’s playing days in Canada. The time is now to cash in on Halladay‘s trade value by restocking the farm system, completely rebuilding and starting over. Every day that he remains a Blue Jay, his trade value diminishes. The best offer the Blue Jays have found so far this year has come from the Phillies, who have been more than generous by offering their young stud Kyle Drabek, who is almost ready for the big leagues. Ricciardi is playing hard ball, waiting to see if anyone else will up the ante, but I don’t believe anyone will and the Phillies will inevitably force his hand, landing Halladay in Philly, and instantly solidifying the Phillies a spot in the NLCS alongside the Dodgers.

I realize that things need to change and so does J.P. Ricciardi. The problem for the Blue Jays, and the reason he has yet to be traded is that teams are not willing to move anything close to Halladay’s perceived value in Toronto. Word on the street is that the Blue Jays are asking for a kings ransom. For example, initial proposals with the Yankees and Dodgers include requests for franchise players like Phillip Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley, Matt Kemp, and Johnathan Broxton. Everyone has a different take on whether it would be a beneficial move. There are guys like Steve Phillips who think it would be a good idea for nearly every team to make the move. Logic like his sure helps to explain how during his tenure he ruined the Mets by stacking up on aging and expensive vets. Despite taking them to subway series in 2000, the Mets were in complete shambles after he left, and they still have never really developed any good young pitching since that point. Why would either team trade one of these players, or even think about packaging any of these players for a year and a half rental? I’m sorry, I love Halladay and he is a legit ace that can do a lot of great things for a team, but he is not worth a single one of those players. Let’s all try to remember that this is the same guy who has had been plagued by a bunch of small arm injuries throughout his career, and has logged an insane amount of innings along the way. I would completely change my position on this matter if he were signed long term, but again that is not the case, and until then I’d rather take my shot with an unproven commodity like a Kershaw, Hughes, Chamberlain, or Billingsley and ride the perpetual up’s and down’s associated with young pitching, than trade the world for a one and a half year rental who will end up walking out on us, leaving us empty handed with only a compensation sandwich pick to show for our once franchise player. The Blue Jay’s are hoping to get lucky, have a team cave in to their requests, hit the jackpot on a few draft picks, instantly turning the franchise around, saving baseball in Canada. Unfortunately in my opinion that is merely just wishful thinking, but more power to them if they can find a team that will yield to their requests and cough up the young proven players they desire.

Taking into consideration the variables of the deal, I would be very cautious to ship out any young, developed, or proven MLB players. I live in L.A. and follow the Dodgers and Mannywood everyday and I am honestly praying that we don’t make the mistake of succumbing to the pressure of adding Roy’s big name, if it will cost us Clayton, Billingsley, Kemp or even our closer Broxton. If the Jays are asking for any of the home grown talent to be included, I’d have to respectfully decline any deal.

A guy like Kershaw is on the up, and has the physical makeup to dominate for years. He is an absolute beast, with an insane curveball. He has really come into his own the last few months, just check out his last 10 or so starts and his wicked k/9 innings. He’s never had any injuries, not to mention he is a lefty, which is something all teams covet. Giving up a cheap stud like Kershaw who has yet to even hit arbitration is just too much even in a straight up swap. In my opinion trading any currently established core players such as Kershaw, Billinglsey, Kemp, or Broxton whom all have the potential to be just as good, if not better than Halladay just doesn’t make any financial or baseball sense for the Dodgers, or anyone for that matter

By: Morgan Spokny

Senior Editor, Bottom Line Sports Show

MLB News and Notes from around the league

2009-07-24T22:20:00.010-04:00

1. ” If the cubs don’t turn it around in the second half of the season, could Lou Piniella be in trouble?”

Sweet Lou is absolutely on the hot seat. I personally don’t think coaches make all that much difference in terms of win and losses but unfortunately someone has got to become the scapegoat for the cubs lackluster year. The cubs posted the best record in the league last year and then subsequently got bounced in the 1st rd. Piniella is considered an elite manager despite never winning a championship, but the excuse has always been that he has been stuck with mediocre teams (Seattle and Tampa Bay). He has always been considered a baseball man, but personally I don’t think his track record and reputation will save him if the team continues to stay around the .500 mark.

Is it Pinellas fault that the teams best hitter entering the year and leadoff hitter Alfonso Soriano is hitting .231, has a .294 OBP, a team leading 80 strikeouts and only 7 stolen bases. Is Soriano’s poor performance a question of motivation, or have his skills just started to deteriorate? I personally feel that he has started to slow down physically and has lost a few steps. Soriano has always been a free swinger with a bad eye at the plate. Do I think he’s a .231 hitter? No, but I think he’s closer to a .250- .260 average now at this point in his career.However it’s not just Soriano who has been slumping this season. Milton Bradley has been another huge disappointment in limited at bats posting a .236 average, and this may be attributed to a lack of motivation and a strained relationship with Piniella, but that comes with the territory when you sign Milton Bradley. Aramis Ramirez has played solid ball when he has been healthy, but has been plagued with injuries for the majority of the season. which has really left them with a gaping hole at 3b. Geovany Soto has completely disappeared and honestly I wasn’t that high on him even last year when his stock was really high as a rookie. He had a huge first half last year but then totally disappeared in the 2nd half, and the bad production hasn’t changed this year. It sure looks like the pitchers have figured him out and he hasn’t made the necessary adjustments. In terms of pitching, Pinella has also been hurt by inconsistency and injuries. When Harden pitches he has the lowest era of any sp in the game the last few years, but he doesn’t stay healthy! Bringing in Harden this year was a risky move that could potentially pay big dividends, but unfortunately for Lou he started on fire but has seen his era explode to 5.47. Harden’s surge in era sure seems like a red flag to me and if Harden ends up on the DL for a prolonged period this year, you can count the cubs out of September, and Lou will be fired and blamed for the teams demise.

2.” With Manny back in the lineup and his replacement Juan Pierre sitting on the bench after playing on fire in his absence, could this cause problems in the clubhouse?”

Well have to see what transpires in the coming weeks, but I’d have to say that it wont hurt the clubhouse. Manny is publicly perceived to be well liked by his teammates and I am sure they will all welcome him back. In terms of chemistry I don’t think the addition of Manny and subtraction of either Pierre or Either will negatively affect the team. Pierre is a quality ballplayer who adds a different dimension to the club and I would like to see him get more playing time this year. Pierre is a career .301 hitter, with 4 seasons of 200 + hits under his belt. He’s not a bum, and its too bad he got buried on the bench last year behind the younger prospects Ethier and Kemp. His speed and ability to get on base and not strike out probably makes him more valuable to the dodgers than Ethier, but that is no knock on Ethier whose swing reminds me a lot of Bernie Williams. There is a delicate balance between having too much talent and having guys get upset about playing time and roles and having too little talent. Personally I believe that the Dodgers have a really solid and complete team and are the team to beat in the NL this year.

3. ” Is Albert Pujols the best hitter in baseball in the past decade?”

It’s not a popular choice but if I had to pick one guy, I’d go with Bonds. He is the best hitter I have ever seen play the game. He’s the only guy I have watched where I actually expected a HR every AB. If you pitched to him, he jacked it, and if you didn’t pitch to him, he would take the walk. You couldn’t beat him with any pitch and he had no holes in his plate coverage. Managers actually thought it was a good idea to walk the bases loaded rather than pitch to him. Bonds was so well respected that he had 120 IBBS in one year, and led MLB 12 years during his career in IBB. Bonds resume features 14 years where he posted a 1.000 OPS or higher and 5 years where he posted a 1.100 ops or higher, and of course his pinnacle year where he sported a hefty 1.421 ops. A 7 time MVP, Bonds was a complete ballplayer that excelled in every facet of the game. He had power but also understood the strike zone. He took walks, didn’t k, and of course had the speed and D to compliment his bat.

5.” Is their a Middle relief pitcher out there to help the yanks bullpen?”

Sure. Middle relievers are a dime a dozen and the Yankees shouldn’t have any problem finding another pen arm if they really need it but I’d only make a move if it was a really great deal that didn’t cost too much. A lot of news has been made the last few years of the Yankees rocky pen, but I actually feel like this year they have the pieces internally to patch together a pretty decent pen. After Mariano Rivera there are most certainly question marks, but David Robertson has been coming on lately and is posting an impressive 31 k’s in 21 innings so far this season after being promoted from AAA where he was dominating. He has filthy stuff and I think we can pencil him in as an fixture in the pen. Alfredo Aceves has less stuff but he’s got great control and while he probably wont continue to post a 2.49 era, I wouldn’t be surprised if he continues to find success in the Yankee pen and stays close to the 3 era mark. Of course if those guys begin to falter there are always Ian Kennedy and Phillip Hughes who can work into the pen or try their luck again in the starting rotation. While the team needs to work on defining roles for everyone, at least this year there are ample options.

6. Can Texas hold on to the division lead?”

Absolutely they have a chance to win the division. if they can get Hamilton back and hitting up to his potential they have a great shot at stealing the West! I’ve been on the Rangers bandwagon all year and definitely think they have the talent to win the division. Nolan Ryan and Ron Washington have done a great job leading this organization and I feel like they are a studly pitcher away from being a WS contender. As with every year for the last decade the only thing that can hold this team back is the pitching. However, this year they have more talent to work with and it doesn’t hurt that the Angels have been totally decimated by injuries and the death of their best sp prospect Nick Adenhart. This is a guy with huge value who they could have bundled for a guy like Miguel Cabrera a few years ago. It was the Angels division to win, but things have not gone the way they wanted.The Ranger’s pitching has been a pleasant surprise so far this year. Kevin Millwood is finally pitching up to his potential after a few sub par years where he flirted with a 5 era. It was really puzzling why all of the sudden he became a stiff but it looks like he has figured things out and has found his form of old. The park might not help, but he shouldn’t be sitting above a 5 era like he was in 07 and 08. He’s leading the big leagues in innings pitched and they will need him to keep up the work if they are to win the division. After Millwood, the staff is still a patchwork quilt of projects. Padilla, Harrison, Feldman and Holland will obviously have to pitch well for this team to have any chances but at least they have some upside and have shown glimpses of promise. Not too mention that they could possibly bring up a young stud pitcher like Neftali Feliz in September who can give the team a needed boost. The lineup is in my opinion the best in the league and if Hamilton can bounce back from his groin injury it will become even far more potent. However, injuries and health are becoming a concern for Hamilton and if he can’t make it stick this year, you can count out the Rangers.

By: Morgan Spokny