Archive for October, 2013

WATERCOOLER CHAT: RED SOX WIN WORLD SERIES! CAVS SOLID NIGHT, GOLDEN STATE TEAM TO BEAT

BASEBALL

Game 6 of the World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Boston Red Sox!  Boston was trying to close it out as anything can happen in a Game 7.  Plus, they wanted this to be the first World Series win celebrated at Fenway Park in over 90 years.  The Cardinals put their young star pitcher on the mound, Michael Wacha, but the Boston bats were too hot.  As for the Cards, their bats weren’t bad, and they kept getting runners, but there were multiple innings where they left the bases loaded.  It simply wasn’t their night.  Shane Victorino had another amazing game, driving in 3 runs to help the Red Sox win the Series.  For a team that hadn’t won the World Series in over 80 years, they just won 3 World Series in only 10 years. Red Sox fans are going crazy.   Congratulations to the city of Boston who needed this after a very rough year.  Boston 6, St. Louis 1.

BASKETBALL

And in the NBA, it was opening night for the rest of the league.  In Cleveland, the new look, loaded Cavaliers took on the new look, loaded Brooklyn Nets (who added Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to their roster).  The Cavs got a solid night from their stars Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson, and did just enough to edge the Nets.  Their new key additions Andrew Bynum and #1 Overall Draft Pick Anthony Bennett didn’t really play much, but they will be key pieces as the season progresses.  Cleveland 98, Brooklyn 94.

And in Golden State, Stephen Curry and the Warriors were looking to make their mark as the team to beat in the Western Conference.  That didn’t prove too difficult against an overwhelmed LA Lakers team.  The Warriors have a stocked team full of excellent shooters and athletes, and they were draining 3s from all over the court last night.  Golden State put up a whopping 125 points on the night and will be a very tough team to beat this season.  Golden State 125, LA Lakers 94.

Share
No comments

WATERCOOLER CHAT: HEAT SMASH BULLS, LAKERS MOP FLOOR WITH BENCH, OKC’S WESTBROOK BACK SOON

BASKETBALL

With the World Series, on hold it was opening night in the NBA.  First up, the Miami Heat hosted the Chicago Bulls in what people will think is a preview of the Eastern Conference Finals.  Plus, the Bulls have a healthy Derrick Rose back on the floor who hasn’t played in a year and a half.  The night opened with the Heat getting their championship rings.  Then, the Heat absolutely smashed the Bulls.  This Heat team is completely familiar with each other and are on a quest to win their 3rd straight championship.  Derrick Rose had a good debut, but was simply no match for LeBron and the Heat.  Miami is going to be very tough to beat this season.  The question is… can they stay healthy?  Miami 107, Chicago 95.

Then, it was a much anticipated match-up between the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers.  The Lakers are still without Kobe Bryant, and there is no date on the calendar for his return.  However, that means that the Lakers have to focus on team ball with a lot of new additions, especially to their bench.  Everybody had the Clippers in this one, and many believe that the Clippers are going to be the team to beat in the West this year under new head coach Doc Rivers.  But the Lakers would have none of that.  They kept the game tight the whole way, but in the fourth quarter, they pulled away, with their bench scoring 76 points.  Their bench!!!  Yep, this unit which includes a former High School super blue chip player Xavier Henry, looked incredible.  Henry had 22 points.  If they can continue playing this well, when Kobe comes back, they could be quite scary.  LA Lakers 116, LA Clippers 103.

Finally, in the NBA, reports out of Oklahoma City say that star point guard Russell Westbrook could be back in action in roughly 2 weeks.  If the Thunder expect to actually compete in the West this year, they absolutely need Westbrook on the floor.

 

Share
No comments

WATERCOOLER CHAT: SOX WIN GAME 5, SEAHAWKS HOLD ON FOR WIN, DURANT JUST WANTS FUN

BASEBALL

In the World Series, it was a pivotal Game 5 between the Boston Red Sox and the St. Louis Cardinals with the series tied at 2-2.  This was the Cardinals last home game of the season, and they really needed the win to get the advantage in the series before it heads back to Boston. Winning 2 games in Fenway Park is going to be very tough for the Cards, so it didn’t help that the Red Sox got an excellent pitching night from Jon Lester.  The Cards got a homer from Matt Holliday, but some clutch hits in the 7th inning gave the Red Sox a 3-1 lead and they would never look back.  Tune in Wednesday night as the Sox could win the whole World Series.  Boston 3, St. Louis 1.

FOOTBALL

And in the NFL, it was Monday Night Football between the Seattle Seahawks and the St. Louis Rams.  The Rams were without their starting quarterback Sam Bradford, who is out for the season.  Back-up Kellen Clemens didn’t really impress, but the Rams got a good running night from Zac Stacy.  The Seahawks didn’t look that great either, and their lackluster offense allowed the Rams to get back into the game at the end.  In fact, the whole game came down to just one single play.  The Rams let the clock tick down to one second, and then ran a pass play in the end zone, and… nothing. The game ended and the Seahawks held on for the win.  Seattle 14, St. Louis 9.

BASKETBALL

Finally, in the NBA, Oklahoma City Thunder’s Kevin Durant is often considered the second best player in the NBA.  After all, he is playing in the same era as LeBron James.  Durant is still without a Finals win, and yesterday he came out and said that he is no longer “obsessed” with winning.  Durant stated that in the past he was so obsessed with winning that it seriously affected his game.  He would be hard on his teammates and was super hard on himself if he missed a shot, using the mentality that if he missed a certain shot, then he would miss that same shot in a deciding game of the NBA Finals.  This year, he says he is no longer obsessed, that he is going to just go out there and have fun.

Share
No comments

WATERCOOLER CHAT: WILD ENDING TO WORLD SERIES GAME 3, RED SOX KEEP COMPOSURE GAME 4, LIONS & BENGALS LOOKING GOOD

BASEBALL

In the World Series, Game 3 gave us a memorable ending that will live in history.  It was a tie game in the bottom of the ninth, and the Red Sox needed two outs.  They threw one man out at home plate, but on the second throw to home plate, the runner was clearly out, but he was ruled safe BECAUSE the Red Sox third baseman “accidentally” obstructed the runner.  And with that safe call, the Cardinals won the game.  The rule in baseball is that if the runner is obstructed in any way, he advances, regardless if it was intentional or not.   It was the first time a World Series game was decided by an obstruction call.

Then, in Game 4, the Cardinals had all the momentum coming into the game, but the Red Sox had to keep their composure.  This game was tied for a while, but then a clutch home run from Jonny Gomes gave the Red Sox a 4-1 lead.  From there, the Red Sox pitching was able to keep the Cardinals in check and hold on for the win.  This victory ensures that the series will head back to Fenway park for a Game 6.  This is an excellent World Series, and it is still completely up for grabs.

FOOTBALL

In the NFL, the Detroit Lions’ star wide receiver Calvin Johnson had 329 yards and a game winning touchdown to beat the Dallas Cowboys.  The Lions are starting to put together their identity, and are a very tough team to beat at home.  The Cowboys are having some defensive issues that they need to sort out.  Detroit 31, Dallas 30.

In Cincinnati, the Bengals look like a completely different team right now.  They are now finally looking like the solid team that everyone predicted this season.  They took on the New York Jets staunch defense, but their quarterback Andy Dalton just picked them apart.  And Bengals wide receiver Marvin Jones had 122 yards and 4 touchdowns!  The Bengals now have a good rushing attack, passing attack, and good defense.  They are going to be very hard to beat.  Cincinnati 49, NYJ 9.

Share
No comments

WATERCOOLER CHAT: ST. LOUIS EVENS SERIES, PANTHERS ON RISE, FAVRE TO RAMS?

BASEBALL

It was World Series Game 2 between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Boston Red Sox.  And this one was packed.  It was reported that tickets were going for as much as $3000.  The Red Sox had all the momentum coming into this game, however, considering how poorly the Cardinals played in game 1, they had no intention of repeating.  And, they didn’t!  This game the Cards looked completely poised, while the Red Sox made disastrous plays, overthrowing balls and carelessly letting runs score.  That would prove costly for the Sox. The Cards won the game with the series is now heading back to St. Louis.  St. Louis 4, Boston 2.

FOOTBALL

And in the NFL, it was Thursday Night Football between the Carolina Panthers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  The Bucs have been absolutely terrible this season, and are still in search of their first win.  They were playing a Panthers team that has been good, but slightly inconsistent, however, the Panthers boast one of the league’s scariest front 7 on defense.  Quarterbacks and running backs fear these guys, and Thursday night’s game was no exception.  On top of that, Carolina’s QB Cam Newton looked like a magician, even leading the Panthers in rushing yardage.  The Panthers are a team on the rise, and a real threat to make the playoffs.  Carolina 31, Tampa Bay 14.

Finally in the NFL, there was a major storyline this morning out of St. Louis.  Last week, the Rams lost their starting quarterback Sam Bradford for the season.  They’re relatively competitive this season, so they wanted a quarterback who could right this plane before it crashes.  So who did they reach out to?  None other than 44-year old Brett Favre.  Yes, they felt like Favre still had some gas in the tank, and gave him a call.  However, Favre politely declined the invitation, perhaps to the surprise of many.  The Rams will have to hope back-up Kellen Clements can get the job done.

Share
No comments

WATERCOOLER CHAT: RED SOX WIN GAME ONE, MATTINGLY STILL HAS JOB, ODON A HEAT

BASEBALL

It was Game 1 of the World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Boston Red Sox.  These are two teams playing their best baseball right now, and nobody knew what to expect.  However, it can be very tough to win in Boston’s Fenway Stadium, especially when a team with such a tortured past makes the World Series.  And because of that, this game was ALL BOSTON early!  In the first inning alone, Mike Napoli hit a double to score 3 runs.  From there, the Red Sox never looked back.   In short, the Cards played a disappointing game, but you can be sure they will be ready for Game 2.  Boston 8, St. Louis 1.
Elsewhere in baseball, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly.  Mattingly started out the season in last place, and there was a lot of talk that he would be fired mid way through the season — especially because of the Dodgers super high payroll.  But then, Yasiel Puig came along, and turned their season around.  The Dodgers went from worst to first in a short amount of time.  But apparently Mattingly and management didn’t get along.  Then, Mattingly beat the incredible Atlanta Braves in the post-season, and got the Dodgers to the NLCS.  But, against the Cardinals, he made a lot of questionable management decisions.  At he end of the day, Dodgers ownership said yesterday that Mattingly will be back as manager next year.

BASKETBALL

And in the NBA pre-season, big man, and former #1 draft pick Greg Oden made his debut Wednesday night for the Miami Heat.  Odon hasn’t done much since 2009,  but the Heat think they know how to use him and keep him healthy.  And last night, Oden had his first dunk since 2009.  He actually looked pretty good. Oden might not be an offensive stand-out for the Heat this season, but looks like they will use him strategically against the big men that gave them trouble last year.

Share
No comments

WATERCOOLER CHAT: VIKES NEW QB, UNIV OF MIAMI GETS OFF EASY, HEAT WIN IN POLL

FOOTBALL

In the NFL, the Minnesota Vikings decided to go with new quarterback Josh Freeman on Monday night vs. the New York Giants.  He was pretty bad, but the Vikings have decided to start him again when the Vikings take on the Green Bay Packers.  This is a head scratcher, especially considering that the Vikes have two healthy quarterbacks on the bench:  Christian Ponder and Matt Cassel.  If you’re Christian Ponder, a former first round pick the Vikings selected to be their guy, and they’re not starting you in favor of a guy who doesn’t even know the offense, Ponder has to assume that his days are numbered in Minnesota.  We’ll see if this gamble by the Vikings pays off on Sunday.

In college football, the sentencing has finally come down from the NCAA on the University of Miami.  A few years ago, a report came out that the Hurricanes received a ton of cash from boosters throughout the last decade.  One booster in particular, Nevin Shapiro, paid for the players to have parties, cars, and even hookers.  This was a horrible report for the University, and nobody knew what would happen to the school.  But, after all this, the NCAA only took away 9 scholarships and didn’t even institute a bowl ban.  That means this will affect recruiting, but not that badly.  Without a bowl ban, the team is always in the hunt.  So this isn’t really that bad.  What message does that send to other schools?  It pretty much says to do anything you want to get the best players, and all you will receive is a slap on the wrist.  The NCAA itself could be in jeopardy.  A lot of people are not happy with this organization.

BASKETBALL

And in the NBA, this year’s General Manager’s poll showed that 76% of the managers think that the Miami Heat will win the championship this year, and that LeBron will repeat as MVP.  This a huge number of managers thinking that the Heat will create a dynasty.  The Spurs and the Pacers tied for second for teams that could win it all.  The GMs also didn’t vote Kobe Bryant the best shooting guard in the league — that honor went to Rockets shooting guard James Harden.  Finally, the GMs think that Victor Oladipo in Orlando will win rookie of the year.

Share
No comments

WATERCOOLER CHAT: CHIEFS UNDEFEATED, MANNING’S RETURN TO INDY RESULTS IN LOSS, JETS SHOCK PATS, RED SOX IN WORLD SERIES AGST CARDS

FOOTBALL

In the NFL, the Kansas City Chiefs were 6-0 and hosting a Houston Texans team that has been reeling.  On top of that, the Texans decided to start their 3RD STRING QUARTERBACK.  Then again, that quarterback was Case Keenum, who holds the record for passing yards in college football.  He’s actually quite good, and this would be his first chance at a start.  Keenum played well, putting up 271 yards and a touchdown.  He kept them competitive, but, in the end, the Chiefs are just an all around better team and they got just enough production from quarterback Alex Smith and running back Jamaal Charles to edge the Texans.  They are now 7-0.

The only other undefeated team, the Denver Broncos, had a very difficult challenge.  They had to head to Indianapolis to take on a very tough Colts team.  Plus, this was the storyline of the week:  Peyton Manning returning to the place that kicked him out in favor of the young phenom Andrew Luck.  Manning received a standing ovation and lots of love from the crowd, but the Colts weren’t swayed by the nostalgia and blew out the Broncos for most of the game. In the 4th quarter, however, Manning and the Broncos launched a huge comeback to make it a game.  Unfortunately, just when they thought they had a chance to truly come back, their running back, Ronnie Hillman, fumbled the ball at the goal line and gave it back to the Colts.  Andrew Luck won this battle and cemented himself as the face of Indianapolis for likely the next 10 years.

Finally in the NFL, the New England Patriots were riding high coming off a last second victory against the New Orleans Saints last week.   Everyone thought they would march into New York and come out with an easy win against the Jets.  What they didn’t see coming, however, was that Jets rookie Geno Smith would have one of his good games.  The Jets kept trading touchdowns with Tom Brady and the Pats, and the Pats even needed a field goal to send the game to overtime.  But, in OT, the Jets did just enough to get in field goal range for Nick Folk, who booted the game winner to upset the Pats.  Don’t look now, but the Jets are at a shocking 4-3.  NY Jets 30, New England 27.

BASEBALL

But, it wasn’t all bad news in Boston, as this weekend, thanks to a grand slam from Shane Victorino, the Boston Red Sox punched their ticket to the World Series.  They will take on an excellent St. Louis Cardinals team, as both #1 seeds from each league advanced to the World Series.  This is going to be a fantastic series to watch.  And to think that there was a time when Boston fans never believed their precious Red Sox would ever make it to a World Series.  Now they are contenders every year.

Share
No comments

WATERCOOLER CHAT: RED SOX ONE WIN AWAY FROM WORLD SERIES, SEAHAWKS FORCE OF NATURE, KEENUM NEW TEXAN STARTER

BASEBALL

It was Game 5 of the ALCS between the Boston Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers.  This series was tied, and the Tigers were hoping to grab a win and take the series lead at home before having to head back to Boston.  This series has been back and forth, with each team looking like the better team in alternating games.  But this one belonged to the Boston bats.  The Red Sox piled on 4 runs in just the first 3 innings.  The Tigers rallied back late, thanks to a beautiful, clutch hit by Tigers superstar Miguel Cabrerra.  In the end, however, the Red Sox got a solid closing pitching performance from Koji Uehara to seal the deal and head back to Boston just one win away from the World Series.  Boston 4, Detroit 3.

FOOTBALL

And in the NFL, it was Thursday Night Football between division rivals Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals.  This was the perfect “trap game” for the Seahawks, as everyone thought they were going to just roll into Arizona and win easily.  But the ‘Hawks have been playing a little messy lately, and despite their 5-1 record, have become a little unpredictable.  Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson put an end to all of that.  He and the Seahawks offense looked terrific last night, as Wilson passed for 235 yards and 3 touchdowns.  The Cards tried to stay in the game, but the Seahawks were just too much of a force of nature for the Cards to come back.  The Seahawks now move to an impressive 6-1.  Seattle 34, Arizona 22.

Finally, in the NFL, the Houston Texans have tabbed their new starter.  No, it’s not back-up T.J. Yates.  It’s 3rd stringer Case Keenum.  But, before you go “Who????”, keep in mind that Case Keenum holds the record for passing yards in college football history.  Keenum threw touchdowns all over the place while at the University of Houston.  He is a fantastic quarterback, and if this works out, it could completely transform the Houston offense into a potent passing attack.  This could get really exciting.

Share
6 comments

WATERCOOLER CHAT: DODGERS SURVIVE GAME 5, RED SOX/TIGERS SERIES TIED, JOSH FREEMAN NOW A VIKING

BASEBALL

It was a do-or-die Game 5 for the Dodgers in Los Angeles against the St. Louis Cardinals.  The Cards held a commanding 3-1 lead, but in baseball, it’s never over until it’s over.  One game at a time.  Plus, the Dodgers put one of their aces, Zach Greinke, on the mound.  The game was close for awhile, but then the Dodgers got some home runs from unlikely sources.  A.J. Ellis and Adrian Gonzalez both sent bombs out of Dodger stadium to give LA  a strong lead.  That’s all they would need to hold on and send the series back to St. Louis.  The Dodgers will likely have Clayton Kershaw on the mound for Game 6 to try and save their season.  Los Angeles 6, St. Louis 4.
Next up, it was the ALCS between the Boston Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers.  The Sox led 2-1, but the Tigers are not the kind of team that rolls over and dies.  They made a lot of line-up changes.   The Tigers superstar hitter Austin Jackson, who typically leads off, was moved to 8th in the line-up to take some pressure off of him.  That worked, because Jackson was back in true form.  And fortunately, the rest of the Tigers bats were scalding hot.  Before the Red Sox knew it, they were down 7-0.  This one was a blowout, and the Red Sox better make their own strategic changes if they expect to compete in Game 5.

FOOTBALL

Finally, in the NFL, there was a lot of controversy over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers letting go of their starting quarterback Josh Freeman.  But the Vikings picked him up, sorely in need of a boost at quarterback.  Christian Ponder is not working out for them, and Matt Cassel has been average at best.  Freeman still has skills, and the Vikings decided to take a chance on him.  Freeman could be the spark they need to turn the season around.

Share
No comments

Next Page »