I Don't Care About the National League

Yes, I don't care about the league that could possibly go a season with only one 90 win team. This is only by circumstance too because Arizona (89) plays Colorado (87). So one of those two teams will win 90. Some may chalk this up to parity, but, honestly, it's because the NL is awful. Anyway, here is a statistical look into the Junior Circuit's October.

Angels

When looking at the Angels' roster, it's very difficult to find a weakness. They have 2 outstanding starting pitchers and their lineup is a great mix of power and speed. There is very little to say about John Lackey and Kelvim Escobar. They are both in the top 10 in ERA in the AL and are 7th and 15th in the AL in pitching runs created. Needless to say, the front end of the Angels rotation is tough to beat. The rest of the staff, including the bullpen, have given up the 5th fewest runs in the AL.

The Angels offense has scored the 4th most runs in the AL this year but posts the worst OPS of any of the playoff teams. OPS is a great indicator of how effective a team's offense can be. Let's break it down. The Angels post a SLG% of only .419. This means that they don't hit for power as much as the other playoff teams do. However, the Angels kill with timely hitting and speed. They have the second most stolen bases in the AL and the most sacrifice flies. The offense can bring 'em home. And that's all that matters against good pitching.

Defense is the only glaring weakness for the Angels. They have the 5th worst fielding percentage in the AL. However, the Angels are great in close games as they have posted a 24-18 record in 1 run games and have the 6th best OPS when games are close and late.

Red Sox

The Red Sox are the most underachieving team in the American League. They have the best run differential and, consequently, an expected record of 99-60. This could mean two things. The Red Sox find ways to lose or they blow teams out and lose close games. Either way, they have failed to live up to their lofty statistical expectations. Let's try to find out way.

The offense is 3rd in the league in runs scored and 2nd in OPS. They hit for power and get on base extremely well. They have a clutch lineup that posts the 4th best OPS in the AL when it is close and late in games. Actual runs scored do not matter because each team has a different amount of at bats in these situations.

So it isn't the hitting, what about the pitching? Overall, the Sox have the best ERA in the AL. Their starters are 2nd and their bullpen is the best. And they have the second best ERA when the game is close. However, it is interesting to note that the Red Sox ERA independent of fielding (basically without defensive help or luck) is 30 points higher than their ERA. This means that the Red Sox have been 30 ERA points luckier than they should have been. The differential is the highest among playoff teams and is 3rd best out of the four. So maybe the Sox pitching staff isn't as good as it may seem.

Either that or JD Drew is responsible.

Yankees

The 2007 Comeback Kids are on a roll in September, only losing about 10 games this month. More importantly, they have an outside chance of actually winning the East. Even though those pesky wild card shirts have already been printed and sold. The obvious strength of the Yankees is their offense. These guys can hit. They are tops in all major offensive categories. Their only weakness is when the game is close and in the later innings. They are middle of the pack when the game is close with the 7th best OPS in the AL.

The obvious weakness of the Yankees is their pitching. Sure they have a great run differential, but that's mostly due to the fact that they score a ton of runs. The Yanks have given up the most runs of the four playoff teams and post the worst overall ERA. Their starters' ERA is 7th in the AL and their bullpen is 10th. The Yankees' staff posts the 3rd worst ERA when the game is tight. There isn't any statistical magic that I can find to make you Yanks fans feel any better (or worse for that matter). The pitching is by and far the worst of all the playoff teams.

However, I will humor New Yorkers with non-statistical insight. The Yankees rotation is pretty rife with experience. Clemens, Pettite, and Mussina are veterans who have pitched in the postseason before. They know what it takes to win and sometimes its the old battle horses that come out of nowhere and give standout performances in October.

Indians

The Indians are one of the most overachieving teams in the AL. According to their run differential, the Indians should have only won 90 games by now. In fact, they have 94 wins. The Angels and Indians share this trait. This is due to the fact that both teams have excellent records in 1 run games. These teams may not win big, but they win when its close. For the most part, the Indians are pretty balanced and they have no glaring weakness.

If there is any strength for the Indians, then it is their pitching. They have two AL Cy Young candidates in CC Sabathia and Fausto Carmona. Both are top 10 in ERA and pitching runs created. Sabathia is second to Beckett in fielding independent pitching and leads pitching runs created. Carmona is the league ERA leader right now but has a fielding independent pitching ERA 100 points higher than ERA. That is natural for a ground ball pitcher (Wang also suffers in this stat). Overall, the Indians are 3rd in ERA and 3rd in runs allowed. Their starters post the best ERA in the AL and their bullpen is 5th. They are 6th in ERA when the game is on the line.

The offense has the 4th best OPS in the AL and has the second best OPS in close and late situations. They are also 11-8 in extra innings. These stats show that the Indians are able to win close games. Otherwise, their offense is generally regarded as probably the 5th best in the AL.

Predictions (Or not)

As an Indians fan I can't made any sort of unbiased predictions. Obviously I'm rooting for Cleveland. However, each team has its strengths and weaknesses coming into October. The Red Sox are limping towards the playoffs and can possibly lose the division depending on what happens this weekend. They have a couple of hitters that are question marks such as JD Drew and Manny, who didn't try to play in those crucial Yankees series.

The Yankees really need to step up their pitching and find reliable relievers other than Rivera and Joba. Those two are pretty good, but they have to get the game to them. Joba isn't going to pitch more than 2 innings in any given game. If their starters get knocked out early, then it's going to be a long game. Another question mark is A-Rod. Will he fold under the October pressure as he's done in the past? Or will he continue to carry the Yanks on his back? The Yankees need to ride this September into October. They have played well since the All-Star Break and can't let up now.

The Angels look prime going into the playoffs. And they've played most of September without Vladimir Guerrero. His insertion of the lineup, along with Garrett Anderson, make the Angels lineup dangerous to any pitching staff. Their pitchers are good enough to match up with any lineup and but their bullpen needs to be able to get the ball in Fransisco Rodriguez's hands. But this team has been here before, and they know what it takes.

The Indians are the team with the least amount of playoff experience. This is their biggest weakness. They've been good about putting their nose to the grindstone and head to the stars since mid August, but can they continue to do that when the pressure is on in October? Youth on a team is either a blessing or a curse. They either fold under the pressure or don't know any better and succeed despite it. They are just as capable as the other teams of making a run, but can they hang in there mentally with the big market teams?

Who knows. Tune in and find out.

Yeah, This NFL Season Sucks, but It's Still Better Than the NBA So Shut Up

Ok the Browns are 1-2 so I should be happy, right? Fuck no, they could be 2-1 if they kick a field goal. Plus, the Bills don't know how to play football anymore and the goddamn Steelers are undefeated. If the Colts win the Super Bowl again, this will officially be the worst season of my lifetime. Well, maybe not as bad as the year the Ravens did it.

But hey, its a lot better than this upcoming NBA season. How do I know this? Because the NBA season is only a month away and there's no time at all devoted to it on SportsCenter. With the only exception being Greg Oden tearing cartilage in his knee by getting off his couch. That's the type of stuff that makes the NBA completely ridiculous.

Where was I going with this? Oh yeah. This NFL season really blows. Whatever happened to the league that was supposed to be the model for all others? Now its "most electrifying player" is in jail for killing dogs and its dynasty team has been accused of cheating. Then there's PacMan Jones and half of the Cincinnati Bengals squad who are suspended for being dumbasses.

But you know what? We just have to get past all this and enjoy it. Because after the baseball postseason and the Super Bowl, it's a pretty arduous journey until the NBA playoffs (which last about 3 months at this point). So here are a couple points that you NFL fans need to accept to make this season bearable.

1. For some teams, it's all about next year's draft. Sorry Browns (Cowboys have your pick, suckas), Bills, Dolphins, Falcons, and Raiders fans. You are officially in the Brian Brohm sweepstakes.
   
2. Oh yeah, Detroit, your team will end up missing the playoffs narrowly and be stuck with a mid round draft pick. Then the Lions will need a league exception to run a 7 wideout set next year.
3. The Patriots may be cheaters, but it's time you quit your bitching. They beat your team because they are better. Way better.
   
4. Norv Turner couldn't take the NFC Pro Bowl team to the playoffs. Notice that I didn't say AFC Pro Bowl team because a rabid spider monkey could take that team all the way.
   
5. The Saints are bad. The Texans might be good. New Orleans wanted to sell jerseys a couple drafts ago and they made the corresponding pick. But the Texans could have the beginning of a winning nucleus.
   
6. The Giants suck.
   
7. The NFC West looked great on paper. Real glossy and colorful paper. But somewhere along the way we forgot that these are the Arizona Cardinals and 49ers. Looks like it's another year for the Seahawks. And surprise! Shaun Alexander is injured.

Well, there are probably more things to bitch about but I'll leave it at that. If you can accept those 7 things, then you'll make it through the NFL season alive and well. Maybe you'll even watch some great football come late December and January. I mean, what else is there to do? Watch hockey?

The Patriots Love to Cheat and Gregg Easterbrook Loves to be Dumb.

Gregg Easterbrook, ESPN.com's "Tuesday Morning Quarterback" is an absolute buffoon. I still enjoy his column because it is good for a few laughs. Today's doozies:

1. Easterbrook assails those who blame the Saints slow start on their schedule, which is true because it is early, but then goes on to say that the NFL schedule is even for all. I guess Gregg doesn't have time to read One Game Out or he would find out that his theory has been definitively debunked. To say the AFC East which plays the much stronger NFC East and the entire AFC North has an even schedule with the NFC South which plays the putrid NFC West and AFC West is idiotic. I would not be surprised at all if the Texans, Titans, Jags, and obviously Colts finish with winning records with their schedules.
2. Easterbrook also believes that Charlie Weiss, Eric Mangini, and Romeo Crennel are "struggling" because they can no longer cheat. Is he serious??? Mangini was just in the playoffs, Weiss was a big part in rescuing Notre Dame from irrelevancy, and Crennel...well Crennel coaches the Browns.
3. Easterbrook also claims the NFL orchestrated a mass cover-up to prevent the discovery of the Patriots cheating in the Super Bowl. I will spare you the details because they are inane, and focus on cheating by the Patriots that is even more diabolical: ROUGHING THE PASSER!

The NFL Rule Book states, under "Protection of the Passer" [4]: "No defensive player who has an unrestricted path to the quarterback may hit him flagrantly in the area of the knee(s) or below when approaching in any direction.

However, that is exactly what Vince Wilfork did, spraining Losman's knee, and knocking him out two weeks. Bottom line, it was a dirty play. Whatever fine the NFL gives him won't be enough. Just like when Kimo von Oelhoffen ended the Bengals season, and was given a fine, but allowed to play in every game of the Steelers improbable Super Bowl XL run these idiot defensive linemen need to be suspended before they will stop being idiots. This isn't dirty Vince's first time either. I am a big proponent of defensive lineman rights too, but there is no excuse for going after a player's knees.

Other Points:

* Tony Kornheiser must read "One Game Out" because discussed the crazy NFC South division winner pattern. The Bucs and Saints are doing their best to keep the streak alive.

* I am impressed Shaun Alexander broke his wrist and is still playing. He has not gone soft despite the big contract after the Super Bowl.

* The Ravens have been outscored 35-16 in the fourth quarter of their three games so far. This could be a sign the defense is finally getting a little long in the tooth.

* Kurt Warner playing in the two minute drill over Matt Leinhart, though a blow to Matty's confidence, makes perfect sense. When Warner is not rushed at all, like during a typical two minute drill, or when playing for Orlando Pace and the Rams, or when playing Arena Football he can be extremely effective.

Sometimes How You Win Makes All the Difference

Usually the posts in this blog are an outlet for our anger and frustration with the teams that we love (and you might get one of those from Tom depending on what the Phillies do). But sometimes we just relax and enjoy the moment.

Yesterday the Indians clinched the AL Central for the first time in six years. Yeah, big deal, they've won the division 50% of the time since MLB moved to the wild card format. They've won the division 7 times since its inception 12 years ago so it doesn't matter. All those are valid arguments to truncate my joy, but this one is different. In the 90's people in Cleveland took winning the division for granted. Hell, we'd clinch in late August back then and basically let the Bisons play out September. After a couple years of this, there wasn't any excitement left in it.

This is partially due to the fact that humans naturally take for granted the things that seemingly will always be there. But I think the bigger reason was that there was no attachment to those teams. Sure they won and we loved it. Anyone in Cleveland can name that 1995 lineup from start to finish. But these guys were guns for hire. Ask anyone who their favorite Indians player of all time is and they'll either respond with a choice from the current batch or someone from the 40s.

There just wasn't that connection to the big salary guys of the 90s. Sure people loved Jim Thome, Manny Ramirez, and Sandy Alomar because they came up with the organization. But the times were never bad so we never got to see them grow. And plus, we knew that most of those guys would leave at the drop of a dime (literally). We, as fans, never paid the price with losing seasons and consequently never earned the championships. I'm sure that the older generations treasured the run because they felt the torture of a 100 loss season. But my generation mostly took it for granted. We were too young to really appreciate how terrible the Indians were before Jacobs Field opened. We were just along for the ride.

That's probably why, in 2002, fans went absolutely crazy when Indians GM Mark Shapiro traded Bartolo Colon to the Montreal Expos for three prospects. It was a sinking realization that next year we wouldn't make the playoffs. And possibly the year after that, and possibly never again. But those prospects were Grady Sizemore, Cliff Lee, and Brandon Phillips. Little did we know that Sizemore and Lee would spearhead the second coming (Phillips was traded before the 2006 season to the Reds and is having an All Star season in 2007). We've followed these players' stats in the minors and eventually got to experience them first hand. We've seen them get their asses kicked and watched them kick ass. And through it all, it endeared us to them.

It made the late season collapse of 2005 even more heartbreaking. It made the 2006 season a huge disappointment. Because we were now emotionally invested in these teams, even if not willing to financially invest in them. But somewhere along the line C.C. Sabathia got his temper under control, Victor Martinez became a leader, and Fausto Carmona came out of nowhere. And the weird thing is, we were expecting it. We knew how good this team could be and we were waiting. We grew with them. And yesterday, when the champagne flowed in the locker room, everyone in Cleveland knew it tasted better than anything that was uncorked in home locker room at The Jake.

And this sort of thing doesn't happen with just small market teams. Look at the Yankees for example. Most of their fans would say that Derek Jeter is their favorite player. That's because, besides from being a winner, he was drafted by the team and became who he is through them. And right now the Bronx is cheering for the new guys Phil Hughes, Melky Cabrera, and Joba the Hutt. The same goes for Jose Reyes and David Wright with the Mets. And just wait until that Devil Rays team gets it together. Trust me, its gonna happen. It always does at some point.

Syracuse Answers With A...

VICTORY!!!!!

SU-CKS

The face of Greg Robinson says it all. He has a Super Bowl ring. He coached the Texas defensive unit that ended Reggie Bush and Matt Leinert's USC careers (although some can argue that Lendale White's inability to gain 1 yard ended that). He was tabbed as the man that would return this once proud college football program to respectability. But in the last three years, Greg Robinson has managed to do nothing but make this team worse. SU now regularly loses all of its recruits to other Big East doormats and Division II schools. Nobody wants to play here anymore. At first I thought it was the brutal Upstate winters, but really, that's not the problem. If the basketball team can recruit top talent here, then why can't the football team?

The answer is clear. Greg Robinson. The offense he runs is terrible. They can't gain any yards at all. Flag football teams that play just outside the Dome could move the ball better than this team. Since it really can't get any worse, how does it get better? Here are some ideas. If Darryl Gross would follow this plan, the team would be respectable in 3 years.

First, you fire Robinson. That's the obvious choice. Who replaces him you ask. Two people would fit great as the head ball coach of this team. My first choice would be to go and find former Miami head coach Larry Coker and give him whatever he wants to coach this team. The man can win. He has a National Championship and Miami was a perennial contender under him. In addition, Coker has deep ties to Florida recruiting, which is where some of the best athletes in college football come from. If you can't get him, then wait for Michigan to fire Lloyd Carr and hire him right away. But Coker is my first choice.

Assuming you can hire Coker, you then allow him to recruit his top talent. Coker specialized in "team speed". His Miami teams were always faster then their opponents at every position. After that, you hire a coordinator that can install the spread offense that works so well. Players like to play in this offense so bring it in. If SU were to do this, they would stop losing the top players that they have lost in the past 3 years (Ray Rice left and went to Rutgers, Greg Paulus to Duke, and Mike Hart to Michigan).

Make the alumni proud. Stick to the plan. Either that, or bring back G-Mac and hope he can run an offense ax well as sell cars for Fucillo. And also, get rid of those horrible all orange uniforms. Worst idea ever.

Roger Goodell is a Fascist

Ok. I hate Terrell Owens and his alter ego TO. He's an amazing football talent with the perfect combination of speed and size at his position. But his antics off the field are absolutely retarded. But his celebrations are hilarious (especially the one where Roy Williams decked his ass in Dallas). Seriously, I watched the Dallas-Miami game this past weekend and got a chuckle out of his touchdown celebration mocking the Patriots and using the ball as a video camera. In fact, I thought it was fucking hilarious.

Then I wake up Monday morning and find out that Owens was fined $7,500 for "using the ball as a prop." What a load of shit. If the NFL wants to fine Owens, at least give us the true reason such as "expressing one's self in a manner that rocks the establishment" or some other fascist rule Goodell wants to create. With this line of reasoning the NFL should have fined Chad Johnson for diving into the Dawg Pound because it failed to conform to the norms of expected NFL behavior. Or some other bullshit. Fucking grow a sense of humor Goodell. Or eat a dick. Either option is fine with me.

The point is, this is a vast conspiracy by the NFL to sell more beer at their games. They know that Americans will never stop watching football. But they decided that the games were too fun to attend in person. Crazy touchdown celebrations and players acting like little children got the fans out of their seats and gave them something to look forward to. Now you have to down about 10 beers (at about $6.00 a pop) to get into this shit.

The No Fun League is right. Neo-Fascist League sounds better. Soon you'll have to wear business casual to attend games and the NFL Network is going to secure all the must watch match ups. Maybe NFL teams will have to March out of the tunnel in alphabetical order in the type of strict march previously seen in grainy videos of Soviet troops in the 80s. And every pee wee league will be scrutinized and 10 year old wideouts will be fined a post game Hi-C and orange slice for excessive celebration.

Let TO and Chad Johnson live. And bring back Tagliabue.

It's all about the schedule...

NFL "analysts" pick the NFL division and playoff winners annually on ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and similar media outlets. Not shockingly, most had the following: Pats, Ravens, Colts, Chargers, Cowboys, Bears, Saints, Seahawks as the division winners, and teams like the Steelers, Bengals, Jets, Giants, Eagles, and Panthers fighting for the Wild Cards. Granted, some of these are going to be right. No one is catching the Patriots who already have a 2 game lead on the Bills, Dolphins, and Jets in the AFC East, but analysts year after year overlook the NFL schedule itself and how it favors certain teams.

Let's break it down:
Since 2002 when the NFL was realigned with the addition of the Houston Texans there are four seasons to compare records one year to the next: 2002-2003, 2003-2004, 2004-2005, and 2005-2006.

During that time period 12 times has a team gone from DEAD LAST to first place or a Wild Card birth. For those who want to know: 03-04 Jets, 05-06 Jets, 02-03 Chiefs, 03-04 Chargers, 02-03 Cowboys, 04-05 Redskins, 05-06 Eagles, 04-05 Bears, 02-03 Panthers, 03-04 Falcons, 04-05 Bucs, 05-06 Saints.

In fact, the key to winning the NFC South is finishing in last place. Every year the NFC South has been in existence the team that has finished last place has gone on the following year to win the division. Last year's bottom dweller, the Tampa Bay Bucs, look like a pretty good pick to make it five years in a row.

Anyway, this means that on average three teams that finished last place will go on to win their division or make the playoffs. This year's possibilities: Dolphins, Browns, Texans, Raiders, Redskins, Lions, Bucs, and Cardinals. Did you see many of those teams on the pundits predictions? No? Not surprising because they are fools. The record of the last place teams in the young season is 9-7. Meanwhile, the record of the first place teams from last year is 8-8!

I know its early in the season, but the stats simply don't lie. Three of the teams from the above list will be in the playoffs (my bet is Texans, Redskins, and Bucs).

So why is this the case? There are a couple reasons. First, the NFL schedule does its best to be fair, and does so with 14 out of 16 games. However, games 15 and 16 can create a huge advantage for some teams. An example that hits close to home is the 2006 Bills (7-9), compared to the 2006 Jets (10-6). The Bills and Jets played the exact same schedule except two games. For those two games the NFL has teams play a game against the teams that finished in the same place in their respective division the previous season in the same conference. The Bills played the Chargers and Ravens two playoff teams who finished third place the previous year. Meanwhile, the Jets as the fourth place team were given the Browns and Raiders. A genuinely feisty team like the Bills, if they had finished fourth, had a real shot at 9-7, while the Jets would have never been able to beat the Chargers and Ravens and would have finished 8-8. Second, the salary cap puts teams on the top in salary cap jail after a run, and allows the bottom teams to become better once their salary cap is fixed.

It will be interesting to see how it all plays out. I saved my Sporting News prediction magazine as it should be good for a laugh...or maybe this post will be...

It Almost Happened Again...

Last night, at around 8:00 pm, I sat down on the couch and got ready to enjoy what should have been a great night for Philadelphia sports. The Eagles of course were on MNF and the Phillies, who are trying to finish one game out for the third straight season, were on as well. After 30 minutes, the score was Phillies 6 Cardinals 0. Obviously at this point, I thought that the Phillies had this game in hand so I turned in to watch the Eagles whip the Skins.

At halftime of the Eagles game, I decided to check out the Phillies post game report to see how their win went. Instead of seeing Phillies legend Mitch Williams (think 93 World Series and Joe Carter) running his mouth, I saw 6 fingered Antonio Alfonseca pitching. How could this be? It was after 10:00!! It only happens to a team that blows an 11-0 lead in the 6th inning. More accurately, it only happens to a team from Philadelphia. Normally, upon seeing such a score I would have began screaming about firing Charlie Manuel and outright cutting Jimmy Rollins from the team. But this time, I just decided to watch and see how it would all unfold. Luckily the Phillies "came back" to win, which allowed me to now enjoy the rest of the Eagles game.

Well, as you all saw, the Eagles suck. They keep losing players to injury. McNabb looks terrible. The WRs can't catch the ball. Basically they are a slightly better version of the Giants. I would just like to point out that after Week 2, the standing of our teams look like this:

Cleveland: 1-1
Buffalo: 0-2
Philly: 0-2
NY Giants: 0-2

Pathetic. I am sick now.

John Kitna is Batman

Does anyone remember that commercial for Snickers where the quarterback gets absolutely decked and thinks he's Batman. Pure. Genius. Except for one thing. That guy was a bitch. John Kitna, however, is Batman.

This guy got knocked of the game by the Vikings in the second quarter. But then, he came out of the cave at halftime to play the rest of the game. This guy made two ballsy runs during the Lions final possession to set up a game winning field goal.

Just thought you'd like to know.

Editor's Note:

In a startling revelation delivered to us by the Internet, it was actually God who intervened and cleared Jon Kitna to play at the end of last week's Detroit-Minnesota game. God was widely thought to have been a Patriots fan due to their consistent winning and Tom Brady's resume of babes, but it is now clear that he is a Lions fan. And for some reason he has scorn for the Vikings. I guess this also means that the Patriots dynasty is the result of a pact with Satan. Because the Bible says God can only be a fan of one NFL team. And because it is fashionable to bash the Pats nowadays.

What the F**k? The Tecmo Browns?

Seriously, what the fuck Browns? How many people are on suicide watch right now because the Browns cost them a mortgage payment on their houses? Who the fuck cares?? The Browns actually won a game! I have reason to watch football for another week.

In what is most likely the most improbable win of the season, the Browns put up 51 points against the Bengals. This is the same squad that looked great against the Ravens (who are 1-1) on Monday night last week. And these are the same Browns that got decimated by the Steelers in week 1.

This was a game of Tecmo Bowl that saw 1,085 yards of total offense, a point total of 96, and absolutely no defense whatsoever. When it came down to it both teams pushed up and A on the controller and threw bombs. I think its safe to say the defensive coordinators were monkeys with crayons and construction paper. I seriously thought I saw Leon Hall scratch himself and throw some feces on one play.

There are three major setbacks to this fiasco. First, I picked the Bengals in my pick 'em league and assigned their win the most amount of points. Whatever. Second, Carson Palmer kicked my ass in BOTH of my fantasy leagues. In one league, which I have no idea why I joined, with a QB favored scoring system, Palmer scored 80 points. 80 goddamn points! Matt Shaub had a great day and only came up with about 27. Fuck!!

The third setback isn't really a setback. Its more of an enjoyable farce. This win puts playoff talk back on Cleveland radio. Seriously. I'm not kidding. The same people who didn't give the Indians the time of day in spring training have the balls to predict that the 2007 Browns will make the playoffs. In the AFC North of all divisions. I love this town.
____________________________________________________________________

Other NFL News and Notes:

• Neil Rackers last second field goal cemented him as the official holder of "The Rack-Attack!!" nickname.
• The Texans are quickly becoming an AFC Cinderalla. I mean whoever would have thought that a change at quarterback would be the key in making or breaking a team? Oh yeah, the same team that drafted Mario Williams over Reggie Bush. Yeah, that's played out, but really, David Carr wasn't good. And now it makes fans in Atlanta wonder what would have happened if Vick stayed injured, or went to jail earlier.
  
• Buffalo needs to win some games. The excuse for being a young team only goes so far. I admit that the Steelers were probably too much of a match for Buffalo in Pittsburgh. They have the talent to win games in the AFC and need to start closing teams like Denver out.
• The Giants are bad. And their quarterback's name is Elisha. I'm not joking. Look at Eli Manning's player card on ESPN. I was checking the NFL injury report for last minute fantasy roster moves and noticed this great bit of information. Eat it Giants fans. Anything to stick it to a New York team.
  
• The Bucs will win the NFC South. Hey Jeff Garcia, did you decide to take a year off when you played for Cleveland? Maybe you just couldn't handle the manly weather up here. If it smells like a rat...

Wide Right

Dear B-Rad:

I honestly wonder how the city of Buffalo can exist after four straight Super Bowl defeats. How does a man recover from that, let alone an entire city? Is there a mass grave somewhere with broken-hearted fans?

Yes, I cried about my Giants here the other day and I sort of feel sorry for myself, but don't get me wrong, I truly pity Bills fans. Unfortunately no amount of pity can buy a championship.

And yes, the Giants did win two Super Bowls during my formative years as a football fan (age 4 and age 8). But what I wouldn't give to experience that as a 20-something year old. Part of me actually believes I will. Not you. Bills fans are the affable but hum-drum friend at the bar who knows he's going home with his right hand.

Must suck to be a Bills fan.

Your friend,

Scott Norwood

Cry Me A River

When a perennial playoff team like the Giants starts the season off struggling it gives me warm fuzzies. Not unlike the too brief period of Quincy Carter in Dallas, Tim Rattay in San Francisco, or Cleo Lemon in Miami. When historically good football teams lose I love it. I love it because I am a fan of the Buffalo Bills.

Giants fans are not alone in their whining ways, but since many live amongst Bills fans I hear their complaints louder.

A Giants fan complains about Jared Lorenzen. Until they have started Alex Van Pelt, Rob Johnson, or Billy Joe Hobert they can just take a deep breath and relax.

Here's some things to keep in mind to dry those Giant tears:

Think of the Super Bowls! Giants fans have short memories. They know what it is like to win the Super Bowl. Super Bowl XXI and XXV were not that long ago, and for many Giants fans who grew up in my generation those victories were part of their formative years as football fans. Instead, in my formative years as a fan, I remember excitedly watching the Bills trounce the rest of the AFC, and then after Super Bowl XXV seeing my Dad tear up, the only time I remember the burly carhart wearing grizzly man form tears in his eyes during my entire youth.

When I was watching the Broncos game this past Sunday I knew the Bills were going to lose. I just didn't know how. Why did I know they were going to lose? Easy. The Bills do not know how to win. In the last seven seasons they have not been in the playoffs and their best record in that span is 9-7. The Bills have created a culture of losing.

The Giants don't have a culture of losing. They historically have had a pompous, Cory Feldman in "The Goonies" attitude. For example, the Giants have a famous two letter player: LT. Known as one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history, he snorted coke off strippers, and then won games. The Bills have a famous two letter player: OJ. Known as one of the greatest running backs in history, he ditched Buffalo for San Francisco, sliced and diced two people, and was part of the teams that lost to the hated Miami Dolphins 20 straight times.

Don't forget either that people want to play for the Giants. Eli Manning famously held out for a trade from the Chargers to play for the G-Men. Meanwhile, a dirty scumbag like Willis McGahee can't wait to get out of Buffalo, spewing hatred of its night life, restaurants and women (but of course he impregnated some of Buffalo's beauties).

So before a Giants fan gets sad. Before they start feeling sorry for themselves. They should realize things could be a lot worse...they could be a fan of the Buffalo Bills.

The Waters of Lake Erie Do Not Tend to Make Optimists

We just keep coming back.

I love the Cleveland Indians. For a couple of reasons. One: I am an Indian person having grown up in Cleveland and thus am a Cleveland Indian (I'm also a Brown Clevelander but that never really makes it into conversation). Two: Chief Wahoo is one of the sweetest logos in sports. However, as with most love, this one has been built through heartbreak.

See, Cleveland sports fans have been continually disappointed. You name it we got it. A final week collapse to end up with 93 wins and not make the playoffs? Check. A walk-off, yeah a freaking walk off, dribbler up the middle to lose game 7 of the World Series? Please, of course. There's really nothing our little mistake on the lake hasn't experienced. We're like the moderately attractive girlfriend who stays with her douchebag boyfriend even though he continually cheats on her. You know, because she loves him. Or something.

(And sorry Boston fans, your legendary comeback in the 2004 ALCS, the Pats "dynasty", and the Celtics on ESPN Classic every day have torn up your sympathy card.)

Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that there is no comfort zone. The Indians currently have a 5.5 game lead on the Tigers with about 17 games left to go in the season. ESPN wrote a blurb stating that if the Indians went 9-8 in their remaining games, then the Tigers would have to go 15-1 to force a TIE, not even a win, in the division! You know what that means? Absolutely f***ing nothing to the likes of us. It means we have 17 games to blow the division and snatch defeat from the jaws of victory once again. That's how we roll. No matter what that douchebag boyfriend does to impress us, we always know that he'll be a scumbag. But we love 'em. It's sad but thats how the world works.

Plus, we got nobody else.

Blue

I woke up today and realized that I hate myself. It only took a series of smaller revelations, one 27” television and a look in the mirror.

I realized that Jared Lorenzen is listed at 285 pounds. And then I remembered that I was listed in my high school football program at 5’9” when I was actually 5’6”.

I realized that Osi Umenyiora vowed to jump off the George Washington Bridge if he wasn’t the best defensive end in the NFL this season. Part of me actually believed him.

It had something to do with the fact that Brandon Jacobs broke down week one when I didn’t expect him to fall apart until week eight.

I remembered that I spent roughly three hours of my life searching the Internet for a picture of a claymation character from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer with red cheeks that looks just like Tom Coughlin. And I never did find that picture.

I realized that although I hate seeing Tiki Barber in a suit behind a desk, and that as much as I hate the fact that he criticizes his former team on national television, I can’t help but think what nice teeth he has.

I remembered that while Jeremy Shockey is healthy now, I know that he will be questionable by week three with an ankle injury. These are the things I can count on in life.

I realized that the only thing more nauseating than looking the back of a defensive back’s jersey as he chases a receiver with five yards between them is doing the same when that defenders initials are “R.W.”

I concluded that no hope is probably better than false hope.

I realized that in addition to the heartache and stomach pain caused by each game, I will have to grip my remote control on commercial breaks again this season for fear of another “Our Country” commercial. Obviously my letters of complaint to Chevrolet made no impact. Hopefully my boycott will.

I wonder what Trey Junkin is doing right now.

This morning I looked on the countertop in the bathroom and didn’t see a glass half full. I saw a bottle of Pepto Bismol two thirds empty. I chugged most of it during halftime and after the game.

I hate myself because I love the New York Giants.

Big 10 Champs

Since Michigan has decided to take their ball and go home, its time for everyone to get on board with the future Big 10 Champs. Maybe Penn State can't beat USC. Maybe aren't as fast as LSU. But they sure can hit.

Keep it Classy Philadelphia

Another example of Philly fans keeping it real. Obviously they didn't boo when he led them to those consecutive NFC Championship games. Maybe they booed him after that Superbowl loss.

This is almost as classy as when Browns fans tossed beer bottles at refs. When you're always one game out, its the damn refs' fault.

MLB Topic of the Week: AL Cy Young

I recently read a wire article on the Major League Baseball website discussing the current leaders for the Cy Young award in the AL. It listed Josh Beckett (18-6, 3.27), CC Sabathia (17-7, 3.15), and Chien-Ming Wang (18-6, 3.69) as the top three candidates. Wang?! Are you serious?! I just threw this up to the big market, East Coast bias. Then I settled down and decided to check the stats to see whats up. I'm gonna channel my inner Rob Neyer here, so bear with me.

What qualifies anymore for this award? Is it merely wins? Thats the only way you can explain Wang being in anyone's top 3. He's not in the top 10 in any other major statistic. He's 14th in ERA, 39th in strikeouts, 13th in quality starts, and 11th in quality start percentage. Wang has given up 74 earned runs so far this season. That is 3 less than Sabathia and 8 more than Beckett. However, Wang has pitched only 180 innings this season compared to Sabathia's 220. That means Sabathia has pitched about 6 more games than Wang and has only given up 3 more runs. Compared to Beckett who has pitched as many innings as Wang, Sabathia has given up 11 more runs than him. That comes out to 2 runs per game (assuming 6-7 innings pitched per start) in those extra innings. Mathematically, Sabathia is the best in terms of earned runs given up.

So based on the traditional statistics, the MLB writer puts Wang in Cy Young contention almost solely because he plays for the Yankees, the most prolific run scoring team in the league. Statistically, if all three of these pitchers played for the same team, getting the same run support, Wang would most likely have the worst record.

Well, lets look at some non-traditional statistics to see how good these pitchers are.

Hardball Times has some great statistics that do just that. First is a stat labeled Fielding Independent Pitching. FIP basically calculates ERA based on the things that pitchers can control, such as walks, home runs, etc. Basically it takes good and bad defensive plays out of the equation, and with it the element of luck. Beckett leads the league in this stat and is the only one of the three that has an FIP lower than his ERA. This means, incredibly, that Beckett actually gets hurt by the Red Sox defense, which is one of the best in the AL. Sabathia is 3rd and Wang is 12th if FIP. They are helped out by their defenses. The Yanks defense is actually just behind the Red Sox and the Indians are average. Once again, Wang falls way short of par for the course. And once again, he is helped by being on the Yankees.

Another stat Harball Times uses is Pitching Runs Created. This stat is based on the premise that runs saved are more important than runs scored. Here's a great explanation. All you need to know for purposes of this article is that PRC determines a pitcher's absolute value. Sabathia leads the three and is second in the AL in the statistic. Beckett is 5th and Wang, once again, isn't even close. To be fair, Wang is hurt by this statistic because he isn't a strikeout pitcher, but a more democratic ground ball guy. The stat is pretty fascist and gives more credit to power pitchers who get more Ks. However, the flipside is that it gives more credence to a pitcher's natural ability. Ground ball pitchers have a talent, but they wouldn't be good without their defense. A ground ball is a hit until the fielders put it away. A strikeout is completely a credit to the pitcher. So according to this statistic as well, Wang is only in Cy Young contention because he's on the Yankees, a good defensive team. He's not on the list because of his ability to get guys out.

I'm not saying that Wang shouldn't be in the discussion for the Cy Young. He is consistent and has really been the Yanks' stopper this season. But there are other pitchers out there who should garner more attention. Danny Haren and Kelvim Escobar to name two. They lead the league in ERA respectively. Haren is hurt almost solely by the fact that he plays with an anemic offense. And I don't understand why Escobar isn't talked about more.

Too bad voting is up to writers who look at the traditional stat sheets and can't see the numbers behind the numbers. If you are awake at the end of reading this, or actually found it interesting...thanks. And God help you.

Kosar...King of the World

After watching the Browns/Steelers games from this past weekend, it seems that Cleveland fans are in for another long year. Where is Bernie Kosar when you need him?? Oh wait, here he is...

Intro

What up guys, these are the ramblings of a couple guys who have nothing better to do than wallow in their sports heartbreak. I'll let the other guys introduce themselves when they post.

Think of a sports heartbreak (the Drive, The Music City Miracle, 2000 Super Bowl, being a Phillies/Mets/Indians fan) and we've experienced it. We'll try not to let our righteous bitterness cloud our objective evaluation. However we will try to let it entertain those unfortunate enough to relate to us.

So feel free to bash us, comment, or do whatever. Keep it rated R instead of NC-17 seeing as we want people other than our idiot friends to read these irreverent rants.