So About Brett Myers...

Seriously, check out his stats from last night. 5.0 IP, 6 hits, 5 ER, 6 SO.
Ok, so that's not his best outing of the season, but what about what he did on the other end of the mound?
3 AB, 3 hits, 3 RBI's, 2 runs.

Manny Ramirez has 3 hits this series, 4 RBI's, and only 1 run scored.

Therefore, Brett Myers > Predator

When the Phillies play in American League ballparks for the World Series, I hope with all my heart and soul we get a night with Brett Myers at DH. At the very least, pinch hitting.

By the way Brett, punching your wife is still not cool, so you're going to need to throw a no-hitter while going 5 for 5 with 5 home runs if you want to be a respectable person again...because the measure of a man clearly has nothing to do with how he treats his wife, but how he hits a round ball with a wooden bat.

So Adam talked about how Sage blew the game, but...

Ok, so Sage Rosenfels blew the game. So Gary Kubiak blew the game. Don't forget who won the game. The game certainly wasn't handed over to the Colts, they had to earn it. To be honest with you, I saw a lot of things in that last 4 minutes that looked like the 2006 team. The way they rallied, the way their speed takes over when they need to create a turnover, the way they took advantage of mistakes....the list goes on.

First, the backup players stepping up huge in clutch situations is classic Colts. The Giants have been great at that, the Patriots, Chargers, all teams that have been successful these past few years have had to have that to some extent. Tom Santi's touchdown catch on 4th and 6th to spark the comeback wasn't the toughest catch by any means, but it was a high pressure play on a guy who hasn't gotten a whole lot of time this year as a rookie. Santi also had a bursa sac surgery like the guy who threw him that pass, so I would guess there could be the possibility of QB to receiver telepathy from that. Maybe.

Reggie Wayne's ability to make that catch is phenomenal. I smacked my knees after he originally came down and said something like "That's ok, that was close. 3 more plays to get it in (that catch was 1st and goal at the 5)." Then they start talking about how it was a touchdown catch and they showed the replay, and wow. That was not the Texans giving them that TD. That was a brilliant play executed by the guys who do that sort of thing best.

Earlier in the game, the Colts were missing opportunities left and right. Sage Rosenfels was trying to cross the 1st down line on a play and when his forward motion stopped, he put the ball out as far as he could, nearly into linebacker Freddy Keiaho's hands. Keiaho whiffed on the ball. I believe Steve Slaton punched it in on the next play.

Gary Brackett took advantage of Rosenfels' miscue and took it back for 6. When Rosenfels held the ball out Houston's next drive, Robert Mathis got around blockers, caused the fumble, and recovered the fumble.

A lot of good things happened, and 4 minutes of playing like the team you should be isn't the same as 60 minutes of that play, but it can translate. I expect the Colts, who are very familiar with the Ravens blitz packages, to make the right adjustments, and I keep thinking to myself that last game's comeback was that pivotal moment in a season when it's do or die, and everything changes after that. If the Colts can capitalize on last Sunday's game, there is no doubt in my mind they'll find themselves a spot in the playoffs.

Getting Buckets... Even in the Preseason

The Celtics kicked off their pre-season schedule against the 76ers last night out in Amherst, and our boy Leon led the Green with 12 points in the 92-98 loss. His turnovers (5) and low rebounding output (2 in 23 minutes) will be something to work on... but Leon still did what Leon does best, and that's get to the line. He got to the stripe more than any other Celtic and shot 6/8. Nice to see some things don't change.

Another nice surprise in the stat line was from high-potential, low-output backup center Patrick O'Bryant. The big guy got the start with Perk sitting this one out, and he shot 4/6 on his way to 10 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks and a steal. Not bad when he's going up against bigs like Sam Dalembert and Elton Brand down in the post. If he can keep this up, O'Bryant and Powe backing up Perk and Garnett could look like one of the deepest front-courts in the league.

One more note: I love the idea on having pre-season games in smaller gyms and different locations. As a Pats season ticket holder, it's always bothered me that the NFL charges full-price for all their pre-season games when the on-field product isn't full-value. The C's will also be playing on-location in Providence on Friday night and in Manchester, NH on Saturday, and I like that they're bringing their games around New England. Not that tickets are cheap (prices are between $25 and $100), but it's more affordable than regular games and at least they're treating the exhibition season like what it actually is.

Michael Phelps: The Manning that Never Was?

I was just watching that commercial with Michael Phelps, where the guy who finds the internet everywhere is able to get on the internet faster than Michael Phelps and then steals Phelps' gold medals and Michael Phelps looks adorable and confused, and I was thinking. It reminded me of some point when Michael Phelps did something in the same vain during the Olympics and I thought "man, he could be the fourth Manning brother".

I mean, probably the third Manning brother. If Archie could go back and trade Cooper for Phelps, knowing what would happen in the future, we're talking marketing gold. Yes, brothers who are both successful in the same sport is great, but add in the greatest swimmer OF ALL TIME to the mix?

Archie has to make dat cash money, just like you and me.

I think first and foremost, Michael Phelps looks more like a Manning than Cooper. He's a very good in-between guy for Peyton and Eli. Imagine home videos of little Peyton and littler Eli tossing the football around, getting into an argument, and also of a sudden Phelpsy comes running from the pool area to break it up. I don't know, maybe I'm just a dreamer. I really just feel like Phelps Manning as he would probably have been named, would work very well in the Manning Money Making Machine. I can guarantee the full-time coverage of Phelps Manning would propel swimming to new heights, instead of just getting a boost for a month every four years. Sigh...what could have been.

From left to right, 9,000 time gold medalist Phelps Manning,
Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning, Super Bowl MVP Peyton Manning

Werth the Wait

It's hard to pay full attention to what's going on in baseball since the football season started, but on days not ending in -unday and -onday, it's still very possible. There's a lot of great baseball going on, and a lot of great baseball to be played.

In the American League, the Red Sox and Rays did what everyone knew would happen. The storyline of the entire postseason would suffer if these two teams weren't in the ALCS. There's been no bigger battle this year than Boston and Tampa Bay. Maybe it's magnified because I'm in Boston and I hear about it more, but the young guns taking on the old timers is the matchup I've wanted to see when it counts since July.

About a month ago, I thought that if the White Sox didn't make the playoffs, Carlos Quentin should be given the MVP. The award is meant to determine how valuable a player is to is team. How valuable are you if your team can't win without you? After Chicago's performance in the playoffs, I go back to that belief. Carlos Quentin was more valuable to his team than Pedroia to Boston, Pujols to St. Louis, or Ramirez to the Dodgers since his trade. Something about Quentin kept them winning, and I firmly believe had he been in the picture, it may be Chicago playing Boston this week. Scott sent me a text message saying it would have been a different story if Carlos was playing, and I don't see that as a fan upset at his team for losing. Carlos Quentin meant that much to the White Sox organization that they just couldn't rebound like they needed once he was out with an injury.

In the national league, the Phillies beat the Brewers, as expected. The Cubs swept the Dodgers, as expe....wtf? The Dodgers won? Don't they, um...suck? Yeah, I suppose they do, but that's the beauty of the playoffs. Records are erased. It doesn't matter how you made the playoffs, but once you're there, it's yours to win. The Giants proved that last season in the NFL, just as many teams have before. However, it's not gonna happen this time.

National League
Phillies over Dodgers in 6 games
I'm not going to make the same mistake the Cubs did and take Los Angeles lightly. Well, that wasn't there only mistake. They also made mistakes fielding, pitching, and putting any remote form of wood on the baseball. They shit the bed, if you will. The Phillies looked commanding against the Brewers, and a buddy of mine, Bob, who's from Jersey (but close enough to Philly that he's one of those people who associate themselves with the Illadelph instead of Jersey) has some serious faith in the Phils after their performance. To be a fan from Philadelphia and think that your team has a shot (the typical Philadelphia reaction is to groan, vomit, and then think of every worst case scenario possible) amazed me. During Brett Myers' smackdown of Sabathia and the beermakers in game 2, I pledged my allegiance to the Phillies to Bob. I stand by it. I won't sell the Dodgers short this time, but they'll certainly come out on top and end up in the World Series.

American League
(Not Devil) Rays over Red Sox in 7 games
This one's going to be close. It's really like calling heads, flipping a coin, and when it turns heads, act like you were right by anything more than pure luck. The Rays and Red Sox have battled it out all season, and the season series right now is 10-8 in favor of Tampa Bay. Clearly not a definitive advantage for the Rays. However, Tampa Bay has won 7 of the last 9, and doesn't look stoppable right now on momentum alone. Carl Crawford and Rocco Baldelli are healthy, David Price is up from the minors, and there are so many elements that Tampa Bay needed that seem to be working right now. Everything looks good for Tampa Bay, and they'll take this in front of what is likely to be their largest crowd to date.

Can you really disagree with these ladies? Try it. That's what I thought.

On a side note, my plan to turn the presidential debate into a drinking game tonight failed epically. The amount of times 'maverick' and 'change' were mentioned was somewhere around the amount of times the Cubs looked like a 97-64 team during their division series, and I am very, very sober right now.

Leon update

No one ever said I was punctual. Here's an article written on hoopsworld.com about a month ago that a reader named Rick emailed me.

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=9953

Leon totally deserves a vacation in the Bahamas. Another quick note. The team's first preseason game is against the new look 76ers tomorrow night. Powe vs. Brand anyone?

Sage Rosenfels is no John Elway

So I'm flicking around the channels Sunday and the options were thin... a 44-6 Giants/Seahawks game in the 4th quarter, a 6-1 Phillies/Brewers game in the 8th inning, and a 27-10 Colts/Texans game with 5 minutes left in the 4th. Since the Texans having that big of a lead was the most surprising, I decided to stick on that one. As it turns out, totally the best decision.

I hate to quote Gregg Easterbrook, as his shtick has gotten to be fairly long-winded and conspiracy theory laden (I like to think I'd have this opinion even if it wasn't my team he spent an entire year attacking), I fully agree with one of his main credos: Sometimes the best thing to do is just run three times and punt the ball. C'mon Gary Kubiak, you're really going to ask Sage Rosenfels to run around and make plays when you've got a lead that big and that late? After the first fumble, which cut it to 3, you're really going to pass on 2nd AND 3rd downs instead of running off as much of the clock as possible?

I feel really bad for the rest of the Texans team. They played a tough game and deserved to win, but the coaching staff lost it for them. The Colts may have lost a step, but they're still the Colts... and you need to ALWAYS be closing against them.

The Desensitized Sports Fan

Maybe I'm just jaded. Maybe there are more important things in life. Maybe it's because I'm 26 (old!). But for the past 10 or so years, so much insane stuff has happened both on and off the field/court/rink that I'm at the point where absolutely nothing will shock me. I mean, it would take something like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVrsGHs2MCk. (I know it's four minutes, but watch the whole thing plz.) Is that too extreme? Keep in mind this movie came out in 1991. Wow. Incidentally, if you've never seen The Last Boy Scout, do yourself a favor. Back then, something like that seemed so far fetched that it served as a great opening for a Hollywood flick. But if it was in a movie now? Let's take a quick trip down memory lane at some of the lowlights and strange occurrences that have dulled my brain to any kind of surprise.

Oh Iron Mike. This fateful snack unofficially christened the "WTF era" as we know it. (Well, technically the earthquake during the A's/Giants World Series predated this by about five years and was a bit out of left field...groan.) June 28th, 1997. Granted, this was on pay per view, but people actually still paid $49.99 to watch boxing back then. Sure, the sport was in shambles at that point but this did NOT do it any favors. Ten years later, heavyweight boxing is essentially dead. Smaller guys like Pacquiao and Margarito are exciting to watch but put it this way, Holyfield fought last October. We all kind of knew Tyson was a complete psycho, but this really skyrocketed him into a new level of crazy. I mean this did happen in a sport where dudes beat each other about the face, breast, chest, neck and head so how civilized should it really be anyway? Was it a matter of time? Either way, thanks Mike! All I know is both had pretty kick ass video games.

Where to next-how about STEROIDS! HGH! MUSCLE MILK! Okay, not so much that last one, but where do I even begin? Sosa and McGwire, Clemens and Bonds, Brady Anderson...

Heroes who were supposed to be at the top of the sport. They all cheated. Now I obviously believed every word I read in "Juiced" so there are a ton of other guys who might have gotten out of this with their reputations in tact. But in all honesty, after the Mitchell Report came out, ask yourself if you would be the least bit shocked at any name being thrown into the mix. And unfortunately, that's where we are at as sports fans right now. Even someone like (gasp!) Derek Jeter, you'd give it a second to make up your mind. There has been a lot written about this and in the coming years, I'm sure more evidence will be uncovered. But it's been such a barrage that I am numb to it.

What about a refined and proper sport like football? Not even mentioning the Cincinnati Bengals from last year where a fourth of the team got arrested at some point in the year, what was arguably the biggest sports story of the year in 2007? Heck, nevermind sports, this could have been the biggest story of the year period. Superstar quarterback, hero to the black community, face of a franchise gets arrested and is currently serving jail time for his connection in a dogfighting ring. What?!? This post actually came from an idea I had about comparing the movie Any Given Sunday to the current state of the NFL. Much like The Last Boy Scout, when AGS came out in 1999, critics and football fans alike bashed it because it was "so outlandish and unrealistic." Well lets see: aging defenseman suffering concussion after concussion to get a bonus, aging quarterback thinking of retirement but gets talked out of it by his wife (go with me on this, I can just picture Deanna Favre shouting, "You have two or THREE good years left in you!" while Brett cowers in submission), power hungry owner trying to get rid of a coach with little to no tact, players taking more medication than prescribed, and so forth. The whole Vick thing? Even Oliver Stone couldn't come up with something like that. Again so much has been written about this as well but putting all of this stuff together, you start to see where I'm coming from. And you know what, when he's starting for the Lions next year, I won't even blink.

Where to next? How about those fine gentlemen playing Dr. Naismith's game? Hmmmmm.

Yeah, that's a wrap on that one. November 19th, 2004. This was bad. Real bad. But what exacerbated the situation? THE INTERNETZ! Unlike the Tyson debacle, thousands and thousands could instantly watch this mess again and again. You could easily make the argument that the Pacers franchise still hasn't recovered. Poor Larry Legend. But yeah, players running into the stands and attacking people? Why not? This of course shouldn't be confused with the father/son all star combo running out on the field and attacking a first base coach. Because that happened too. I seem to forget wath ballpark it was at though... Anyway, the NBA had a pretty rotten reputation leading up to the brawl. Players were looked at as spoiled, lazy, drug abusers who were only out for themselves. (How that was different from any other athlete, I'll never know.) But after the "Malice in the Palice" David Stern did what he could in the way of damage control but it was a bit too late, even with Artest being suspended for the rest of the season.

What about actual play? Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce all end up on the best franchise in NBA history and win the first title of their careers in the first season together. Yup, didn't flinch. The best player in the NFL gets taken out in the first eight minutes in the first game on the year. Brush it off. The Boston Red Sox win their first World Series in 86 years and it's followed up by the Chicago White Sox winning the very next year to get their first rings in 88 years? Go baseball, what about next season?

It's just sensory overload. Great players and teams come and go but there is always someone waiting to take their place. So many unbelievable things forced their way into the everyday sports world that I feel like Alex DeLarge after suffering through the Ludovico Treatment half the time. Does this mean I'll stop watching any time soon. Of course not. Just don't expect me to jump out of my seat in shock when a dude pulls out a gun on the field and starts blazing. I'm sure I've missed a ton of moments that may or may not have desensitized you, the reader. What's your (least) favorite?