Top 10: Recent Rivalries

After today's epic showdown between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, I decided it was time for another top 10 and a countdown of the Top 10 rivalries in sports in the recent years.

10. Philadelphia Flyers v. Pittsburgh Penguins ~ NHL - This instate rivalry has intensified lately with the NHL's unbalanced schedule and with having both teams being relatively young and talented, although this year's playoff series was not very competitive.

09. University of Southern California v. Notre Dame ~ College Football - This has been a relatively storied rivalry with the game pitting Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush versus Brady Quinn immediately coming to mind as an all-time classic.

08. Cleveland Cavaliers v. Washington Wizards ~ NBA - These teams seem to meet every year in the playoffs with the Cavs primarily getting the upper hand. After this year's fiasco with Soulja Boy, Deshawn Stevenson and Lebron James, these two will surely continue to battle.

07. Philadelphia Phillies v. New York Mets ~ MLB - Up until the past few season, these two teams never seemed to be good at the same time, but recently every game has been heavily contested and the crowds at these games are second to none.

06. Ohio State v. Michigan ~ College Football - This famous rivalry will always be intact and it seems like every year these two teams play on the final weekend of Big 10 football and it usually involves the conference title being on the line. It should be interesting how new coach Rich Rodriguez fits into the rivalry.

05. Chicago Cubs v. Chicago White Sox ~ MLB - This is one of the few situations in which interleague play has helped enhance this cross-town rivalry. These two teams have been involved in several potentially volatile situations, ejections, and brush-backs. With 6 games taking place every season and both teams on the up and up, it should be a very entertaining rivalry.

04. Duke v. North Carolina ~ College Basketball - Duke and UNC always put on a great show every year when they matchup and it is more often than not a matchup of two top-10 teams in college basketball. With the quick turnover of many players and programs in college hoops, UNC and Duke are always two constants.

03. Rafael Nadal v. Roger Federer ~ Tennis - Federer and Nadal have been ranked 1 and 2 for almost 3 years now, respectively. Head to Head Nadal leads 12 to 6 overall, and also leads 4 to 2 in Grand Slam Finals. After today's epic 5 set match in the Wimbledon's final, Nadal was finally able to defeat Federer on his own game on the grass. The next step is for Federer to take one from Nadal at the French Open.

02. Boston Red Sox v. New York Yankees ~ MLB - This rivalry pretty much speaks for itself with everything from epic playoff series to players switching sides in the rivalry. It's tough to imagine either one of the teams letting themselves slip out of contention and spoiling this rivalry.

01. New England Patriots v. Indianapolis Colts ~ NFL - In a matchup of two teams who seem to play at least once, if not twice annually even though they are not division rivals, these two teams always deliver. In the beginning the Pats owned the Colts, with recent history showing the Colts starting to even up the series a little bit. This also features the classic rivalry of Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.

Honorable Mentions: Eagles v. Cowboys, Texas v. Kansas (MBB), Texas v. Oklahoma (CFB), Tiger Woods v. Phil Mickelson, San Antonio Spurs v. Phoenix Suns, Indiana Pacers v. Detroit Pistons.

Agree? Disagree? Do Comment Below.

All Star Starters Leaked

According to a report from the New York Post (in which the link has recently been removed), the All-Star starters have been leaked for the game at Yankee Stadium. Here is what is reported,

NL All-Star Starters:
C: Geovany Soto (Cubs)
1B: Lance Berkman (Astros)
2B: Chase Utley (Phillies)
SS: Hanley Ramirez (Marlins)
3B: Chipper Jones (Braves)
OF: Alfonso Soriano (Cubs)
OF: Kosuke Fukodome (Cubs)
OF: Ken Griffey Jr. (Reds)
SP: Brandon Webb (Diamondbacks)

EDIT: So the report wasnt entirely correct as Milwaukee Outfield Ryan Braun did surpass Griffey as starting outfielder.

AL All-Star Starters:
C: Joe Mauer (Twins)
1B: Kevin Youkilis (Red Sox)
2B: Dustin Pedroia (Red Sox)
SS: Derek Jeter (Yankees)
3B: Alex Rodriguez (Yankees)
OF: Manny Ramirez (Red Sox)
OF: Ichiro Suzuki (Mariners)
OF: Josh Hamilton (Rangers)
DH: David Ortiz (Red Sox)
SP: Cliff Lee (Indians)

Hopefully this report is valid and it will be able to confirmed at the TBS All-Star Game Selection Show today. I'm guessing that the DH for the NL will be Albert Pujols.

Who do you wanna see on the squads? The only players I disagree with as starters are Soriano, Griffey, and Pedroia. I know it is based on fan voting but hopefully the guys who deserve to be on the team find their way on the teams and not suffer from the we need at least one Royal or Pirate on the team rule.

CC Sabathia: Oh the places he'll (potentially) go...

Well it is July, so that means the baseball rumors start to heat up and everything from borderline bogus to so outrageous it just may work is given some thoughts in hopes and anticipation of improving the ballclub.


Every year there seems to be a big name or two who is rumored to go everywhere and anywhere depending on what newspapers and websites you check out from day to day. The big name in this year's deadline talks CC Sabathia of the Cleveland Indians.
Let's take a quick look at the possibilities of landing locations for the CY Young aka CC Sabathia.

Tampa Bay Rays: The Rays clearly have the talent to make the deal and have plenty of young prospects both in the minor leagues and at the big-league level. The rotation has a very solid young foundation right now with James Shields, Scott Kazmir, Matt Garza, and Andy Sonnastine, but adding Sabathia would round out a very tough to beat deep rotation. Do the Rays have the guts to pull it off? And would they actually sign CC long-term?

Boston Red Sox: When healthy, it's tough to argue the Red Sox would have a glaring need for Sabathia. Remember last Winter they toyed with the idea of going after Johan and eventually backed off. The Sox rotation of Beckett, Dice-K, Lester, Masterson,Wakefield and Colon/Bucholz lurking, is good enough to carry this squad.

Los Angeles Dodgers: The Dodgers are another team who always seem to have a lot of young talent, but never seem to make the big move on in-season trades. In a division that is basically there for the taking with no one over .500, it would be wise of them to add Sabathia to Derek Lowe, Hiroki Kuroda, Billingsly and the injured Brad Penny. Will the Dodgers make the move and trade some of their prospects a la Andy Laroche and Matt Kemp?

Milwaukee Brewers: Lately, the Brewers have been the team with the most about of publicity going for Sabathia. Offering top prospect Matt LaPorta among other talent seems to have caught Indians GM Mark Shapiro's eye. The Brewers have some interesting in-house pitching issues to deal with, such as free agent to be Ben Sheets. However, in a short a series I would like to have Sabathia-Sheets-Gallardo on my side.

Philadelphia Phillies: Probably the team that needs Sabathia the most. With the recent demotion on Opening Day starter Brett Myers to Triple-A, the Phillies need another staring pitcher in the worst way. Kyle Kendrick and Jamie Moyer have pitched pretty well for Philly, but a pairing of Sabathia and Cole Hamels would make opposing lineups cringe. The issue at hand here is, do the Phillies have enough prospects besides Carlos Carrasco that would interest the Tribe?

Chicago Cubs: At this point in the Sabathia sweepstakes game, it appears as though the Cubs will be a long shot to land this year's deadline prize. The word is, is that the Indians are looking for infield help most notably at third base and second base and the Cubs don't appear to have any prospects who will be able to help for another 2 to 3 years. What the Cubs do have is pitching talent in the upper minor league levels, but the Indians seem to be set with their staff.

If I had to predict as of today which team Sabathia will go, I would have to say the Brewers. They seem to have the talent to make the deal and GM Doug Melvin has a recent track record of making in-season deals.

Who do you think will trade for CC?

Interview with Tim Dierkes!

Tim Dierkes, the creator of one of my favorite websites to check routinely http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/, was good enough to answer a few questions for me and your viewing pleasure.

Eric: What should the Phillies do with Brett Myers? Should they look bullpen, trade, DFA, or keep him in Lehigh Valley?

Tim Dierkes: Keep him in the minors. They are fortunate that he accepted the assignment. With his velocity down I'd be hesitant to move him to the pen.

E: Who will be the next manager to be fired this season? Which managers are on the hot seat?

TD: It is not something I follow closely, to be honest. Cecil Cooper seems like the one remaining possibility to be dismissed.

E: Are we looking at a possible postseason without both the Mets and Yankees?

TD: It's definitely looking that way. Is that a bad thing?

E: You have bases loaded, bottom of the 9th, 7th game of the World Series and 2 outs, which current closer are you handing the ball to to seal the deal?

TD: I would go with Jonathan Papelbon. Need a guy with good control.

E: Which NL/AL combo has the best overall teams? Los Angeles (Dodgers, Angels), New York (Mets/Yankees), Chicago (Cubs/White Sox), or the Sunshine State (Rays/Marlins)?

TD: I have to take the Cubs/Sox on this one. I am a little biased, seeing both teams every day.

Good stuff by Tim as always.

I wanna know your answers to the questions. I'm gonna have to say K-Rod at the end of the game, the electricity he brings into a game to shut it down is simply stunning.

Do Comment Below, no need for an ID to do so.

And a HAPPY 4th of July!

The Great Debate: Interleague Play

Another debatable topic and another potential feature on the site, which would take a look at controversial topics from around the world of sports and lay out some of the pros and cons.





With Interleague play wrapping up this past weekend and another dominating performance by the American League, is it worth keeping interleague play around?

It is interesting to note that the AL went 149-102 against the NL, with only three National League teams having records over .500 (Mets, Braves, & Reds).

Pros:

- Increase attendance

- Geographical rivalries (New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago among others)

- Fans get to see players they may not otherwise ever have the opportunity to see

- Past World Series Rematches

Cons:

- AL teams have an advantage in terms of having an extra everyday bat in the lineup, whereas the NL is forced to use a utility hitter as their DH against AL teams

- AL pitchers can not hit

- Royals - Pirates matchups do not intrigue anyone!

- Schedules become unbalanced when Team X in the AL Central has to play 3 of the top 5 NL Teams, whereas Team Y in the AL Central plays the bottom half of the NL

- The World Series loses a bit of its mystique

Personally, I think Interleague Play should be put away for a good while. A lot of the matchups have been exhausted and if your favorite team is not playing in a city where there are two teams, you are forced to have an "un-natural" rival. Meanwhile, every year the Cardinals get to play the Royals, while the Dodgers and Angels are always knocking each other around a bit. Let the World Series restore some of its glory and let baseball get back to its historical and traditional roots.

Do you like interleague play? Should it be eliminated? Comment Below!!

Cleaning Up the Mess...

A Day late, but not a dollar short. I do apologize for the day-delay on the Cleaning up the Mess segment for the week that was.

Enough of that, let's clean up the headline grabbers from the past week!

(And yes this is the unofficial logo of this specific feature)

NFL NEWS:

- Pittsburgh Steelers released running back Najeh Davenport

- Commish Goodell recently said that rookies are being paid to much!

- Tampa Bay RB Earnest Graham signed a 3 year extension and will indeed show up to training camp

NBA NEWS:

- Derrick Rose was the number 1 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft

- Raptors trade TJ Ford among others to the Pacers for Jermaine O'Neal among others

- The Nets swapped Richard Jefferson to the Bucks for Yi and Bobby Simmons

- The 2008 Olympic Roster was finalized and it includes Lebron, Kobe, and Carmelo among others

- Elton Brand and Baron Davis both became unrestricted free agents

MLB NEWS:

- Nationals closer Chad Cordero is out for the season

- Alex Rodriguez will not participate in the home run derby in his own park

- Brett Myers accepted a demotion to triple-A to work out the kinks

- The Hall of Fame will not accept the 756 HR ball from Barry Bonds

- Manny Ramirez (aka ManRam) shoved a traveling employee last week

GRAB BAG NEWS:

- Uga VI, the beloved University of Georgia mascot, has died from congestive heart failure at his home in Savannah

- The Washington Capitols signed Goalie Jose Theodore

- The Tampa Bay Lightning signed Ryan Malone to a 7-year deal

- Spain won the 2008 Euro Cup

Anything I missed?

Top 10: Drafted Players in Best Situations

Come one, come all ... it's time for another edition of Top 10! This time we'll be looking at the 10 drafted players in the NBA Draft who landed in the best situations in terms of having the opportunity to get playing time and succeed as an individual and team.

Onward and Upward to the Top 10!

10. DeAndre Jordan (Texas A&M) - Los Angeles Clippers - The Clippers were able to land a legit big man prospect in the 2nd round who could help soften the blow if Elton Brand is either traded or becomes a free agent.

09. DJ White (Indiana) - Detroit Pistons - The Pistons have a history of taking chances on players and having them succeed in their system (a la Antonio McDyess). Perhaps once McDyess is done, White could fill in nicely in that role.

08. JJ Hickson (NC State) - Cleveland Cavaliers - Hickson can provide an instant boost of the bench for an aging frontcourt for the Cavs. He reminds me of a Maxiell type on the Pistons.

07. Courtney Lee (Western Kentucky) - Orlando Magic - The Magic need a peremeter shooter and a legit 2 guard, sorry Mo Evans. Lee should have every opportunity to succeed and play in Orlando.

06. Chris Douglas-Roberts (Memphis) - New Jersey Nets - CDR will have a chance to play along with the likes of Devin Harris, Marcus Williams and Vince Carter in the backcourt. CDR should have every chance to make the team and have a great chance to play some significant minutes. I think he may be one of the steals of the draft.

05. Russell Westbrook (UCLA) - Seattle Supersonics - Come on now, having the opportunity to distribute to two young guns in Jeff Green and Kevin Durant is very enticing. These three young guys should have a great chance to grow together and flourish whether it is in Seattle or Oklahoma City.

04. Mario Chalmers (Kansas) - Miami Heat - Chalmers slipped in the draft and many had him projected as a first round pick. The Heat may have lucked out with a steal here and Chalmers go eventually work his way into the starting lineup. In the mean time he will be a great sub for Wade and Jason Williams aka White Chocolate.

03. Brook Lopez (Stanford) - New Jersey Nets - The Nets were elated when Brook slipped to them at the number 10 pick. It was a big day for NJ after grabbing Yi, Brook Lopez, and CDR. Lopez should start in the frontcourt alongside Sean Williams and Yi, with Vince Carter and Devin Harris in the backcourt.

02. Jerryd Bayless (Arizona) - Portland Trail Blazers - Bayless has to stoked to be leading the up and coming Blazers. The options he will have on offense to distribute the ball to, Roy, Webster, Oden, and Aldridge just to name a few. The Blazers have a very bright future ahead of them and the swap for Bayless was a key move.

01. Michael Beasley (Kansas State) - Miami Heat - It's tough to argue with the number 2 overall pick and what he will do for Miami. Beasley appears to be an instant 20 and 10 guy and will help provide a potent offense for the Heat with Shawn Marion and Dwayne Wade.

The NFL: Thug?

A mere three years ago, the National Basketball Association was considered the hip hop sport where many of its athletes were considered thugs and many people lost interest in the NBA because of its image. Incidents such as the brawl at the palace between the Pacers and the Pistons, the character of Dennis Rodman, continuous rap albums released, and the antics of Allen Iverson helped give birth to this image of the NBA.

However, I would I like propose that the NFL has since taken over the throne as the sport and league in which athletes and criminals have become synonyms. Sure the NBA still has its issues, Carmelo receiving a DUI, Tim Donaghy, and still more Ron Artest. But ever since the NBA and David Stern instituted the dress code prior to the 2005 regular season, the Association was literally and figuratively attempted to clean up the league and has done a pretty good job doing so.

My proposal: The NFL is the new NBA (a la late 90's/early 2000's).

Sure, ever since Roger Goodell took over the commissioner position in the NFL he has imposed a tougher and harsher penalty on players and off the field issues, however I would argue that the amount of off the field antics has not decreased in the slightest. I recently found an article from an Atlanta based website, that lists 17 players in the NFL who have been arrested in the past year.

1. Cedric Benson - Chicago Bears (boating while intoxicated; resisting arrest)
2. Ahmad Brooks - Cincinnati Bengals (assault for punching woman in the face)
3. Charles Grant - New Orleans Saints (involuntary manslaughter)
4. James Harrison - Pittsburgh Steelers (simple assault, criminal mischief after domestic altercation with girlfriend)
5. Chris Henry - Cincinnati Bengals (misdemeanor assault, property damage for punching a teen in the face and breaking a car window with a beer bottle)
6. Adam "Pacman" Jones - Tennessee Titans (now with Dallas Cowboys) (speeding -- on the heels of multiple charges of assault and vandalism charges)
7. Kenyatta Jones - New England Patriots (now with AFL's Tampa Bay Storm) (battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest after urinating on the dance floor of a nightclub)
8. Nick Kaczur - New England Patriots (illegal purchase of OxyContin)
9. Kenton Keith - Indianapolis Colts (disorderly conduct, resisting law enforcement for refusing to leave a nightclub's parking lot)
10. Marshawn Lynch - Buffalo Bills (hit and run)
11. Bryant McKinnie - Minnesota Vikings (felony aggravated battery stemming from a bar fight)
12. Roscoe Parris - Buffalo Bills (DUI)
13. Lofa Tatupu - Seattle Seahawks (DUI)
14. Michael Vick - Atlanta Falcons (federal dogfighting, conspiracy charges)
15. Fabian Washington - Oakland Raiders (domestic battery)
16. Cedric Wilson - Pittsburgh Steelers (slapping his girlfriend)
17. Kenny Wright - Cleveland Browns (unlawful restraint, evading arrest, multiple charges of marijuana possession)

To add to this list ...

18. J.J. Arrington - Arizona Cardinals (disorderly conduct)

19. Ahmad Bradshaw - New York Giants (30-days in jail after probation violation)

20. Jevon Kearse - Tennessee Titans (DUI)

At least 20 different players arrested within the last year and that does not include multiple charges or Marvin Harrison and his whole fiasco! This is just ONE YEAR! It's ridiculous.

Do not get me wrong, the NBA still has its own bad boy image, but to be honest I am getting sick and tired of hearing about an NFL arrest every other day it seems like. Yes, it is a good move for Jerry Jones and the Cowboys to look after Pacman and basically assign him babysitters to make sure he stays out of trouble, the man obviously has a way of finding trouble and needs the help to stay out of it. But come on, Babysitters!? These are grown men, they should be able to police themselves a little bit and avoid situations that can get them in trouble with the law and the league.

What are your thoughts on the current state of the NFL and its image and the players continuing to pile of the trouble?

MLB Power Rankings 1.0

In yet another new development and feature in the ever-lasting quest to improve this blog, I will be revealing an MLB Power Rankings every Tuesday. I will be revealing my Top 10 while producing 2 to 3 honorable mentions. So without further stalling ... let's do it.

MLB Power Rankings 1.0

Honorable Mentions: Florida Marlins (40-35), Arizona Diamondbacks (40-37)

10. Chicago White Sox - 41-34
- 1st Place ~ AL Central
- Swept by Cubs
- Swept the Pirates

09. Philadelphia Phillies - 42-35
- 1st Place ~ NL East
- Swept by Angels
- Lost 2 of 3 to Red Sox

08. New York Yankees - 41-35
- 3rd Place ~ AL East
- Won 8 of 10
- Swept the Padres
- Lost 2 of 3 to Reds

07. Oakland A's - 41-34
- 2nd Place ~ AL West
- Won 2 of 3 vs. Florida
- Lost 2 of 3 @ Arizona

06. St. Louis Cardinals - 44-33
- 2nd Place ~ NL Central
- Got swept by KC
- Won 2 of 3 @ Boston

05. Tampa Bay Rays - 44-31
- 2nd Place ~ AL East
- Swept the Cubs
- Lost 2 of 3 to Houston

04. Minnesota Twins - 40-36
- 2nd Place ~ AL Central
- Won 6 in a row
- Swept the D'Backs and Nationals

03. Boston Red Sox - 47-32
- 1st Place ~ AL East
- Won 2 of 3 @ Philly
- Lost 2 of 3 to Cardinals

02. Los Angeles Angels - 47-30
- 1st Place ~ AL West
- Swept the Phillies
- Won 1 of 3 against the Mets

01. Chicago Cubs - 48-28
- 1st Place ~ NL Central
- Best Record in Baseball
- Swept rival White Sox

Cleaning Up the Mess...

Time to round up the news, and do a little recapping of the recent headlines... BROOMS AND TRASHBAGS PLEASE!

- Michael Strahan will join the FOX Sunday Football Studio this upcoming season, but will not be replacing anyone

- The Nuggets on Monday suspended forward Carmelo Anthony for the first two games of the 2008-09 season, vice president of basketball operations Mark Warkentien announced in a statement.

- Everyone's favorite mullet, Barry Melrose has been announced as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning

- Curt Schilling will have surgery that will end his season and perhaps his careeer

- NFL ARRESTS!
* Carolina Panthers receiver Dwayne Jarrett pleaded guilty to driving while impaired on Monday, minutes before he was scheduled to go on trial
* Titans' DE Jevon Kearse received a D.U.I.
* Cardinals RB JJ Arrington was arrested for disorderly conduct
* Giants RB Ahmad Bradshaw was jailed for 30 for violating his probation

- Pacman Jones would not like to be referred to as Adam Jones or simply Mr. Jones (cue the counting crows)

- The Olympic team was announced for the 2008 Games (roster includes Carmelo, Lebron, Wade, Kobe, Bosh, Howard, Boozer, Kidd, Deron Williams, CP3, Prince, Redd)

- And oh yeah, some guy named Tiger Woods won his 4th US Open on Monday in the playoff.