tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42032352305911388672024-03-04T23:14:13.526-05:00The Sports PiñataTake a stick to it.Tshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11597013442391089930noreply@blogger.comBlogger172125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4203235230591138867.post-58785251821606375632013-04-07T20:51:00.000-04:002013-04-07T20:51:02.670-04:00My Spring Training Photo Essay - Part Five<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Our final game of the 2013 Spring Training season took us back to Joker Marchant Stadium to see the Detroit Tigers take on the New York Mets. Max Scherzer (DET) was facing Dillon Gee (NYM). The pitchers, although both talented and major cogs for their teams during the regular season, were not huge factors in this game. Scherzer in fact only lasted 2.2 innings. Six of his eight recorded outs were by strikeout but that may have had more to do with New York than him.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbajBNREn8Q84be358jAoe_4vo5u7H6ICi4pZETomFFnz6M60HniVuOcjxVevzzR-GPLrEbsi5acNBxiERMGy5ckjzufCbt9H3Q2uJTG8ILD9-ZN4BvRhaqC82dxSQXk0nB3qWeHUsZn7A/s1600/20130308_131152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbajBNREn8Q84be358jAoe_4vo5u7H6ICi4pZETomFFnz6M60HniVuOcjxVevzzR-GPLrEbsi5acNBxiERMGy5ckjzufCbt9H3Q2uJTG8ILD9-ZN4BvRhaqC82dxSQXk0nB3qWeHUsZn7A/s320/20130308_131152.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We decided to sit in the berm seats this game. The berm is a weird area. Fans bring their own blankets and lay and relax. Some did not even seem remotely interested in the fact that a baseball game was being played in front of them. Staff members come along and collect trash as well as offer to take pictures of folks. They also made a very large deal about this strawberry shortcake dessert they sell. Apparently Joker Marchant is the only stadium where you can purchase a hand-delivered piece of strawberry shortcake while sitting in the grass. I...do not doubt this is true.</div>
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As for the baseball, the Mets seemed barely more interested in this contest than the berm fans did. In fact, they barely swung their bats at all. </div>
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New York's offense through the first six innings: </div>
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5 walks</div>
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2 hit-by-pitches</div>
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2 stolen bases</div>
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11 strikeouts</div>
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2 hits</div>
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1 run</div>
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Detroit was only slightly better but their offense at least was lacking some of their big bats. I'm not sure I can say the same for New York. David Wright was off playing for Team USA. Other than that, everyone was there...they just aren't very good. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLttjX6stmiX0nk5d7rKbhklQvSL3TWiqZCVw80IRVc0mymPhEAjeEMdu8L7NCYALnDBXGzwhFUhkYXOtjvJMNPWztkVrvI22w4_9khAZJlehqFt0e-zIwYyPxUE4zZm6WMVSh3hdAuRFr/s1600/20130308_154320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLttjX6stmiX0nk5d7rKbhklQvSL3TWiqZCVw80IRVc0mymPhEAjeEMdu8L7NCYALnDBXGzwhFUhkYXOtjvJMNPWztkVrvI22w4_9khAZJlehqFt0e-zIwYyPxUE4zZm6WMVSh3hdAuRFr/s320/20130308_154320.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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The main attraction of this game was Detroit's left fielder. He looks like Miguel Cabrera. He swings like Miguel Cabrera (visually). He is Avisail Garcia, AKA Mini-Miggy! And his future is bright. This afternoon was nothing to write home about but after his postseason performance last year and his striking resemblance to one of the best hitters alive, the sky is the limit. </div>
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As may be obvious, this final photo essay is a bit lacking in the photo department. To be honest, not much happened that was worthy of capturing. But going to Spring Training baseball is not always about seeing something special. It is about watching your favorite players close up and without their entire guard up. It is about sitting (or lying) in the sun, in Florida and taking in a fun experience. It is about spending time with friends and family and paying $8 for turkey leg...which, in hindsight, I probably should have taken a picture of. It was pretty noteworthy.</div>
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Tshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11597013442391089930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4203235230591138867.post-1914051689098602052013-04-04T16:29:00.000-04:002013-04-04T16:29:15.351-04:00My Spring Training Photo Essay - Part FourWe attended two Yankees games this trip. They occurred back to back, one Tuesday evening and the next Wednesday afternoon. In game one, the Yankees took on the revamped Atlanta Braves. Atlanta looked loaded with the Upton brothers, Jason Heyward, and Freddie Freeman. New York...did not. I had not even heard of the players who were starting at third base and in right field for the Yankees this evening, had not even heard of them! This would not be a good sign for our offensive production.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwaSgeeXLjCnMVbmUQJg28cFN_3qJP7wmzulI0NDv8_AIvX-gwbaW_yi7PyITxPfCd1DImLU9MvOOSfocqs-JvJGWD6O-w49w0wRJM651Yj0kn-nTaQAUWF3ONgkjPNoEsMSdNqm4A1go6/s1600/20130305_200427.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwaSgeeXLjCnMVbmUQJg28cFN_3qJP7wmzulI0NDv8_AIvX-gwbaW_yi7PyITxPfCd1DImLU9MvOOSfocqs-JvJGWD6O-w49w0wRJM651Yj0kn-nTaQAUWF3ONgkjPNoEsMSdNqm4A1go6/s320/20130305_200427.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We decided to stick it out anyway. After all, George M. Steinbrenner Field is as close a Spring Training stadium gets to feeling like the real thing. There are more seats, a legit second deck, the famous facade and beer vendors who know what they're doing.</div>
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When one vendor was questioned about his product: "If it ain't cold, I'll take it back and drink it myself!"</div>
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When another ventured into a section where a second foul ball just hit after the first made quite a dent in one gentleman's leg: "He's a man; he's not crying." </div>
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And then there was the beer guy who looked like James Harden.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb6PlbIVhg9d7Kefw2sBsizhn0RO54WfcFmdSsVZv1JPUCB9aDatxUOBCVyA6hcqgFCsfcrzZPn0g4Tj_IHRKx0AkUVp2SUxIrTKV0pR5wOOPcrl0Y0I6h1LV2LTJ312oAt2ywnzCE6URL/s1600/20130305_200358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb6PlbIVhg9d7Kefw2sBsizhn0RO54WfcFmdSsVZv1JPUCB9aDatxUOBCVyA6hcqgFCsfcrzZPn0g4Tj_IHRKx0AkUVp2SUxIrTKV0pR5wOOPcrl0Y0I6h1LV2LTJ312oAt2ywnzCE6URL/s320/20130305_200358.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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"No, his hair is like mine. I'm older."</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb4z0PHfrCQfnUn9l9FyHCW0jMyN8sBPSqqSPEpmgHcup08CVhbMMamIyGQ0MScM1obb2UN-hnb-8e8IO8T72tOZEgyuVFtBVdOV6nwOHn3vSg3CMBXtStMw-95iDFbBvOB2bUII4Rf6dO/s1600/20130305_210959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb4z0PHfrCQfnUn9l9FyHCW0jMyN8sBPSqqSPEpmgHcup08CVhbMMamIyGQ0MScM1obb2UN-hnb-8e8IO8T72tOZEgyuVFtBVdOV6nwOHn3vSg3CMBXtStMw-95iDFbBvOB2bUII4Rf6dO/s320/20130305_210959.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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As for the game itself, it was the right amount of ugly. Yankees starting catcher Chris Stewart came up two straight times with multiple runners on base. He ended both innings and stranded all five runners. At one point, Brett Gardner was on first with a man on third and stole second base only to have the Braves catcher fake a throw down to second and pick-off the runner at third base. Eduardo Nunez proved once again with some of his defensive adventures that he is probably not fit to play shortstop. And, of course, there was an inning where both the pitcher on the mound and the first baseman were wearing jersey number 94. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV1Kf9F-aesWrKDwtF8FZDwQ1Gr3iGhlmmx2swJotfZqrFc8WSmdYEs0RZQAhjEGX_wYm2UnUosV1BrDlqlmUBEKaIcKYwgOUW8k9HHXndbVIUNOFjcnv3IZxmOxCyQVbDiBMaTVdbEbAP/s1600/20130305_220909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV1Kf9F-aesWrKDwtF8FZDwQ1Gr3iGhlmmx2swJotfZqrFc8WSmdYEs0RZQAhjEGX_wYm2UnUosV1BrDlqlmUBEKaIcKYwgOUW8k9HHXndbVIUNOFjcnv3IZxmOxCyQVbDiBMaTVdbEbAP/s320/20130305_220909.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The scene outside afterward was perfectly pleasant. After all, this game didn't count. Braves shortstop Tyler Pastornicky had the ultimate Spring Training performance at the plate. He reached base twice on errors, advanced to third on another error, scored on a balk and managed one hit: an infield single. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-z07asBfFk_12HHVgMHSf-osoqyMuYciLp5myxeOwt-O7OOie7waq2usMgO2vPT7AnlUC67HiEtDAi3e_s5RfGlf831rSpGM0z3d-DLmhfn-I7ellHQ0DKEKa-5IAswz_v3hYS3tjcP32/s1600/20130306_125836.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-z07asBfFk_12HHVgMHSf-osoqyMuYciLp5myxeOwt-O7OOie7waq2usMgO2vPT7AnlUC67HiEtDAi3e_s5RfGlf831rSpGM0z3d-DLmhfn-I7ellHQ0DKEKa-5IAswz_v3hYS3tjcP32/s320/20130306_125836.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The second Yankee game would be during the sunlight, against Robinson Cano and the Dominican Republic WBC team. After seeing what they did to the Phillies, confidence was not high in the Bronx Bombers. Although Cano was the enemy this afternoon, he got a huge cheer. This had plenty to do with the fact that he is the Yankees best player. This also had a lot to do with the large number of Dominican fans in the crowd. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiufaE0vl6-LpwOOqpr4_-Qy6m3AKIX7xdM1rx_OLP0DZweaUTMCMke1X0m7RcMDRfGM3v1cWqcJD0TY1eYUd5qtlgcyAc-3vdwLOMxg0EfYCbLyLWDQVpDr4rLwg42CFHJmDXiw1B5-1Xx/s1600/20130306_125852.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiufaE0vl6-LpwOOqpr4_-Qy6m3AKIX7xdM1rx_OLP0DZweaUTMCMke1X0m7RcMDRfGM3v1cWqcJD0TY1eYUd5qtlgcyAc-3vdwLOMxg0EfYCbLyLWDQVpDr4rLwg42CFHJmDXiw1B5-1Xx/s320/20130306_125852.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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The Dominican players once again acknowledged the crowd like nothing I have seen. They were constantly tossing things back and forth. People would toss balls, shirts, flags, whatever into the dugout and they would get tossed back, signed. The players were just having a good time, like they should, especially knowing what type of offense they have at their disposal.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJHJWwxKVTLFuMHvUvgtMmNXYiqLTG56PQGBKQPfL9VVCCE_FGNsrepZ6MqKFAqwBBtmX-9pOTRdNq2wk-Mgp9wbAJbJHSXkhEu3rwe7P1dNP6or1GX9IdclS2xgRnJhBzl4ITjI_M-qCk/s1600/20130306_130830.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJHJWwxKVTLFuMHvUvgtMmNXYiqLTG56PQGBKQPfL9VVCCE_FGNsrepZ6MqKFAqwBBtmX-9pOTRdNq2wk-Mgp9wbAJbJHSXkhEu3rwe7P1dNP6or1GX9IdclS2xgRnJhBzl4ITjI_M-qCk/s320/20130306_130830.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Yankees starter Hiroki Kuroda fared quite a bit better than Cole Hamels did against the Dominicans. He went 3.0 innings, allowing no runs and just two hits, while striking out four. Take that Cole! The DR in general were not nearly as explosive as the other day. But it would have been impossible to repeat that performance. Nevertheless, they collected 8 runs on 12 hits and put away the pitiful Yankees. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1Mkp8l6E9fOJEToPkL-s_g1t3NhrdPbuOdheyZ3bSxhnSFPVjXbW6kV3Kqo_3j_oVdai-misKVtz_Vr0S-2i_8F1bOpBg-Kx-OYbsC9sGXKM2jEAj9BbdYszsCFeD-NNdd_Oad9_Wpg6/s1600/20130306_105501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1Mkp8l6E9fOJEToPkL-s_g1t3NhrdPbuOdheyZ3bSxhnSFPVjXbW6kV3Kqo_3j_oVdai-misKVtz_Vr0S-2i_8F1bOpBg-Kx-OYbsC9sGXKM2jEAj9BbdYszsCFeD-NNdd_Oad9_Wpg6/s320/20130306_105501.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Eduardo Nunez had another bad game in the field. He hopped one throw, alligator-armed a play and just seemed to have no confidence throwing the ball from short. Meanwhile, the Yankees offense didn't manage a hit until Zoilo Almonte knocked a home run out in the seventh inning. With just two hits, the Yankees bats sprung a leak and were hemorrhaging smoke faster than these stacks; a fate that has unfortunately continued into the beginning of the regular season.</div>
<br />Tshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11597013442391089930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4203235230591138867.post-74784318048713987062013-04-04T14:58:00.000-04:002013-04-04T14:58:10.395-04:00My Spring Training Photo Essay - Part Three<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Game three featured quite a treat. We would get to see the Dominican Republic Team play against the Phillies in preparation for the World Baseball Classic tournament, which would kick off in a few days time. In future news, the Dominican Republic won the World Baseball Classic in steamroller fashion: they didn't lose a game the entire tournament. This was not a surprise after seeing them play in person.</div>
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdsulaGx417dcFszpXu1Ep8ooI8kBN_lfV44pIysE_tK6VdAiDyfTNs9-Vtvnje2aPnjL6IDiQMSKW6bnkLe_5LlSGBzXoEdAEXowO6aiYTgTXZ8RUe10uEWALnkGoMqB1xZLH5j0O29l4/s1600/20130305_125931.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdsulaGx417dcFszpXu1Ep8ooI8kBN_lfV44pIysE_tK6VdAiDyfTNs9-Vtvnje2aPnjL6IDiQMSKW6bnkLe_5LlSGBzXoEdAEXowO6aiYTgTXZ8RUe10uEWALnkGoMqB1xZLH5j0O29l4/s320/20130305_125931.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Sitting directly behind the DR dugout, we had a great vantage point of the field and the excitement that is Dominicans watching their countrymen play baseball (even if the game doesn't count). The Dominican fans were very loud, very animated and very excited to be here. It led to some slight racism on the part of white people. They seemed genuinely upset that people were yelling and cheering so obnoxiously in Spanish. Also a point of blatant jealousy: the Dominican players were throwing balls and other memorabilia into the crowd at an alarming rate and not a single item (NOT A SINGLE ITEM) went to a white or non-Spanish-speaking person. In fact, two separate groups of gentlemen seemed to each collect a good half dozen balls. Whether they knew the players personally and just happened to be sitting close is up for debate. Either way, Team DR loved the atmosphere and spent a lot of time chatting with fans nearby. It was pretty fun and refreshing to see.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx1TRaXurnSd-oCVW8oR4a2QpnvrwEXUqeWpcL-1FdReRg7BCwuztpM7zwR6qRTdfjT3UisR-c_lOLJsZLFpipAgZepYO0APFb5SW21UGUcqPwddoKK9YqDUQjuLWpN6rny_ABKPv04Mwc/s1600/20130305_100345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx1TRaXurnSd-oCVW8oR4a2QpnvrwEXUqeWpcL-1FdReRg7BCwuztpM7zwR6qRTdfjT3UisR-c_lOLJsZLFpipAgZepYO0APFb5SW21UGUcqPwddoKK9YqDUQjuLWpN6rny_ABKPv04Mwc/s320/20130305_100345.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Today's starter for the Philadelphia Phillies was ace Cole Hamels. Above is a photo of how Hamels felt about himself prior to this afternoon's game. He was cocky as hell, standing on one foot and all, knowing he's untouchable. After all, he is the best pitcher on a team that has Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoppu8HMKIsARsnnCxBW0dnUS5mlJFZuVqakasG4SAk1jTx6aiIvK4Po5BvGqb8rtuL783T112p5RzycpiEQzHzRKhyphenhyphenq609Q4NCrh0RQxq-xIOdxnFOVGfKfySP0jVufxZXoQ54-KKQPdv/s1600/20130305_130008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoppu8HMKIsARsnnCxBW0dnUS5mlJFZuVqakasG4SAk1jTx6aiIvK4Po5BvGqb8rtuL783T112p5RzycpiEQzHzRKhyphenhyphenq609Q4NCrh0RQxq-xIOdxnFOVGfKfySP0jVufxZXoQ54-KKQPdv/s320/20130305_130008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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What Hamels may not have been aware of was the roster he was about to face. The lineup of the Dominican Republic team was so stacked, most All-Star games have less star power. Here was the starting nine with a quick description to accompany each player:</div>
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Jose Reyes (stud)</div>
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Robinson Cano (stud)</div>
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Edwin Encarnacion (stud)</div>
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Nelson Cruz (borderline stud)</div>
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Hanley Ramirez (stud)</div>
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Miguel Tejada (former stud)</div>
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Carlos Santana (borderline stud)</div>
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Ricardo Nanita (some Dominican guy)</div>
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Alejandro De Aza (future stud)</div>
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkd4cZaDFOSAXfRWShGr3a7-IAESgIsQxwyPHD8p-z8k8OPVIPfThYFfIsaKAKkk3lYW1m5xCzY5ftDLwxbIeeu1ubBoBUyZKDb1n9wi2Dx84RXnbk4tSS3AIWtbKsnaPw7fkZIlBXFHwO/s1600/20130305_130107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkd4cZaDFOSAXfRWShGr3a7-IAESgIsQxwyPHD8p-z8k8OPVIPfThYFfIsaKAKkk3lYW1m5xCzY5ftDLwxbIeeu1ubBoBUyZKDb1n9wi2Dx84RXnbk4tSS3AIWtbKsnaPw7fkZIlBXFHwO/s320/20130305_130107.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Bobby Cano and the rest of the Dominicans had confidence. But even they didn't know what type of show they would put on this afternoon. Here are some of the numbers from the early innings: Cano collected three hits, including a home run; Reyes hit a home run, a single and stole a base; Tejada went 4-4 in his first four plate appearances; Encarnacion had three hits to his name; Hanley had four hits, three went for extra bases, one was a home run and he knocked in three. Poor Nelson Cruz was the only man not having fun. He managed to be the final out in each of the game's first three innings.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV_dYz9qXRhbHtn85Wl4cTPvAT_VrNNitUNDjNe8A8tgBls7BtyeWolUQ_MmZx8TXfpiiGA7qO8caCjgg82Gr9_5kaP6HqOTc6GWvd7pnjt7xH3uqS_cEUScPsQVeK7aQ0V3psxwAiDQTC/s1600/20130305_101435.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV_dYz9qXRhbHtn85Wl4cTPvAT_VrNNitUNDjNe8A8tgBls7BtyeWolUQ_MmZx8TXfpiiGA7qO8caCjgg82Gr9_5kaP6HqOTc6GWvd7pnjt7xH3uqS_cEUScPsQVeK7aQ0V3psxwAiDQTC/s320/20130305_101435.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Here is a photo representation of how Cole Hamels felt after his outing. His cockiness long gone, Hamels instead is resigned to staring off into the distance from his place behind the bars that Team DR seemed to place all around him. Hamels' final stat line: 2.2 innings pitched, 8 earned runs, 12 hits allowed. Ouch.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzQd5JUXHe45L8IkiwEheDCu6VqTKVctp5iCyeLjFaG4d-lE0M8MjI4RN7xw5DzIrX48b44e3KEwlWd6XppwCw9m6srP2yjr4kX-M-2HkKHjrnsMTNrkifCv693N4tQFqvEkrVlNZ-MQHm/s1600/20130305_134234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzQd5JUXHe45L8IkiwEheDCu6VqTKVctp5iCyeLjFaG4d-lE0M8MjI4RN7xw5DzIrX48b44e3KEwlWd6XppwCw9m6srP2yjr4kX-M-2HkKHjrnsMTNrkifCv693N4tQFqvEkrVlNZ-MQHm/s320/20130305_134234.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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The only things more newsworthy than Hamels' day was Jose Reyes' beard and Phillies' sorta-prospect Darin Ruf. Ruf, of 'Spring Training Photo Essay Part One' fame and the future of the Phillies (according to someone, somewhere) went 0-4 with three strikeouts. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV092YanHgRhR13mLnIs2gUjxJ5U6pbv5uz9Zpp60RF7Vzy8VlvYSoGeyfqYPST-IeVOmjRKdMAjuXaMqErjd26oaBAaHy7RMbSCyZdT-v0LjBkwrx_sxKfmun0Iz2TUAHjThLztwEE3rE/s1600/20130305_141455.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV092YanHgRhR13mLnIs2gUjxJ5U6pbv5uz9Zpp60RF7Vzy8VlvYSoGeyfqYPST-IeVOmjRKdMAjuXaMqErjd26oaBAaHy7RMbSCyZdT-v0LjBkwrx_sxKfmun0Iz2TUAHjThLztwEE3rE/s320/20130305_141455.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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This Dominican Republic team looked unbeatable, foreshadowing of how the actual WBC would play out. DR final stat line: 15 runs on 28 hits. </div>
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Tshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11597013442391089930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4203235230591138867.post-80241893128335522652013-03-31T13:12:00.002-04:002013-03-31T13:12:39.118-04:00My Spring Training Photo Essay - Part Two<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Game Two brought us northeast to Lakeland, FL for the Detroit Tigers - Houston Astros game on Monday afternoon. This was my first time to Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland. It is a bit campier and more "spring trainy" than some of the other arenas...not that there's anything wrong with that.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw3pmSNRtz2od-JhkE1YwPNntvxDCZpOUZgn2Fhqsl9wxlZiZ1J6MTg2WYCK6lh6dMRimh76y9HJ0Uizp-CbEaPaaAxpgbVoiX23YN2WKn7V37n9KzNe6cXCV_Ie2cWqIiE_pirAUUvfe7/s1600/20130304_104239.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw3pmSNRtz2od-JhkE1YwPNntvxDCZpOUZgn2Fhqsl9wxlZiZ1J6MTg2WYCK6lh6dMRimh76y9HJ0Uizp-CbEaPaaAxpgbVoiX23YN2WKn7V37n9KzNe6cXCV_Ie2cWqIiE_pirAUUvfe7/s320/20130304_104239.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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No, that doesn't look right......That's too crooked and off-kilter for any Major League club to play their Spring Training games there. Oh yeah, that's right. That's Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays.</div>
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWbGLmLFDp2UP-pIJtMXpTiI0KNh2DOoFXgYVBEZd6-21IY0vUQvlQpYS4LzHI4zJsU8e1yK9u1290wmr-fQCh10XBEbscCXHnWXT8kE4nC4T3Vt1023taWKQoMKiJJP7PNrFIStUiJg6T/s1600/Joker+Marchant+Stadium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWbGLmLFDp2UP-pIJtMXpTiI0KNh2DOoFXgYVBEZd6-21IY0vUQvlQpYS4LzHI4zJsU8e1yK9u1290wmr-fQCh10XBEbscCXHnWXT8kE4nC4T3Vt1023taWKQoMKiJJP7PNrFIStUiJg6T/s320/Joker+Marchant+Stadium.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Okay, this looks better. Exhibit number one of Lakeland being campy and spring trainy: we parked in a church parking lot a few blocks away and walked to the stadium. The parking was free except for whatever you wanted to donate. Contrasted with the fact that you had to pay $5 extra to come early for batting practice and Joke Marchant gave off a weird vibe. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijJmEjo_gNyQ4YrGONW3FkoPd1eMgQi5X6dQBeASJdgm-cJG-q9Wkyq8zqXLOkckMuE46HqJqWQ6Wu5pmxNfBReLVm0vlS6TttMaowLN0mjrFmI5THCrurkEcB1J4qPI2NtWsMOXrTb7Sf/s1600/20130304_125215.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijJmEjo_gNyQ4YrGONW3FkoPd1eMgQi5X6dQBeASJdgm-cJG-q9Wkyq8zqXLOkckMuE46HqJqWQ6Wu5pmxNfBReLVm0vlS6TttMaowLN0mjrFmI5THCrurkEcB1J4qPI2NtWsMOXrTb7Sf/s320/20130304_125215.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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We had good seats again, one row behind the visiting team dugout. This would become a freakin' awesome trend. Lakeland's campiness exhibit number two: they had free food giveaways every other inning. Free hot dogs giveaways were succeeded by free ice cream giveaways which were followed by free pizza giveaways, which was culminated in an ole fashioned 50-50 raffle. There is no discernible difference between Tigers spring training games and the local summer league team in your town other than the players on the field. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijJmEjo_gNyQ4YrGONW3FkoPd1eMgQi5X6dQBeASJdgm-cJG-q9Wkyq8zqXLOkckMuE46HqJqWQ6Wu5pmxNfBReLVm0vlS6TttMaowLN0mjrFmI5THCrurkEcB1J4qPI2NtWsMOXrTb7Sf/s1600/20130304_125215.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU0UP-SMG8SQeoNwp0OzRGdV_ueNC9i9A10bSkvjyrB3h07TMOrgivoq_QEtEGC5MqvYI8mz8JDcG3H2cmgbXVbaQsPXSUUfN78kEnWEKzXa4_iOUulJUVQWSu1XaLo-7F6_EzLLfSyqqe/s1600/20130304_164831.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU0UP-SMG8SQeoNwp0OzRGdV_ueNC9i9A10bSkvjyrB3h07TMOrgivoq_QEtEGC5MqvYI8mz8JDcG3H2cmgbXVbaQsPXSUUfN78kEnWEKzXa4_iOUulJUVQWSu1XaLo-7F6_EzLLfSyqqe/s320/20130304_164831.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And the palm trees! I think every stadium everywhere should have palm trees in the outfield no matter the gardening costs. This was a picture of the Berm seating (picnic-style grass where you bring your own blanket and chill out in left field). It would be exhibit number three except for the tiki-bars and drink stations littered behind the grassy knoll.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU-BqdTENvhJAuYXAYV6ENXDGFoL-Q61rLdUnCl69wtR6n8TR7s0JF5-Lf-gX3gr5WMMbpXso8U83NUGHXS79g2-RLi20w6N4WQZhKlYpoaBP1gxGIceXiQIdi8qT5xOVUlMrK7cpcXBmI/s1600/20130304_125148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU-BqdTENvhJAuYXAYV6ENXDGFoL-Q61rLdUnCl69wtR6n8TR7s0JF5-Lf-gX3gr5WMMbpXso8U83NUGHXS79g2-RLi20w6N4WQZhKlYpoaBP1gxGIceXiQIdi8qT5xOVUlMrK7cpcXBmI/s320/20130304_125148.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And the fact that it got kind of crowded.</div>
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Today's starters were Rick Porcello for the Tigers and some poor sap for the Astros. Houston's team is so bad that we could not be sure who would even make the Major League roster. Here is the actual starting lineup of people who are supposedly big league caliber:</div>
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Jose Altuve</div>
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Fernando Martinez</div>
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Carlos Pena</div>
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Chris Carter</div>
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Jason Castro</div>
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Justin Maxwell</div>
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Rick Ankiel</div>
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Matt Dominguez</div>
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Jonathan Villar</div>
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmmXlj0p3ul9AOnmYFEI2h-68P3l-TgOQXE0Af44TqxL50VZDXMBsjDjZjubcuJDkDt-Xff3NPsATimt2lJbO4ClkkG5LPFoZW-UPCjtDwSDRMkfwC_jr1SO-KoJZm_d-eA3LVJZ5G7Mo8/s1600/Jose+Altuve.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmmXlj0p3ul9AOnmYFEI2h-68P3l-TgOQXE0Af44TqxL50VZDXMBsjDjZjubcuJDkDt-Xff3NPsATimt2lJbO4ClkkG5LPFoZW-UPCjtDwSDRMkfwC_jr1SO-KoJZm_d-eA3LVJZ5G7Mo8/s320/Jose+Altuve.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Probably their best everyday player is second baseman Jose Altuve, pictured here. That is his actual size. This photo has not been altered. Altuve's height: 5'5". In fact, if you google "Jose Altuve h" auto-finish predicts you will type "height" before "highlights" or "home run" or even "Houston Astros."</div>
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The Tigers meanwhile put a pretty impressive team on the field. Although Miguel Cabrera was away playing for Team Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic, we did see Austin Jackson, Torii Hunter, and big Prince Fielder. What's that? You want a picture of Prince Fielder standing next to Jose Altuve? Alright, if you say so.</div>
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Against those odds and a mostly normal Tigers lineup, the Asros' pitchers struggled. When their starter was taken out, it was beyond awkward to hear people yelling that he sucks from just a few feet away. You could literally stare into his eyes as he stepped into the dugout. Huge props to famous people. I can't imagine getting yelled at by complete strangers all the time.<br />
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On the other hand, the normally strikeout-scared Rick Porcello had tons of swing and miss stuff, which greatly pleased the Tigers faithful. Porcello, who later won a spot in the team's starting rotation for this season, struck out seven 'Stros in 5.1 innings pitched.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM_2fmgsfiNSV8Xzw_W6Q6SceS02QXTUD0FuPhxMJpS7rVxXJJP_uyq2egcVH72a_7l5HjaAUvamaeDIf2Ka6tXae4LIfKwgJXT0h1Q8yBsQUyniY6nqCtgfEY24S2Wu29A9_gqIRwPTpJ/s1600/Jim+Leyland+chilling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM_2fmgsfiNSV8Xzw_W6Q6SceS02QXTUD0FuPhxMJpS7rVxXJJP_uyq2egcVH72a_7l5HjaAUvamaeDIf2Ka6tXae4LIfKwgJXT0h1Q8yBsQUyniY6nqCtgfEY24S2Wu29A9_gqIRwPTpJ/s320/Jim+Leyland+chilling.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Tigers' skipper Jim Leyland was pretty happy with the game. He decided to lounge in a beach chair in front of the dugout all game long. The Houston coaches were a little more active. We could periodically see fingers pop up above the dugout lip, shifting defensive alignments and moving outfielders. The couple times we noticed the fingers and the moves, it worked perfectly, with the ball magically traveling to where the fielder shifted to. Good for you Houston. It is the little things that make it all worth while.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuijfhzpIVWOLmWb6YsrWqA_GbyoWFfTJR2HuPJHA95TnHapCyUt4fzm_cKOeXvtl3f37JfdUZ7Gw_sdc4AkPVxAfT1z-8pHw1Ibto3VijGwNwCHTuxJghapOrUDH6yrUylo-KwI5gBer6/s1600/From+the+berm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuijfhzpIVWOLmWb6YsrWqA_GbyoWFfTJR2HuPJHA95TnHapCyUt4fzm_cKOeXvtl3f37JfdUZ7Gw_sdc4AkPVxAfT1z-8pHw1Ibto3VijGwNwCHTuxJghapOrUDH6yrUylo-KwI5gBer6/s320/From+the+berm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The level of campy wonder melted away as the game progressed. With vendors trying to get clever and sell more product, one started yelling odd phrases like "lemon-flavored kool-aid!" thinking that would somehow HELP his lemonade sales. This was matched only by the crowd yelling odd phrases. People seemed to love that Tigers' reserve outfielder Matt Tuiasosopo has the same last name as a man recently involved in a pretty big college football scandal.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj28XN0b31q3XHhGFJ2hKqSr52uXk7ImgAS07A917ea8TCSNijuu8-ewjnvG2s0uImdXyuZstK4KO2hYwXc8QTghtwcZuqNHMBZBiuQ2qcrQxNp_e9sfcBwAILz_lFBE_80q8_Yj6ImOjYm/s1600/20130304_164856.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj28XN0b31q3XHhGFJ2hKqSr52uXk7ImgAS07A917ea8TCSNijuu8-ewjnvG2s0uImdXyuZstK4KO2hYwXc8QTghtwcZuqNHMBZBiuQ2qcrQxNp_e9sfcBwAILz_lFBE_80q8_Yj6ImOjYm/s320/20130304_164856.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
As the game came to a close, the Astros battled back a bit against Detroit's bullpen. Their pen is made up of a ton of guys who had like one good season. Joaquin Benoit is there; Octavio Dotel is still milling around; so is Phil Coke; Al Alburquerque might be the best of the bunch. He struck out the side in the eighth, making his case even stronger.<br />
<br />
Unlike Clearwater, where the fans left by the second inning because autograph time had ended, the fans in Lakeland waited for something else. As soon as the winner of the 50-50 raffle was announced in the eighth inning, they headed for the gates.<br />
<br />Tshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11597013442391089930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4203235230591138867.post-63405507477167327712013-03-31T11:43:00.000-04:002013-03-31T11:43:28.469-04:00My Spring Training Photo Essay - Part OneFor the second consecutive March, I took a trip down to Florida to see some Spring Training baseball. The area: Tampa/St. Pete. The weather: iffy. The baseball: awesome. With the 2013 regular season about to throw its first pitch, let's take a photographic look through some of my Spring Training moments.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkVC82aIHr4Z4eCp-eCw-6eqk_5EF1NgfsDiYqwUQZROwgNOhE93Kn7VvmQedDDO-yVGGJSrhs43qJwMPGngOZrnfdCk3FGP1m5yjblrhRX-l0hkaGtO_cnr0-iQVGmpVsv4c_ViN1q5pr/s1600/20130303_162413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkVC82aIHr4Z4eCp-eCw-6eqk_5EF1NgfsDiYqwUQZROwgNOhE93Kn7VvmQedDDO-yVGGJSrhs43qJwMPGngOZrnfdCk3FGP1m5yjblrhRX-l0hkaGtO_cnr0-iQVGmpVsv4c_ViN1q5pr/s320/20130303_162413.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Okay, so the weather wasn't perfect. On the way to Game One in Clearwater, FL to see the Philadelphia Phillies host the Toronto Bluejays, it was a bit cloudy, and more than a bit chilly. Temperature at first pitch in the 40s. Yes, that's degrees. Yes, that's Fahrenheit.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPhdSieYtmzilhKPLaPNm4fKROHbvHuMwB2Z45vDzIyh4_xrJBF_MXIS8Dr0_4Dgyw4Jhvkb9fsR9k3HgapewmuWi2vk4PxAAB1z8_VShWXECVB60LmswfPXvg4ZmxK-3HVg7GOEwgp_KO/s1600/Outside+Brighthouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPhdSieYtmzilhKPLaPNm4fKROHbvHuMwB2Z45vDzIyh4_xrJBF_MXIS8Dr0_4Dgyw4Jhvkb9fsR9k3HgapewmuWi2vk4PxAAB1z8_VShWXECVB60LmswfPXvg4ZmxK-3HVg7GOEwgp_KO/s320/Outside+Brighthouse.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Alright! We made it!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg68og665do-tQlNxVVwu2xKP8v_JMpMMeUOImEE8hw3AdOXXNuTU-xSt2umNOvxejy1aAddPq4Gz0y5BGbGDmH0Y4SKBblm20A0wBb3brwHEv1l6awPSQSo9xKWO8n0Llchuo96UnlUY9m/s1600/Entering+Brighthouse+Field.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg68og665do-tQlNxVVwu2xKP8v_JMpMMeUOImEE8hw3AdOXXNuTU-xSt2umNOvxejy1aAddPq4Gz0y5BGbGDmH0Y4SKBblm20A0wBb3brwHEv1l6awPSQSo9xKWO8n0Llchuo96UnlUY9m/s320/Entering+Brighthouse+Field.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
People were bundled up, and rightly so. We were going to see only the truest baseball fans this afternoon. (More on that in a second.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMAUk-YhoFiE4SM2Finqls6cupNvRHE_OUohONfk1TJVyDXzJs73iSq-ysXCTui_Qv0Vn-Zg5gyrOZIpHMxAM4yb5NjUi9IHR0tYZ4mYaJTMg9VDUA1aLNjS74EjafHPjpnJMJm_JCla2/s1600/Windy+in+Clearwater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMAUk-YhoFiE4SM2Finqls6cupNvRHE_OUohONfk1TJVyDXzJs73iSq-ysXCTui_Qv0Vn-Zg5gyrOZIpHMxAM4yb5NjUi9IHR0tYZ4mYaJTMg9VDUA1aLNjS74EjafHPjpnJMJm_JCla2/s320/Windy+in+Clearwater.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Yeesh. Time it took me to regret not packing a winter hat: six minutes.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWvs3K1X3fN5kWKSGE-LA4BAEGYe9vNf-GCPnH8edxIeoOEOIvMnNzrfvzmBi6LwXdykfWJ6RRnqbTFgDKzbPLVElDlILIvz7Tbkeo1_xVzYmH_yE5-EDkQlHuiM9GQKhQVJfLV0JWUBev/s1600/20130303_132443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWvs3K1X3fN5kWKSGE-LA4BAEGYe9vNf-GCPnH8edxIeoOEOIvMnNzrfvzmBi6LwXdykfWJ6RRnqbTFgDKzbPLVElDlILIvz7Tbkeo1_xVzYmH_yE5-EDkQlHuiM9GQKhQVJfLV0JWUBev/s320/20130303_132443.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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But even in the unpleasant temperatures, Bright House Field has a way of seeming pleasant all the same. After all, we were sitting down the third base line, two rows from the field, to watch some of the best players in the world do their thing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWbevi4GPEwNS48PiS7aHJVrsMpxSuvGgrqz06XQ2CPyEHQSKoSLnTeW7bF_du7ac66jtClFw0BbjLY8-7yZ_CcO8J281PBKhHyS_hFUHU-D_rpayCtBaF7bi2Shcv2g0ldba62PHGIYTA/s1600/20130303_125542.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWbevi4GPEwNS48PiS7aHJVrsMpxSuvGgrqz06XQ2CPyEHQSKoSLnTeW7bF_du7ac66jtClFw0BbjLY8-7yZ_CcO8J281PBKhHyS_hFUHU-D_rpayCtBaF7bi2Shcv2g0ldba62PHGIYTA/s320/20130303_125542.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Little did we know, we were also going to watch a lot of this: grown men and women climbing over each other to get a piece of material written on by another adult, most likely younger than they are.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJw_9a-8ZggymPL4tVknx5crKZ0kOV_Hcl5gO26tUjxxTNdMfQnSWfYgzBihIuc1akcpfu6hyDUMSRCX-v8xw5VvuOJZV8bJ329BlDAxuyLsXi78VFW14EQTD6fT7Y0s_y3lWM-mDlCyUx/s1600/20130303_125557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJw_9a-8ZggymPL4tVknx5crKZ0kOV_Hcl5gO26tUjxxTNdMfQnSWfYgzBihIuc1akcpfu6hyDUMSRCX-v8xw5VvuOJZV8bJ329BlDAxuyLsXi78VFW14EQTD6fT7Y0s_y3lWM-mDlCyUx/s320/20130303_125557.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Cole Hamels was a big draw. Guys lined up with bags of balls, one for each player who passed by. The man sitting next to us had a terrible time of things with a signed Mike Schmidt bat. Apparently the autograph did not come out pure. He was forced to "wipe his Schmidt" (his words, not mine).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibwmw0Kue3qY2ololq1E_SXMXl-4itYqUw5N_xpq6JT8K-agNEJAzNNWmH7mUT9aQ4v14jDAzLLcdft_7EZpy-5DmgrXCv9IPKUzSQWMIgyr5kw1bv0aj0GK49NMwxMIDi7sMtaFhpz3KW/s1600/Utley+and+Howard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibwmw0Kue3qY2ololq1E_SXMXl-4itYqUw5N_xpq6JT8K-agNEJAzNNWmH7mUT9aQ4v14jDAzLLcdft_7EZpy-5DmgrXCv9IPKUzSQWMIgyr5kw1bv0aj0GK49NMwxMIDi7sMtaFhpz3KW/s320/Utley+and+Howard.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The other interesting thing about these autograph hounds is that many leave after the first inning or so. They buy their tickets to get there early and grab the signatures. Once the game actually begins, they head to Buffalo Wild Wings. Look how cleared out my section became when Chase Utley and Ryan Howard called it a day during the middle innings and headed towards the showers.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1CtDm-bgImymXQzSz37MCtlBtLevkOXno4vmzjd3NdOnLZnmfjKCEx0bGywTdiCPKkr5v4jNfi3hu4icbamBs2fouvN5aPG1QapowYL5a0KF5igfu9EEd3lz875ktzp8BLcBNhO8SpKZ2/s1600/Hooters+ballgirl+and+Jose+Bautista.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1CtDm-bgImymXQzSz37MCtlBtLevkOXno4vmzjd3NdOnLZnmfjKCEx0bGywTdiCPKkr5v4jNfi3hu4icbamBs2fouvN5aPG1QapowYL5a0KF5igfu9EEd3lz875ktzp8BLcBNhO8SpKZ2/s320/Hooters+ballgirl+and+Jose+Bautista.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
An actual game did take place. See, here's proof: Jose Bautista at the plate! Joey Bats hit one out in this contest on the sixth pitch he saw...after taking the first five to draw the count full; but he was not the star of the day. That distinction belonged to two men, one from each side.<br />
<br />
The Toronto star was newly acquired Emilio Bonafacio. The speedster Bonafacio put all his skills on display very early in this game. He reached first on a bunt single in his first at-bat. From there, he stole second base...and stole third base...and scored a run on a throwing error. He also managed to show off his known fielding skills by committing one distinct error and blowing a double play. You have to take the good with the bad.<br />
<br />
The main attraction for Philly tonight was not Ryan Howard, although he did hit one out (literally out of the stadium, over the palms in right field). It was also not young outfielder Dominic Brown, even though he too hit a home run out of Bright House Field. The Philadelphia star was none other than semi-prospect, questionably-futured Darin Ruf. There was no good to take with his bad though.<br />
<br />
Ruf started in left field on this day, and did not quite belong there. He took a bad route on one of his first plays. He displayed a very poor throwing arm on his next. He compounded things with a strikeout at the plate. He actually did manage to throw Adam Lind out at the plate. But the throw was not as much a strike from left field as it was one of those ducks a quarterback throws when he gets his legs taken out by a defensive end but the throw lingers long enough to fall into the hands of a crossing tight end who got bumped off his original route. After mid-innings moves, Ruf was slid over to first base where he promptly dropped a double play ball.<br />
<br />
Some final thoughts on this Sunday afternoon contest:<br />
<br />
I did not get a picture but you'll have to take my word for it; Rajai Davis was looking very dapper with his blue on blue on blue ensemble. His blue jersey was framed by blue, knee-high socks and a blue glove.<br />
<br />
Dominic Brown is going to be a fan favorite if he isn't already. When he got taken out of the game and went past the left field stands to head off the field, he went through and signed every single thing put in front of him. Even once the action started back up after the pitcher's warm-up tosses, Brown continued down the line, signing away.<br />
<br />
When Andy LaRoche was put into the game as a late-inning replacement, even the in-stadium announcer called him Adam.<br />
<br />
This game was televised live on MLB Network. It might have been the last time that Ricky Romero starts a game on national television.Tshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11597013442391089930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4203235230591138867.post-30721692352636703472013-01-09T11:23:00.000-05:002013-01-09T11:23:23.593-05:0068 Predictions for this year's Big Dance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ZbMiUiYe_HTZc_TxeZpcO0gOGf_QQEC9XNMgJZc_tYJC0URMILPc-NBxDKagh9y8ZHQpu_nqXV_JphNS-VBkGbjj_9c56o06Q3r7sTBbGZcVr7hlEt75xzizG-WRpdLQD6-ll6l55bBX/s1600/march-madness.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ZbMiUiYe_HTZc_TxeZpcO0gOGf_QQEC9XNMgJZc_tYJC0URMILPc-NBxDKagh9y8ZHQpu_nqXV_JphNS-VBkGbjj_9c56o06Q3r7sTBbGZcVr7hlEt75xzizG-WRpdLQD6-ll6l55bBX/s320/march-madness.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
(68) The ACC will only get five teams in the tournament this
year.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(67) The Virginia Tech Hokies will not be a bubble team this
year, although they will look back fondly on the years when they were.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(66) <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Florida</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype></st1:place> will not be one of
the five either.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(65) No ACC school will make it to the Sweet Sixteen this
year.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(64) <st1:state w:st="on">Maryland</st1:state> will advance
farther than <st1:state w:st="on">North Carolina</st1:state> and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">North Carolina</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype></st1:place>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(63) Everyone will continue to hate Duke.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(62) <st1:state w:st="on">Kansas</st1:state>, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Kansas State</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Oklahoma</st1:state></st1:place>
State and Baylor will be the only four Big 12 schools in the NCAA Tournament.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(61) Baylor will get a 9 seed; some major college basketball
writers/bloggers will think it too high while others think it too low.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(60) A vast majority of brackets will pick Baylor to win
their first round match-up and a large percentage of these people will be
properly berated for considering it an upset.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(59) <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Oklahoma</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype></st1:place> will advance the
farthest out of any of the Big 12 teams.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(58) <st1:state w:st="on">Kansas</st1:state>
will have a better seed than last year (they were a 2) but will not advance as
far as they did a season ago. (These all can’t be bold.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(57) <st1:state w:st="on">Connecticut</st1:state>
will not make the NCAA Tournament. (Yes! Guaranteed correct!)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(56) For the first time in recent memory, the Big East
conference will not be the conference with the most tournament bids.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(55) <st1:place w:st="on">Syracuse</st1:place>
will not be the highest seeded Big East school but they will advance the
farthest in the tournament.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(54) Notre Dame will get upset in the first round by a team
seeded lower than them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(53) The same thing will happen to the Georgetown Hoyas.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(52) The Big 10 usurps the Most Tournament Teams throne from
the Big East.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(51) The Big 10 becomes the undisputed best conference in
the land, perfectly mirroring what happened to their schools during football
season.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(50) Three Big 10 teams will make the Elite Eight.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(49) Someone will remark how the Big 10 is now “the SEC of
basketball.” They will be given no credit for wittiness and will be criticized
for the comment more than they are praised.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(48) With multiple teams in the Final Four, the Big 10 will
still fail to win the National Championship.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(47) <st1:state w:st="on">Washington</st1:state>
will fail to make the NCAA Tournament.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(46) Both the university and Tony Wroten deeply regret that
he left school early to enter the NBA draft.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(45) Both the university and Terrence Ross also regret that
he left school early, although Wroten seems to not care at all about this.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(44) With only two schools winning their first round games,
everyone will be quick to jump on the story of the continuing demise of the
Pac-12 conference.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(43) This will gain steam when <st1:state w:st="on">Arizona</st1:state> gets bounced earlier than expected
in March Madness.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(42) The storyline will take a turn when UCLA outplays their
seed and makes it to the Elite Eight.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(41) The SEC’s Florida Gators will be a 1 seed heading into
the Big Dance.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(40) The Missouri Tigers will be a 2 seed in their first
year in the SEC.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(39) <st1:state w:st="on">Kentucky</st1:state>
will be a 3 seed after making huge strides during the second half of the
regular season.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(38) With three of the top 15 teams in the country, the SEC
is the most top-heavy conference in the nation.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(37) The SEC will claim ownership of one quarter of this
year’s Final Four.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(36) Stony Brook wins the America East conference and gains
an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(35) With the addition of VCU, the <st1:place w:st="on">Atlantic</st1:place>
10 stakes its claim as the best high-major conference in the country. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(34) <st1:city w:st="on">Temple</st1:city>
wins their first game in the tournament from their perch as a double-digit
seed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(33) VCU goes farther than any of their old peers in the
CAA.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(32) A team with an under .500 overall record wins the
Atlantic Sun conference tournament and is automatically invited to the Big
Dance.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(31) Weber State and Montana have such an awesome battle for
the Big Sky conference crown that, if anyone cared, it would be described as
“what college basketball is all about.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(30) The winner of the Big South, as a 16 seed, gives a
scare to the 1 seed they are paired with. The 1 seed ends up winning by a
reasonably slim 12 point margin.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(29) Cal State Fullerton leads the nation in scoring and
nabs the Big West’s automatic berth.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(28) It what has become an ironic, “winner leaves town”
situation with many of the best schools departing, rumors immediately start to
fly after George Mason wins another CAA title.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(27) For only the second time since 2005, someone other than
<st1:city w:st="on">Memphis</st1:city> wins Conference <st1:country-region w:st="on">USA</st1:country-region>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(26) <st1:placename w:st="on">Youngstown</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype> upsets tourney favorite <st1:place w:st="on">Valparaiso</st1:place> in the Horizon League final to
advance to the Big Dance.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(25) The winner of the Ivy League gets undue credit during
their first round blowout loss because “gosh, they have a great graduation
rate.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(24) The Fairfield Stags win the MAAC and enter tournament
play as the only <st1:state w:st="on">Connecticut</st1:state>
school representing. What up <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Nutmeg</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype></st1:place>!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(23) <st1:placename w:st="on">Ohio</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype> wins another Mid-American Conference title
and, for the third time this century, numerous people will mistakenly pick them
to advance to the Sweet Sixteen thinking they are <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Ohio</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype></st1:place>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(22) After winning their first ever MEAC Conference
championship a season ago, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Norfolk</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype></st1:place> repeats, but sees
no such tourney magic this time around and gets soundly romped in their first
contest of the NCAA Tournament.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(21) Creighton does not win the Missouri Valley Conference
but snags an at-large bid, to the disgust of many bubble teams.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(20) With a regular season title, UNLV gets back to the top
of the Mountain West for the first time this century, wins the conference
tournament as well, and captures their first March Madness win since 2008.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(19) Sacred Heart, <st1:placename w:st="on">Central</st1:placename>
<st1:placename w:st="on">Connecticut</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype>,
and Quinnipiac are all bounced from the Northeast conference tournament, to the
shear delight of all <st1:city w:st="on">Fairfield</st1:city>
fans. <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Nutmeg</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype></st1:place> bragging rights abound!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(18) With no at-large bid in play for an <st1:placename w:st="on">Ohio</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Valley</st1:placetype>
team, the championship game is a barn-burner between <st1:placename w:st="on">Murray</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype> and <st1:city w:st="on">Belmont</st1:city>, with the Bruins ultimately coming
out on top.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(17) Bucknell steamrolls through the Patriot League and
receives one of the better seeds for any mid-major in the tournament.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(16) For the second consecutive season and the second time
since Stephen Curry happened, Davidson triumphs in the Southern Conference and
makes the NCAAs.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(15) Oral Roberts (the Southland champ) and Southern
University (the SWAC champ) will play each other in a “round one” game, a.k.a.
one of the play-in games.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(14) <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">North
Dakota</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype></st1:place>
runs through the Summit League regular season but gets upset in the conference
tournament, crushing the spirits of their loyal fan base.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(13) In the Sun Belt tournament, an interesting occurrence
develops. Florida Atlantic and Florida International team up; <st1:placename w:st="on">Arkansas</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype>
and Arkansas-Little Rock do as well; so do the two <st1:state w:st="on">Louisiana</st1:state> squads: Monroe and Lafayette. The
three super teams enter, but all for naught as Middle Tennessee still wins the
conference and gets the automatic berth.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(12) Gonzaga, West Coast powerhouse and perennial mid-major
darling, is once again knocked out a bit early from the NCAAs. People begin to
wonder if the praise is unwarranted as the Zags haven’t made a deep tournament
run in their last 13 tries.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(11) With Utah State looking nearly as dominant as they were
in 2010-2011, the Aggies get taken down in the WAC final by Denver and have to
settle for the NIT.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(10) Throughout the tournament, Florida Gator’s big man Erik
Murphy becomes a breakout star. The long-range shooting senior displays his
inside-outside game to perfection, averaging nearly 18 points per game in
tournament play.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(9) In a sweet union, <st1:state w:st="on">Florida</st1:state>’s
coach, Billy Donovan, becomes widely considered one of the best coaches in the
country after another long tournament run cements his legacy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(8) On the opposite side of the spectrum, with the failures
of <st1:city w:st="on">Carolina</st1:city> and
NC State so highly publicized, the draft stock of Tar Heel James Michael McAdoo
and Wolfpack forward CJ Leslie will plummet with NBA teams unsure of how well
the two will do at the next level.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(7) Since tournament play can make such a big difference
with how pro scouts determine players deal with adversity and top competition,
Trevor Mbakwe will skyrocket up draft boards following his stellar tournament
performance for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(6) With coaches not immune to this development either, Fairfield
Stags head man Sydney Johnson will receive a few offers from high-major
programs following the tournament.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(5) Since it’s always about the money, much like Shaka Smart
and others in years prior, Johnson will return to <st1:place w:st="on">Fairfield</st1:place> after a contract restructuring goes
in his favor.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;">
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<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(4) The Final Four is comprised of <st1:state w:st="on">Michigan</st1:state>,
<st1:city w:st="on">Ohio State</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Missouri</st1:state>
and <st1:city w:st="on">Syracuse</st1:city>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(3) <st1:state w:st="on">Missouri</st1:state>
will face the Michigan Wolverines in the tournament final.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(2) Laurence Bowers is named the tournament’s Most
Outstanding Player. This, after missing all of last season with a torn ACL, is
one of the better stories in all of college basketball.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(1) Behind Bowers and Phil Pressey, <st1:state w:st="on">Missouri</st1:state>
upsets tournament favorite <st1:state w:st="on">Michigan</st1:state>
to take the NCAA Championship.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">A copy of this article can also be seen on College Sports Madness by following <a href="http://www.collegesportsmadness.com/article/5709" target="_blank">this link</a>.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">The image at the top is a registered trademark of the NCAA</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
Tshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11597013442391089930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4203235230591138867.post-42703818150490761062012-12-28T11:43:00.000-05:002012-12-28T11:44:16.320-05:002013 Predictions<i>With the new year a few days away, it is time to look onward, but not necessarily upward. Predictions, month by month for the year 2013:</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-o2AJyMguzd3dzGYVcLuHBOtPtk0_b6uhILrEiIRnaKQYFLOgLsm3HpGU9MZsc_eAEknfeax8oSLMY2ts-fhv4KA2aSZs0NYng41NZ6H2yJ_MSBbgvJtPfX4tvgAEROpUBDOhhAhWG6XI/s1600/2013-new-year.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-o2AJyMguzd3dzGYVcLuHBOtPtk0_b6uhILrEiIRnaKQYFLOgLsm3HpGU9MZsc_eAEknfeax8oSLMY2ts-fhv4KA2aSZs0NYng41NZ6H2yJ_MSBbgvJtPfX4tvgAEROpUBDOhhAhWG6XI/s200/2013-new-year.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<i><br /></i>
<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">JANUARY</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
MLB Hall of Fame voting results are released. Barry Bonds receives 58% of the vote, falling slightly short of the required 75% for induction. Roger Clemens falls short by a similar margin. Bloggers and pundits in favor of these players' induction into the Hall and fervently against such an action are both furious. "How could a majority of voters want these guys in?" someone will exclaim incredulously. "How could so large a group of voters want these guys out?" someone else will exclaim even more incredulously.<br />
<br />
Sammy Sosa will receive 18% of the vote, falling well short of the checkpoint for people to care.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>FEBRUARY</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">With Kobe Bryant no longer leading the NBA in scoring but the return of a healthy Steve Nash and Pau Gasol buoying the Los Angeles Lakers to an impressive two-month stretch, basketball analysts will pretend they never counted out the Lakers back in December. They will all pretend like they were expecting the turnaround once the big four were all playing together. They will all pretend like the internet doesn't exist to easily squash the validity of this backtracking. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>MARCH</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">With a ridiculously easy draw for the weakest one seed in the NCAA basketball tournament, Duke University will make a historic run to the Sweet Sixteen by beating every opponent by at least 22 points. In their Sweet Sixteen match-up though, facing the fifth seeded Butler Bulldogs in a rematch of the 2010 National Championship, current Utah Jazz forward and former Butler star Gordon Heyward is somehow allowed to come out of the stands and take a half court shot, which he nails, to give Butler a two point victory.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>APRIL</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In their first series of the season, the New York Yankees face off against the Boston Red Sox. The teams manage to tie all three contests: a worrisome foreshadowing of the respective third and fourth place finishes in the AL East the teams will land. Also, Kevin Youkilis is booed lustily by both fan bases although the announcers make a point of telling the television viewers that everyone is simply yelling "Yoooouuuuuk!"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>MAY</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
With the NHL playoffs in full swing, the Pittsburgh Penguins nab their 12th victory of the postseason, locking up a berth in the Stanley Cup finals and tying their victory total from the lockout-shortened regular season. The Penguins, who went 12-7 in the regular season, landed the six seed in the Eastern Conference and followed the hot play of their goaltender, Marc-Andre Fleury, all the way to the cup finals.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>JUNE</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">After very different regular season runs, where the Oklahoma City Thunder seemed to be out for blood every night on their way to 64 victories and the Miami Heat seemed to be out for lemonade during a stroll through the park on their way to 51 wins, the two meet once again in the NBA Finals. In his first finals appearance, newest Thunder player Kevin Martin pulls his very best James Harden impression by shooting terribly from the floor and disappearing for long stretches. The series takes an even larger turn in the Heat's favor however when, in a surprising twist, Kevin Durant brings The Wire analogy of him and Russell Westbrook being Stringer Bell and Avon Barksdale full circle by deciding to share his scoring abilities with his rivals during a co-op meeting held in a Miami Embassy Suites hotel.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>JULY</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
Fresh off his return from a worrisome injury and surgery, Alex Rodriguez returns to the Yankees' lineup just three days before the All-Star break but somehow is invited to participate in the Home Run Derby. Fans feverishly discuss how his participation could hurt his comeback or his swing and come to a 100% consensus that he should not do it. Rodriguez, always keeping an ear to the public whispering, decides to pass up the competition and instead play in the MLB Futures game. He is mistaken for a player's father on six separate occasions. He is correctly identified as a player's father on one occasion. The two combine for the first ever father-son, back-to-back home runs in the 15 year history of the Futures game.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>AUGUST</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Entering Jets camp as the number one quarterback, rookie NFLer Mike Glennon finds himself in front of dozens of cameras and reporters before he has even thrown a mini-camp passing tree. Eventually the reporters all disperse as it turns out Mike Glennon is not NBA player Chase Budinger transitioning to his second professional sport as was previously thought. Before leaving, the last cameraman casually suggests to Glennon that he, "I don't know, dye your hair or something. You guys could seriously be twins."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>SEPTEMBER</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, taking a page out of David Stern's playbook, announces his future retirement date as October 2023. Bettman explains how that will be the 10th year in a row of hockey seasons without a lockout taking place and it would be a fitting time to step away. A reporter at the press conference will then ask if Bettman meant 11th year, as 2023 would be 11 years after the 2012 lockout. Gary, bending into the microphone with a slight grin spreading over his face, says "No. 2023 will be the 10th anniversary; trust me. See you next month for the start of the season....or will you? HAHAHAHA!"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>OCTOBER</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In the first ever MLB World Series match-up between two teams each with $200+ million payrolls, the Los Angeles Dodgers lose in five games to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Backed by Josh Hamilton, Albert Pujols and mid-season acquisition Alex Rodriguez, the Angels' offense slices through the Dodgers' pitching staff. Interviewed after his three-homer game, A-Rod explains how by passing up the invitation to the Home Run Derby back in July, it really allowed him to hone his swing and hit all those second half home runs. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>NOVEMBER</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">After going undefeated in 2012, but being ineligible for postseason play, Urban Meyer's Ohio State Buckeyes once again go undefeated in the regular season. As Meyer has made it obvious he is the baddest man in college football and no other school has any hope of winning a national title while he is still coaching, there is nothing remotely funny about this. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>DECEMBER</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Heading into week 17 of the NFL season, the four NFC East teams are all tied at 9-6. With the schedule slanted towards divisional match-ups later in the year, the week 17 games happen to see the Giants playing the Redskins and the Cowboys facing the Eagles. With so many possible outcomes and tie-breakers to consider, the playoffs are left up in the air until after each of these games has finished up. In the waning seconds of the NY-Wash game, Eli Manning manages to squeak into the end zone on a ballsy end-around call that he audibled to at the line of scrimmage. However, the Giants' glee is quickly stomped out as it is discovered their 10-6 record was not good enough to win the division. Through a heavily controversial set of rules and regulations, it turned out that the Cowboys, also finishing 10-6, end up receiving the divisional crown because of a more entertaining press conference given by Tony Romo one day back in September when Eli Manning was "kind of bland and seemed disinterested in answering reporters' questions."</span>Tshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11597013442391089930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4203235230591138867.post-8880805101003808982012-11-15T23:38:00.000-05:002012-11-15T23:44:43.710-05:00College Sports Madness!For the past few months, Pinata posts have been slow. This is because the college sports landscape has been in full swing. Not only has college football been on the front burner but basketball too has begun, meaning team previews and season outlooks were on the agenda.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2HUJ7zxdG_uS-k3aEFmMhQzPUyjA8mXUnIi6Ty1au5KTJNaE-fnf53b8vnk-2-vUnQuUapso8uyRSSZ2e6nK2uo-oJS4yjgSmPvsFFjHENk0FI9vSwyd9Ie1guHjSbai1fg8eu0XDdto2/s1600/CSM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2HUJ7zxdG_uS-k3aEFmMhQzPUyjA8mXUnIi6Ty1au5KTJNaE-fnf53b8vnk-2-vUnQuUapso8uyRSSZ2e6nK2uo-oJS4yjgSmPvsFFjHENk0FI9vSwyd9Ie1guHjSbai1fg8eu0XDdto2/s1600/CSM.png" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
To see everything I've been working on, from weekly football recaps and title game projections to basketball team previews and supplemental articles, check out my <a href="http://www.collegesportsmadness.com/node/486" target="_blank">writer profile page</a> at <a href="http://www.collegesportsmadness.com/" target="_blank">College Sports Madness</a>.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
As an aside, and since it has been a while since I've written about baseball, what was with those postseason awards?? Verlander can't grab a Cy Young just because he has a few less wins? Mike Trout can't win the MVP because his team missed the playoffs? Come on! How many more years until voters realize individual awards should not be won or lost by a player's teammates?Tshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11597013442391089930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4203235230591138867.post-8739324444525892582012-08-05T22:35:00.001-04:002012-08-05T22:35:49.876-04:00The Dark Knight Rises unpopular opinion alert<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjmig1uyanB2W-HcnA1BgQkhmvjsjdzz_LEwZyUfv8-Y2eo44KC-CA9-0rQ1HtcYGsybuDubvMqw2BLDs6tXM5BV-WCHiIs2CfuK5Dkh1kqFYAZSNk47-AI1KRdOAwsTUl7cezUf4LyJw1/s1600/batman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjmig1uyanB2W-HcnA1BgQkhmvjsjdzz_LEwZyUfv8-Y2eo44KC-CA9-0rQ1HtcYGsybuDubvMqw2BLDs6tXM5BV-WCHiIs2CfuK5Dkh1kqFYAZSNk47-AI1KRdOAwsTUl7cezUf4LyJw1/s1600/batman.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If it wasn’t evident enough from the title, the subsequent
piece of writing discusses certain key plot developments in Christopher Nolan’s
most recent Batman movie. Do writers still need to constantly offer spoiler
alerts? This article is about The Dark Knight Rises. If you haven’t seen the
film yet, you probably wouldn’t click on the piece, right? </div>
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I hope that is the case because, in my humble opinion and
without further ado, Batman should have died.</div>
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After letting the movie, and specifically the ending, sink
in, it seems pretty obvious that little knuckle-curve Christopher Nolan dropped
in didn’t make a ton of sense. Batman should have died. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some people are still of the opinion that he DID die. The
final scene in an Italian café was just esoteric enough to have it seem
plausible that it simply took place in Alfred’s mind or a dream or…something.
However, most agree Nolan decided to have <st1:city w:st="on">Wayne</st1:city>
escape the bomb at the last second and live happily ever after having saved his
city. The first reason Batman should have died is strictly logistical. He, umm,
HAD to have died! It showed our neighborhood crime fighter still in his plane
with five seconds ticking on the nuclear bomb. Even if he fixed the autopilot
and even if he managed to eject from the plane without us seeing, how would he
have escaped the blast radius in time? In a movie where Hines Ward could return
a kickoff for a touchdown, I realize there are many unbelievable plot pieces
but, strictly from a common sense standpoint, come on; Batman had to have died
there.</div>
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The second reason a death was needed had nothing to do with
whether Bruce Wayne could have made it out alive. Simply speaking, Nolan’s
Batman trilogy made more sense with the death of its protagonist. From talking
of dying a hero to Batman himself telling Selena Kyle that he had not yet given
everything to <st1:place w:st="on">Gotham</st1:place>, the dark knight ending
his life to save his city at the end of Dark Knight Rises would have been some
powerful symbolism. To tell you the truth, when The Bat was flying out to sea
and Robin was looking on, it got a little misty in my theater. I liked where I
thought Nolan was taking us; I really liked the movie in general, until Alfred
showed up in that restaurant again. </div>
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With supposedly no more Batman movies in the works for Nolan
and his gang, why make the ending so surprisingly cheery for such a shadowy
trilogy? As far as “tacked on endings” go, it wasn’t quite at Return of the
King levels but it’s up there.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(Image courtesy of dccomics.com)</span></div>Tshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11597013442391089930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4203235230591138867.post-91783457535135468372012-05-05T23:53:00.000-04:002012-05-05T23:53:43.136-04:00A college football playoff? Say it ain't so!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq18D0llM0pTcMhlO2chxL6QVP5NRKD5vQkPqLp0LZVlrcPQbVskJ6pgyoNT8z_lsP7A6jc7eNbz2HfONkQaCMDiumaVH6UPZddG6RVBxjkURMB_thJq9-6VnC73T8tTuzZvgLilE8dqEW/s1600/Alabama+Football.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq18D0llM0pTcMhlO2chxL6QVP5NRKD5vQkPqLp0LZVlrcPQbVskJ6pgyoNT8z_lsP7A6jc7eNbz2HfONkQaCMDiumaVH6UPZddG6RVBxjkURMB_thJq9-6VnC73T8tTuzZvgLilE8dqEW/s320/Alabama+Football.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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If you have not yet read my College Sports Madness colleague Dan Levine’s piece on
this topic, <a href="http://www.collegesportsmadness.com/article/3913" target="_blank">check it out here</a>. He describes the feelings held by
most…well, most people with a heartbeat.</div>
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Unfortunately for him and for all of you who agree, he is
wrong. It happens to the best of us. There is no shame in being wrong. It
happened to me once, back in the 90’s. I think it was a Tuesday. Anyways, the
College football powers that be making a playoff imminent seems like a fool’s
errand. They are destroying the one advantage they have over every other major
American sport going. </div>
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All you average sports fans, real quick, a quiz for you: who
won the Big 12 basketball regular season title this past season? It happened
literally within the past few months. You are thinking to yourself it was
probably <st1:state w:st="on">Kansas</st1:state> but it might have been <st1:state w:st="on">Missouri</st1:state>…or did Baylor
pull it out? You want to know the answer? The answer is: it doesn’t matter. It
never matters. Nothing in the regular season of college basketball ever
matters. The same goes for Major League Baseball, the NBA and don’t even get me
started on hockey. Could the regular season possibly mean LESS than it does in
the NHL? It’s almost a secretly, well concocted joke at this point.</div>
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It is debatable whether the NFL regular season is important.
It matters because you have to make the playoffs but ask the New York Giants if
they felt like they were the best team during this past year’s regular season.
College football has a monopoly on the Regular Season and that should mean
something.</div>
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As amateur football currently stands in division one, every
game means the world from week one through December. If you want to get serious
for a minute and think about it, with the exception of the teams in the literal
National Championship game in January, every other team’s LEAST important game
is actually their bowl game. It means squat. </div>
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So instead of banking on this week after week excitement,
college football wants to turn to a playoff system, relegating the regular
season to something between what the NFL currently offers us and what the NHL
drags out claiming to be professional hockey. No longer will that awesome
November weekend game between top teams matter as much. A team eliminating
itself from title contention with a single loss will be a thing of the past.
The pressure and subsequently the will of the best players to perform at their
peak execution game after game will dissipate. College football will
become…normal. And I for one would hate to see that happen.</div>Tshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11597013442391089930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4203235230591138867.post-24858804670916216742012-05-05T23:43:00.000-04:002012-05-05T23:50:14.631-04:002012 NFL Draft Grades<br />
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1) <st1:place w:st="on">Indianapolis</st1:place>
Colts</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Grade: <span style="color: lime;">A-</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Andrew Luck
as their first pick was a no-brainer. This does not diminish their selection
though. He is indeed the best quarterback prospect since John Elway. Adding two
tight end weapons later on, both with first round talent, is a bonus. Their
best value pick came in round five in the form of Josh Chapman, a player once
thought of as a first day possibility. </div>
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2) <st1:place w:st="on">Washington</st1:place>
Redskins</div>
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Grade: B-</div>
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Robert
Griffin III is the guy <st1:state w:st="on">Washington</st1:state>
wanted. However, they gave up an awful lot to get him and he is not nearly the
sure thing Andrew Luck is deemed to be. Pretty much their entire draft rests on
RGIII’s success: a worrisome outcome for a team that has been without a
quarterback for so long.</div>
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3) <st1:place w:st="on">Cleveland</st1:place>
Browns</div>
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Grade: <span style="color: red;">C-</span></div>
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Two first
round selections hardly buoyed their draft grade when they make the picks they
did. Giving up three additional late round picks for the right to draft Trent
Richardson third seems silly when he would most assuredly have been available
at their original slot if <st1:state w:st="on">Minnesota</st1:state>
kept their pick. Brandon Weeden later in round one was even more questionable
as he seems hardly better than Colt McCoy is, and years older than McCoy, who
already has years of NFL experience. </div>
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4) <st1:place w:st="on">Minnesota</st1:place>
Vikings</div>
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Grade: B</div>
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Trading
back in round three, picking up three additional picks and still getting their
man Matt Kalil is a move to be admired. Their second pick of day one was a
little more questionable as safety Harrison Smith seems to have a low ceiling
in the minds of scouts.</div>
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5) <st1:city w:st="on">Jacksonville</st1:city>
Jaguars</div>
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Grade: B-</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Trading up to select Justin
Blackmon makes sense but the many holes elsewhere on the Jags’ roster were not
necessarily filled. With only six total picks made and one being a punter in
round three, <st1:city w:st="on">Jacksonville</st1:city>
left some talent on the board. Andre Branch in round two was a nice selection
though.</div>
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6) <st1:place w:st="on">Dallas</st1:place>
Cowboys</div>
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Grade: B</div>
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Giving up
their second round pick to trade up and get Morris Claiborne is the kind of big
draft day move fans usually like from their teams. It certainly addresses a
major team need and he was the best cornerback in the draft but his Wonderlic
test and the fact that <st1:city w:st="on">Dallas</st1:city>
never interviewed him send up some red flags. Their best pick was Danny Coale,
a wide receiver taken in round five. He is tremendously reliable and should fit
in well as a possession receiver.</div>
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7) <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Tampa</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Bay</st1:placetype></st1:place> Buccaneers</div>
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Grade: B</div>
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<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Tampa</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Bay</st1:placetype></st1:place>
took the best safety in the draft and the second best running back with their
two first round picks. It filled two major team needs. They also selected
Lavonte David in round two, a player many people felt might go in round one.</div>
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8) <st1:place w:st="on">Miami</st1:place>
Dolphins</div>
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Grade: <span style="color: red;">C+</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Two great picks cannot fully be
offset by <st1:city w:st="on">Miami</st1:city>’s
first selection. Taking Jonathan Martin in round two and Lamar Miller in round
four are both tremendous. However, Ryan Tannehill is who this draft will be
made or broken with and not only is he a huge question mark; it remains to be
seen whether he can actually play better than <st1:city w:st="on">Miami</st1:city>’s current quarterback option: Matt
Moore.</div>
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9) <st1:place w:st="on">Carolina</st1:place>
Panthers</div>
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Grade: B</div>
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Luke Kuechly is a solid first round
selection. Joe Adams could be a difference maker as a return man in round four.
However, <st1:place w:st="on">Carolina</st1:place>
missed on a number of team needs including defensive tackle and outside
linebacker. </div>
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10) <st1:place w:st="on">Buffalo</st1:place>
Bills</div>
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Grade: <span style="color: lime;">B+</span></div>
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Although they added no quarterback
depth and will rely fully on Ryan Fitzpatrick for the foreseeable future,
Stephon Gilmore and Cordy Glenn make up one of the best two round combinations
of players any team made.</div>
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11) <st1:place w:st="on">Kansas City</st1:place>
Chiefs</div>
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Grade: <span style="color: red;">C+</span></div>
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Dontari Poe is a very risky pick,
especially in round one. Adding offensive line help and skill position players
later could not offset the uncertainty created by Poe as their draft anchor.</div>
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12) <st1:place w:st="on">Philadelphia</st1:place>
Eagles</div>
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Grade: B-</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Giving up two mid-round picks for
Fletcher Cox seems fair. Nick Foles is also a nice backup quarterback
possibility with what <st1:place w:st="on">Philadelphia</st1:place>
was forced to trot out on the field last year when Michael Vick went down.</div>
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13) <st1:place w:st="on">Arizona</st1:place>
Cardinals</div>
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Grade: B</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Michael Floyd is a nice weapon to
place opposite Larry Fitzgerald in the <st1:state w:st="on">Arizona</st1:state>
offense. He should open up the middle of the field for Fitzgerald on crossing
routes as well as for backs and tight ends running shorter routes. Their best
value pick was Bobby Massie in round four. </div>
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14) <st1:place w:st="on">St. Louis</st1:place>
Rams</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Grade: <span style="color: lime;">B+</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Trading down and taking Michael
Brockers is a nice move for a team needing help all over their defense. By
taking Janoris Jenkins in round two, <st1:place w:st="on">St.
Louis</st1:place> makes the statement that they are willing to
take risks in the hopes of adding talent to a depleted roster.</div>
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15) <st1:place w:st="on">Seattle</st1:place>
Seahawks</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Grade: <span style="color: red;">D</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Adding two additional mid-round
picks by trading down in round one does little to offset making the biggest
reach of the draft. Taking Bruce Irvin, a part-time player with limited upside
as their first selection would have been questionable even for a team with the
luxury of taking a player with one specific skill. <st1:city w:st="on">Seattle</st1:city> does not even have that luxury.
Russell Wilson has the potential to carve out a spot for himself in this league
but having already paid big money for Matt Flynn this offseason, Seattle again
seems to be the wrong fit for this move.</div>
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16) <st1:place w:st="on">New York</st1:place>
Jets</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Grade: B-</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Stephen Hill is a great round two
pick. The Jets also added depth at OLB and RB: two areas of need. Yet taking Quinton
Coples in round one is too risky to warrant a higher grade. There were better,
safer players still available who play the exact same position as Coples when
the Jets made this selection.</div>
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17) <st1:place w:st="on">Cincinnati</st1:place>
Bengals</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Grade: <span style="color: lime;">A</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The overall quality and quantity of
<st1:city w:st="on">Cincinnati</st1:city>’s
picks led to this grade. Dre Kirkpatrick fills a giant need as the team’s first
selection. Kevin Zeitler might have been a bit of a reach as their next
selection yet <st1:place w:st="on">Wisconsin</st1:place> offensive linemen are
as solid as they come. Devon Still in round two is a smart pick and the Bengals
also managed to add weapons at receiver, tight end and running back, including
Dan Herron, a possible contributor from the sixth round.</div>
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18) <st1:place w:st="on">San Diego</st1:place>
Chargers</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Grade: <span style="color: lime;">A-</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<st1:city w:st="on">San Diego</st1:city>’s draft is oversimplified yet overshadowed
by the first player they took. Melvin Ingram was thought of as a top ten
possibility so not only was he great value at the Charger’s selection, he also
addressed one of their biggest team needs.</div>
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19) <st1:place w:st="on">Chicago</st1:place>
Bears</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Grade: <span style="color: red;">C</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Always worrisome is the player that
flew up draft boards real late in the process, well after games were finished
being played. Shea McClellin might turn into a good player but he shows
evidence of being another combine-mover. Alshon Jeffery was also questionable
coming off a bad year and coming into the draft process overweight. To make
matters worse, <st1:place w:st="on">Chicago</st1:place>
didn’t address their need at defensive end or their biggest need on the
offensive line.</div>
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20) <st1:place w:st="on">Tennessee</st1:place>
Titans</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Grade: B-</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<st1:state w:st="on">Tennessee</st1:state> delivered a nice, solid draft.
Kendall Wright is a weapon to pair with a returning Kenny Britt. Zach Brown is
a nice selection as well. By addressing some team needs, the Titans neither
disappointed nor blew anyone away with their weekend moves.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
21) <st1:place w:st="on">New England</st1:place> Patiots</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Grade: <span style="color: lime;">B+</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Normally fond of trading back, <st1:place w:st="on">New England</st1:place> went in another direction by trading up twice
on day one. Chandler Jones and Dont’a Hightower are both talented defensive
players who can greatly help the Patriots pretty quickly. Their best pick might
have been Alfonzo Dennard in round seven.</div>
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22) <st1:place w:st="on">Detroit</st1:place>
Lions</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Grade: <span style="color: lime;">A-</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<st1:city w:st="on">Detroit</st1:city>’s franchise outlook seems to be
shifting. Riley Reiff was great value late in round one. And going
Oklahoma-heavy in the rest of the draft is an easy way to collect talent. Ryan
Broyles’ production was historic in college. Coming off an injury was the only
reason he dropped on draft day. Ronnell Lewis in round four and Travis Lewis in
round seven were both good risks to take as well. </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
23) <st1:place w:st="on">Pittsburgh</st1:place>
Steelers</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Grade: <span style="color: lime;">A-</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<st1:city w:st="on">Pittsburgh</st1:city> needed help along their offensive
line in a major way. Taking David DeCastro, the best guard in the draft, and
Mike Adams, a first round talent at OT in round two, is a great way to fill
that void. Chris Rainey’s speed and versatility in round five was a bonus.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
24) <st1:place w:st="on">Houston</st1:place>
Texans</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Grade: <span style="color: lime;">B+</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Grabbing the national leader in
sacks and forced fumbles late in round one is solid reasoning. Whitney Mercilus
will try to fill the void left by Mario Williams. DeVier Posey was a nice pick
in round three but <st1:place w:st="on">Houston</st1:place>’s
best pick was Jared Crick in round four.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
25) <st1:place w:st="on">Green Bay</st1:place>
Packers</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Grade: B</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
A team like <st1:city w:st="on">Green Bay</st1:city> has few roster holes. Rushing the
passer was one of them. Their first two selections both addressed this. Nick
Perry, the USC rush end and Jerel Worthy, the big tackle in round two, both
should help a depleted defensive line.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
26) <st1:place w:st="on">Baltimore</st1:place>
Ravens</div>
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Grade: <span style="color: lime;">B+</span></div>
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Trading away their first round pick
and still being able to nab Courtney Upshaw in round two is great draft work.
With their other second round pick, <st1:place w:st="on">Baltimore</st1:place>
took offensive guard Kelechi Osemele to help with depth.</div>
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27) <st1:place w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:place>
49ers</div>
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Grade: <span style="color: red;">C</span></div>
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Taking a downfield, speed wide
receiver was a good option to complement Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree. The
problem was <st1:city w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:city>
didn’t take the best one available. In addition, LaMichael James seemed
superfluous to a team already with Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter in the
backfield.</div>
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28) <st1:place w:st="on">Denver</st1:place>
Broncos</div>
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Grade: B-</div>
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<st1:city w:st="on">Denver</st1:city> made a lot of moves which seemed to
not get them very far. They addressed some team needs, swapped mid-round
selections, added some additional picks and added a quarterback for the future.
But for a team that just added Peyton Manning and might have been trying to
make a splash for the current roster, <st1:place w:st="on">Denver</st1:place>
missed the boat.</div>
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29) <st1:place w:st="on">New York</st1:place>
Giants</div>
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Grade: <span style="color: lime;">B+</span></div>
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The Giants lost Brandon Jacobs and
needed a replacement running back: check. They lost Mario Manningham and needed
a replacement slot receiver: check. They added depth to their defensive
backfield: one of the most banged up spots on their roster for the past few
seasons. In addition to tight end depth and offensive line help, the Giants
would have hit a home run if they were able to add any type of linebacker help
but they were not.</div>
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30) <st1:place w:st="on">Oakland</st1:place>
Raiders</div>
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Grade: <span style="color: red;">C</span></div>
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It is hard to make a huge
improvement to a weak roster without high draft picks. Only the future will
determine the real value of <st1:place w:st="on">Oakland</st1:place>’s
2012 draft but after that horrendous Carson Palmer trade where they gave up all
those high picks, it was going to be tough to make any kind of headway this
draft.</div>
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31) <st1:place w:st="on">Atlanta</st1:place>
Falcons</div>
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Grade: B-</div>
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No first round pick set <st1:city w:st="on">Atlanta</st1:city> up to add some
defensive help late and a solid center, Peter Konz, in round two. Their big
draft splash was Julio Jones last year and they took him knowing it would
effect this year’s options.</div>
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32) <st1:place w:st="on">New Orleans</st1:place>
Saints</div>
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Grade: <span style="color: red;">C+</span></div>
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<st1:city w:st="on">New Orleans</st1:city> did the best they could with the
situation they put themselves in. Without a first round pick from a prior deal
with <st1:place w:st="on">New England</st1:place> and having lost their second
round pick because of the penalties from Gregg Williams’ bounties, the Saints
were forced to fill holes with late rounders. Nick Toon was an impressive
receiver in college and getting him in the fourth round is a nice pick.</div>Tshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11597013442391089930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4203235230591138867.post-32074700903390920132012-04-23T11:37:00.000-04:002012-04-23T11:37:33.563-04:00The Boys of Summer, an MLB Snippet<br />
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Every year at this time, Major League Baseball starts up anew with each team having a chance at the pennant.</div>
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Originally a narrative by Roger Kahn about the Brooklyn Dodgers, the Boys of Summer now simply represent America's pastime. From McCovey's Cove to Pesky's Pole, Major League Baseball has started another season this month with "Opening Day", as writer Tim Kurkjian once put it, being the best two words in the English language to a baseball fan.</div>
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Unlike the other professional sports in America, baseball has a historic connotation to it. The sport of baseball is historic. Starting in the 1800's, MLB has a leg up on the competition in that regard. It also has history on its side in terms of numbers. Every number in baseball is special.</div>
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Home runs totals, stolen bases, consecutive games played, and everything else in between all mean something. They all mean something because, although the stadiums and players have changed, the rules have not. It is still 90 feet to first base. It still takes three strikes to get a batter out and four balls to walk him. An overthrow by the shortstop has always been an E-6. Throwing a perfect game will always mean immortality.</div>
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These rules of baseball have never changed. Thus, it opens the door to comparing eras, comparing the greats of the past with the greats of today. Each era has its own quirk or identity, yet all can be compared and argued on the basis of the final tallies.</div>
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When the Seattle Mariners won 116 regular season games in 2001, tying the mark set by the 1906 Chicago Cubs, it was neither more or less impressive than the season 95 years prior. Those two clubs will be in the record books side by side because baseball is ageless.</div>Tshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11597013442391089930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4203235230591138867.post-37173473678379635272012-04-23T11:21:00.002-04:002012-04-23T11:23:28.270-04:00Ender's Game Series is Science Fiction Gold<br />
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white;">Orson Scott Card's fabled Ender's Game Science Fiction novel series uses rarely seen writing technique of "companion novels" to perfection.</span></div>
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Readers were first introduced to Andrew Wiggin in 1985. Many science fiction readers know him better by his nickname Ender. Orson Scott Card released the novel <em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Ender's Game</em> in 1985. It went on to win the Nebula Award as well as the Hugo Award for the best Science Fiction novel of the year.</div>
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The chronological sequel, <em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Speaker for the Dead</em>, written just a year later, went on to win both awards as well. This story takes place after the events of <em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Ender's Game</em>. It is a sequel by definition.</div>
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The more interesting "sequel" to me however is the one written to take place during the exact same time frame as Card's original. The book <em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Ender's Shadow</em> was written in 1999 as a companion novel to Ender Wiggin's first adventure.</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Companion Novels</span></h3>
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The challenge and skill in writing a companion novel cannot be exaggerated. To write essentially the same story again, yet make it all the more interesting is a testament to Card's brilliance as well as to this world he created.<br />
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Writing a companion novel is usually the last technique used by writers, or movie directors for that matter, to continue the story of a beloved character/world. First comes a sequel. This is obvious. Continuing where we, the reader, left off previously and telling us what happens next is the common thing to do. If readers loved a character or enjoyed hearing about a tale set in a distant land, they will want to hear how things progressed.<br />
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If a sequel is not an option for some reason, say the main character dies, then the next best choice is writing a prequel. Again, obvious. Tell us how this character came to be who we saw them as. Tell us the back story and past events that shaped our main character's life.<br />
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Of course sequels and prequels are child's play. The writing of a companion novel is rarely seen because it is hard to make it interesting. Imagine reading a story you liked. Now imagine the author trying to write another novel that takes place during the exact same time frame, with the exact same characters and covers the exact same events. Would this be at all interesting to read? Simply writing from a new point of view is nice but it does not totally solve the problem. Just look at the movie Vantage Point for an idea of how that can fail.<br />
<span style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">So when Orson Scott Card wrote <em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Ender's Shadow</em> covering the exact story that took place in his award-winning <em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Ender's Game</em>, I am sure people were skeptical. It would be told from the point of view of a different character, namely Ender's Battle School associate Bean, but still. Would it work?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Ender's Shadow</span></h3>
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Well, we got our answer. Now this book did not receive the critical acclaim that Card's first few stories did. I am not a science fiction awards expert so I don't know if it wasn't as well received or there was stiffer competition. Nevertheless, I actually was more entertained by the companion than by the original.</div>
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In the introduction to Shadow, Card tells us this story can be read before or after reading <em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Ender's Game</em>. Since they cover the same time frame, there is no need to read one before the other. I actually disagree with his sentiments. I felt like reading the original helped to buoy my enjoyment of the companion. Sure, I knew the ultimate outcome already and where the plot was going, but to see events take place through another character's eyes, getting a completely new view of an event I already made judgments on was fascinating.</div>
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The best example I can give is when Ender Wiggin and Bean first meet. Bean is a newbie to Ender's new army. In the first book, the relationship is shallow, if there at all. Ender sees Bean as a little version of himself a bit, the smallest yet smartest launchie in a new army. So he is hard on him, thinking it will help him in the future, just as the teachers were to Ender when he first arrived at Battle School.</div>
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However, in <em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Ender's Shadow</em>, we find out oh so much more. The relationship is deeper and more confusing than I ever could have imagined. Without giving too much away, it turns out Bean was not put in Ender's new army by accident or even by chance. And even though Ender may not have known who Bean was, Bean certainly knew an awful lot about his new commander. The relationship from Bean's point of view is just one thing that completely turned my perceptions around from one story to the other.</div>
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I wish more authors tried the companion novel strategy. Although it does seem hard to pull off successfully, if done correctly, the outcome can be grand. <em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Ender's Shadow</em> may not be historically remembered but what it did for the award-winning books that came before it cannot be overstated. In fact, it made me want to reread the original tale again, just to see those very same events after knowing how other characters reacted to them.</div>
<span style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br style="font-size: 12px;" /><span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></span></span>Tshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11597013442391089930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4203235230591138867.post-32144314340310861312012-04-05T16:14:00.001-04:002012-04-05T16:14:10.490-04:00My Spring Training Voyage Finale<br />
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If you missed any of the previous installments of my Spring Training Voyage, scroll down through March's blog posts or click here for <a href="http://ts-sportsandmore.blogspot.com/2012/03/my-spring-training-voyage-part-one.html" target="_blank">Part One</a>, <a href="http://ts-sportsandmore.blogspot.com/2012/03/my-spring-training-voyage-part-two.html" target="_blank">Part Two</a> and <a href="http://ts-sportsandmore.blogspot.com/2012/03/my-spring-training-voyage-part-three.html" target="_blank">Part Three</a>. And now, the exciting conclusion to Murderous Pirates of the Raging Seas!...no, wait, this is not my dialogue to a 90's movie adapted for viewing on TNT.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpMcvSTykXCpD50BDGVq2TxJd4kLjsmLjR6UiN54Xq3hsP_KfZAsFJej_sazO9RZrZs_VO_fSlWNmYdaU-8mRAw7xbS0Qa4uk_QS-X3GCumBp7yqCHAn7BqMpWUIbvQmyWYLk0_SIvkHNI/s1600/spring+training.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpMcvSTykXCpD50BDGVq2TxJd4kLjsmLjR6UiN54Xq3hsP_KfZAsFJej_sazO9RZrZs_VO_fSlWNmYdaU-8mRAw7xbS0Qa4uk_QS-X3GCumBp7yqCHAn7BqMpWUIbvQmyWYLk0_SIvkHNI/s320/spring+training.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>March 19<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<st1:city w:st="on"><b>Detroit</b></st1:city><b> Tigers at <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Philadelphia</st1:place></st1:city> Phillies<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Bright House Field, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Clearwater</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Florida</st1:state></st1:place><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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The Phillies’ <st1:state w:st="on">Florida</st1:state>
home was the best stadium of the bunch we saw this trip. It was smaller than
the Yankees’ park but had a much more fun and entertaining vibe than the
backyard that the Blue Jays played in. Fans circled the field entirely, as
there was standing room and picnic blanket seating all around the outfield. The
concourse was also charming, giving a pristine backdrop to home plate. </div>
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But once the game started, the ambiance and locale was
surreptitiously overshadowed by one man: Tigers’ new third baseman Miguel
Cabrera. Cabrera last played third base in the Majors a number of years and a
few dozen pounds ago. He will most assuredly be one of the poorer fielding men
at the hot corner all year long. This game would serve as the foreshadowing
scene in books or movies where a future guilty criminal is seen displaying some
sort of evil smirk. March 19 was Miggy’s evil smirk.</div>
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He started off at bat however. In the top of the first,
Cabrera drew a walk (classic) and had a delayed steal of second base.
Describing it as a delayed steal is in no way a crack at Miguel’s lack of foot
speed, but rather the description of the play which worked so well because of
Miguel’s lack of foot speed. He would finish the game 0-0 with a walk, steal
and run scored because in the bottom of the first, he took a wicked hop to the
eye, shattering his sunglasses and his face and ending his afternoon early. </div>
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I wanted to be upset about this because I felt bad for the
man and hoped he would be okay. I actually ended up being upset for much more
selfish reasons. If he was seriously injured, it would be a huge problem for my
fantasy team of which he is the batting anchor (…I know). And even more
pressing, he was the main attraction of the game I was currently attending with
players like Prince Fielder already getting the day off. Cabrera being forced
to leave early was a real downer on the game. Thus, we were forced to find
other players and other storylines to follow.</div>
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Interestingly enough, around the next inning or so, two
gentlemen came up to my dad and me holding a pair of duplicate tickets as the
ones we held. It turned out one of us had been hustled. Whoever sold the
tickets online had sold one set as paper receipts and resold the same seats
using the actual stub tickets. I am actually surprised this does not happen
more often. For whatever it is worth and fortunately for us, my dad and my
tickets were the “authentic” set and the other men had the phonies. In a normal
game it is possible they would have been forced to leave and have had to scrap with
the seller to get their money back. In a Spring Training game, they were
allowed to stay but ended up having to jump around seats five or six times as
different guests kept arriving late and holding the rights to the seats they
were trying to use. It put a little scare in me for buying tickets online in
the future; that’s for sure.</div>
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As far as the game went, on the field, the Phillies took
home the victory with a four run fifth inning. We witnessed a check swing
double, two Hooters waitresses as ball girls, and dueling hat tricks by Tigers
outfielders. Austin Jackson, DHing this game, finished 0-4 with three
strikeouts, a walk, a stolen base and a run scored: the epitome of Austin
Jackson. Meanwhile, teammate Clete Thomas one-upped him, going 0-4 with four
k’s: the infamous golden sombrero. I also liked what I saw from Brennan Boesch,
both in his parent’s complete disregard for the English language and for his
fantasy baseball sleeper potential. </div>
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It would be our last Spring Training game of this year’s
four game, three city tour and Bright House Field was certainly a pleasant
host. And yes, I did buy a Philly cheese steak.</div>
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<b>Postscript</b></div>
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The <st1:placename w:st="on">Tampa</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Bay</st1:placetype>, <st1:city w:st="on">Dunedin</st1:city>, <st1:city w:st="on">Clearwater</st1:city> triumvirate is
a great location for any Spring Training trip. We were able to see a handful of
different teams without having to travel very far at all between stadiums. </div>
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John Mayberry Junior is a monster of a man.</div>
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You know how some players have easy gas, where they have
such a fluid arm motion, it seems like they are barely throwing yet the radar
gun says 96? Octavio Dotel has very hard gas…</div>
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The <st1:city w:st="on">Tampa</st1:city>
aquarium is a lot of fun even if you pass on the dolphin excursion.</div>
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The games don’t matter in the least outside of players
getting in shape and trying to make a roster yet fans seem to not realize this.
This is especially true of Phillies fans.</div>
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I cannot wait for the regular season to get in full swing
(pardon the pun) and to attend a couple games that count in the standings,
although it is sad knowing I cannot get seats as good as the ones obtained for
Spring Training baseball. It is a special event who's vibe and closeness cannot be duplicated once the corporate structure of big business sports takes over come Opening Day.</div>
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<br /></div>Tshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11597013442391089930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4203235230591138867.post-30716717542788827812012-03-29T22:49:00.000-04:002012-03-29T22:49:44.271-04:00Some Hunger Games thoughts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifI4f-pw3s3i5UQZSms1qtdSjPnwXxwfiaUXs06iR5u03Y82Yp7BcyBIPxgSjCILAGhkyyOFKQ1TemF-DRYJ_65FwUakA1-u3rugi1vfNwtZH2UKhG3Eifimy0GwlJ1cMcbQu_pTi1tZZa/s1600/TheHungerGames.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifI4f-pw3s3i5UQZSms1qtdSjPnwXxwfiaUXs06iR5u03Y82Yp7BcyBIPxgSjCILAGhkyyOFKQ1TemF-DRYJ_65FwUakA1-u3rugi1vfNwtZH2UKhG3Eifimy0GwlJ1cMcbQu_pTi1tZZa/s1600/TheHungerGames.jpg" /></a></div>
<u>Setup</u>: I am a huge fan and proponent of adults reading kids' literature. The Harry Potter books are fantastic, as are some other selections.<br />
<br />
<u>Caveat</u>: I have read The Hunger Games but only book one. I have not read the second or third books in the series and, frankly, do not plan on doing so. I did not love the book. It seems slightly overrated, the Oreo of books: a lot of buildup and popularity when there are far better, lesser known options out there.<br />
<br />
<u>Thoughts</u>: The movie left me with the same exact feeling I got after finishing the book. I thought the story and plot were viscous almost to the point of being unnecessarily ghoulish. Obviously the movie plot stems straight from the novel so it is through no fault of the movie producers this exists. Nevertheless, this exists.<br />
<br />
With this gruesome, over the top story arc, the scenes progress almost like a fairy tale. It is a juxtaposition I cannot overcome as a reader/watcher. Everything horrible is happening yet every additional piece of information falls into place perfectly to suit our protagonists, almost on cue. I suppose this is the dynamic that should exist in a children's book but it doesn't do it for me.<br />
<br />
Beyond the book problems that carried over to the movie, the film had some of its own drawbacks. Skipping over massive amounts of narrative left emotional holes in the story arc. At one point, when it is revealed two children will be allowed to win if they come from the same district, Katniss thinks of Peeta and the possibility of both of them surviving. So with the turn of her heel, she departs and immediately finds his blood trail and stumbles literally right on top of him, even though the movie never addressed that Katniss ever even knew Peeta was bleeding, let alone hiding.<br />
<br />
These skips in plot are necessary for a movie to cover so much from a detailed piece of text yet the movie did a rather poor job. With the omissions the writers chose, they somehow managed to still make the movie feel way too long, as it dragged on much of the pre-Games fanfare that I did not find particularly engaging.<br />
<br />
Not everything was bad. There were a few misty moments, a few heartstrings being pulled but I think that may have more to do with kids being in such grave peril and impossibly ridiculous situations that touches my sensitivity rather than how it was portrayed on screen. I felt the eyes water when Katniss volunteered to take her sister's place just because I knew it was supposed to be touching even though the scene itself seemed a bit awkward in its execution. The same can be said for Rue's demise, who I knew I was supposed to care about greatly but the movie failed to build her up as anything more than a squirrely girl in a tree.<br />
<br />
<u>Closing</u>: Haymitch is no Mad Eye Moody.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(Image courtesy of thehungergames.wikia.com)</span>Tshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11597013442391089930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4203235230591138867.post-56737819554978900422012-03-28T13:36:00.000-04:002012-03-28T13:36:53.378-04:00Sustained Mediocrity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieRq8EF6hFHIoNCM-Dm7SO5o-L0uFN2pSJkX8DHJ1W6UW4vHXbW8n3asLm1BU4EgfKdUl2HnSM0psWGCsvpJxW5kk48-xkf_fwipll-AdwsgyrbnYhM22V1NUZbkbLZ3RAccujZj0zqJ7p/s1600/brandon+jacobs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieRq8EF6hFHIoNCM-Dm7SO5o-L0uFN2pSJkX8DHJ1W6UW4vHXbW8n3asLm1BU4EgfKdUl2HnSM0psWGCsvpJxW5kk48-xkf_fwipll-AdwsgyrbnYhM22V1NUZbkbLZ3RAccujZj0zqJ7p/s1600/brandon+jacobs.jpg" /></a></div>
Long-time New York Giants running back and recent Super Bowl victor Brandon Jacobs just <a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7746849/ex-new-york-giants-rb-brandon-jacobs-sign-san-francisco-49ers-source-says" target="_blank">signed on to be a member of the San Francisco 49ers</a> ending his tenure as a Giant.<br />
<br />
More accurately, his Giants' time ended earlier this year when they released him but there still remained the option that they could bring him back, until today that is.<br />
<br />
Jacobs was never a star, nor even a full-time starter yet his career accomplishments are surprising. He is the Giants' all-time leader in rushing touchdowns. He had four consecutive seasons of at least 800 yards rushing even though he was the starting back for only roughly half that time. His career year, 2008, was a sight to behold: 1125 yards from scrimmage and 15 touchdowns in just 13 games. And more important than the individual numbers, since being drafted in the fourth round of the 2005 draft, Brandon Jacobs has been on two Super Bowl champion teams. Not a bad career for a big boy out of Southern Illinois.<br />
<br />
The question of how successful someone is always comes up when a chapter of their career comes to a close. Jacobs is no longer a Giant, so how impressive was his Giants career? Taking a broad view it seems he was nothing more than a cog in a good franchise and yet his numbers are pretty impressive and he was a main part of those two title teams. So who's career has been more successful, Jacobs or a man like LaDainian Tomlinson?<br />
<br />
Obviously this is a ridiculous query from a talent standpoint. Tomlinson is a Hall of Fame back and one of the most impressive runners in NFL history. His numbers are nearly peerless. And yet, his teams always came up short in the playoffs. He never made a Super Bowl, let alone won one. He was a very high pick (fifth overall in 2001), meaning the production was almost expected. So was he actually more successful than Jacobs? It comes down to how you evaluate success and what qualities are more important but the interesting thing to me is that the question can exist at all.<br />
<br />
In the basketball world, a more extreme yet common analogy is between a player like Chris Webber or Charles Barkley and Robert Horry. Would you rather have the Hall of Fame career from the highly drafted player or the championship-laden career from the often forgotten "role player"?<br />
<br />
It is a fascinating quandary, one that just cements the fact that Brandon Jacobs, Giants career finalized, had himself one heck of a time in Big Blue.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(Image courtesy of nypost.com)</span>Tshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11597013442391089930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4203235230591138867.post-24875450698634583522012-03-28T11:50:00.000-04:002012-03-28T11:51:42.885-04:00My Spring Training Voyage Part ThreeOn my journey through the Grapefruit League, we already touched on <a href="http://ts-sportsandmore.blogspot.com/2012/03/my-spring-training-voyage-part-one.html" target="_blank">game one here</a>, and <a href="http://ts-sportsandmore.blogspot.com/2012/03/my-spring-training-voyage-part-two.html" target="_blank">game two here</a>. Below is part three:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmhLFcuolgqC33l5rU4vWEXoPWzkSCXvKazPfyFYaTJEmBux2GmcXzBkv83BGhATtXrs6wYCwOWktCo-_tcjBntvWO0YqPui4YovVtNFajgDD6PK2klvpILUpr8eLYIw4MiC091oUw8UJD/s1600/spring+training.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmhLFcuolgqC33l5rU4vWEXoPWzkSCXvKazPfyFYaTJEmBux2GmcXzBkv83BGhATtXrs6wYCwOWktCo-_tcjBntvWO0YqPui4YovVtNFajgDD6PK2klvpILUpr8eLYIw4MiC091oUw8UJD/s320/spring+training.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>March 18<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<st1:city w:st="on"><b>Philadelphia</b></st1:city><b> Phillies at <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Toronto</st1:place></st1:city> Blue Jays<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Dunedin Field, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Dunedin</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Florida</st1:state></st1:place><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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After scrounging up tickets for this afternoon’s game, we
found out why the game was sold out to begin with. If Steinbrenner Field is the
Yankees’ version of a Spring Training home, Dunedin Field would be the bullpen.
The Blue Jays spring home could hold no more than 6000 folks, if that. Needless
to say, our tickets, in the “upper deck” were probably closer to the field than
our seats at the first Yankees game. To finish the analogy of <st1:city w:st="on">Toronto</st1:city>
being quite a bit minor league compared to our previous host, <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Dunedin</st1:place></st1:city> had their own in-game announcer to
keep the crowd engaged and to give away stuff. But we were not discouraged.
Cole Hamels would be on the mound for the Phillies and Jose Bautista would be
in the lineup for the Jays. There would be no Brett Lawrie today but instead,
at third base for the Jays, we got to see the ageless, glove wonder, Omar
Vizquel. The crowd loved Vizquel partly because he is easy to root for and
partly because the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Dunedin</st1:place></st1:city>
crowd’s mean age was pushing 70.</div>
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In the bottom of the first inning, Jose Bautista’s first
at-bat of the ballgame, he was fooled by a Hamels’ pitch and launched his bat
into the stands and down one of the spectator tunnels. (I told you the field
was small.) On the second pitch of the same at-bat, Bautista ignited an inside
pitch deep and way foul onto a practice field next door where, for some odd
reason, someone had parked a car. As the ball was approaching the car, the
crowd began to rumble. It ended up missing the vehicle but I think the reaction
would have been louder for that connection than if Bautista had hit a home run.
And we got our control variable later in the game as Joey Bats did indeed mash
a huge home run to left center. P.S. the crowd loved it.</div>
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The Phillies got beat up pretty good in the game, leading
even more to everyone’s desire to mark the Blue Jays as a sleeper pick this
season, with the extra wild card spot available. <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Toronto</st1:place></st1:city> put up a couple crooked numbers, in
the third, fourth and sixth innings on their way to victory. The batting hero
of the game was, in Spring Training fashion, catcher Yan Gomes. He went 3-3 on
the afternoon with two doubles and three RBIs. We also got a glimpse of one of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Toronto</st1:city></st1:place>’s new closer
options, veteran reliever Francisco Cordero. </div>
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After the contest, the story, other than Jose Bautista’s
at-bats, ended up being the stadium itself. So quaint and tiny, Dunedin Field
is the epitome of Spring Training baseball: where you go to see the best
players in the world, the Major Leaguers, play in little town parks and get
closer to the action than you ever could during the regular season. I mean the
Jays’ park was so backwoodsish, they didn’t even have a recording of Take Me
Out to the Ballgame playing during the seventh inning stretch. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Tune in for the conclusion of my Spring Training trip coming soon...</div>
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<br /></div>Tshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11597013442391089930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4203235230591138867.post-74960064095571863982012-03-26T00:14:00.000-04:002012-03-26T00:14:51.498-04:00My Spring Training Voyage Part TwoIf you missed Part One of my journey south to check out Florida's MLB Spring Training, you can catch it <a href="http://ts-sportsandmore.blogspot.com/2012/03/my-spring-training-voyage-part-one.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Below is part two:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMxjfn2UWHuJL_xkEqU75N_M_dW6lOotnIdnfNmUVx0lFKJr_y0wS7SWJrySCsakwmUVKL1QQ2eYUeSCLvT7ZyawLR1xDPR4ziOIa4YaHTDqFWKvEQzYTH0cHSShs816L2NUtHBrZ9AmUE/s1600/spring+training.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMxjfn2UWHuJL_xkEqU75N_M_dW6lOotnIdnfNmUVx0lFKJr_y0wS7SWJrySCsakwmUVKL1QQ2eYUeSCLvT7ZyawLR1xDPR4ziOIa4YaHTDqFWKvEQzYTH0cHSShs816L2NUtHBrZ9AmUE/s320/spring+training.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>March 17<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<st1:city w:st="on"><b>Houston</b></st1:city><b> Astros at <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New York</st1:place></st1:state> Yankees<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>George M.
Steinbrenner Field, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Tampa</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Florida</st1:state></st1:place><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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Five games in four days quickly dissolved into four games or
perhaps three games. The original Sunday double-header underwent a schedule
change since the last we checked as the Yankees-Orioles game went from being
Tampa-hosted into being held in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sarasota</st1:place></st1:city>,
an Orioles home game. It also came to light that the Blue Jays game, in very
tiny Dunedin Stadium, was sold out on Sunday afternoon. My dad and I scrambled
for tickets, trying to salvage at least one Sunday match but in the mean time,
we had our second Yankees game to attend: a sunny, Saturday tilt against the
Houston Astros.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The Astros are actually quite an ideal Spring Training team
to see play. It is hardly impossible to be disappointed with the lineup they
trot out as their normal, Major League, April starting lineup is pretty
Triple-A-ish to begin with. The highlights existed in the forms of Jason
Bourgeois (because of the spelling of his name and because he was traded within
a week of this game being played), Brett Wallace (because of the massive
post-hype sleeper potential of this once prized prospect), and Chris Johnson
(because he might actually just be plain good at baseball). The Yankees again
rose to the occasion, giving us a semi-normal squad featuring Gardner,
Granderson, Cano, Rodriguez and some bench guys. The pitching matchup was also
fortunate.</div>
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Bud Norris, probably <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Houston</st1:place></st1:city>’s
very best starting pitcher, would be facing new Yankee Hiroki Koroda. This was
my first chance to see Kiroda and he did not disappoint, breezing through the
first few innings before making way for the bullpen. Norris, on the other hand,
struggled mightily, walking four men in just the first two innings. But the
bullpens were the story anyhow. <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Houston</st1:place></st1:city>
brought in former starter, former closer, former starter, new closer Brett
Myers to pitch the middle innings and he was pretty good. The reason for
Houston, a team going nowhere this season, to transition one of their top
starters back into being a closer is suspect but Myers can certainly close out
games at the Major League level. </div>
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<br /></div>
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On the home team’s side of things, the middle innings were
host to another closer sighting as Mariano Rivera entered to Enter Sandman to
pitch the fifth. Not that it mattered how he fared but Mo was just fine in his
one inning of work. To close out the game, the Yankees, having already used
their regular season closer, turned instead to a prospect hoping for big league
glory this season: Dellin Betances. Standing at 6’8”, saying Betances is an
imposing figure on the mound does not quite do him justice. Pardoning the pun,
big things are expected of this man by 2013 if he does indeed spend this season
in the minors. </div>
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<br /></div>
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To wrap up the Astros match, and the Yankees half of our
Spring Training pilgrimage, we had two great Brett Gardner sliding catches, a
Dewayne Wise sighting, a Bill Hall home run and Chris Johnson cementing himself
as perhaps the only Astros hitter worth drafting in fantasy baseball this
season by tallying two doubles. The Yankees won, if that sort of thing matters
to you, but we would be saying goodbye to Steinbrenner Field and making our way
west for some new pastures.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Part three on the way...</div>
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<br /></div>Tshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11597013442391089930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4203235230591138867.post-89619863548385129952012-03-23T10:24:00.001-04:002012-03-23T10:24:39.220-04:00My Spring Training Voyage Part One<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2FYfiYq7dId0EJcZqDkfrqkR60GQaAUBoILEzYtXS4OhrtTaYu_cbW7OA5i9jN4-d19YncUA6ukBJDPa5xesa8kBrUJiNFP5i09yQK8NSiU16FLuB6V8GJhZFF9awKKuBlPOGS2646YFu/s1600/spring+training.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2FYfiYq7dId0EJcZqDkfrqkR60GQaAUBoILEzYtXS4OhrtTaYu_cbW7OA5i9jN4-d19YncUA6ukBJDPa5xesa8kBrUJiNFP5i09yQK8NSiU16FLuB6V8GJhZFF9awKKuBlPOGS2646YFu/s320/spring+training.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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My Spring Training
Voyage:</div>
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The Grapefruit League
Edition</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Preamble <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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It started as a simple idea, floated into the ether out of
the mouth of my father. “Let’s go to Spring Training this season.” I am
paraphrasing of course, as the literal vocabulary is neither memorable nor
important. It was the proposal that mattered. So out of the blue the thought
came that I at first assumed this was impossible. There was not enough time to
plan such a venture. This was, after all, just a few weeks from now. We both were
healthily employed, albeit in circumstances easily maneuverable to act on such
an endeavor. After my initial hesitation, paraphrasing myself now, I said
something along the lines of, “Okay.”</div>
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The plan was in motion. I would fly in to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Tampa</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Airport</st1:placetype></st1:place>
on Thursday night, the 15<sup>th</sup> of March. Spring Training would be in
full bloom by now but it would feel like the very start of it for us, neither
man having ventured into the world of Grapefruit League action before. We would
see five games in four days, culminating with a return flight home on Monday
night, March 19<sup>th</sup>. </div>
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<b>March 16<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<st1:state w:st="on"><b>Washington</b></st1:state><b> Nationals at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">New York</st1:state></st1:place> Yankees<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>George M.
Steinbrenner Field, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Tampa</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Florida</st1:state></st1:place><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Walking in to George M. Steinbrenner Field, the home away
from home of the fabled New York Yankees, it is hard not to see the
correlation. Having a professional vibe in an amateur setting is not easy to
pull off. Yet, a Yankees’ Spring Training site cannot be second class. The
seating is limited but the façade is here; the concession prices are in line and
the unmistakable air of superiority flows through the fences as if George
himself were sitting up in the press box. </div>
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With Spring Training games though, as with any exhibition,
you never know what type of team you will see. Not everyone is going to suit up;
this is a given. Brett Gardner was seen taking some swings on the practice
field next door, leaving the strong implication that he would not see any game
time this afternoon. In regards to Gardner, the Yankees’ punch-less leadoff
man, a player with 15 career home runs to his name, he sure was ripping the
ball in batting practice. Not to say that this should be a surprise. He is a
Major League ballplayer after all. And yet, it was still surprising to see a
man of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gardner</st1:place></st1:city>’s
known skills tearing frozen ropes to the fences. It was equally as perplexing
to see that same man, perhaps the 20<sup>th</sup> most popular current Yankee,
have a line of seemingly sane adults line up at the field edge to get his
autograph and picture. But to each his own.</div>
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So knowing the roster may be Spring-ish, we were crossing
our fingers for a Yankees lineup that resembled anything close to what April
would deliver. In fine fashion, the baseball gods complied. Granderson would
start, as would Robbie Cano and Alex Rodriguez. Teixeira would bat cleanup,
followed by some notable bench players in Andruw Jones, Raul Ibanez and
Francisco Cervelli. Throwing in starting shortstop Doug Berneir, a man no one
outside of the Berneir family was familiar with, was just the exception that
tied the lineup together. It couldn’t be perfect and we knew that going in. On
the other side, it was exciting to see what the Washington Nationals would
serve us. Really the other eight batters were irrelevant as long as Mr. Bryce
Harper had his knee-highs on. Being the number one prospect in the world yet
not being of legal drinking age and destined to <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/bryce-harper-start-season-triple-215852309.html" target="_blank">start the year in the minors</a>,
Bryce Harper is the future of the Nats. He, along with <a href="http://ts-sportsandmore.blogspot.com/2010/06/all-i-really-need-to-know-i-learned-at.html" target="_blank">Stephen Strasburg</a>,
makes the future Nationals one of the more compelling teams to follow.</div>
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<br /></div>
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As we took our seats, fortunately in some shade, <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Washington</st1:place></st1:state> was taking
batting practice and the afternoon’s starting pitchers were making their way
onto the field for some light running. On the visitor’s side, new Nat Gio
Gonzalez would be manning the rubber, an exciting option if Strasburg was not
to start. And in pinstripes, the man on the mound would be one CC Sabathia.
Listed at 6’7”, 290 pounds in the game program, CC came out looking rather
svelte if I do say so myself. Add him to the list of players coming into Spring
Training “in the best shape they’ve ever been in.”</div>
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The game progressed as many other games have, with starters
struggling out of the gate. This specific game continued as only a Spring
Training game could though. Nearly every batter took three hacks and made way
for a replacement somewhere in the middle innings. Each starter was yanked just
as unceremoniously. The swapping became so hurried that, to start the 6<sup>th</sup>
inning, Curtis Granderson ran out to center field only to find Justin Maxwell
already there. Curtis had been taken out of the game, only it seemed no one had
told him about it. We also had another Melky sighting. Yankee fans will
remember Melky Cabrera fondly from past seasons, as The Melk Man always
delivered! Now, there is another Melky in Yankee pinstripes this season: Melky
Mesa. I can safely say I never expected there to be two separate sets of
parents to name their child that, but one can never predict the wayward feelings
of people who have just brought a living creature into the world…or something.</div>
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The end of Game One came. Bryce Harper played and managed
nothing of note; A-Rod cranked a huge home run over the left field fence in the
bottom of the fifth; and the star of the game was none other than Nats’ third baseman
Steve Lambardozzi! The young infielder went 3-3 with a home run, 2 runs scored
and a nice glove stab on the defensive side of things as well. We would be back
to Steinbrenner Field tomorrow to continue our journey.</div>
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<br /></div>
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To Be Continued...</div>
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<br /></div>Tshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11597013442391089930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4203235230591138867.post-64061854116504741912012-03-14T14:02:00.000-04:002012-03-14T14:02:04.937-04:00March Madness: South Region Game BreakdownCourtesy of <a href="http://www.collegesportsmadness.com/article/3700" target="_blank">College Sports Madness</a><br />
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<u><b>#1</b> <st1:state w:st="on">Kentucky</st1:state> vs. <b>#16</b>
Mississippi Valley State/Western <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Kentucky</st1:place></st1:state></u></div>
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No matter which 16 seed wins their first round match, <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Kentucky</st1:place></st1:state> should throttle
them in the round of 64. Not only does <st1:state w:st="on">Kentucky</st1:state>
have the huge talent advantage, they will also be playing the game in <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Kentucky</st1:place></st1:state>: one of the
perks of having the overall number one seed. A 16 seed has never beaten a 1
seed and they sure don’t make it easy. If this game is closer than people
expect, do not read too much into it and just assume a young and inexperienced
Wildcats squad may be looking ahead to <st1:placename w:st="on">Iowa</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype> or <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Connecticut</st1:place></st1:state>.</div>
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<u><b>#8</b> <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Iowa</st1:placename></st1:state>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype> vs. <b>#9</b> <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Connecticut</st1:place></st1:state></u></div>
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<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Iowa</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype></st1:place> should be kind of
upset about this. Last year’s National Champions, the Connecticut Huskies, are
conceivably even more talented this year. They struggled with consistency and
acclimating new players, as well as coaching vacancies and player suspensions.
Yet despite UConn’s trouble in the regular season, they were playing well
coming into the NCAA Tournament and are quite terrifying as a 9 seed. <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Iowa</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype></st1:place>
has had a very pleasantly surprising year under new coach Fred Hoiberg.
However, they have to be upset with this draw. It’s not that the Huskies
deserved a better seed as they did lose 13 games this season. But that is no
consolation to the Cyclones as UConn just might be the most talented 9 seed in
tournament history.</div>
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<u><b>#5</b> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Wichita</st1:placename></st1:city></st1:place> <st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype> vs. <b>#12</b> VCU</u></div>
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Touched on in the South Region Overview, each of these teams
has something going for them. The underdog Rams are one of the hottest teams in
the country. Winners of 25 of their last 28 games, VCU has gone on a tear all
the way through the CAA conference title. They also come into March Madness off
the incredible run their school made a season ago. No team has higher
confidence in themselves right now than the Rams of VCU. However, their
opponent is so efficient on offense it might not matter. There are very few
schools who use possessions more effectively than the Wichita State Shockers.
With such great shooting numbers, opponents have a hard time playing within
themselves when any spurt of mistakes could put the Shockers out of reach.
Although State does a good job of spreading the scoring around, two of their
best offensive weapons are Joe Ragland and Garrett Stutz. Both men score more
than 13 points a game while shooting above 55% from the floor. Ragland’s
shooting splits are something to behold by themselves, as he also shoots 49.5%
from three and 82% from the line.</div>
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<u><b>#4</b> <st1:state w:st="on">Indiana</st1:state> vs. <b>#13</b> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">New Mexico</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype></st1:place></u></div>
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<st1:state w:st="on">Indiana</st1:state> has faced some intimidating
front lines this season, including <st1:state w:st="on">Kentucky</st1:state>,
Notre Dame, <st1:placename w:st="on">Michigan</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype> and <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Minnesota</st1:place></st1:state>.
And yet, the New Mexico State Aggies may be the biggest team <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Indiana</st1:place></st1:state> has had to battle all year long.
With three rotation players standing 6’10” or taller, New <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Mexico</st1:place></st1:country-region> State
sucks up rebounds like a vacuum. And the team’s best player and leading
rebounder is none of the three. Wendell McKines averages a double-double with
19 points and 11 rebounds per contest, standing at just 6’6” tall. Of course <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Indiana</st1:place></st1:state> has some bodies
to match the Aggies, including freshman sensation Cody Zeller. The younger
brother of ACC Player of the Year Tyler Zeller, Cody looks to be even better
than <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Tyler</st1:place></st1:city> was
as an underclassman. Teamed with sharpshooters Christian Watford and Jordan
Hulls, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">New Mexico</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype></st1:place> may be able to
control the boards and little else in this game.</div>
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<u><b>#6</b> UNLV vs. <b>#11 </b><st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Colorado</st1:place></st1:state></u></div>
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If this game was played in January, here would be the game
reset: <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Colorado</st1:place></st1:state>
stinks and UNLV does not. If this game had taken place even just two short
weeks ago, the story would have been much the same: <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Colorado</st1:place></st1:state> is barely an NIT team; UNLV is
comfortably in the NCAA picture. Yet in mid-March, after <st1:state w:st="on">Colorado</st1:state>’s
impressive conference tournament run, and UNLV having taken a bit of a slide
since their early 2012 heyday, the story reads a bit differently: <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Colorado</st1:place></st1:state> could beat
UNLV. It probably won’t happen but there is something to be said for momentum. <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Colorado</st1:place></st1:state> won the Pac-12
title. The team that won the Pac-12 regular season, <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Washington</st1:place></st1:state>, was the first ever power
conference team to have won their regular season and not made the NCAA
Tournament. So…the Pac-12 was kind of down this season, in an understatement to
rival saying the Big Dance is sort of popular. Yet this should not take away
from <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Colorado</st1:place></st1:state>’s
accomplishment. They still went out and won their conference, playing in
do-or-die games every step of the way. UNLV will have to have some smooth
practices and come out sharp to avoid the upset.</div>
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<u><b>#3</b> Baylor vs. <b>#14 </b><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">South
Dakota</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype></st1:place></u></div>
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Some fun facts about South Dakota State: (1) they are
nicknamed the Jackrabbits; (2) they won the Summit League title for the first
time this season, ending Oakland’s attempt at a three-peat; (3) their best
player is junior guard Nate Wolters. (4) Wolters led the team in minutes,
points, rebounds, assists and steals this season. (5) Wolters will not be
enough to prevent <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">South Dakota</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype></st1:place> from being
swallowed up by Baylor’s massive size and length. </div>
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Okay, you caught me. That last one is not really a fact, nor
the least bit fun. However, Baylor’s front court is no joke. Led by future NBA
lottery pick Perry Jones III, and surrounded by Quincys, the senior Acy and the
freshman Miller, the Baylor Bears are one of the most talented teams in the
country. I can see no reason why <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">South
Dakota</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype></st1:place>
should trip them up.</div>
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<u><b>#7 </b>Notre Dame vs. <b>#10 </b>Xavier</u></div>
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In one of the more intriguing second round games, the
underachieving, underdog Xavier Musketeers will face the overachieving
favorites, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish…if that makes sense. Coming into the
year, the predicted fates of these two teams would have been mirror opposites
of how they turned out. If Notre Dame was going to make the tournament, it
would be as a late at-large choice, garnering a double digit seed. Xavier,
meanwhile, would stroll through their conference and receive a high mid-major
seed. If this matchup was guaranteed in November, not only would the seeds be
flipped, you could have assumed it to be a 6 v. 11 or 5 v. 12 game, with Xavier
as the heavy favorite. Nevertheless, here we are. Xavier’s season was rattled
by an on-court incident that left them out of sorts and behind the at-large
pack. Notre Dame, on the other hand, played surprisingly well once conference
play started and revealed themselves as a Big East power behind Jack Cooley and
Jerian Grant. How fickle the college basketball landscape can be.</div>
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<u><b>#2 </b>Duke vs. <b>#15 </b>Lehigh</u></div>
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<br /></div>
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Duke is a weak number two seed. They do not defend well,
especially in the back court. They have very spotty inside play and rely too
heavily on the three point shot. What they do have though are great shooters, a
talented play maker and a great coach. These should be enough to squeeze past
Lehigh even if the outside shots aren’t falling. Lehigh relies almost exclusively
on the playmaking of junior guard C.J. McCollum. He led the Mountain Hawks in
everything this season and won his second conference Player of the Year award.
Yet without much help around him, even Duke’s spotty guard defense should be
able to control Lehigh. During the season, when Lehigh played any team close to
the caliber of Duke, they lost. They simply do not have the bodies to stick
with an ACC power like the Blue Devils even if the best player on the floor may
be wearing their jersey.</div>Tshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11597013442391089930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4203235230591138867.post-46755940257257462302012-03-14T13:58:00.003-04:002012-03-14T13:58:53.997-04:00March Madness: South Region Overview<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Care of <a href="http://www.collegesportsmadness.com/article/3693" target="_blank">College Sports Madness</a></st1:place></st1:state></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><br /></st1:place></st1:state></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Kentucky</st1:place></st1:state>
has been the best team all year long, the SEC title game not withstanding. They
deserved the number one overall seed and, maybe just a tad, doesn’t it seem
like they got quite an easy draw? Duke has a nice resume but should be
considered a weak two seed. Baylor has come on lately but has been very spotty
at points this season. Even Indiana, who took down <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Kentucky</st1:place></st1:state> for their lone regular season loss,
seems like a weaker four seed. But, as we all know, the bracket is not played
on paper.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<u>Who can win?<o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Kentucky</st1:state></st1:place>.
Certainly other teams have a chance, just like there is a chance of winning a
hand when hitting with 15 and the dealer is showing a face card. There is a
reason <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Kentucky</st1:place></st1:state>’s
only loss before their conference title game came on a buzzer beater. They are
loaded. Tough on the inside and tough on the outside, the only weakness of this
Wildcats team is inexperience and sometimes, talent just trumps all else.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<u>Who can surprise?<o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Xavier. Be leery of the double digit seed who was a
preseason top 25 squad. If that is not in the bracketologist handbook, it
certainly should be. Teams with talent who underachieve, for whatever reason,
are scary outs in the tournament. Xavier still has all the same players that
warranted that preseason ranking. They beat Vanderbilt and Purdue back to back,
followed by a win versus <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Cincinnati</st1:place></st1:city>
early in the year. That <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Cincinnati</st1:place></st1:city>
game held some sort of unpleasant player gathering, perhaps you heard about it,
and Xavier subsequently lost five of their next six contests. Whether they ever
truly recovered was still up in the air until the Atlantic 10 conference
tournament where the Musketeers made it all the way to the finals and seemed to
get some of their moxie back. I know Duke plays everything one game at a time
but if I were the Blue Devils, I would have a hard time not worrying about a
possible matchup with Xavier.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Who’s hot?<o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Virginia</st1:placename>
<st1:placename w:st="on">Commonwealth</st1:placename></st1:place>. Since the
28<sup>th</sup> of November, the Monday after Thanksgiving weekend, VCU has only
lost three games, going 25-3 in the process. Since the second week of the new
year, VCU has gone on a 17-1 run, which includes their drive to the CAA
conference championship and their automatic NCAA berth. Many of the main
contributors from last year’s Rams squad are long gone, yet a number of players
with that tourney experience remain. Taking down the Wichita State Shockers
will not be easy by any means. Coming into the game red hot can only help
though. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Who’s cold?<o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
UNLV. Losers of five of their last 10, the Runnin’ Rebels
have had trouble regaining that early and mid-season swagger. With a number of
very impressive wins on their resume, UNLV has the chops to win the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Albuquerque</st1:place></st1:city> regional, and
yet they have only beaten one really good team since the first day of February.
Giving up 102 points to TCU in a five point loss one day and only managing 45
points in a 20 point blowout in The Pit the very next game out is the kind of
wild point swing that shouldn’t be seen from a team firing on all cylinders. That
specific example of course has much to do with the opponents but Rebels star
Mike Moser has also been in a bit of a lull (<st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Wyoming</st1:place></st1:state> games as the exception that proves
the rule) and they will need him to get back to mid-season form.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<u>Upset alert!<o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Indiana</st1:place></st1:state>.
The Hoosiers should be careful with <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">New
Mexico</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype></st1:place>.
Although <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Indiana</st1:place></st1:state>
has some good guards and nice shooters, their best player is center Cody
Zeller. He happens to play the position <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">New Mexico</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype></st1:place>
has the best chance of slowing down. The Aggies are, after all, huge up front.
With one of the very biggest front court rotations in the country, State has
put up rebounding numbers that rival any team out there. They crush both the
offensive and defensive glass. To make matters worse for Indiana, New Mexico State
also gets to the free throw line a ton…or more accurately, half a ton. Ranking
first in the country, the Aggies have attempted over one thousand freebies on
the year. Talent is sometimes hard to overcome but rebounding and scoring with
the clock stopped are two fantastic equalizers.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>What possible matchup is interesting?<o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If <st1:state w:st="on">Indiana</st1:state> is able to
handle <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">New Mexico</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype></st1:place>, a possible rematch
with the one seeded Wildcats would be very interesting. <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Kentucky</st1:place></st1:state> would be out for blood, trying to
avenge their only regular season loss. As much as teams could give extra effort
in the Sweet Sixteen, <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Kentucky</st1:place></st1:state>
would be. Also for <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Indiana</st1:place></st1:state>,
it would be a chance to prove to nonbelievers that the first win was no fluke
and the Hoosiers are an upper echelon team. As interesting as a Duke-Baylor,
outside versus inside matchup would be, the game of the region would be the one
seed facing the four seed in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Atlanta</st1:place></st1:city>.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Which player will dominate?<o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So many good players reside in the South region. <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Kentucky</st1:place></st1:state> has the
probable Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year. Duke has a freshman of
their own who was first team All-ACC. Baylor is loaded with lengthy forwards
with NBA bodies. We have already mentioned Cody Zeller out in <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Indiana</st1:place></st1:state>. Yet the player to watch out for in
the South is Notre Dame junior forward Jack Cooley. Cooley is a big-bodied,
gravity-challenged, next generation Luke Harangody. If Notre Dame is able to
squeak by Xavier, look for Cooley to go off against Duke in round two. Front
courts already give Duke trouble, as they are very outside oriented. But with
Cooley’s girth and court smarts, he could singlehandedly control one aspect of
the potential seven-two matchup. Shooting over 60% from the floor for the
season and averaging near a double-double with 1.5 blocks per game to boot,
Cooley is a matchup nightmare for the Blue Devils. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>What system is tough to prepare for?<o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Wichita</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype></st1:place>. Although they
don’t necessarily play abnormally, the Shockers are a tough team to prepare for
because of their efficiency. They shoot very well from the floor at 48.5% and
knock down over 75% of their free throws. A respectable three point percentage
adds up to give <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Wichita</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype></st1:place> one of the best
true shooting percentages (TS%) in the country. Their points per game and
points per possession numbers are also very impressive, both ranking in the top
15 in the entire nation. To top it all off, they do a good job of taking care
of the basketball. The entire product leaves opponents being overly careful
knowing mistakes on even a few possessions could lead to multiple baskets and
an insurmountable Shockers lead.</div>Tshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11597013442391089930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4203235230591138867.post-17919763021165966052012-03-11T00:07:00.000-05:002012-03-11T00:07:35.920-05:00March MadnessI've been college basketball heavy these past few weeks, writing team tournament previews and preparing for the NCAA Tournament at <a href="http://www.collegesportsmadness.com/node/486" target="_blank">College Sports Madness</a>.<br />
<br />
A number of recent college bball pieces include a look at the <a href="http://www.collegesportsmadness.com/article/3320" target="_blank">Connecticut Huskies</a> and what may have been their problem during the regular season,<br />
<br />
I also took a second look at a number of players previously profiled at the beginning of the season and took stock in their <a href="http://www.collegesportsmadness.com/article/3454" target="_blank">rise and fall as far as NBA potential</a> goes.<br />
<br />
CSM has recently posted up a tournament preview for every NCAA and NIT team. I wrote roughly 20 of these previews; check out my profile page or <a href="http://www.collegesportsmadness.com/mens-basketball/ncaa-tournament" target="_blank">CSM's Tournament page</a> to see your favorite team's write-up.<br />
<br />
Coming up, starting tomorrow night, will be region by region NCAA Tournament breakdowns. I will be focusing on the SOUTH Region and updating the group as the tourney proceeds.<br />
<br />
Happy Selection Sunday everyone!Tshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11597013442391089930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4203235230591138867.post-3154245891732239142012-01-28T14:08:00.001-05:002012-01-28T14:08:47.847-05:00Very Specific Story Lines That Very Few People Will Care AboutAfter the recent signing of Prince Fielder to the Detroit Tigers and the rumors swirling that Miguel Cabrera will move to third base as a result, after gaining positional eligibility in fantasy leagues (depending on your league settings of course!), does 3B Miguel Cabrera become the number one fantasy pick in 2012 drafts?<br />
<br />
Short Answer: Yes<br />
<br />
Long Answer: Yes Indeed!<br />
<br />
Follow Up: Why yes I do have Miguel Cabrera in my fantasy baseball keeper league. Thank you for noticing.Tshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11597013442391089930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4203235230591138867.post-33093280606932180882012-01-28T13:58:00.000-05:002012-01-28T13:59:53.383-05:00Crystal Ball Big East StandingsIn our first installment of predicting the NCAA basketball conference standings, we take a look at the <a href="http://www.collegesportsmadness.com/article/3202" target="_blank">Big East conference</a> (care of College Sports Madness), currently led by the Syracuse Orange. Will Syracuse be able to hold off the main competitors hot on their tail? Will an expected powerhouse be able to rebound after a slow start? Will a surprise team be able to hang on to their high standing accumulated through an impressive December and January?Tshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11597013442391089930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4203235230591138867.post-57616505861976921482012-01-28T13:54:00.001-05:002012-01-28T13:54:38.024-05:00First NFL Mock Draft of the New YearCheck out a <a href="http://www.collegesportsmadness.com/article/3168" target="_blank">mocking draft here</a> care of College Sports Madness. Of course it is too early to predict April's NFL draft, before interviews and combines and workouts have taken place, which is why I did not really try that hard to make my predictions accurate. A great time-saver.<br />
<br />Tshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11597013442391089930noreply@blogger.com0