I wanted to get my prediction for the superbowl down on paper and maybe write a nice little blog about why I think that team would win, but I'm picking the Steelers (which isn't exactly going out on a limb). Who really wants to read about how they have a good defense and Ben Rothlisberger is a good QB....again? So instead of that I will give you 10 prop bets for the game, these are all real bets you can put money on, though I wouldn't recommend puting a lot on these silly bets.
1. First endzone celebration:
Touchdown spike: 2/1
Roundoff or backflip: 3/1
Snow angel: 4/1
Chicken dance: 4/1
Dunks football through the uprights: 4/1
Dirty bird: 5/1
Shows his biceps: 7/1
The worm: 8/1
Pulls out cell phone: 8/1
Throat slash: 8/1
Riverdance: 9/1
Takes cheerleader's pom poms: 10/1
Pulls out Sharpie, signs football: 15/1
Moons fans: 20/1
My pick- How is pointing up to god or Allah or whoever not on there? If Kurt Warner sneaks it in you know he is pointing up to his BFFL. I'll go with shows his biceps. Players like to do that and it doesn't draw a flag and at 7/1 it pays off pretty good.
2. How long will it take Jennifer Hudson to sing the National Anthem?
Over/under 1:54.
My pick- I knew that the line was set at 1:54 earlier in the week so when I was at the Celtics game Wednesday night I timed the random local girl singing and she came in at 1:37, but that's just a regular season Celtics vs Kings game by someone nowhere near as talented as Hudson. I figure with Hudson's lungs she can stretch it out another 18 seconds so I like the over here.
3. Who will the MVP thank first?
God: +150
Coach: +800
Family: +400
Teammates: +200
Does not thank anyone: +500
My pick- Both QBs are friends with God so he would be a good pick. Not sure about other players but since I think Big Ben is going to be MVP I am going with God. I wish T.O. was in this game because then they could have put "thanks himself" on the list which of course I would bet on.
4. How many times will Al Michaels and John Madden reference Ben Roethlisberger as "Big Ben" during the Game?
Over/under 7.5
My pick- This is tough one because he is always called Ben but now you have to hope they add big in front of it. I am going to take the under and figure they say it 5 times. Mostly when he stays in the pocket and gets hit and gets up and they say, "Big Ben taking that hit right on the chin."
5. How Many Times will NBC show Brenda Warner on TV during the Game?
Over/under 3.5
My pick- This is easy take the over. Win or lose Brenda is going to be shown sitting near the sidelines because she is not a celebrity and isn't going to be shying away from the cameras in a private box or something.
6. How many food references will John Madden make during the game?
Over/under 1.5
My pick- Another easy one, gotta go with the over here. You have to figure at some point they will show the kitchen at Raymond Jame Stadium and Madden will talk about the food, or he will mention a restaurant he went to during the week in Tampa. This is my lock of the super bowl.
7. Which NBC Show will get the most Promo's during the game?
The Office: 5/4
Heroes: 7/4
30 Rock: 5/2
Chuck: 11/2
Friday Night Lights: 8/1
Jay Leno:15/1
Conan O'Brien:15/1
Blossom:100/1
Whos The Boss:150/1
Alf: 200/1
My Pick- Has to be The Office because there is an all new, one hour episode on after the game. I think NBC should have put Chuck or 30 Rock on after since those show struggle in the ratings unlike The Office which has plenty of viewers. I'm not complaining though, I love The Office.
8. How many planes will be included in the Pregame Fly Over?
2 or less: 6/1
3: 4/1
4: 3/1
5: 5/4
6: or More 2/1
My Pick- Now I might be wrong but I always thought there were three planes in flyovers, I honestly didn't know there could be more or less. I'll stick by saying 3 planes.
9. What brand of Anheuser-Busch will have more commercials on Super Bowl Sunday?
Bud Light: +200
Budweiser: -300
My pick- Bud light goes with the comedy and then Budweiser has those emotional ones that make me tear up and have to leave the room to pretend I just went to get another beer. Remember the one when they show the horses marching to ground zero and then they lay down at the site of the twin towers? Another one that makes me get all teary eyed is when the soldiers are walking through the airport and then everyone just starts clapping - come on, if you don't love those commericals you have no heart. I love them so much I went to Logan Airport waiting to clap except that no soldiers were there that day, so I just started following businessmen around clapping for them. Fun fact: don't clap for businessmen at the urinal. I'm going to say Bud Light has more commercials.
10. What color will the Gatorade be that is dumped on the head coach of the winning team?
Clear/water: 4/5
Red: 5/2
Yellow: 3/1
Blue: 7/1
Orange: 7/1
Lime Green: 10/1
My pick- Well the last three superbowls have been water but I think gatorade has said enough is enough we want some press so I'm taking the underdog here and going with lime green.
Oh yeah, I'm also going with the Steelers 24-20 and Big Ben winning the MVP.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
Building the B's
The Bruins are having a great season which got me to thinking about what it took to assemble such a great team, from the draft to trades to free agency. This one isn't about performance (that's coming next week) but I do hint at the long term outlook for this team (which I will also delve further into next week).
Marc Savard: Signed as a free agent. Savard has given the Bruins their moneys worth since signing with them in July of 2006. Though he was -19 his first season while scoring 96 points he has worked hard to become a very good all around player and not just a passer on offense. Savard will be a free agent after next season and it will be interesting to see if he stays. He will only be 33 but you know he will be offered big money from other teams.
David Krejci: Drafted in the second rd. Krejci has played great this season and has really started to make a name for himself. It seems as though when anyone is struggling Claude just throws them on the Krejci line and they go off. Krejci is a restricted free agent after this season but I expect the Bruins to be able to workout a new deal for him.
Phil Kessel: Drafted in the first rd. The Bruins lucked out with Kessel falling to them at #5. There was talk that Kessel was just as good as Sidney Crosby, but then he went on to score only 18 goals at the University of Minnesota and also had a reputation as a bad teammate. Struggling during the combine he eventually fell into the Bruins laps. Although I don't think the other four teams that passed on him are too upset - the Blues took Erik Johnson #1 and though injuries have slowed him down he is still young and full of potential. The next three picks were Jordan Staal, Jonathan Toews, and Nicklas Backstrom (not the goalie). That is a really good top of the draft. Kessel is also a restricted free agent after this season and the B's will look to lock him up for a few more years but it won't be easy to sign him and Krejci while staying under the cap, look for some players to be moved (i.e. Patrice Bergeron) to free up some space.
Michael Ryder: Signed as a free agent. Ryder has already passed his last year totals in goals and points. Thanks to getting switched to Krejci's line, Ryder has regained the scoring touch he had with Montreal.
Dennis Wideman: Traded from St. Louis for Brad Boyes. I know Boyes has played great with the Blues but I still love this trade. The Bruins didn't need another young center they needed a young defenseman and that's what they got with Wideman - one could make a case that he's the best defenseman on the B's. Wideman will be here a while as he is signed thru 2012.
Blake Wheeler: Signed as a free agent. Wheeler was drafted fifth overall by the Coyotes but elected to play at the University of Minnesota. When he decided to forgo his senior year the Coyotes had 30 days to come to an agreement but could not. This led to Wheeler becoming a free agent and the Bruins were happy to sign this future star for under 1 million dollars a year.
Zdeno Chara: Signed as a free agent. Along with Marc Savard, he was the Bruins' big signing after the 05-06 season. I know Chara can be frustrating to watch sometimes, and he is the highest paid player on the team, but he is still a solid defenseman who also adds some scoring to the mix.
Milan Lucic: Drafted in second rd. The Bruins were able to draft Lucic in the second round thanks to the pick they got from the Oilers in the Sergei Samsonov trade. I know people weren't too happy letting Sergei go, but he was going to be a free agent at the end of year so the Bruins did the right thing by getting Marty Reasoner and Yan Stastny plus the pick. It's worked out well for the B's.
Chuck Kobasew: Traded from the Flames along with Andrew Ference for Wayne Primeau and Brad Stuart. This trade worked out good for the Bruins as Kobasew was quietly second in goals for the B's last season.
Patrice Bergeron: Drafted in second rd. I think Bergeron could be traded to free up some cap space. No knock on Patrice, as he is still only 23, but he still has 11 million left on his contract so I wouldn't be suprised that if he remains healthy over the next few weeks he is dealt around the deadline.
Tim Thomas: Signed as a free agent. The strike was the best thing to happen for Thomas as he spent that season playing in Finland and played really well going 34-14. I'm still amazed that at 31 he all of the sudden becomes good. I know in the last week or so we have heard some Savard for MVP talks (as well you should) but you could also make a case for Timmy.
In assembling the main core of the Bruins they didn't just build through the draft or go out and sign a bunch of free agents like the Rangers. The B's did it a little bit of everything from big signings (Savard and Chara), to drafting well (Kessel, Lucic, and Krejci), and making good trades (Wideman, and Kobasew). Now that they have built this team into a champion contender the question is can they keep this team together? More on that next week.
Superbowl blog tomorrow.
Marc Savard: Signed as a free agent. Savard has given the Bruins their moneys worth since signing with them in July of 2006. Though he was -19 his first season while scoring 96 points he has worked hard to become a very good all around player and not just a passer on offense. Savard will be a free agent after next season and it will be interesting to see if he stays. He will only be 33 but you know he will be offered big money from other teams.
David Krejci: Drafted in the second rd. Krejci has played great this season and has really started to make a name for himself. It seems as though when anyone is struggling Claude just throws them on the Krejci line and they go off. Krejci is a restricted free agent after this season but I expect the Bruins to be able to workout a new deal for him.
Phil Kessel: Drafted in the first rd. The Bruins lucked out with Kessel falling to them at #5. There was talk that Kessel was just as good as Sidney Crosby, but then he went on to score only 18 goals at the University of Minnesota and also had a reputation as a bad teammate. Struggling during the combine he eventually fell into the Bruins laps. Although I don't think the other four teams that passed on him are too upset - the Blues took Erik Johnson #1 and though injuries have slowed him down he is still young and full of potential. The next three picks were Jordan Staal, Jonathan Toews, and Nicklas Backstrom (not the goalie). That is a really good top of the draft. Kessel is also a restricted free agent after this season and the B's will look to lock him up for a few more years but it won't be easy to sign him and Krejci while staying under the cap, look for some players to be moved (i.e. Patrice Bergeron) to free up some space.
Michael Ryder: Signed as a free agent. Ryder has already passed his last year totals in goals and points. Thanks to getting switched to Krejci's line, Ryder has regained the scoring touch he had with Montreal.
Dennis Wideman: Traded from St. Louis for Brad Boyes. I know Boyes has played great with the Blues but I still love this trade. The Bruins didn't need another young center they needed a young defenseman and that's what they got with Wideman - one could make a case that he's the best defenseman on the B's. Wideman will be here a while as he is signed thru 2012.
Blake Wheeler: Signed as a free agent. Wheeler was drafted fifth overall by the Coyotes but elected to play at the University of Minnesota. When he decided to forgo his senior year the Coyotes had 30 days to come to an agreement but could not. This led to Wheeler becoming a free agent and the Bruins were happy to sign this future star for under 1 million dollars a year.
Zdeno Chara: Signed as a free agent. Along with Marc Savard, he was the Bruins' big signing after the 05-06 season. I know Chara can be frustrating to watch sometimes, and he is the highest paid player on the team, but he is still a solid defenseman who also adds some scoring to the mix.
Milan Lucic: Drafted in second rd. The Bruins were able to draft Lucic in the second round thanks to the pick they got from the Oilers in the Sergei Samsonov trade. I know people weren't too happy letting Sergei go, but he was going to be a free agent at the end of year so the Bruins did the right thing by getting Marty Reasoner and Yan Stastny plus the pick. It's worked out well for the B's.
Chuck Kobasew: Traded from the Flames along with Andrew Ference for Wayne Primeau and Brad Stuart. This trade worked out good for the Bruins as Kobasew was quietly second in goals for the B's last season.
Patrice Bergeron: Drafted in second rd. I think Bergeron could be traded to free up some cap space. No knock on Patrice, as he is still only 23, but he still has 11 million left on his contract so I wouldn't be suprised that if he remains healthy over the next few weeks he is dealt around the deadline.
Tim Thomas: Signed as a free agent. The strike was the best thing to happen for Thomas as he spent that season playing in Finland and played really well going 34-14. I'm still amazed that at 31 he all of the sudden becomes good. I know in the last week or so we have heard some Savard for MVP talks (as well you should) but you could also make a case for Timmy.
In assembling the main core of the Bruins they didn't just build through the draft or go out and sign a bunch of free agents like the Rangers. The B's did it a little bit of everything from big signings (Savard and Chara), to drafting well (Kessel, Lucic, and Krejci), and making good trades (Wideman, and Kobasew). Now that they have built this team into a champion contender the question is can they keep this team together? More on that next week.
Superbowl blog tomorrow.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Sports Blast 27 & 28, 2009
Tuesday and Wednesday Sports Blast:
Tue:
http://www.youcastr.com/casts/archive/joeymurr-the-sports-blast-with-joey-murr-january-27-2009
Wed:
http://www.youcastr.com/casts/archive/joeymurr-the-sports-blast-with-joey-murr-january-28-2009
Enjoy and check out my new 'Duke Blog' below.
Tue:
http://www.youcastr.com/casts/archive/joeymurr-the-sports-blast-with-joey-murr-january-27-2009
Wed:
http://www.youcastr.com/casts/archive/joeymurr-the-sports-blast-with-joey-murr-january-28-2009
Enjoy and check out my new 'Duke Blog' below.
Duke Hoops
Since Duke is #1 in the polls I guess now is a good time to talk about how the Blue Devils have done so far this season.
I thought this team would be solid coming into the season seeing as they only lost Demarcus Nelson from last year's team keeping the core group from last season's team in tact. People forget that that team started 22-1. That's why I don't have my hopes too high after the 18-1 start this year. In the end, all that matters is winning six straight in March.
I know people say Duke "lives and dies by the three" which might be true, but their defense is really what make this team so good. They have held their opponents to an average of 59.5 ppg. In their ACC games they have held their opponents to 58 points or less. I realize Florida St., Georgia Tech, VA Tech, NC State, and Maryland are not the top teams in the conference but when you look at what those teams average for the season you realize how dominant Duke has been on D.
VA Tech- 71.4 ppg. vs Duke-44
Florida St.-68.1 vs Duke-58
Georgia Tech- 72.3 vs Duke-56
NC State-70.8 vs Duke-56
Maryland- 71.4 vs Duke-44
They start playing the tougher teams in the ACC tonight when they travel to Wake Forest. If they hold the Demon Deacons to around 60 points they should win by at least 10.
Moving on, let's take a look at the main players for the Blue Devils and how they have done so far:
Kyle Singler: Singler is averaging 16 points and 8 rebounds a game as a sophomore, do you know who the last Blue Devils to do that was? Shelden Williams did it as a Senior and before him it was Carlos Boozer as a Junior. Singler reminds me of Duke great Shane Battier. They are both 6'8" and can shoot from the outside. Singler is further along than Battier was as a sophomore (Battier averaged 9 points and 5 boards his second season).
Gerald Henderson: I will always like Henderson thanks to how his dad being one of the biggest plays in Celtics history. When Henderson started his career at Duke I think people had their expectations set a little too high and when they saw his high school teammate Wayne Ellington playing great for UNC people thought that Duke come up short on their choice of recruits. Henderson always shows flashes of potential greatness including taking over (and turning around)the first round game last year against Belmont (which saved me from having to deal with jokes that Duke lost to a team like that...in the first round no less). Henderson's numbers have improved greatly since last season. He is averaging more points, rebounds, assists, and steals, while committing fewer turnovers. He is also shooting better from the field, free throw line, and from beyond the arc where he has gone from shooting 31% up to 47% this season.
Jon Scheyer: Scheyer is the poor mans J.J. Redick which is not an insult. Scheyer is lethal from downtown and as much as I love Singler and Henderson if the game is on the line and they need a three I want Scheyer taking that shot. Fun fact - Scheyer went to the same high school that the 'Breakfast Club,' was filmed at.
Nolan Smith: Great defensive player who forces the other team into turnovers. Not only is he great on D but has played really well running the show since taking over for Greg Paulus.
Greg Paulus: I know Paulus hasn't turned into the player everyone thought he was going to be, but at least he has been a team player and hasn't complained about losing his starting job. That's another thing I like about this team - you have guys coming off the bench who have played in big games like Paulus and Lance Thomas.
Brian Zoubek: Zoubek has done a nice job of providing some tough D down in the paint which Duke has been lacking since Shelden left. Zoubek didn't play much his first two years but has been a big part of this team success so far.
Looking ahead, do I think this team can win it all this year? Sure...but I fee the same way about UConn, Pitt, Louisville, Mich. St., Wake, and UNC. As much as it pains me to say I still think UNC will win it all.
Looking even further ahead to next season, this is really the season I think that Duke will win their first title since 2001. The only seniors are Paulus, David McClure, and Jordan Davidson. No real losses there. The only underclassmen that might enter the draft would be Singler and Henderson but I just don't see it happening, considering that right now they are projected late first or early second round picks.They would be better off coming back. Factor in more minutes for Elliot Williams, Olek Czyz, and Miles Plumlee combined with incoming freshman Ryan Kelly and the other Plumlee brother Mason and Duke is looking strong next year.
With Duke looking stacked, UNC will in turn lose both Tyler Hansbrough and Danny Green to graduation. You have to figure that with Hansbrough gone Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington, and Deon Thompson will bolt for the NBA also. Remember - last year Lawson and Ellington went to some pre-draft camps and workouts before deciding to come back and give it one last shot with Psycho T.
Before all the Tar Heel fans get on my case, yes I realize you will have Tyler Zeller back and healthy plus Ed Davis who has already played well this year. Then you have the best group of freshman coming in led by John Henson, Dexter Strickland, and the Wear twins Travis and David. I still think that Carolina will take a step back next year and maybe the year after, but by the time those guys are juniors you are looking at a dominant team just like in '05 when Sean May, Raymond Felton, and Rashad McCants became juniors and they won it all. And the rivalry will continue to roll on.
I thought this team would be solid coming into the season seeing as they only lost Demarcus Nelson from last year's team keeping the core group from last season's team in tact. People forget that that team started 22-1. That's why I don't have my hopes too high after the 18-1 start this year. In the end, all that matters is winning six straight in March.
I know people say Duke "lives and dies by the three" which might be true, but their defense is really what make this team so good. They have held their opponents to an average of 59.5 ppg. In their ACC games they have held their opponents to 58 points or less. I realize Florida St., Georgia Tech, VA Tech, NC State, and Maryland are not the top teams in the conference but when you look at what those teams average for the season you realize how dominant Duke has been on D.
VA Tech- 71.4 ppg. vs Duke-44
Florida St.-68.1 vs Duke-58
Georgia Tech- 72.3 vs Duke-56
NC State-70.8 vs Duke-56
Maryland- 71.4 vs Duke-44
They start playing the tougher teams in the ACC tonight when they travel to Wake Forest. If they hold the Demon Deacons to around 60 points they should win by at least 10.
Moving on, let's take a look at the main players for the Blue Devils and how they have done so far:
Kyle Singler: Singler is averaging 16 points and 8 rebounds a game as a sophomore, do you know who the last Blue Devils to do that was? Shelden Williams did it as a Senior and before him it was Carlos Boozer as a Junior. Singler reminds me of Duke great Shane Battier. They are both 6'8" and can shoot from the outside. Singler is further along than Battier was as a sophomore (Battier averaged 9 points and 5 boards his second season).
Gerald Henderson: I will always like Henderson thanks to how his dad being one of the biggest plays in Celtics history. When Henderson started his career at Duke I think people had their expectations set a little too high and when they saw his high school teammate Wayne Ellington playing great for UNC people thought that Duke come up short on their choice of recruits. Henderson always shows flashes of potential greatness including taking over (and turning around)the first round game last year against Belmont (which saved me from having to deal with jokes that Duke lost to a team like that...in the first round no less). Henderson's numbers have improved greatly since last season. He is averaging more points, rebounds, assists, and steals, while committing fewer turnovers. He is also shooting better from the field, free throw line, and from beyond the arc where he has gone from shooting 31% up to 47% this season.
Jon Scheyer: Scheyer is the poor mans J.J. Redick which is not an insult. Scheyer is lethal from downtown and as much as I love Singler and Henderson if the game is on the line and they need a three I want Scheyer taking that shot. Fun fact - Scheyer went to the same high school that the 'Breakfast Club,' was filmed at.
Nolan Smith: Great defensive player who forces the other team into turnovers. Not only is he great on D but has played really well running the show since taking over for Greg Paulus.
Greg Paulus: I know Paulus hasn't turned into the player everyone thought he was going to be, but at least he has been a team player and hasn't complained about losing his starting job. That's another thing I like about this team - you have guys coming off the bench who have played in big games like Paulus and Lance Thomas.
Brian Zoubek: Zoubek has done a nice job of providing some tough D down in the paint which Duke has been lacking since Shelden left. Zoubek didn't play much his first two years but has been a big part of this team success so far.
Looking ahead, do I think this team can win it all this year? Sure...but I fee the same way about UConn, Pitt, Louisville, Mich. St., Wake, and UNC. As much as it pains me to say I still think UNC will win it all.
Looking even further ahead to next season, this is really the season I think that Duke will win their first title since 2001. The only seniors are Paulus, David McClure, and Jordan Davidson. No real losses there. The only underclassmen that might enter the draft would be Singler and Henderson but I just don't see it happening, considering that right now they are projected late first or early second round picks.They would be better off coming back. Factor in more minutes for Elliot Williams, Olek Czyz, and Miles Plumlee combined with incoming freshman Ryan Kelly and the other Plumlee brother Mason and Duke is looking strong next year.
With Duke looking stacked, UNC will in turn lose both Tyler Hansbrough and Danny Green to graduation. You have to figure that with Hansbrough gone Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington, and Deon Thompson will bolt for the NBA also. Remember - last year Lawson and Ellington went to some pre-draft camps and workouts before deciding to come back and give it one last shot with Psycho T.
Before all the Tar Heel fans get on my case, yes I realize you will have Tyler Zeller back and healthy plus Ed Davis who has already played well this year. Then you have the best group of freshman coming in led by John Henson, Dexter Strickland, and the Wear twins Travis and David. I still think that Carolina will take a step back next year and maybe the year after, but by the time those guys are juniors you are looking at a dominant team just like in '05 when Sean May, Raymond Felton, and Rashad McCants became juniors and they won it all. And the rivalry will continue to roll on.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Sports Blast January 26, 2009
Today's show:
http://www.youcastr.com/casts/archive/joeymurr-the-sports-blast-with-joey-murr-january-26-2009
New stuff tomorrow.
http://www.youcastr.com/casts/archive/joeymurr-the-sports-blast-with-joey-murr-january-26-2009
New stuff tomorrow.
Even though we'll be on air in less than 6 short hours, I still wanted to get up the rest of last weeks shows -
Thursday:
http://www.youcastr.com/casts/archive/joeymurr-the-sports-blast-with-joey-murr-january-22-sports-blast
Friday:
http://www.youcastr.com/casts/archive/joeymurr-the-sports-blast-with-joey-murr-january-23-2009
See you in the morning.
Thursday:
http://www.youcastr.com/casts/archive/joeymurr-the-sports-blast-with-joey-murr-january-22-sports-blast
Friday:
http://www.youcastr.com/casts/archive/joeymurr-the-sports-blast-with-joey-murr-january-23-2009
See you in the morning.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
NHL All Star Saturday Night
Tonight is the NHL All Star Skill Competition. That said, I know some people don't like these All Star events but I love them whether it be the home run derby or the NBA All Star Saturday Night. So I thought I would give you my picks for each event:
Fastest Skater: I like Zach Parise to win this because not only is he a great skater, but he is the smallest of the bunch competing.
Breakaway Challenge: I am glad they started this event last year. It shows fans the amazing things these guys can do with the puck. I know Alex Ovechkin is the favorite after winning it last year, but I am going to go with Patrick Kane who is well on his way to being a household name.
Youngstars Game: I'll go with the Sophomores - no reason really but when the NBA does this game (NHL used to just have rookies play each others' conference up until this year) the Sophs always win. I'm actually hoping for a tie. If it is tied at the end of regulation they go to a 2-2 sudden death 1 minute period. If it is still tied after that, it goes to 1-1 until a goal is scored. How cool would it be to see Blake Wheeler one on one vs Mason Raymond? I really hope it comes down to that tonight.
Accuracy Shooting: Tomas Kaberle is back to defend his title, but my pick is Ilya Kovalchuk. I will of course be rooting for Marc Savard but I already plan on picking one Bruin to win an event so didn't want to pick another.
Hardest Shot: Here's my Bruins pick - Zdeno Chara looks like a threepeat in this event. He will have tough competition with Sheldon Souray and Shea Weber likely coming in second and third place right behind him. Chara also came up with idea of each competitor putting up $1,000 which each player's team matched, which in turn was matched by the NHL, adding another $6,000 bringing the total to $18,000 which will go to the winner's charity of their choice. Nice gesture by Chara and good to see the other players follow suit.
Elimination Shootout: Anyone could win this thing (except for the goalies who have to face an onslaught of the NHL's best). I am going to pick Jonathan Toews - just a hunch really, but this event should be fun and exciting and a great way to cap off a great night.
Hope everyone enjoys the festivities and for tomorrow's game I am picking the East to win 10-8 and Evgeni Malkin as the MVP.
Fastest Skater: I like Zach Parise to win this because not only is he a great skater, but he is the smallest of the bunch competing.
Breakaway Challenge: I am glad they started this event last year. It shows fans the amazing things these guys can do with the puck. I know Alex Ovechkin is the favorite after winning it last year, but I am going to go with Patrick Kane who is well on his way to being a household name.
Youngstars Game: I'll go with the Sophomores - no reason really but when the NBA does this game (NHL used to just have rookies play each others' conference up until this year) the Sophs always win. I'm actually hoping for a tie. If it is tied at the end of regulation they go to a 2-2 sudden death 1 minute period. If it is still tied after that, it goes to 1-1 until a goal is scored. How cool would it be to see Blake Wheeler one on one vs Mason Raymond? I really hope it comes down to that tonight.
Accuracy Shooting: Tomas Kaberle is back to defend his title, but my pick is Ilya Kovalchuk. I will of course be rooting for Marc Savard but I already plan on picking one Bruin to win an event so didn't want to pick another.
Hardest Shot: Here's my Bruins pick - Zdeno Chara looks like a threepeat in this event. He will have tough competition with Sheldon Souray and Shea Weber likely coming in second and third place right behind him. Chara also came up with idea of each competitor putting up $1,000 which each player's team matched, which in turn was matched by the NHL, adding another $6,000 bringing the total to $18,000 which will go to the winner's charity of their choice. Nice gesture by Chara and good to see the other players follow suit.
Elimination Shootout: Anyone could win this thing (except for the goalies who have to face an onslaught of the NHL's best). I am going to pick Jonathan Toews - just a hunch really, but this event should be fun and exciting and a great way to cap off a great night.
Hope everyone enjoys the festivities and for tomorrow's game I am picking the East to win 10-8 and Evgeni Malkin as the MVP.
Friday, January 23, 2009
NHL Western Conference
Most surprising team: Phoenix Coyotes
The Coyotes have the fifth most points in the West thanks to Olli Jokinen and Shane Doan. No one thought this team would be in the playoff hunt but there they are looking to make it to the postseason for the first since 2002 which could help save hockey in Phoenix (which just sound weird).
Most disappointing team: Dallas Stars
Injuries to Sergei Zubov and Brenden Morrow have hurt them but they still have enough talent to have a better second half.
Hart Trophy: Joe Thornton
He has been the best player on the best team in the West. If they gave out an MVP for the last 3.5 seasons Thornton would win it. He has produced for the Sharks since arriving from some other team back East.
Vezina Trophy and Calder Trophy: Steve Mason
Mason is only 20 years old (let that sink in for a moment). I think we are watching the beginning of the next great goalie. He is 1st in shutouts, 1st in GAA, and 5th in save pct. I think Columbus will sneak in the playoffs this season, for thefirst time in team history, thanks to the play of Mason in goal.
Norris Trophy: Duncan Keith
Keith is having a breakout year just like Dennis Wideman. Keith has been great on both ends of the ice for the Blackhawks, who have a ton of young talent. Is anyone else excited to see 5 of the original 6 playing so well? I'll cut Toronto some slack as I am sure that Brian Burke will turn them around.
Jack Adams Trophy: Todd McCellan
McCellan is off to a great start in his coaching career as the Sharks are tied with the Bruins for the best record at the break. That wasn't an easy spot to go into and take over for the best coach in the Sharks' history but McCellan has done very well.
Alright, that's about it, but I will have that Bruins post next week. Have a great weekend.
The Coyotes have the fifth most points in the West thanks to Olli Jokinen and Shane Doan. No one thought this team would be in the playoff hunt but there they are looking to make it to the postseason for the first since 2002 which could help save hockey in Phoenix (which just sound weird).
Most disappointing team: Dallas Stars
Injuries to Sergei Zubov and Brenden Morrow have hurt them but they still have enough talent to have a better second half.
Hart Trophy: Joe Thornton
He has been the best player on the best team in the West. If they gave out an MVP for the last 3.5 seasons Thornton would win it. He has produced for the Sharks since arriving from some other team back East.
Vezina Trophy and Calder Trophy: Steve Mason
Mason is only 20 years old (let that sink in for a moment). I think we are watching the beginning of the next great goalie. He is 1st in shutouts, 1st in GAA, and 5th in save pct. I think Columbus will sneak in the playoffs this season, for thefirst time in team history, thanks to the play of Mason in goal.
Norris Trophy: Duncan Keith
Keith is having a breakout year just like Dennis Wideman. Keith has been great on both ends of the ice for the Blackhawks, who have a ton of young talent. Is anyone else excited to see 5 of the original 6 playing so well? I'll cut Toronto some slack as I am sure that Brian Burke will turn them around.
Jack Adams Trophy: Todd McCellan
McCellan is off to a great start in his coaching career as the Sharks are tied with the Bruins for the best record at the break. That wasn't an easy spot to go into and take over for the best coach in the Sharks' history but McCellan has done very well.
Alright, that's about it, but I will have that Bruins post next week. Have a great weekend.
NHL Eastern Conference
With the NHL All Star game this weekend, I thought it would be a good time to look back at the first half of the season and evaluate the season so far. I will also name my award winners for each conference (I know they only give out one of each award to the whole league, but for the purpose of this blog I will give out awards for each one).
Eastern Conference
Most surprising team: Boston Bruins
I know it might seem suspect to choose the team I happen to root for, but I honestly don't think that even the most optimistic fan would have thought the B's would have 73 points at the break (2 seasons ago the Bruins had 76 points for the whole season) which is tied with San Jose for the most in the NHL. This Bruins team is getting production from veterans like Marc Savard, Michael Ryder, and Zdeno Chara and youngsters like David Krejci, Phil Kessel, Dennis Wideman, and Blake Wheeler. Couple that with Tim Thomas and Manny Fernandez in goal and you can see why this team is one of the favorites for the Cup. The Bruins have been 'in it' in every game all season. If you look back at their losses the largest deficit all season has been 2 goals. They haven't lost by 3 goals all season so even when they are not playing their best it's not as though they are getting blown out either. I would go on a little more but I will actually have a long post about the B's next week.
Most disappointing team: Pittsburgh Penguins
It is a good thing that the Steelers are in the Superbowl or the Pens would be hearing a lot of bashing from the steel city. I know that this team has had some injuries, but with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin there is no way they should have the same amount of points as the Florida Panthers. If the season ended today the Pens would miss the playoffs and win the title of "most talented team to ever miss the playoffs." I really hope that they play better in the second half because I still wouldn't want to see the Bruins go against them in the first round.
Hart Trophy: Alex Ovechkin
I know Ovechkin is third in scoring behind the Pens dynamic duo, and Marc Savard has done a lot for the Bruins, and they are all good choices, but I have to lean towards Ovechkin because it seems as though he needs to score 2 goals and an assist for the Caps to win. Savard has been great but so have the Bruins goalies - Thomas and Fernandez rank 3 and 4 for best GAA while Jose Theodore and Brent Johnson for the Caps are 25 and 27.
Vezina Trophy: Tim Thomas
20 wins, 2.09 GAA, .934 save pct. Those number are really impressive. I'll have more on the strange case of "Tim Thomas and how he somehow learned how to be a good goalie after turning 32," next week.
Calder Trophy: Blake Wheeler
I know, I know, another Bruin, but I wouldn't have him as the overall winner and since this is my blog and I am picking one per conference and Wheeler does lead all Eastern Conference rookies in scoring (once again: a plug for the big Bruins blog next week) that said, I will have more on how lucky the Bruins were to get him.
Norris Trophy: Dennis Wideman
Wideman has 31 points and is a +26 to lead all defense men though he gets overlooked playing with Zdeno Chara. Say what you want about how well Brad Boyes has played, I still think that was a good trade in getting a good young defense men.
Jack Adams Trophy: Claude Julian
How did he get fired twice? CJ (as I like to call him) has done a great job this season mixing and matching lines (i.e. putting Ryder with Krejci has worked great), playing the hot goaltender, and overcoming injuries (one last reminder - I will have more on the Bruins next week).
Western Conference up next - I realize that I skipped the Lady Byng but I hate that trophy and I always liked the saying, "lose the Lady Byng on the first shift."
Eastern Conference
Most surprising team: Boston Bruins
I know it might seem suspect to choose the team I happen to root for, but I honestly don't think that even the most optimistic fan would have thought the B's would have 73 points at the break (2 seasons ago the Bruins had 76 points for the whole season) which is tied with San Jose for the most in the NHL. This Bruins team is getting production from veterans like Marc Savard, Michael Ryder, and Zdeno Chara and youngsters like David Krejci, Phil Kessel, Dennis Wideman, and Blake Wheeler. Couple that with Tim Thomas and Manny Fernandez in goal and you can see why this team is one of the favorites for the Cup. The Bruins have been 'in it' in every game all season. If you look back at their losses the largest deficit all season has been 2 goals. They haven't lost by 3 goals all season so even when they are not playing their best it's not as though they are getting blown out either. I would go on a little more but I will actually have a long post about the B's next week.
Most disappointing team: Pittsburgh Penguins
It is a good thing that the Steelers are in the Superbowl or the Pens would be hearing a lot of bashing from the steel city. I know that this team has had some injuries, but with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin there is no way they should have the same amount of points as the Florida Panthers. If the season ended today the Pens would miss the playoffs and win the title of "most talented team to ever miss the playoffs." I really hope that they play better in the second half because I still wouldn't want to see the Bruins go against them in the first round.
Hart Trophy: Alex Ovechkin
I know Ovechkin is third in scoring behind the Pens dynamic duo, and Marc Savard has done a lot for the Bruins, and they are all good choices, but I have to lean towards Ovechkin because it seems as though he needs to score 2 goals and an assist for the Caps to win. Savard has been great but so have the Bruins goalies - Thomas and Fernandez rank 3 and 4 for best GAA while Jose Theodore and Brent Johnson for the Caps are 25 and 27.
Vezina Trophy: Tim Thomas
20 wins, 2.09 GAA, .934 save pct. Those number are really impressive. I'll have more on the strange case of "Tim Thomas and how he somehow learned how to be a good goalie after turning 32," next week.
Calder Trophy: Blake Wheeler
I know, I know, another Bruin, but I wouldn't have him as the overall winner and since this is my blog and I am picking one per conference and Wheeler does lead all Eastern Conference rookies in scoring (once again: a plug for the big Bruins blog next week) that said, I will have more on how lucky the Bruins were to get him.
Norris Trophy: Dennis Wideman
Wideman has 31 points and is a +26 to lead all defense men though he gets overlooked playing with Zdeno Chara. Say what you want about how well Brad Boyes has played, I still think that was a good trade in getting a good young defense men.
Jack Adams Trophy: Claude Julian
How did he get fired twice? CJ (as I like to call him) has done a great job this season mixing and matching lines (i.e. putting Ryder with Krejci has worked great), playing the hot goaltender, and overcoming injuries (one last reminder - I will have more on the Bruins next week).
Western Conference up next - I realize that I skipped the Lady Byng but I hate that trophy and I always liked the saying, "lose the Lady Byng on the first shift."
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
U.S. Presidential Basketball Team
In honor of yesterday's inaugural events, I thought it appropriate to bring you an old blog from my Myspace in which I assemble a remarkably decent NBA roster of U.S. Presidents past and present:
With Barack Obama being elected president, it got me thinking: what kind of 12 man roster look could I come up with using only U.S. Presidents? So here is who I would take if i were the GM the U.S. Presidents (really clever name on my part).
1. George Washington 6' 2'' PF - He might be undersized for a forward, but this team is going to lack height due to tall people not being adept for politics (I guess?). Should be able to hold his own playing in the front court. He's been with the team since being their first pick when they were an expansion team and is a nice veteran to have in the locker room.
2. Martin Van Buren 5'7'' PG - MVB ( you know the crowd would chant MVB!! all the time) is a smaller PG, but I think that with his speed he could do a good job of creating some offense.
3. James Buchanan 6'0'' SG - Just sounds like a guard with a good outside shot.
4. Abraham Lincoln 6'4'' C - Lincoln controls the paint with his height and although skinny he would still get dunked on less than Shawn Bradley. Team would have their hands full keeping him in check, as he's known for his partying after games especially at local theatres where he has been known to get into some altercations.
5. Ulysses S. Grant 5'7'' PG - Another good PG who would be the floor general out there. Would be a good leader in the locker room when teammates get into fights with each other.
6. Rutherford B. Hayes 5'8'' SG - Has a great basketball name, but his game is consistently lacking. Hayes doesn't really see much time on the court and tends to get lost in the shuffle. He doesn't though complain because he knows his role and just likes being on the team.
7. Theodore Roosevelt 5'10'' SG - Looks like Kareem because TR also wears the sports goggles. Should get some Sixth Man of the year award votes as he would do a good job off the bench.
8. Franklin D. Roosevelt 6'2'' PF - All the talent in the world, but major injuries derailed his career. Still manages to support the team from the bench (let's hope Greg Oden doesn't end up the same way).
9. John F. Kennedy 6'0'' SG - A star on the team who should spend more time on his game and less time enjoying the local nightlife, but still gets the job done. Media loves him as he always has the right answers during post game press conferences.
10. William Taft 6'0'' C- Taft is wider than he is tall but he still controls the paint. Has trouble keeping up on offense when Van Buren is running point.
11. George W. Bush 5'11'' SF- Has had a falling out with the fans after a nice run when he first joined the team. He'll probably stand to lose playing time now that they have drafted Obama.
12. Barack Obama 6'1'' SF- The first overall pick and the new face of the franchise this team is expecting him to turn this franchise around.
Starting 5:
PG- Ulysses S. Grant
SG- John F. Kennedy
SF- Barack Obama
PF- George Washington
C- Abraham Lincoln
With Barack Obama being elected president, it got me thinking: what kind of 12 man roster look could I come up with using only U.S. Presidents? So here is who I would take if i were the GM the U.S. Presidents (really clever name on my part).
1. George Washington 6' 2'' PF - He might be undersized for a forward, but this team is going to lack height due to tall people not being adept for politics (I guess?). Should be able to hold his own playing in the front court. He's been with the team since being their first pick when they were an expansion team and is a nice veteran to have in the locker room.
2. Martin Van Buren 5'7'' PG - MVB ( you know the crowd would chant MVB!! all the time) is a smaller PG, but I think that with his speed he could do a good job of creating some offense.
3. James Buchanan 6'0'' SG - Just sounds like a guard with a good outside shot.
4. Abraham Lincoln 6'4'' C - Lincoln controls the paint with his height and although skinny he would still get dunked on less than Shawn Bradley. Team would have their hands full keeping him in check, as he's known for his partying after games especially at local theatres where he has been known to get into some altercations.
5. Ulysses S. Grant 5'7'' PG - Another good PG who would be the floor general out there. Would be a good leader in the locker room when teammates get into fights with each other.
6. Rutherford B. Hayes 5'8'' SG - Has a great basketball name, but his game is consistently lacking. Hayes doesn't really see much time on the court and tends to get lost in the shuffle. He doesn't though complain because he knows his role and just likes being on the team.
7. Theodore Roosevelt 5'10'' SG - Looks like Kareem because TR also wears the sports goggles. Should get some Sixth Man of the year award votes as he would do a good job off the bench.
8. Franklin D. Roosevelt 6'2'' PF - All the talent in the world, but major injuries derailed his career. Still manages to support the team from the bench (let's hope Greg Oden doesn't end up the same way).
9. John F. Kennedy 6'0'' SG - A star on the team who should spend more time on his game and less time enjoying the local nightlife, but still gets the job done. Media loves him as he always has the right answers during post game press conferences.
10. William Taft 6'0'' C- Taft is wider than he is tall but he still controls the paint. Has trouble keeping up on offense when Van Buren is running point.
11. George W. Bush 5'11'' SF- Has had a falling out with the fans after a nice run when he first joined the team. He'll probably stand to lose playing time now that they have drafted Obama.
12. Barack Obama 6'1'' SF- The first overall pick and the new face of the franchise this team is expecting him to turn this franchise around.
Starting 5:
PG- Ulysses S. Grant
SG- John F. Kennedy
SF- Barack Obama
PF- George Washington
C- Abraham Lincoln
Slacker
I have to apologize, as I have been seriously slacking on new content since I got home from Florida. This in large part has to do with Monday's "doubleheader" (in which the Bruins lost to the Blues in a 1:00 start and later the Celts routed the Suns in the prime time match up) at the TD Banknorth Garden which should also serve to explain my absence from the show yesterday morning. I'm working on a mid season review of the NHL with the All Star game coming up this weekend. In the meantime, I'll try to bring over some of my older posts from my Myspace blog. Until then, you can catch up on the Sports Blast using the links below. As always, you can hear us every weekday morning from 7-8 on 1120am or online @ http://www.wbnw1120.com.
Monday:
http://www.youcastr.com/casts/archive/joeymurr-the-sports-blast-with-joey-murr-january-19-2009
Wednesday:
http://www.youcastr.com/casts/archive/joeymurr-the-sports-blast-with-joey-murr-january-21-2009
Monday:
http://www.youcastr.com/casts/archive/joeymurr-the-sports-blast-with-joey-murr-january-19-2009
Wednesday:
http://www.youcastr.com/casts/archive/joeymurr-the-sports-blast-with-joey-murr-january-21-2009
Sunday, January 11, 2009
My flurry of Hall of Fame blogs is going to be it from me for the next 5 days as I will be escaping the snow to Orlando through Friday. I will be checking in each morning on the Sports Blast so don't forget to listen weekday mornings from 7-8 on WBNW 1120am or online at:
http://www.youcastr.com/casts/archive/joeymurr-the-sports-blast-with-joey-murr-january-7-2009
http://www.youcastr.com/casts/archive/joeymurr-the-sports-blast-with-joey-murr-january-7-2009
My Hall of Fame Ballot - Bert Blyleven
#4 on my Hall of Fame Ballot
Bert Blyleven: Blyleven was very good for a long time and when you look at his number as a whole he is a hall of famer. He is fifth on the all time strikeout list with 3,701 (making him the only pitcher with over 3,000 K's not in the hall), he finished in the top five 13 times, and the top ten 15 times. He was in the top ten for K/BB16 times. He was in top ten for K/9 14 times. He was in top ten in ERA+ 12 times. Since 1900 he has the 8th most shutouts and 19th most wins. He was in the top ten in shutouts 10 times. He has a higher ERA+ than hall of famers Jim Bunning, Ferguson Jenkins, and Catfish Hunter. Blyleven is one of only nine pitchers to have thrown over 4,500 innings and have an ERA+ of at least 117, and of those nine he has the second most strikeouts trailing only Roger Clemens. He was in top ten in complete games 12 times. He also won 2 World Series with the '79 Pirates and '87 Twins and had a 2.47 ERA in 47 postseason innings with 36 strikeouts and only 8 walks. I just don't understand - if he won 13 more games (did you know he lost 36 games when he allowed 2 or fewer runs?) would he then all of sudden be a hall of famer? The fact of the matter is that he is a hall of famer now and always will be, and it's just one more knock on the BBWAA for not voting him in (though he has made progress the last few years).
So that wraps up my ballot. My apologies to Jim Rice, Andre Dawson,Jack Morris and others who didn't make the cut. I was on the Rice bandwagon when I was younger but no longer. I took a closer look at his numbers and one could say he was a hall of famer at Fenway but otherwise pretty average on the road. But no worries Red Sox fans he will get in this year.
Bert Blyleven: Blyleven was very good for a long time and when you look at his number as a whole he is a hall of famer. He is fifth on the all time strikeout list with 3,701 (making him the only pitcher with over 3,000 K's not in the hall), he finished in the top five 13 times, and the top ten 15 times. He was in the top ten for K/BB16 times. He was in top ten for K/9 14 times. He was in top ten in ERA+ 12 times. Since 1900 he has the 8th most shutouts and 19th most wins. He was in the top ten in shutouts 10 times. He has a higher ERA+ than hall of famers Jim Bunning, Ferguson Jenkins, and Catfish Hunter. Blyleven is one of only nine pitchers to have thrown over 4,500 innings and have an ERA+ of at least 117, and of those nine he has the second most strikeouts trailing only Roger Clemens. He was in top ten in complete games 12 times. He also won 2 World Series with the '79 Pirates and '87 Twins and had a 2.47 ERA in 47 postseason innings with 36 strikeouts and only 8 walks. I just don't understand - if he won 13 more games (did you know he lost 36 games when he allowed 2 or fewer runs?) would he then all of sudden be a hall of famer? The fact of the matter is that he is a hall of famer now and always will be, and it's just one more knock on the BBWAA for not voting him in (though he has made progress the last few years).
So that wraps up my ballot. My apologies to Jim Rice, Andre Dawson,Jack Morris and others who didn't make the cut. I was on the Rice bandwagon when I was younger but no longer. I took a closer look at his numbers and one could say he was a hall of famer at Fenway but otherwise pretty average on the road. But no worries Red Sox fans he will get in this year.
My Hall of Fame Ballot - Tim Raines
#3 on my Hall of Fame Ballot:
Tim Raines: Raines is often overshadowed as a leadoff hitter due to playing at the same time as the aforementioned greatest, but Raines also had a great career. He stole 808 bases which is 5th all time, he was in top ten in steals 11 times, and he led the league 4 times. He was in top six in OBP 7 times. He was in the top ten in runs scored 8 times. He was in the top ten in walks 6 times.
One case against Raines is that he didn't get to 3,000 hits. He fell short with 2,605 but when you compare him to Lou Brock, who was a first ballot hall of famer, you will see that Raines was the better player. Brock had 130 more steals but also was caught stealing 161 more times than Raines. Brocks career line is: .293/.343/.410 ops+109 Raines is: .294/.385/.425 ops+ 123. The biggest reason why Brock got into the hall on the first try, while Raines will likely have to wait a long time (if ever) to get in, is because Brock got over the 3,000 hit mark, with 3,023 hits to be exact. Raines probably could have gotten over 3,000 hit mark if he didn't walk so much. Raines walked 1,330 times compared to Brock who walked 761 times. If Raines wanted to, I believe he could have walked less and picked up 400 more hits in his career, but that doesn't matter because the voters only care about getting over the 3,000 mark.
Perhaps the biggest reason why Raines doesn't get the votes is because he admitted to using cocaine and people will always remember how he slid head first because he often had a vial of coke in his back pocket (he kept it there to avoid it being discovered in his locker). I don't condone using drugs, but I find it a little ridiculous that voters hold this against him when the fact is he admitted to this when he was 22, went to rehab during that offseason, and never had problems with it again. I'm not trying to play the race card, but how come Josh Hamilton is this American hero while Raines is just another coke user from the '80s? Raines most likely wont's get in, but hopefully he will get more votes than last year and make that long climb up to the 75% mark.
Tim Raines: Raines is often overshadowed as a leadoff hitter due to playing at the same time as the aforementioned greatest, but Raines also had a great career. He stole 808 bases which is 5th all time, he was in top ten in steals 11 times, and he led the league 4 times. He was in top six in OBP 7 times. He was in the top ten in runs scored 8 times. He was in the top ten in walks 6 times.
One case against Raines is that he didn't get to 3,000 hits. He fell short with 2,605 but when you compare him to Lou Brock, who was a first ballot hall of famer, you will see that Raines was the better player. Brock had 130 more steals but also was caught stealing 161 more times than Raines. Brocks career line is: .293/.343/.410 ops+109 Raines is: .294/.385/.425 ops+ 123. The biggest reason why Brock got into the hall on the first try, while Raines will likely have to wait a long time (if ever) to get in, is because Brock got over the 3,000 hit mark, with 3,023 hits to be exact. Raines probably could have gotten over 3,000 hit mark if he didn't walk so much. Raines walked 1,330 times compared to Brock who walked 761 times. If Raines wanted to, I believe he could have walked less and picked up 400 more hits in his career, but that doesn't matter because the voters only care about getting over the 3,000 mark.
Perhaps the biggest reason why Raines doesn't get the votes is because he admitted to using cocaine and people will always remember how he slid head first because he often had a vial of coke in his back pocket (he kept it there to avoid it being discovered in his locker). I don't condone using drugs, but I find it a little ridiculous that voters hold this against him when the fact is he admitted to this when he was 22, went to rehab during that offseason, and never had problems with it again. I'm not trying to play the race card, but how come Josh Hamilton is this American hero while Raines is just another coke user from the '80s? Raines most likely wont's get in, but hopefully he will get more votes than last year and make that long climb up to the 75% mark.
My Hall of Fame Ballot - Alan Trammell
#2 on my Hall on my Fame Ballot
Alan Trammell: Trammell was solid with both the glove and bat but played at a time when he was overshadowed by Ozzie Smith and Cal Ripken Jr. During Trammell's and Cal Ripken's prime from 1982-1993 Ripken had an OPS+121 and Trammell's was 120. Ozzie is the greatest of all time with the glove but he wasn't much with the bat. Ozzie's career line was: .262/.337/.328/ OPS+87. Trammell's was: .285/.352/.415/ OPS+110. Trammell also created 100 more runs than Ozzie while playing 2 fewer season. I tend to think that Trammell's bat makes up for the fact that he wasn't as good with the glove as Ozzie (Trammell still won 4 gold gloves). Thanks to guys like Arod, Jeter, Nomar, and Tejada people tend to forget that historically shortstops weren't always great hitters. When Trammell retired in '96 he was 4th all time in home runs by a shortstop and ninth in hits. There are only 5 players to play 80% of their careers at shortstop and have over 2,300 hits and an OPS+ over 100 and Trammell is one of them. Trammell also should have won the MVP in 1987 but lost to George Bell becaue Bell hit more homers and drove in more runs while playing left field. Trammell had a higher BA/OPS and had an OPS+155 compared to Bell's 146. If Trammell had won the MVP that season he probably would have received a lot more votes because voters tend to like guys that have won MVPs. Trammell has no shot at getting in but he still has my vote.
My Hall of Fame Ballot - Rickey Henderson
The Baseball Hall Of Fame will announce this years voting results on Monday. Since it's going to be a little while before I obtain my own ballot, I thought I would share with you how I would vote if I did.
Rickey Henderson: Rickey is the greatest leadoff hitter of all time. However, to recognize him only in these terms (i.e. leadoff hitter) minimizes the magnitude of his career as he is one of the greatest even if he had batted third or fourth. Henderson has the most career stolen bases with 1,406 - 468 more than Lou Brock who is second all time. 1,406 is amazing, especially when you consider that if you added together the total stolen bases of the three active leaders (Juan Pierre, Omar Vizquel, and Johnny Damon) they are still 230 behind Henderson. He lead the league in steals 12 times and was in the top ten 21 times. He stole over 100 bases three times, and set the all time mark for steals in a season with 130. He was in top 5 in OBP 12 times and in the top ten 16 times. When he won the MVP in 1990, with the greatest season from a leadoff hitter of all time, he led the league in OBP, was second in slugging, and led the league in OPS. He also led the league with an OPS+ of 188 - as a leadoff hitter that is nothing short of amazing. The likes of David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez and Ken Griffey Jr. have never had a season with an OPS+ of 188.
Henderson is the all time leader in runs scored with 2,295. He also led the league in runs scored 5 times and was in the top ten 12 times. He is second all time in walks behind Barry Bonds though if you eliminate intentional walks he is the all time leader. He led the league in walks 4 times and was in the top ten 16 times. This isn't like Barry Bonds where pitchers were afraid to face him because he is the all time home run king. Pitchers didn't mind pitching to Henderson because they did not want to give him a free pass to first which would potentially lead to him stealing second and even third. Rickey walked 796 times leading off an inning. That means he walked more times leading off an inning than 55 hall of famers did in their whole careers.
Even though he was a leadoff hitter was in the top 10 in OPS+ 7 times. He also is 21st on the all time hit list with 3,055. He has 81 leadoff home runs which is yet another record. One more random thing about Rickey: from 1979-2001 he stole 1,395 bases, now in that same stretch the entire Red Sox organization stole 1,392. I realize that those Red Sox teams from the 80's and 90's weren't known for their speed, even still it amazes me.
Rickey Henderson: Rickey is the greatest leadoff hitter of all time. However, to recognize him only in these terms (i.e. leadoff hitter) minimizes the magnitude of his career as he is one of the greatest even if he had batted third or fourth. Henderson has the most career stolen bases with 1,406 - 468 more than Lou Brock who is second all time. 1,406 is amazing, especially when you consider that if you added together the total stolen bases of the three active leaders (Juan Pierre, Omar Vizquel, and Johnny Damon) they are still 230 behind Henderson. He lead the league in steals 12 times and was in the top ten 21 times. He stole over 100 bases three times, and set the all time mark for steals in a season with 130. He was in top 5 in OBP 12 times and in the top ten 16 times. When he won the MVP in 1990, with the greatest season from a leadoff hitter of all time, he led the league in OBP, was second in slugging, and led the league in OPS. He also led the league with an OPS+ of 188 - as a leadoff hitter that is nothing short of amazing. The likes of David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez and Ken Griffey Jr. have never had a season with an OPS+ of 188.
Henderson is the all time leader in runs scored with 2,295. He also led the league in runs scored 5 times and was in the top ten 12 times. He is second all time in walks behind Barry Bonds though if you eliminate intentional walks he is the all time leader. He led the league in walks 4 times and was in the top ten 16 times. This isn't like Barry Bonds where pitchers were afraid to face him because he is the all time home run king. Pitchers didn't mind pitching to Henderson because they did not want to give him a free pass to first which would potentially lead to him stealing second and even third. Rickey walked 796 times leading off an inning. That means he walked more times leading off an inning than 55 hall of famers did in their whole careers.
Even though he was a leadoff hitter was in the top 10 in OPS+ 7 times. He also is 21st on the all time hit list with 3,055. He has 81 leadoff home runs which is yet another record. One more random thing about Rickey: from 1979-2001 he stole 1,395 bases, now in that same stretch the entire Red Sox organization stole 1,392. I realize that those Red Sox teams from the 80's and 90's weren't known for their speed, even still it amazes me.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
NFL Playoff Picks
Ravens-20 Titans-10
Panthers-27 Cards-20
Eagles-24 Giants-20
Steelers-27 Chargers-10
Sorry for the short post but I just wanted to get these down. I know on that on Friday's Sportsblast I took the Giants, but I have the right to change my pick up until kickoff, so for now I am taking the Eagles.
Tomorrow I will have a more in depth Baseball Hall of Fame post.
Panthers-27 Cards-20
Eagles-24 Giants-20
Steelers-27 Chargers-10
Sorry for the short post but I just wanted to get these down. I know on that on Friday's Sportsblast I took the Giants, but I have the right to change my pick up until kickoff, so for now I am taking the Eagles.
Tomorrow I will have a more in depth Baseball Hall of Fame post.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Sports Blast January 9, 2009
Due to some technical difficulties in studio 19B yesterday, I don't have any audio for yesterday's show which is unfortunate because Michael Connelly was a fun interview. We're back in business today, so click the link below if you want to hear me compare Scalabrine to an Autistic child (but not in a mean spirited Dennis Leary kind of way).
http://www.youcastr.com/casts/archive/joeymurr-the-sports-blast-with-joey-murr-january-9-2009
http://www.youcastr.com/casts/archive/joeymurr-the-sports-blast-with-joey-murr-january-9-2009
Don't Worry Be Happy
I know the some people think that the Celtics can't win a championship all of the sudden because they have lost 3 straight and 6 out of their last 8. I think that this is just a bump in the road that most championships teams face during the course of an 82 game season. That being said, let's take a look at some championship teams of the last decade or so:
2008 Celtics: Last year's Celtics had a stretch from January into February in which they had lost 3 out 4, they then went on to have another 3 game losing streak, and over the course of 21 games went 12-9. That is not a bad stretch, and I think that there is a chance that this season's team can go 10-3 over the next 13 games putting them at 12-9 in 21 games. I think you'll see my point here.
2007 Spurs: This team had separate stretches in which they lost 5 out of 8 and 6 out of 9 during the season, they also had 2 separate 3 game losing streaks.
2006 Heat: At one point they lost 4 in a row and also had two different stretches in which they lost 7 out of 11 games.
2005 Spurs: This team was pretty solid all year but still had a three game losing streak at one point. They also went 12-10 during a 22 game period, which again isn't bad. Try to think that the in the Celts' last 22 games they are 16-6.
2004 Pistons: They had losing steaks of 3, 4, and 6 games and they had stretches in which they went 2-7 and another where they went 5-11.
2003 Spurs: They never really had a bad stretch but they did go 8-8 over a 16 game stretch, but that might be nitpicking as this really was a solid championship team.
2002 Lakers: They had a 3 game losing streak and on three separate occasions they went 2-4, 4-5, 3-6.
2001 Lakers: They went 4-6 during a 10 game stretch and then went 3-5 over an 8 game period.
2000 Lakers: Great Lakers team, but they still went 3-6 in a nine game period. I know that's not bad, but when you think about the fact that besides that 9 game stretch they went 64-9 you realize that for that particular team, going 3-6 is a bad stretch.
Those are just teams from this decade. If you want to go further back to one of the greatest teams ever, the '86 Celts, you will see after getting off to a 17-2 start that they lost 5 out of their next 9. So lets not push the panic button and totally disregard what this team did in their first 29 games by judging them just on these last 8 games. I tend to look at larger sample sizes and that tells me that the Celts have the second best record in the East and are just one game behind the Cavs who they just happen to be playing tonight. I think that giving the Cavs their first home loss of the season would be nice way to get the Celts back rolling and I wouldn't be surprised if they went on another hot stretch like 12-3 over their next 15. It begins tonight at King James's place.
2008 Celtics: Last year's Celtics had a stretch from January into February in which they had lost 3 out 4, they then went on to have another 3 game losing streak, and over the course of 21 games went 12-9. That is not a bad stretch, and I think that there is a chance that this season's team can go 10-3 over the next 13 games putting them at 12-9 in 21 games. I think you'll see my point here.
2007 Spurs: This team had separate stretches in which they lost 5 out of 8 and 6 out of 9 during the season, they also had 2 separate 3 game losing streaks.
2006 Heat: At one point they lost 4 in a row and also had two different stretches in which they lost 7 out of 11 games.
2005 Spurs: This team was pretty solid all year but still had a three game losing streak at one point. They also went 12-10 during a 22 game period, which again isn't bad. Try to think that the in the Celts' last 22 games they are 16-6.
2004 Pistons: They had losing steaks of 3, 4, and 6 games and they had stretches in which they went 2-7 and another where they went 5-11.
2003 Spurs: They never really had a bad stretch but they did go 8-8 over a 16 game stretch, but that might be nitpicking as this really was a solid championship team.
2002 Lakers: They had a 3 game losing streak and on three separate occasions they went 2-4, 4-5, 3-6.
2001 Lakers: They went 4-6 during a 10 game stretch and then went 3-5 over an 8 game period.
2000 Lakers: Great Lakers team, but they still went 3-6 in a nine game period. I know that's not bad, but when you think about the fact that besides that 9 game stretch they went 64-9 you realize that for that particular team, going 3-6 is a bad stretch.
Those are just teams from this decade. If you want to go further back to one of the greatest teams ever, the '86 Celts, you will see after getting off to a 17-2 start that they lost 5 out of their next 9. So lets not push the panic button and totally disregard what this team did in their first 29 games by judging them just on these last 8 games. I tend to look at larger sample sizes and that tells me that the Celts have the second best record in the East and are just one game behind the Cavs who they just happen to be playing tonight. I think that giving the Cavs their first home loss of the season would be nice way to get the Celts back rolling and I wouldn't be surprised if they went on another hot stretch like 12-3 over their next 15. It begins tonight at King James's place.
A Look Back at BCS Champs
With the Florida Gators winning the BCS Championship last night I thought it would be a good time to look back at all of the BCS Champions since the BCS started in 1998 (the '99 Fiesta Bowl was the first BCS national championship game but it was for the '98 season) and examine the road each team had to travel to get to the title game i.e. how many AP top 10 teams they beat in that season or who their star players were. I'm sure this will bring back some memories for some people who might have forgotten about likes of Tee Martin and Snoop Minnis.
1998- Tennessee Volunteers
Top ten ranked teams defeated: #2 Florida, #7 Georgia, #10 Arkansas, #2 Florida St.
Key Players: Tee Martin, Peerless Price, Travis Henry, Jamal Lewis, Al Wilson, Shaun Ellis.
The thing people forget about this team is that Tee Martin was the QB and not Peyton Manning where Manning left the previous season for the NFL. Martin never did much in NFL (besides a cup of coffee with the Raiders a few years back) but then again no one really expected him to be a starter in the NFL where he wasn't drafted until the 5th round. I thought Price would have a better NFL career but besides the '99 season when he caught 94 passes for over 1,200 yards he never showed the talent he had.
Henry and Lewis have both had up-and-down careers thanks to some drug related offenses for the both of them and Henry's seeming unwillingness to use birth control (Henry has nine kids from nine different women). In their time on the field they have put up solid numbers as Henry has had three 1,000 yard seasons. Lewis has certainly had a better than solid career going over the 1,000 yard mark in every season but one. He also had the second highest total rushing yards in a season back in 2003 when he had 2,066 yards putting him just 39 yards shy of Eric Dickerson's record. Lewis also went over the 10,000 yard mark this past season becoming just the 24th player in the NFL to join that club.
Al Wilson made 5 pro bowls in a career that was cut short due to injuries. Shaun Ellis has been with the Jets his whole career and has always seemed like a guy that has the potential to be better but has still put up good all around numbers.
1999 Florida St. Seminoles
Top ten teams defeated: #10 Georgia Tech, #3 Florida, #2 Virginia Tech.
Key players: Chris Weinke, Peter Warrick, Corey Simon.
Weinke was 28 by the time he finished college after playing in the Toronto Blue Jays minor league system for a few years. He was 32-3 as a starter at FSU and became the oldest person to win the Heisman Trophy.
Warrick was a bust as the 4th overall pick in the 2000 draft (wide recievers drafted in the first round in 2000- #4 Warrick, #8 Plaxico Burress, #10 Travis Taylor, #21 Sylvester Morris, #29 R. Jay Soward, besides Plax all of them were busts). While he was one of the best wide recievers ever in the college, he just could not transition to the pros.
Also, Simon had some good years with the Eagles but injuries forced him out of the game when he was 30.
2000 Oklahoma Sooners
Top ten teams defeated: #2 Kansas St., #1 Nebraska, #3 Florida St.
Key players: Josh Heupel, Quentin Griffin, Roy Williams
Heupel never took a snap in the NFL. Griffin reminds me of Darren Sproles and had a few season with Denver and while he had some big games he was just too small to ever be an all pro running back. Williams, thanks to his horse collar tackling, got that play banned which is now known as the Roy Williams rule. People tend to think he is good because he hits hard but thats about all he can do.
2001 Miami Hurricanes
Top ten team defeated: #4 Nebraska
Key player: Ken Dorsey, Clinton Portis, Najeh Davenport, Jeremy Shockey, Andre Johnson, Bryant Mckinnie, Ed Reed, Mike Rumph, Jonathan Vilma, Phillip Buchanon, Jerome McDougle.
Perhaps the greatest college football team of all time. I'm not even going to bother to go through these guys as I'm sure most of you are familiar with their highlight reels.
2002 Ohio State Buckeyes
Top ten team defeated: #10 Washington st., #1 Miami
Key players: Craig Krenzel, Maurice Clarett, Michael Jenkins, Chris Gamble.
Krenzel never stuck in the NFL but at least he played a few games. Maurice Clarett, on the otherhand, peaked his freshman year in college before winding up driving around with a lot of guns and Grey Goose in his SUV after being cut from the Broncos during training camp a few years later. Jenkins finally has a QB in Matt Ryan who can throw the ball near him instead of say...10 feet over his head. Gamble was great on this team playing both ways as a reciever and cornerback. He has been solid just a CB for the Panthers his whole career.
2003 LSU Tigers
Top ten team defeated: #5 and #7 Georgia(twice, once when they were ranked #7 and once as #5), #1 Oklahoma
Key Players: Matt Mauck, Justin Vincent, Michael Clayton, Laron Landry.
Mauck and Vincent have done nothing in the pros. Clayton had 1,193 recieving yards his rookie season with 7 touchdowns. In the following 4 seasons combined he has put up only 1,513 yards recieving and 2 touchdowns. He is still only 26 years old and I can't help but think that with his size that he could be a good WR. Landry, meanwhile, is well on his way to being one of the best defensive backs in the NFL.
2004 USC Trojans
Top ten team defeated: #7 Cal, #2 Oklahoma.
Key players: Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, Steve Smith, Dwyane Jarrett, Lendale White, Lofa Tatupu.
Similar to the '01 Hurricanes this team was loaded from upperclassmen to underclassmen. In fact, 51 players from this team have been drafted into the NFL. Again, I'm pretty sure you don't need me to go over this team's NFL acoomplishments.
2005- Texas Longhorns
Top ten teams defeated: #4 Ohio St., #10 Texas Tech, #1 USC.
Key players: Vince Young, David Thomas, Michael Huff, Michael Griffin.
They played one of the greatest games ever when they beat USC in the Rose Bowl for the National Championship. I still think Vince Young will have good year ahead of him in the NFL. Oakland passed on Matt Leinart and Jay Cutler to take Huff in the '06 draft...which they turned around and used the #1 overall pick in the '07 draft on Jamarcus Russel...instead of Brady Quinn. You wonder why this team is years away from making the playoffs.
I think Thomas can be a real solid tight end for the Pats, though I have said the same thing about Benjamin Watson for the last 4 seasons. Griffin had a real solid '08 season for the Titans and was 2nd in the NFL with 7 interceptions.
2006- Florida Gators
Top ten team defeated: #10 LSU, #8 Arkansas, #1 Ohio St.
Key players: Chris Leak, Tim Tebow, Percy Harvin, Jarvis Moss, Reggie Nelson.
This was Urban Meyer's first title with the Gators, though Ron Zook should get some credit for recruiting most of this team. Leak had to deal with the fans screaming for Tebow all the time but he managed to hold his own and did a nice job running this offense. Tebow showed the world what he could do running the ball his freshman season, but that was just the start for one of the greatest players of all time. Harvin, as a freshmen, showed flashes of what was to come in the future for the Gators. Moss and Nelson were both first round picks in the NFL but only Nelson has played as Moss has been unhealthy.
2007- LSU Tigers
Top ten teams defeated: #9 Virginia Tech, #7 Florida, #1 Ohio St.
Key players: Matt Flynn, Jacob Hester, Glenn Dorsey, Craig Steltz, Early Doucet.
I'll keep this one short: the jury is still out on these guys as you can't tell much after only 1 year in the NFL.
2008 Florida Gators
Top ten teams defeated: #3 LSU, #8 Georgia, #1 Alabama, #1 Oklahoma.
Key Players: Tim Tebow, Percy Harvin, Brandon Spikes.
Tebow is amazing. As Percy Harvin said after the game, "Tebow is superman." That must make Harvin the Flash because he was great last night. I hope Tebow comes back next year to try for a third title and a second heisman and leave no doubt in peoples' minds that he is the greatest college football player of all time.
I had a lot of fun looking back at some of these teams and being able to see how good some guys were in college when it just didn't happen for them in the pros. Congrats to the Gators once again they deserve to be the champs playoffs or no playoffs, and I don't want to hear one word about Utah. Hopefully in the next few years Notre Dame will be on this list.
1998- Tennessee Volunteers
Top ten ranked teams defeated: #2 Florida, #7 Georgia, #10 Arkansas, #2 Florida St.
Key Players: Tee Martin, Peerless Price, Travis Henry, Jamal Lewis, Al Wilson, Shaun Ellis.
The thing people forget about this team is that Tee Martin was the QB and not Peyton Manning where Manning left the previous season for the NFL. Martin never did much in NFL (besides a cup of coffee with the Raiders a few years back) but then again no one really expected him to be a starter in the NFL where he wasn't drafted until the 5th round. I thought Price would have a better NFL career but besides the '99 season when he caught 94 passes for over 1,200 yards he never showed the talent he had.
Henry and Lewis have both had up-and-down careers thanks to some drug related offenses for the both of them and Henry's seeming unwillingness to use birth control (Henry has nine kids from nine different women). In their time on the field they have put up solid numbers as Henry has had three 1,000 yard seasons. Lewis has certainly had a better than solid career going over the 1,000 yard mark in every season but one. He also had the second highest total rushing yards in a season back in 2003 when he had 2,066 yards putting him just 39 yards shy of Eric Dickerson's record. Lewis also went over the 10,000 yard mark this past season becoming just the 24th player in the NFL to join that club.
Al Wilson made 5 pro bowls in a career that was cut short due to injuries. Shaun Ellis has been with the Jets his whole career and has always seemed like a guy that has the potential to be better but has still put up good all around numbers.
1999 Florida St. Seminoles
Top ten teams defeated: #10 Georgia Tech, #3 Florida, #2 Virginia Tech.
Key players: Chris Weinke, Peter Warrick, Corey Simon.
Weinke was 28 by the time he finished college after playing in the Toronto Blue Jays minor league system for a few years. He was 32-3 as a starter at FSU and became the oldest person to win the Heisman Trophy.
Warrick was a bust as the 4th overall pick in the 2000 draft (wide recievers drafted in the first round in 2000- #4 Warrick, #8 Plaxico Burress, #10 Travis Taylor, #21 Sylvester Morris, #29 R. Jay Soward, besides Plax all of them were busts). While he was one of the best wide recievers ever in the college, he just could not transition to the pros.
Also, Simon had some good years with the Eagles but injuries forced him out of the game when he was 30.
2000 Oklahoma Sooners
Top ten teams defeated: #2 Kansas St., #1 Nebraska, #3 Florida St.
Key players: Josh Heupel, Quentin Griffin, Roy Williams
Heupel never took a snap in the NFL. Griffin reminds me of Darren Sproles and had a few season with Denver and while he had some big games he was just too small to ever be an all pro running back. Williams, thanks to his horse collar tackling, got that play banned which is now known as the Roy Williams rule. People tend to think he is good because he hits hard but thats about all he can do.
2001 Miami Hurricanes
Top ten team defeated: #4 Nebraska
Key player: Ken Dorsey, Clinton Portis, Najeh Davenport, Jeremy Shockey, Andre Johnson, Bryant Mckinnie, Ed Reed, Mike Rumph, Jonathan Vilma, Phillip Buchanon, Jerome McDougle.
Perhaps the greatest college football team of all time. I'm not even going to bother to go through these guys as I'm sure most of you are familiar with their highlight reels.
2002 Ohio State Buckeyes
Top ten team defeated: #10 Washington st., #1 Miami
Key players: Craig Krenzel, Maurice Clarett, Michael Jenkins, Chris Gamble.
Krenzel never stuck in the NFL but at least he played a few games. Maurice Clarett, on the otherhand, peaked his freshman year in college before winding up driving around with a lot of guns and Grey Goose in his SUV after being cut from the Broncos during training camp a few years later. Jenkins finally has a QB in Matt Ryan who can throw the ball near him instead of say...10 feet over his head. Gamble was great on this team playing both ways as a reciever and cornerback. He has been solid just a CB for the Panthers his whole career.
2003 LSU Tigers
Top ten team defeated: #5 and #7 Georgia(twice, once when they were ranked #7 and once as #5), #1 Oklahoma
Key Players: Matt Mauck, Justin Vincent, Michael Clayton, Laron Landry.
Mauck and Vincent have done nothing in the pros. Clayton had 1,193 recieving yards his rookie season with 7 touchdowns. In the following 4 seasons combined he has put up only 1,513 yards recieving and 2 touchdowns. He is still only 26 years old and I can't help but think that with his size that he could be a good WR. Landry, meanwhile, is well on his way to being one of the best defensive backs in the NFL.
2004 USC Trojans
Top ten team defeated: #7 Cal, #2 Oklahoma.
Key players: Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, Steve Smith, Dwyane Jarrett, Lendale White, Lofa Tatupu.
Similar to the '01 Hurricanes this team was loaded from upperclassmen to underclassmen. In fact, 51 players from this team have been drafted into the NFL. Again, I'm pretty sure you don't need me to go over this team's NFL acoomplishments.
2005- Texas Longhorns
Top ten teams defeated: #4 Ohio St., #10 Texas Tech, #1 USC.
Key players: Vince Young, David Thomas, Michael Huff, Michael Griffin.
They played one of the greatest games ever when they beat USC in the Rose Bowl for the National Championship. I still think Vince Young will have good year ahead of him in the NFL. Oakland passed on Matt Leinart and Jay Cutler to take Huff in the '06 draft...which they turned around and used the #1 overall pick in the '07 draft on Jamarcus Russel...instead of Brady Quinn. You wonder why this team is years away from making the playoffs.
I think Thomas can be a real solid tight end for the Pats, though I have said the same thing about Benjamin Watson for the last 4 seasons. Griffin had a real solid '08 season for the Titans and was 2nd in the NFL with 7 interceptions.
2006- Florida Gators
Top ten team defeated: #10 LSU, #8 Arkansas, #1 Ohio St.
Key players: Chris Leak, Tim Tebow, Percy Harvin, Jarvis Moss, Reggie Nelson.
This was Urban Meyer's first title with the Gators, though Ron Zook should get some credit for recruiting most of this team. Leak had to deal with the fans screaming for Tebow all the time but he managed to hold his own and did a nice job running this offense. Tebow showed the world what he could do running the ball his freshman season, but that was just the start for one of the greatest players of all time. Harvin, as a freshmen, showed flashes of what was to come in the future for the Gators. Moss and Nelson were both first round picks in the NFL but only Nelson has played as Moss has been unhealthy.
2007- LSU Tigers
Top ten teams defeated: #9 Virginia Tech, #7 Florida, #1 Ohio St.
Key players: Matt Flynn, Jacob Hester, Glenn Dorsey, Craig Steltz, Early Doucet.
I'll keep this one short: the jury is still out on these guys as you can't tell much after only 1 year in the NFL.
2008 Florida Gators
Top ten teams defeated: #3 LSU, #8 Georgia, #1 Alabama, #1 Oklahoma.
Key Players: Tim Tebow, Percy Harvin, Brandon Spikes.
Tebow is amazing. As Percy Harvin said after the game, "Tebow is superman." That must make Harvin the Flash because he was great last night. I hope Tebow comes back next year to try for a third title and a second heisman and leave no doubt in peoples' minds that he is the greatest college football player of all time.
I had a lot of fun looking back at some of these teams and being able to see how good some guys were in college when it just didn't happen for them in the pros. Congrats to the Gators once again they deserve to be the champs playoffs or no playoffs, and I don't want to hear one word about Utah. Hopefully in the next few years Notre Dame will be on this list.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Sports Blast January 7, 2009
Sports Blast, Day 3. I drove through an ice storm to do the show today so the least you can do is give it a listen from the comfort of your own home. Tomorrow on the Blast we'll have special guest, Micheal Connelly, of the Boston Herald, to talk about his new book, "Rebound!: Basketball, Busing, Larry Bird, and rebirth of Boston," available at amazon.com.
http://www.youcastr.com/casts/archive/joeymurr-the-sports-blast-with-joey-murr-january-7-2009
http://www.youcastr.com/casts/archive/joeymurr-the-sports-blast-with-joey-murr-january-7-2009
Giants '07 = Eagles '08
With the Giants taking on the Eagles this weekend it got me thinking about how this years Eagles remind me of last years Giants. The Giants went 10-6 in the regular season while the Eagles finished up 10-5-1 which is basically the same record. Both of their respective fanbases were calling for their quarterbacks head at one point during each season. For Giants fans it was after Eli Manning threw 4 interceptions during a 41-17 beat down by the Vikings in week 12. The Giants fans even started to talk themselves into Jared "the hefty lefty" Lorenzan taking over under center. So what happens? The Giants come back the following week and beat the defending NFC Champion Bears, and the next week they beat the Eagles by a field goal. This season, the Eagles' Donovan McNabb got benched during a week 12 blowout loss to the Ravens. Philly fans wanted Kevin Kolb to take over the following week. So what happens? The Eagles bounce back by beating the NFC West Champion Cardinals and then the following week beat the Giants.
Eventually both teams made the playoffs and went on the road against a divison champ in the first round. The Giants beat the South Champion Bucs, which set up a second round match up against their division rival Cowboys, who they ended up defeating on their way to the Super Bowl. This year the Eagles went on the road and beat the North Champion Vikings which pits them against their division rival Giants.
The similarities are there so don't be surprised if a few weeks from now we are watching Donovan McNabb raise the Lombardi trophy as Eagles fans claim they knew it would always be McNabb that led them back to glory (those nasty boos were only meant to serve as motivation). They even have a similar style of play - both have very good defenses and like to run the ball to control the clock.
One more thing, if the Eagles do go on to win the Superbowl they would also have the same record the Giants did in their previous season before winning the title - the '06 Giants went 8-8 and the '07 Eagles went 8-8. I'm not saying that I think the Eagles are going to win it all (Panthers vs Steelers Superbowl XLIII) but last season we saw that some teams just need a little wake up call plus the whole, "nobody believe in us," card and they can go on a little run in the playoffs. As Kevin Garnett likes to say (yell) ANYTHING'S POSSIBLE!!!!!!!!
Eventually both teams made the playoffs and went on the road against a divison champ in the first round. The Giants beat the South Champion Bucs, which set up a second round match up against their division rival Cowboys, who they ended up defeating on their way to the Super Bowl. This year the Eagles went on the road and beat the North Champion Vikings which pits them against their division rival Giants.
The similarities are there so don't be surprised if a few weeks from now we are watching Donovan McNabb raise the Lombardi trophy as Eagles fans claim they knew it would always be McNabb that led them back to glory (those nasty boos were only meant to serve as motivation). They even have a similar style of play - both have very good defenses and like to run the ball to control the clock.
One more thing, if the Eagles do go on to win the Superbowl they would also have the same record the Giants did in their previous season before winning the title - the '06 Giants went 8-8 and the '07 Eagles went 8-8. I'm not saying that I think the Eagles are going to win it all (Panthers vs Steelers Superbowl XLIII) but last season we saw that some teams just need a little wake up call plus the whole, "nobody believe in us," card and they can go on a little run in the playoffs. As Kevin Garnett likes to say (yell) ANYTHING'S POSSIBLE!!!!!!!!
Pedro = Greatest of all Time.
Let's talk about Pedro Martinez who is nearing the end of a Hall of Fame career. That being said, I decided one could make a case that he is the most dominant pitcher ever. Pedro's career numbers look like this: 3,117K's, 2.88 ERA, ERA+ 154!!!!, (yes the extra exclamation points really are necessary) and WHIP 1.051. He also has the best winning pct. and yet people knock him because he only has won 213 games, which shouldn't matter as wins do not matter half as much as traditional sports media would lead you to believe. I hate when people say someone is better because he won more games. Pedro is going to end his career with around a 100 fewer wins then Phil Niekro, Gaylord Perry and Don Sutton. Those guys pitched forever and hung around just to get over the 300 win mark, they're solid pitchers but they are nowhere near Pedro dominance.
Lets see where his above numbers rank all time:
His WHIP is 4th lowest of all time while the top 3 are Mariano Rivera (who is a reliever), Ed Walsh (who pitched in the dead ball era), and Addie Joss (who also pitched in the early 1900's). You cannot compare Joss and Walsh to Pedro when you consider Pedro put up these numbers in a hitters era. For example, the league ERA for Joss's career was 2.68 while for Pedro's career it is 4.50 which shows how different the game is now. All that being said, one should look at Pedro's WHIP as the best ever.
Pedro's adjusted ERA is 154 which is second all time to Rivera (who again is a closer, so one really can't compare the two). This makes Pedro number 1 all time among starters, which is no surprise.
He is 7th all time in hits allowed per 9 innings, which is amazing considering he spent 7 years of his prime in a hitter's ballpark like Fenway.
He is 3rd all time in K/9 ahead of all time strikeout king Nolan Ryan.
He is also 3rd all time in K/BB.
Think about all of those numbers and also that he did it all in the best hitter's era ever. He has also won 3 Cy Youngs when he should have won more. In 2002 he came in second to Barry Zito when he should have easily won but the baseball writers think wins are the only relevant stat necessary to evaluate a pitcher. Zito won 23 games and Pedro won 20. That's the only stat Zito beats Pedro in. If you look beyond wins:
ERA- Zito 2.75, Pedro 2.26.
WHIP- Zito 1.13, Pedro 0.92
Strikeouts- Zito 182, Pedro 239 in 30 fewer innings.
ERA+ Zito- 158, Pedro 202 (But clearly there is a big difference between pitching in Mcafee Coliseum as opposed to Fenway).
In 2003 Pedro came in 3rd in voting behind Esteban Loaiza and Roy Halladay because (surprise surprise) Pedro only won 14 games while Halladay and Loaiza both won over 20. Pedro had a lower ERA then both of them, in fact Pedro's ERA was a full run lower then the Cy Young winner Halladay. Pedro had a lower WHIP then both of them and more strikeouts while throwing fewer innings then them. Pedro's ERA+ was 210, Loaiza's was 159 and Halladay's 145. If you're following me here, Pedro's Cy Young total should have been closer to 5 than 3.
Not bad for a kid who "used to sit under the mango trees."
Lets see where his above numbers rank all time:
His WHIP is 4th lowest of all time while the top 3 are Mariano Rivera (who is a reliever), Ed Walsh (who pitched in the dead ball era), and Addie Joss (who also pitched in the early 1900's). You cannot compare Joss and Walsh to Pedro when you consider Pedro put up these numbers in a hitters era. For example, the league ERA for Joss's career was 2.68 while for Pedro's career it is 4.50 which shows how different the game is now. All that being said, one should look at Pedro's WHIP as the best ever.
Pedro's adjusted ERA is 154 which is second all time to Rivera (who again is a closer, so one really can't compare the two). This makes Pedro number 1 all time among starters, which is no surprise.
He is 7th all time in hits allowed per 9 innings, which is amazing considering he spent 7 years of his prime in a hitter's ballpark like Fenway.
He is 3rd all time in K/9 ahead of all time strikeout king Nolan Ryan.
He is also 3rd all time in K/BB.
Think about all of those numbers and also that he did it all in the best hitter's era ever. He has also won 3 Cy Youngs when he should have won more. In 2002 he came in second to Barry Zito when he should have easily won but the baseball writers think wins are the only relevant stat necessary to evaluate a pitcher. Zito won 23 games and Pedro won 20. That's the only stat Zito beats Pedro in. If you look beyond wins:
ERA- Zito 2.75, Pedro 2.26.
WHIP- Zito 1.13, Pedro 0.92
Strikeouts- Zito 182, Pedro 239 in 30 fewer innings.
ERA+ Zito- 158, Pedro 202 (But clearly there is a big difference between pitching in Mcafee Coliseum as opposed to Fenway).
In 2003 Pedro came in 3rd in voting behind Esteban Loaiza and Roy Halladay because (surprise surprise) Pedro only won 14 games while Halladay and Loaiza both won over 20. Pedro had a lower ERA then both of them, in fact Pedro's ERA was a full run lower then the Cy Young winner Halladay. Pedro had a lower WHIP then both of them and more strikeouts while throwing fewer innings then them. Pedro's ERA+ was 210, Loaiza's was 159 and Halladay's 145. If you're following me here, Pedro's Cy Young total should have been closer to 5 than 3.
Not bad for a kid who "used to sit under the mango trees."
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Sports Blast January 6, 2009
I'm working on new content for later in the week so stay tuned. Until then, click the link below to hear this morning's show:
http://www.youcastr.com/casts/archive/joeymurr-the-sports-blast-with-joey-murr-january-6-2009
http://www.youcastr.com/casts/archive/joeymurr-the-sports-blast-with-joey-murr-january-6-2009
Monday, January 5, 2009
Sports Blast January 5, 2009
In addition to my blog posts I want this to be a place where people can hear the show even if they aren't awake early enough to listen live. Just as a reminder (shameless plug) we're live every week day morning from 7-8 on WBNW 1120 am or listen online @ www.wbnw1120.com where you can click the "listen live" button to hear us every morning. Below is a link for today's show:
http://www.youcastr.com/casts/archive/joeymurr-the-sports-blast-with-joey-murr-january-5-2009
http://www.youcastr.com/casts/archive/joeymurr-the-sports-blast-with-joey-murr-january-5-2009
Hi, my name is Sean.
Though most of you reading this are probably coming over from my Myspace blog, I thought I'd use this first blogspot post to give you a little background on myself. By now you might have figured out that my name is Sean Flaherty. I was born on my birthday (which is cool because it's a lot easier to remember). You want to know where I grew up? I'll tell you where: someplace warm; a place where the beer flows like wine; where beautiful women instinctively flock like the salmon of Capistrano. That's right, I'm talking about a little place called Southie. Later I moved to Middleboro right around the time my voice started to sound like Bobby Brady during Season 4 of the 'Brady Bunch.'
After high school I went to THE ( Ohio State stole it) Connecticut School Of Broadcasting which was cool even though the Basketball team never made it past the Elite Eight. I got my start over at WEEI as a intern and then stuck around another few months without anyone noticing. It was a good time and I met my share of famous people that I would name but I'm not a name dropper. So anyway, one day at EEI me, Tom Brady, Curt Schilling, and Paul Pierce were drinking a few beers when they said, "Sean you need to find a spot on the dial where people can hear your voice." (I was drinking a lot that day so more than likely it was just two random white guys in a Pats/Sox Jerseys and a black guy in a Celts jersey, but either way they got to me).
That's how I ended up over WBOS which at the time was launching an HD radio station. There I co-hosted 'The KC & Flaherty Show' with a nice fella by the name of Kevin Campion. We clicked instantly (think Zack Morris and Screech). Before we knew it 10 months had gone by before BOS said I was too damn good for HD radio and told me to spread my wings and move on. By move on I mean they changed the format to computers that play music with no actual programming which in the long run has made the station a lot better.
I spent the next few months working on my personal memoirs until this past August when I began co-hosting the Sportsblast on 1510 the zone with Joey Murr. The chemistry was instant and undeniable - like Brady to Moss (I have better hands so that makes me Moss). From there we decided to take the show daily which is where you can now hear the Sports Blast every morning on WBNW 1120 am.
I have also been on ESPN's 'Stump The Schawb' where I lost, but it was still a great experience considering only 48 people in the country got to make it...and now I'm done bragging. I root for all the Boston teams in the four major sports. When it comes to college teams I root for Notre Dame in Football and Duke in basketball.
So there you have it. If you want to read my perspective on all things sports then check back daily as I plan to post 7 days a week. So put this in the books as post # 1 and lets see what 2009 has in store for all us sports fans.
After high school I went to THE ( Ohio State stole it) Connecticut School Of Broadcasting which was cool even though the Basketball team never made it past the Elite Eight. I got my start over at WEEI as a intern and then stuck around another few months without anyone noticing. It was a good time and I met my share of famous people that I would name but I'm not a name dropper. So anyway, one day at EEI me, Tom Brady, Curt Schilling, and Paul Pierce were drinking a few beers when they said, "Sean you need to find a spot on the dial where people can hear your voice." (I was drinking a lot that day so more than likely it was just two random white guys in a Pats/Sox Jerseys and a black guy in a Celts jersey, but either way they got to me).
That's how I ended up over WBOS which at the time was launching an HD radio station. There I co-hosted 'The KC & Flaherty Show' with a nice fella by the name of Kevin Campion. We clicked instantly (think Zack Morris and Screech). Before we knew it 10 months had gone by before BOS said I was too damn good for HD radio and told me to spread my wings and move on. By move on I mean they changed the format to computers that play music with no actual programming which in the long run has made the station a lot better.
I spent the next few months working on my personal memoirs until this past August when I began co-hosting the Sportsblast on 1510 the zone with Joey Murr. The chemistry was instant and undeniable - like Brady to Moss (I have better hands so that makes me Moss). From there we decided to take the show daily which is where you can now hear the Sports Blast every morning on WBNW 1120 am.
I have also been on ESPN's 'Stump The Schawb' where I lost, but it was still a great experience considering only 48 people in the country got to make it...and now I'm done bragging. I root for all the Boston teams in the four major sports. When it comes to college teams I root for Notre Dame in Football and Duke in basketball.
So there you have it. If you want to read my perspective on all things sports then check back daily as I plan to post 7 days a week. So put this in the books as post # 1 and lets see what 2009 has in store for all us sports fans.
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