Giant Expectations

Week 4 picks

2007-09-30T10:14:00.000-07:00

No time to write, so here's the picks:

Buffalo (+3.5) over Jets
Raiders (+4) over Dolphins
Ravens (-4) over Browns
Texans (-2.5) over Falcons
Lions (+3) over Bears
Packers (-2) over Vikings
Cowboys (-13) over Rams
Panthers (-3) over Bucs
Niners (+2) over Seahawks
Steelers (-6) over Cards
Chargers (-12) over Chiefs
Broncos (+9.5) over Colts
Eagles (-3) over Giants
Patriots (-7.5) over Bengals

Week 3

2007-09-25T12:20:00.000-07:00

Last week's picks: 3-9-3
Overall: 20-19-6

Yikes, that was an ugly week for picks. I didn't realize I had done that bad until I was tallying it up. Ah well, gotta love NFL parity.

I'm going to have to get back to studying for a couple months again, so my posting will go back to being sporadic at best. My goal is to at least get my picks up each week.

Just a couple comments on the Niners game...I'm going to just get the obvious out of the way first: they got absolutely hosed by the refs in 3 critical situations that I can think of right now

1. The "incomplete" pass to Davis that would have put them inside the 15
2. The phantom holding call by Clements that gave the Steelers 1st down on 2nd and long, leading to their TD drive.
3. Not calling intentional grounding on Roethlisburger, leaving them in field goal range late in the game.

Having said that, it's no excuse for losing, and I'm glad Nolan recognizes this. The offense continued to be putrid, and the defense played okay, although for the second straight game the corners often played 10+ yards off of the WRs, leaving them wide open. I don't know if this is a common practice in the NFL, but it makes no sense to this fan.

I am getting very frustrated with Hostler. While his play calling is slowly getting more creative on the passing end of things, every single time Gore's number is called, it's between the tackles...and even the bonehead announcers could recognize that this was a bad idea considering the Steelers' front 3. You have to switch up your playcalling during a game, otherwise Gore won't end up with 600 yards on the season. It is horribly frustrating to watch them not use their tools properly, and it is particularly disappointing to see Smith regress to pre-2006 form. He seemed to be so comfortable in Norv Turner's system, and losing him has really, really set Smith back. After Turner gets fired at the end of this season, I'd do everything in my power to get him back in the play-calling booth if I was in the 49ers front office.

On a brighter note, the Giants decided to play spoiler, and have almost knocked the Padres out of the Wild Card lead. Way to go, guys.

We'll miss you, big guy.

2007-09-21T15:51:00.001-07:00

According to Barry Bonds' web site, he will not be returning as a Giant next year.

Granted, we've heard a lot of false things come out of Barry's mouth in the past, but my heart and head is telling me that this isn't a misleading rumor. It's one thing if he makes an offhand comment in a press conference, but it's another if he publishes it on his website.

Many good times have been had in the Barry Era in San Francisco. He was larger than life as I grew up and started paying attention to baseball, and the ride that he gave us in the first couple years of this century were like nothing that has ever happened, and probably won't happen again. As I gather my thoughts about Barry not being a Giant in the coming days I will post a little more on this, but for now, I must say...thank you, Barry. You have given us so many reasons to stay up in the late hours of the night listening to the game on the radio or watching your intimidating presence on TV. You will always be remembered by this fan as the greatest ever.

Just shut up, McLoser

2007-09-21T12:23:00.000-07:00

A recent upswing in people playing the race card has really started to tick me off. For the record, I'm sure there is still racism in some parts of the country and that people do suffer from it. Even white people suffer from racism these days in the form of colleges filling quotas of students of other ethnicities...yes, that is racism, and it can't be argued. That, however, is not the point of this post.

Donovan McNabb is now claiming that he's criticized more than white QBs because he's black. In that same article, Vince Young responds as I would:

"I really feel like myself, black or white quarterbacks, we all go through something because that is the life of a quarterback." Young said. "You have to be able to handle all the pressure and you have to be able to handle the losses and you have to be able to handle the media saying this about you … If you can't handle it, then you have to get off that position and go play something else."

Listen, McNabb...there are a number of reasons you are criticized, none of which include being black:

1) You play in Philly. The fans there aren't exactly Mother Theresa.
2) You are a QB, the most integral part of an offense. The game centers around you. If you are going to suck, people are going to notice it more and talk more about it.
3) You have, in fact, not been that good of a QB.

You even deterred your own point when you said this:

"No, I didn't say that," he answered. "For instance, Vince Young, he came in and didn't throw for 300 yards or 200, he might have averaged 175 passing, but did whatever it took to win football games. … It's about winning football games here. That's what it's all about. It doesn't matter if you're black, white, red, green, yellow. It's about winning football games."

Yes, Donovan. It is about winning football games. You haven't done this. In big game after big game you have choked over and over again, whether it be to the Bucs or the Patriots. You are inaccurate, and aren't even that great of a runner anymore, so drop the whole "I'm a running QB, so stop criticizing me for it." Oh, and by the way, Steve Young actually was criticized quite a bit earlier in his career for running so much. And he was more accurate than you. And he lived in the shadow of the greatest QB ever. And he won despite all these things. Of course, you could have won a bit more had you been able to get along with TO, one of the better WRs of our generation, so you don't even have the excuse of not having the personnel around you to win.

I realize back East that racism still exists, and is more prevalent there than the world that I live in. That being said, it is still no excuse for the way you are playing while being given millions of dollars to do it. If you can't handle the criticism after the game, then just go away.

Here's this week's picks:

Colts (-6) over Texans
Packers (+5) over Chargers
Vikings (+2.5) over Chiefs
Bills (+16.5) over Patriots (how can you give 16.5 points?)
Rams (+3.5) over Bucs
Lions (+6.5) over Eagles
49ers (+9) over Steelers
Jets (-3) over Dolphins
Cardinals (+8) over Ravens
Bengals (+3) over Seahawks
Redskins (-3.5) over Giants
Browns (+3) over Raiders
Broncos (-3) over Jags
Falcons (+4) over Panthers
Cowboys (+3) over Bears
Saints (-4.5) over Titans

C'mon people, that's enough already.

2007-09-17T20:48:00.000-07:00

This week's picks: 9-5-1
Overall: 17-10-3

Bold Week 2 Prediction: The Pats will finally ruin the '72 Dolphins' party.

The Patriots showed up this week, plain and simple. Not only did they show up to play some pure, unadulterated dominant football against one of the top 3 teams in the NFL, but they shoved it in the faces of everyone calling them "cheaters."

While watching this game, I came to the realization that we could be in the midst of the greatest football team of all time (and trust me, I am one of the last people to claim recent accomplishments are "the best ever" or eclipse other historic moments). Tom Brady has put on a clinic for future QB's everywhere, putting up the following mind-boggling stats over 2 weeks: 79.7% pass accuracy, 576 yards, 6 TDs, 1 INT. Even more, he didn't put this up against patsies...one game came against probably a league-average team in the Jets, and the other came against, as mentioned before, one of the best teams in football. Oh, and by the way, they put up the bigger game against the Chargers, whilst the NFL devoted every resource to making sure they weren't cheating. In essence, as they kept scoring TDs late in the game as many a Madden fan would do, they gave a big middle finger to the sporting world that is getting ready to write off their accomplishments over the past decade.

Are we so sure that the Patriots wouldn't have won their recent Super Bowls without their cameras? First, let's remember that this is the same league where most every coach hides his mouth with his play sheet--they realize the risks involved and surely take every precaution possible. Second, say the Pats did steal signs and knew exactly what the defense was running--then explain how it is that in each Super Bowl they came out strong and just barely held out to win the game? Normally you'd do better as the game went on if you knew their signals, right?

This goes deeper than just the Patriots taping a few games and the slight advantage they may have gained. This is a reflection of the problem most of the sporting world has succumbed to, and that is a desire to see great people or teams fall, whilst throwing logic to the wind at times. This is most evident in the steroid scandal in baseball. Let's use everyone's favorite punching bag, Barry Bonds, as an example. Amidst all the unknown, there are a few facts: (1) There is no proof that he did steroids, (2) He admitted to using a "cream-like substance", and (3) he is constantly booed everywhere but SF, despite any substantial evidence supporting steroid usage. All this crap about him getting bigger and better with age can be applied in the exact same way to Roger Clemens, and even to MJ (well, minus the getting better part). Even assuming he did use steroids tells us nothing, for we have much evidence that using steroids in and of itself does not make you a better baseball player (see: Neifi Perez, Alex Sanchez, Jeremy Giambi), and HGH has credible studies that show it does not help a baseball player improve his play. And the whole double-standard he is held to because he broke the most hallowed record is ridiculous...Ankiel was proven to have received HGH and no one's even talking about it anymore, less than a month after the story broke. Glaus, one of the more prolific AL hitters, has been linked to HGH as much as Bonds, but you have to search real hard to find any kind of media coverage about that. Just because you aren't going after a record doesn't make it any less cheatful.

Apologies for going off on the Bonds tangent, but he's just a very good example of how people are becoming less and less likely to sit back and enjoy something historically great when it is right in front of them. Are people so naive to believe the great teams of the past did not cheat or use everything at their disposition to win, even if it was borderline legal? Heck, NFL players get shots of cortisone before each game--how is that not "performance enhancing"? And don't give me the moral angle of "oh, but cortisone is legal!" Well, so was whatever Bonds allegedly took when he took it.

So, please, enough of tarnishing today's great players. Don't listen to the onslaught of media telling you "facts" about how certain people or teams cheated and the "proof" they say they have. Think before you form an opinion, and logically decide if your denouncement of a certain player or team is warranted. While you do that, I am going to enjoy watching some of the greatest sporting moments we'll ever live to see.

Week 2 picks

2007-09-16T09:57:00.000-07:00

Whoo! Almost forgot this week's picks, and just remembered as the Niners are about to kickoff. I'm looking for a huge game from Gore today, as they face a flimsy Rams D and he comes off the passing of his mother this week. So, without further adieu...

Falcons (+10) over Jags
Steelers (-10) over Bills
Bengals (-7) over Browns
Giants (-1.5) over Packers
Colts (-7) over Titans
Texans (+6.5) over Panthers
Saints (-3) over Bucs
Niners (+3) over Rams
Cowboys (-3.5) over Dolphins
Lions (-3) over Vikings
Chiefs (+12) over Bears
Jets (+10) over Ravens
Seahawks (-2.5) over Cards
Broncos (-9.5) over Raiders
Redskins (+7) over Eagles
Patriots (-3) over Chargers

Greg Oden the new Sam Bowie?

2007-09-13T12:50:00.000-07:00

I saw this blurb on ESPN.com and thought it was interesting. Sure would validate Durant supporters everywhere...

"Greg Oden's impending season on the sidelines immediately brings to mind the case of another Portland center who was a first-round draft pick: Sam Bowie. The Trail Blazers, picking second in the 1984 NBA draft, took Bowie, a collegiate All-America at Kentucky. The pick before him was Hakeem Olajuwon. The pick after him was Michael Jordan. Bowie played four injury-marred seasons in Portland -- he played in just 139 games due to a series of leg injuries that required five surgeries -- averaging 10.5 points per game. He was traded to New Jersey after the 1989 season, and played four more years with the Nets, averaging 12.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. He also played two years with the Los Angeles Lakers before retiring in 1995. Bowie's career numbers: 10.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.78 blocks per game. Jordan went on to win six NBA titles and five MVP awards. Olajuwon won two titles and one MVP award. Both were named to the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team list in 1996. -- ESPN.com "

Week 1 Reactions

2007-09-12T12:02:00.000-07:00

Last week's picks: 8-5-2

Considering how difficult it is to measure teams' success as of the first week, I'm pretty happy with an 8-5-2 picking line. Let the self back-patting begin.

There weren't a whole lot of suprises to me in this the first week of football. LT, Stephen Jackson, and Gore all gave fantasy owners fits, but that was almost to be expected as the defenses they faced were all decent to excellent, and none of them had played in a preseason game. Next week I fully expect Gore to tear through St. Louis' poor rushing defense now that he has a game under his belt. Other easily forseeable events include McNabb's choke job, New England's dominance, injuries to Pennington and McNair, Grossman faltering, and the Raiders continuing their 2006 dominance of the cellar.

The few suprises of week one were mostly off-the field, including the Browns trading Frye to Seattle already (which, in my opinion, Seattle overpaid for), Belichick stealing NY's defensive signals (c'mon Billy, your team is good enough, you don't even need the help), and David Boston's DUI and subsequent release from Tampa (which, as a big, talented WR, I wouldn't mind the Niners taking a chance on considering how poorly Jackson debuted on Monday, as long as Boston comes cheap). The only real suprises came from Houston decimating the Chiefs, Dallas giving up 35 points to the Tiki-less Giants, and Adrian Peterson making an early case for rookie of the year.

Having made the roundabouts for the rest of the league, I want to do a bit of 49er analysis. Anyone who watched Monday's game could probably agree that the game could be described as painful, long, and slow as both offenses showed their ineptitude, that is, until the last 2 drives of the game. The 49ers' OL success from last year left much to be desired, as Smith had little time to throw and Gore had few holes to run through. When Smith actually made accurate throws to Jackson and Battle, they routinely dropped them. Leinert, the QB the Niners should have had if he had declared for 2005's draft, looked uncomfortable and inaccurate all game.

What really struck me the most about Monday's game was the poor play calling on both sides. From what I'm told, opponents ran all over the 49ers' D during preseason, so I can see why the Cardinals tried to run a bit more, but when you own the most talented WR trio in all of the NFL, how do you not try to throw downfield more than a couple times all game? It seemed as if the Cardinals were trying to beat the 49ers with their own West-Coast offense. Granted, the Niners' coverage team is better than last year's team, but scouting reports of Michael Lewis told me he struggled in coverage, and it just amazed me that they didn't try to throw the ball downfield much. On the 49ers' side, it is apparent more than ever that they are going to miss Norv Turner as a play-caller. He was excellent at keeping other teams on their toes with creative plays all game. The one creative play the 49ers ran all game was their game-winning TD. From where I sat, not one run play was a sweep or off-tackle for Gore. How many times did they run a HB dive on 1st and 10? Their play-calling was way too predictable and lacked the element of surprise. Here's hoping Hostler learns from the last play he called on Monday and runs some different plays.

All in all, Monday's game had a great ending, and it was a positive first step for the 49ers' quest towards the Super Bowl. Let's hope they keep it up against the Rams this week and continue to beat up on their weak division.

The Picks

2007-09-08T17:57:00.000-07:00

Whew. What a flurry of a month. August brought us a new house, along with all its responsibilities, and in the meantime I managed to study for the CPA exam, which I hopefully took the last of. With all the time I have now, hopefully I will be able to post a little more often. Of course, that may depend on the sucess of the 49ers, as we all know the Giants aren't giving me anything to write about.

So, without further adieu, here are my preseason picks for the playoffs and ultimately the Super Bowl. I'll also be posting my weekly picks, and keeping a running score (mostly for my own reasons, but maybe I'll gain your undying respect once I tally up a good record.

NFC West winner: *Niners. Now, as you can see, this comes with an asterisk. Everyone and their mother are giving the Niners a playoff spot because of the revamped defense, another year of experience under the belts of Smith, Gore, and Davis, and the additions of Jackson and Lelie. I agree, all these things will make them a much more competitive team, yet I'm not convinced they are more than a .500 team. I refuse to buy into the hype, not only because I don't want to get my hopes up too high, but also because we all know what happens to the media's "sleeper pick" every year (if you don't...see last year's Cardinals team). The main problem with the Niners, in my humble opinion, is that while Gore is certainly the best thing to happen to SF since Ricky Watters, everyone knows about it. If opposing teams do not line up 8 guys in the box 75% of the time, they need to find a new defensive coordinator. The key to beating the Niners is pressing Smith. If he is forced to make big plays and carry the team, I can't say they're better than .500. Having said that, I can't say they're any worse than the other teams in the division. Shawn Alexander is done, we all saw that last year. And Matt Hasselbeck isn't much better than Smith. I like the Niners to take this playoff spot, but only because of their competition in the division.

NFC East: Dallas. As much as it hurts me to say this, the rest of the division isn't that great, so I'm seeing Dallas taking the division. Assuming Romo's game matures and Owens's attitude matures, this team should be pretty good. However, they won't get too far in the playoffs with Wade Phillips manning the helm. He's way too timid to win a Super Bowl.

NFC North: Chicago. As little faith as I have in Grossman, it's been proven that defense wins games. And this is a damn good defense.

NFC South: New Orleans. Yeah, they got shellacked in their first game, but this is a team with a lot of talent. Their WR core leave much to be desired, but between Brees, Bush, and McAllister, I don't see how they can't win the division.

AFC East: New England. Do you really need an explanation? Have you seen how good this team is on paper? There is no way they shouldn't win the Super Bowl this year.

AFC North: Cincinatti. I'm not sold on the Ravens like most people. I love the addition of McGahee, and I think he's a 200% upgrade over Lewis, but McNair is too old, and they won too many games they shouldn't have last year. Cincinatti, on the other hand, fresh off of beating the guards at the state penitentary, will have a rebound year. Most of their success will depend on their defense limiting teams to 45 points a game, but I don't see why they can't take this division.

AFC South: Indy. This division sucks, plain and simple. Indy is the only competitive team, and if they can't pull out the division, it will be a shocker.

AFC West: San Diego. Great team with a decent regular-season coach. However, come playoff time, we all know Norv's success is pretty limited, and once again, the team with the best player in the NFL will be knocked out of the playoffs because its coach will be outsmarted.

Wild Cards: NFC: Atlanta & Detroit. Yeah I saved both my sleepers for the wild card, so what, wanna fight about it? Everyone's counting out Atlanta, and isn't that the definition of a sleeper? Read Bill Simmons's power rankings for a good explanation of why Atlanta catches his and my eyes. Also, I'm going to stick with Martz's offensive success, and I'm thinking if Kitna can get his INTs down and gel a bit with Calvin Johnson and the other 20 WRs they've drafted over the last few years, they'll be good enough to get to .500 or a game above. (Other suggestions: Carolina [which will be run by Carr no later than week 7, mark my words], and Washington)
Wild Cards: AFC: Denver & NY Jets. Denver always gets the job done, and the Jets showed they're a contender last year.

NFC Playoffs: Niners over Atlanta, New Orleans over Detroit, Chicago over New Orleans, Niners over Dallas, Niners over Chicago.
AFC Playoffs: NY over Cincinatti, Indy over Denver, New England over NY, Indy over San Diego, New England over Indy.

Super Bowl: New England over Niners.

Yeah, so I'm going to need you to forget what I said about the Niners earlier. They rock. But they aren't good enough to beat New England, Indy, or San Diego. Ah, the perks of being in the NFC.

On to this week's picks...

Broncos (-3) over Bills
Chiefs (+3) over Texans
Steelers (-4.5) over Browns
Redskins (-3) over Dolphins
Packers (+3) over Eagles
Titans (+6.5) over Jags
Patriots (-6.5) over Jets
Falcons (+3) over Vikings
Rams (-1) over Panthers
Bears (+6) over Chargers
Lions (+2) over Raiders
Seahawks (-6) over Bucs
Cowboys (-6) over Giants
Bengals (-2.5) over Ravens
Niners (-3) over Cardinals
New Orleans over Indy (since I posted this too late for this game, I'll go ahead and take the L even though I probably would have taken Indy, just so no one complains)

Pictures (finally!)

2007-08-13T15:25:00.000-07:00

Sorry, no post for today, but I did finally get the chance to upload some of the pictures from the games I've attended this year. Just click on the thumbnails in my photobucket album to view the full versions.

Click here to see the Giants @ Padres pictures.

Click here to see the Yankees @ Giants pictures.

Wowzers

2007-08-08T08:22:00.000-07:00

So, the day after witnessing probably the greatest sports moment of my lifetime, I am still giddy. I will never forget where I was when it happened, and I will never forget that shot into center field. He absolutely destroyed that ball.

Being busy with work/CPA exam/moving leaves me with little to no time to post a blog, so for the time being, I will be posting very sporadically. I will probably post something Bonds-related this weekend when my time is a little more flexible, but for now, I leave you with the image that you have probably seen about 4,563,214 times by now:

Bonus Post Before the Trip

2007-08-03T06:59:00.001-07:00

Brett Tomko labored through another start for the San Francisco Giants last night. Fans were getting frustrated by his inability to throw strikes, as he worked through a 20-minute, 43-pitch first inning while spotting their rivals an early 3-0 lead. Fans jeered at him throughout the game, whilst bounching beach balls incessently amongst each other...

...wait, what was that? Oh, you say Tomko pitches for the Dodgers now? Sweeeeeeeeet.

Brad Hennessey: Major League Pitcher. When no one else could throw strikes, he got them out of a bases-loaded, one out jam by actually throwing strikes. Meanwhile, Zito reportedly asked, "Str-ike? What is this.... Str...ike you speak of?"

And someone please tell me why Dave Roberts is still a starter? This guy is utterly useless as a hitter, much less a leadoff hitter. First two at bats: 2 pitches, 2 pop-ups. Isn't your leadoff guy supposed to take a few pitches so you can see the kind of stuff the starter has that night? Roberts is officially my least favorite Giant. Yes...he has passed Feliz. Monumental day, no?

Yick

2007-08-02T12:57:00.001-07:00

Nothing going on today in the world of sports (other than, of course, Barry chasing Hank, but i have a feeling he will be out of today's lineup). The biggest recent news: my wife and I are now officially first-time homeowners. Giddyup!

This weekend I'm traveling down to San Diego to see my buddy Aaron and we're going to the Giants/Pads game. I'm more or less convinced that Barry is saving his tying or record-breaking homerun for my attendance, so when he does hit it, expect plenty of pictures from the game. I do still have some pictures from the Yanks/Giants game a while back, I just have limited access to internet at home. More to come after this weekend...look forward to a 49ers season preview.

Ah Bearded Wonder...how we barely knew ye

2007-08-01T07:01:00.000-07:00

As the trading deadline came to a close yesterday, it seemed as if Sabean had sat on his hands again. Whatever reason he gave, may it be the 'ol "The value we were asking for was not being given back in return", or my personal favorite, "We still see ourselves as contenders right now", thousands of Giants fans were preparing themselves to let it be known that Sabean's 2-year extension was the most recent of idiotic moves by the San Francisco Giants.

However, as minutes went by past the deadline, we found out that Morris, probably our most important asset to trade, was in fact, traded. Why was he the most important asset to be traded? Well, it definitely wasn't because of his quality of play. The crap has hit the fan for Morris in his last 5 starts or so, making me wonder if he was doing his best to lower his trade value so he could stay in San Francisco. No, the reason this was another fantastic trade by Sabean is that we gain about $13 million or so over the next year that we would have had to pay him for his crappiness. Also, there is no shortage of quality pitchers that can rise up in his spot, as apparently Ortiz and Misch will compete for Morris's now vacant rotation spot (no link, but I read it somewhere yesterday). My bet goes to Ortiz--let the feel-good story of the year continue!

Sabean...thank you for giving us a bit of hope that you weren't lying through your teeth when you spoke of rebuilding and getting rid of vets. I don't care that all you got in return was Fred Lewis 1.5 and the always-intriguing player-to-be-named-later. Thank you for giving us a bit of hope that you actually know what you are doing from here on out. Now keep it up! Now that this kid give us our 1,265th outfielder, let's get rid of Roberts! He is unnecessary, as Freddy Lewis can give us the same kind of production and has yet to hit his peak. I'd also love to see us get some kind of prospect for Durham, Klesko, and I'm fairly certain if Kline is put on waivers someone will bite...a quality veteran lefty out of the bullpen is always needed somewhere....somewhere that is, except for San Francisco.

UPDATE: How does Pittsburgh even take Sabean's calls anymore, after the Schmidt deal? Pittsburgh's probably about the last place I expected Morris to go.

UPDATE II: What a great game last night! While Penny and Martin bawled all night about the strike zone (which was definitely consistent for both teams), Lowry wriggled out of trouble and the 'pen played fantastically. One of my new favorite Giants pitchers is Hennessey...he does everything that the rest of the pitching staff has trouble doing: throwing strikes! Way to go, Blownitez replacement!

UPDATE III: Just a thought...as the Giants heat up (they've won or split the last 3 series and are well on their way to taking one from the Dodgers as they haven't lost in LA this year), nothing is certain. Just employ the 'ol Dusty Baker methodology, and 11 weeks left and 11 games back in the division gives us time to make up a game a week. It certainly isn't impossible. Improbable, maybe...but not impossible. No, I'm not kidding myself, but there still is some hope. And baseball, much less than life, is nothing without hope.

Oh, and by the way, as I prepare for visiting the Giants/Pads on Saturday, keep this in mind: the last 2 Giants games I have attended, Bonds has hit 3 home runs. And we will be sitting in right field. Oh yeaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh.

Coming Soon...

2007-07-31T09:34:00.000-07:00

Look for a new post tomorrow after the trading deadline is over. Until then, if you're looking for a good read, I'll point you in the direction of McCovey Chronicles, and read Grant's "Open Letter to Jay Mariotti."

In the meantime, keep your fingers crossed that Sabean can pull a Feliz-for-Guererro trade, and also keep the Walsh family in your thoughts and prayers. I'm sure they need it.

Two sides

2007-07-23T07:04:00.000-07:00

After a week at the lake where yours truly finally, finally got up on a wakeboard, I am ready to post again for your reading pleasure. Apologies for the delay, life's real busy lately. Things should calm down after August.

This whole Sabean extension has Giants fans splitting to two sides, most of whom are standing in the "This is the last thing the Giants organization should have done" side. My gut reaction was to jump over with them, but after reading many, many opinions on the matter, my mind was changed a bit.

John over at OBM (which is probably the best-written Giants blog I've seen) presents a valid case for the crowd calling for Sabean's head. On the other hand, Martin at Obsessive Giants Compulsive (another well-thought out Giants blog) presents a case in defense of Sabean, which as controversial as it may be, has some very good points that swayed my opinion a bit.

After hearing both sides of the argument, I have to say I lie somewhere in the middle. I agree that Sabean has not made any impacting trades that turned out to be positive since the Schmidt trade. He has done a poor job of developing the minor league system, and has signed mediocre after mediocre player, giving them huge contracts.

On the other hand, if (and that's a big "if") McGowan played puppeteer to Sabean's Pinnochio all these years since Sabean turned the team around with the Matt Williams trade, then I can see the case for giving Sabean a year or two to see what he can do on his own will. My deepest feelings tell me that Sabean had just as much to do with the current state of the Giants' organization as McGowan, but because of the job he's done with the pitching staff, and the recent off-shore signings he's made in the past year, I don't think it's a horrible thing to give Sabean a chance. Plus, I do think that if we had brought in a new GM, there is no guarentee that he would be any better than Sabean, and we also may have to suffer even longer for him to get used to and get to know the players in the Giants organization.

My official stance, then, is that I give Sabean one trading deadline (which is rapidly approaching), and one offseason to show us that he can still work some magic and make some steps in a positive direction. We don't need to be a winning ballclub next year, but at least show us that you are able to manage this team in a manner that leads towards the future (ie. get rid of old guys, get new young hitters). And for goodness sake, hire some scouts and coaches that can find and develop young hitters! The lack of these organizational leaders could be the Giants' biggest problem!

A Must-Read

2007-07-09T13:21:00.001-07:00

This guy says what I've been trying to say about Bonds since 2002. Please read this, it's worth 5 minutes of your day.

Greatest American Sports Moment Ever?

2007-07-09T12:29:00.000-07:00

I've never really been a huge fan of people stuffing their faces, especially with soggy hot dog buns, but on my day off last Wednesday I felt a duty as an American (read as: I was bored) to watch the international bout that may or may not be named "Pearl Harbor: The Revenge". They're still working on making that official, I guess.

Joey Chestnut has now made himself a household name, and he has brought pride back to gluttonous Americans everywhere by beating The Tsunami, Kobauashi. Kobauashi supposedly had his wisdom tooth removed and couldn't open his mouth more than the size of his finger, but as I watched him chow down and catch up to Chestnut in the final minutes, it was obvious that Kobauashi's only ailment was fear, and as we know from this dude, fear leads to suffering, which must be what he felt after that last dog spewed out of his mouth and he realized his imminent defeat. He was eating just fine, and showed no sign of pain, which makes me believe that once he found out Chestnut had demolished his previous record in a smaller event, he knew he finally had met his match.

Kevin at All on the Field, among others, say hot-dog eating is not a sport. I can't necessarily disagree with him, but as I watched these men gorge themselves, I have to say that I haven't felt that kind of intesity in an event in a long, long time. It was truly a gripping moment with all of Coney Island desperate to establish some kind of American mark on Independence Day, and it was definitely something I will watch again next year.

Whoever was cast the duty of announcing this event for ESPN said that this was "One of the greatest American sport moments" (or something to that effect). Is this correct? I'd say Rocky over Drago would be up there as well, but what else would qualify besides the obvious "Miracle" historical hockey game?

Thank you, Brian Sabean...

2007-07-06T11:00:00.001-07:00

...for not dealing Matt Morris when he was pitching well. Now we're stuck with his $16 million contract and won't get a decent prospect out of him. As they days go by, Sabean sitting on his hands just makes me realize more and more that he isn't going to do anything at the trade deadline of any significance. Why would he start the rebuilding process? He's never shown the ability to do so before. This season, and the next five, are shot. Kaput. Throw the damn towel, Rock!

All-Star Picks

2007-07-03T12:26:00.000-07:00

Sloooooooowwwww day today in sports. So, I'll go ahead and give you my All-Star ballot for the NL (because who cares about the American League, really? They get to have an extra hitter to put their respective fat, power-hitting players in that can't run anymore. That's not real baseball.). By the way, I vote based on individual stats, not RBIs or runs or anything like that. There certainly is some value of teammates and opponents quality that factor into these stats but they are, for the most part, a good way to value an individual's performance.

C- Fan vote: Russell Martin .306/.371/.483/9 HR/16 SB!
My vote: same

There's got to be someone from the Dodgers on this team, so I'll go ahead and give it to the guy who leads all NL catchers in the above categories. As much as I'd love to vote for Bengie, Martin deserves it.

1B- Fan vote: Prince Fielder .278/.372/.608/27 HR
My vote: same

My personal loathing of Pujols aside, despite a better OBP, I think the slugging and the number of home runs push Prince over Pujols. Plus, it's always exciting to see a fresh face, even if it's another fat, lumbering Fielder.

2B- Fan vote: Chase Utley .322/.402/.572/15 HR
My vote: same

No argument from me. He's leading the NL in all the above stats.

SS- Fan vote: Jose Reyes .316/.397/.453/4 HR/40 SB
My vote: Edgar Renteria .326/.389./.497/10 HR

If we're going purely off stats, which I said I would, I feel like I ought to vote for Renteria, as he equals or bests Reyes in everything but SB. However, for enjoyment factor, there aren't a lot of guys more exciting to watch these days than Reyes, so I am not at all disappointed with the fan's voting.

3B- Fan vote: David Wright .290/.378/.505/14 HR
My vote: Chipper Jones .333/.419/.596/13 HR

Holy freaking Chipper, Batman! I really had no idea the kind of season Chipper's been having until I looked it up, but talk about a revitalization in his career! I assumed he had his best years behind him, but he's still getting on base at a .419 clip. You'd think his name would get him in over his stats if nothing else, but logic is thrown out the window when it comes to All-Star voting. Apparently name and stats aren't even enough to get you in, Chip.

OF- Fan vote: Ken Griffey, Jr .292/.387/.577/22 HR
Barry Bonds .304/.516/.603/16 HR
Carlos Beltran .271/.346/.475/14 HR

My vote: Griffey, Jr.
Barry
Matt Holliday .347/.394/.582/14 HR

It was nothing short of a miracle that Bonds got a starting spot (although he's unarguably deserving of it) , so I'm thrilled about that. However, that Beltran got in was quite a shock. He's actually 15th in OBP among NL OFs. Probably the biggest snub in all of All-Star voting would go to Matt Holliday. He's having a monster year, but it's going unnoticed in the media black hole of baseball--Colorado. The stats speak for themselves.

SP- I haven't seen who the starter will be yet (if they've even announced it), but I'll go ahead and throw my starting spot to Jake Peavy. He's been absolutely dealing, with a 2.09 ERA, and although Penny may have more wins and a slightly better ERA, I'll take Peavy's 119 K's and 87 hits to Penny's 77 K's and 96 hits. Plus, I already gave the Dodgers their obligatory All-Star spot.

I'm BACK in the Saddle Again

2007-06-29T12:14:00.000-07:00

Well, after a bout of food poisoning/flu that lasted longer than a Giants' winning streak, I have returned. Apologies for the delay in posting to the five of you that actually have read this blog. I have deemed today "Random Musings Day". So without further adieu...

-Apparently all it takes for Sabean to give away $18 million is a stolen base in a big game, because Dave Roberts has been living off that defining moment for 3 years now. How can you still tromp this guy out there as your starting CF? He's the epitomy of the Giants' hitting woes, batting an anemic .218/.291/.333. I can handle a sub-.300 batting average from the dude if he actually walked a little, but at the rate he's going, he'll barely reach half the walks he had last year. The guy we all (including myself) laughed at the Dodgers for throwing money at because of his inability to get on base, Juan Pierre, is even batting better than Roberts, with a line of .272/.304/.321. Oh, and Pierre also has 26 steals to Roberts' 13. There is no reason Freddy Lewis shouldn't be up here, who was not only getting on base better, but had some pop to his bat and was actually exciting to watch.

-Wow, Joe Morgan really is an idiot. I had no idea how little he knew about baseball.

-There is no way Kobe is going anywhere. He may not be happy, but there is no way on God's green earth that Kupchak is going to deal him. There was a little-known center named Shaquille (pronounced Shu-keel) O'Neal that Kupchak traded away a few years back and got less than pennies on the dollar for. This sent the team spiraling out of control and into the crapper. Kupchak, wanting all the cool kids to like the Lakers again, knows there is absolutely no way of this happening if Kobe goes--I don't care who you get back in return. And that's the other thing...whoever you get back in return won't be enough. You cannot replace the greatest player in the NBA with two or three good players...and that's all that a team will give up, because if you sell your team's soul to Kobe and put all your chips in his corner, it's pretty obvious from the Shaq-less Laker Experiment that it will not work unless he has another elite player with him. He needs a player that will defer to him yet someone he can work with and count on. Hmm..I wonder who could fulfill those requirements? I was thrilled when I heard they were trying to trade for Garnett, as he would be a perfect fit for Kobe and would fill the exact hole the Lakers need to be filled--a dominant big man. But, Lord help us, it seems as if that deal has fallen through (I'm sure because the Lakers are again hesitant to give up Andrew freakin' Bynum), and they will muck in medoicrity for the remaining years on Kobe's contract. I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.

-I'm obviously not a huge Golden State fan, but you gotta feel for these fans today. Giving up J-Rich, a huge fan-favorite, and getting a raw, light project of a big-man. I like the Italian guy they drafted, but this trade doesn't make sense to me. They're built to win now, and Wright won't be ready for a few years. Ah, well. At least they didn't end up with Yi yet, probably the most overrated member of the top draft class. So it goes in the world of the Warriors.

-Have you seen how big The Big Hurt actually is? Please tell me why he, Clemens, and A-Rod, who have all gotten significantly bigger as they aged, have raised no eyebrows as to steroid use while most people point to Bonds' growth as "proof" of his use? It sickens me. I hope Barry hits 2,000 HRs.

-I am still planning on posting some pictures from the Giants/Yankees game soon, and I did get some good ones. It's a matter of getting them to a computer with internet access.

R.I.P., Shooter

2007-06-25T08:14:00.000-07:00

Rod Beck has died at the age of 38. I can't say much about the guy, because he left the Giants as I was starting to pay attention to baseball. I do remember him, though, for his awesome fu-manchu and his flair on the mound. He wasn't always the most dominating of pitchers, but he brought some excitement to the game when he was on the mound, and had some very good years with the Giants, Cubs, Red Sox, and most recently with the Pads. He was definitely one of my favorite Giants when I first became a fan. My lasting memory of him will definitely be his pendulum-rocking arm before he pitched, and the arm-flap after strikeouts, which was greatly overexaggerated by my MLB Playstation game.

He's got a Ticket to Ride

2007-06-20T16:50:00.000-07:00

Sometimes in the midst of doom, a shining ray of light breaks through and gives you a pleasant suprise...

Today I was given tickets to the first game the Yankees will play in San Francisco since 1962. Despite how lousy they've been playing, there's nothing like going to Mays Field and watching a game with friends/significant others. I don't care how bad they are, it's still a load of fun...especially when your tickets are free! I'll try to post up some pictures when I get back Saturday.

I'm surrounded by idiots!

2007-06-19T13:34:00.000-07:00

Isn't it comforting when two of your team's hitters are in the top 10 of "worst performers of the day" on Baseball Reference ?

Winn and Klesko each sported an 0-5 day with 2 K's each. And guess who were the last two guys up yesterday when we needed to score the runner at third with 1 out? I'll give you 2 guesses...

More of the Same

2007-06-18T13:05:00.001-07:00

Ugh, what an ugly series that was at Fenway. I can't remember a team that completely overmatched the Giants in every way like the Sox just did. The three games epitomized the problems with the Giants franchise ever since I started watching them regularly:

1) Game 1: They make some of the worst pitchers in the game look like staff aces.
2) Game 2: Despite fantastic pitching by their own teammates, they can't score enough to win.
3) Game 3: When all hope seems lost, they show a smidgen of life and bring back that hope, only to falter in the end.

Not to play chicken little here, but the sky truly is falling for the Giants. 10 games is not impossible to make up, but when you go 14-19 against your division, you are not going to be able to play catch-up. So, in the spirit of freaking out over the weekend, I propose a fire sale. Here's what it looks like in my head:

C: Keep Molina and use Rodriguez as a backup. I'd try to break in Rodriguez by playing him about half the time to see if he's really ready for full-time in the majors. Eventually trade Molina in a year or so if Alfonso or Rodriguez look to be ready to play the full-time job. If they don't, then we have Molina for a couple more years, and he looks like he's still productive so no big worries here.

Infield: Keep Klesko if he'll sign for less than $5 million per year. He has shown he can still produce, and will be fairly cheap. Durham is tradeable if healthy. I'd try to package him and a young pitcher for the proverbial young, above-average hitting infielder. I'd play Frandsen at whatever position isn't filled, and he's shown he can play almost any position necessary. Trade Vizquel if you can get anything, but more likely let him go at season's end. Aurilia looks done, and if Pedro is resigned I just may have to become an Oakland fan. I would really consider signing A-rod, as long as it isn't in the range of $25-$30 mil per year for 8 years. If we can't get A-rod, I'd look at signing the big-name OF to be named in the next paragraph. I would call up De La Rosa and try him out at short, suspect defense or not. However, if Aurilia can show that he can pick up his game a little, I'd still like to see him play, not just because he's a guy you can root for, but because of the goatee. You always have to have a guy with a kick-ass goatee on your team if you want to win. Oh, and also because he's probably got some of that "veteran savvy" lying around.

OF: Wave bye-bye to Barry at year's end, and bring up Ortmeier, Schierholtz, and Lewis, who have all shown that they can be competent at the major-league level. Trade Winn and Roberts for whatever you can get. If you can't get a +hitting infielder, I'd make a run at Ichiro. I know he'll be expensive, but we'll have Blownitez's, Barry's, and theoretically Roberts' and Winn's contracts to play with.

P: I'd keep our starting pitching core, unless we can trade Lowcorrennesechez for a young +hitter. I think Hennessey can close for us, and I'm not worried much about him. And, as I've said before, I think it's imperative that we trade Morris before his stock plummets, as it's sure to do.

BOTTOM LINE: The Giants need to get younger, and they need to stop spending $5-9 million per year on mediocre players. I'd rather not have to get an A-Rod or Ichiro and have just OK players around that superstar, but they need some offense real bad, and their farm players, as good and exciting as they may be, won't produce enough runs. Any extra money should be poured into the farm system and hire some scouts and coaches that know how to find and develop hitting.

Anyway, that's just what I would do (off the top of my head). I reserve all rights to delete this post should the Giants make a tear in the next month or so.

More than a Feeling

2007-06-14T16:42:00.000-07:00

In lieu of the Giants making a visit to Boston this weekend (which, of course, I won't get to see any of since I will be camping), I just thought this was totally appropriate to share...

When I watch Pedro hit, I have the same look on my face as the guitar player during the solo.

Barry the All-Star

2007-06-12T12:59:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again, when all the half-hearted baseball fans vote on their favorite baseball players, or for most, the guys they've heard of.

As we prepare ourselves for the annual "Who was Snubbed from the All-Star Game" articles and television specials, I want to call out a disturbing early trend. First, we may be seeing way too much of that evil blue color in San Francisco on the weekend of July 10. Secondly, and more important, it looks like Barry Lamar may be out of luck when the All-Star festivities finally come to his hometown in what is likely the most significant year of his career.

Now, I'm a pretty fair guy. I can accept that a Bum or two can be allowed on the All-Star team. I voted for Bengie Molina because he's on my favorite team and because he has been the only catalyst to runs scored on a team that can't seem to find any. However, Russell Martin (.298/.366/.470) actually has slightly better overall stats than Molina (.309/.336/.466). And yeah, Kent is putting up decent stats for a position that is quite lacking in the NL. I can handle a couple of them.

Bonds' falling to 4th is what disturbs me. You may argue that it's justified by Bonds' recent "slump". I can agree that he has slumped recently, but does it justify a 4th-place ballot? Most definitely not. Here's the stats thus far for the top-4 NL OFs. You can make the call yourself.

Beltran: 9 HR, 36 RBI, .283/.369/.482
Griffey Jr: 15 HR, 36 RBI, .284/.385/.552
Soriano: 10 HR, 22 RBI, .311/.360/.542
Bonds: 13 HR, 30 RBI, .277/.484/.568

2nd most HR, 3rd most RBI, 1st in OBP and SLG all at the age of 42 and they can't even throw him a bone when the game is in his hometown? No way this happens to a Yankee or Red Sox in the same situation. With Jason "I'm Sorry" Giambi even 3rd in voting at AL 1B, it's enough to show you that a big name in a big town can get you places you don't deserve. That is, unless you're Barry Bonds.

It's pretty obvious to me that the reason for all this stems from the media. I can really see Barry's side of the argument when he says the media is out to get him. Yeah, he says some pretty wild things, but since this steroids thing has come up, has he been a jerk or been rude to interviewers? If he has, I haven't seen it, and I'm sure if they had tape of it we would never see the end of it. He has said some things he shouldn't have said, and it looks like he thinks a lot of himself, but really, what has he done to deserve all the hatred that's pointed his way? It hasn't been proven that he did anything illegal in the game of baseball, which is all people really care about since most people don't really care that he cheated on his taxes and supposedly cheated on his wife (if so, where's the hate for Derek Lowe?). The only reason I can see why people hate him so much is because of the way he is portrayed in the media, as we get a constant barrage of reporters implying he took steroids and is some sort of super-villain. Add to this that he is about to pass one of the most hallowed records in all of baseball, and you get a nice steaming pot of unsubstantiated loathing.

So, when voting time comes and the half-hearted fans vote for their NL OFs, they will remember Barry as a despicable person and will vote for an unworthy alternative, without looking at any stats or considering the players' levels of play. Because of this, Bay Area and all other Giants fans will be unable to cheer on the greatest hitter of all time on probably the only date that the All-Star game will come to our hometown in our lifetime.

A Pick-me up

2007-06-06T23:02:00.000-07:00

Ugh. The Giants can't score, Kobe wants out of LA, the Kings are among the bottom-feeders in the NHL, and the 49ers are months away from playing. This is definitely ugly times in our house for sports. That is...until I ran across this. Make sure you turn the sound up:

Also, if you're in the self-pity mood that I find myself in tonight, make sure you watch this and this, and turn on some Goo Goo Dolls or something. Doing so reveals Sabean's strategery: pick up the guys we've beaten up on! Plus it's always fun to watch Armando serve up belt-high fastballs to our team!

Time's up, Big Boy

2007-06-04T13:01:00.000-07:00

This just in - the Giants' roster just got much lighter.

Of course it's not news to you, as Benitez was traded on Friday, but I didn't get wind of it until yesterday, as I was in the state of 10,000 lakes (which may be a bit underestimated, as I feel like I saw at least that many on the 3-hour stretch from the airport to my destination). To summarize, it was a good time had for the most part, excepting the realization once I arrived that I was now in the hometown of Nathan, Liriano, and Bonser. Yick.

The night before I left I had the joy of reading about Armando's balk-fest in New York, and it reiterated my 3-year lament of the Giants to avoid Blownitez at all costs. Since J.T.'s playoff go-ahead HR off Benitez in a Mets uniform years back, the guy was cemented as a choke-job (in my mind at least), and I couldn't believe they actually signed the guy for the kind of money they did 3 years ago. He has one season where he notches up a lot of saves with the Marlins, and suddenly Sabean forgets the past and thinks this headcase is worth $15+ million. Throw in the way they handled the end of Nen's career and that they'd currently have an even more effective closer for much less money (and a much more likeable guy) in Jeremy Accardo, the whole closer situation has been handled pretty miserably since they made it to the World Series. Do I care that Messenger has been largely ineffective for three years? It crossed my mind for about 2 seconds before I realized I'd never have to see Armando waddle out to the mound in a Giants uniform ever again.

There are two problems, though, that came through in the wake of Benitez's trade:

1) Who's going to close now? Perusing through the pitching roster, based on stuff alone Correia's probably your pick, but as far as effectiveness goes, Hennessey is your more likely candidate. 7 runs given up all year, a 3.5 K/BB ratio, and a 2.82 ERA is definitely going to make yourself the most effective Giants reliever. The lack of walks is what would comfort me as a replacement for Benitez. He doesn't have nasty stuff and is equally unintimidating, but as long as you can "Do your job", that's all that matters, right Armando? Another candidate would be Russ Ortiz, as he was very successful as a closer in college, and the fact that barring an injury, there really is no rotation spot for him.

2) Brian Sabean. Widely considered a mastermind GM after his acquisition of Kent, he has had very little success in his trading/signing of players in the past few years. Putting that aside for a moment, though, his attitude is what concerns me. Is he really dedicated to making this team better, or is he just trying to cover his tracks? Commenting on the Benitez situation, he said,

"He's been hounded by the media, the fans and some teammates," Giants general manager Brian Sabean said. "To think he's the root of our problems the last couple of years is ridiculous.
"The one thing I know is he's strong enough to be a whipping boy. I don't revel in his demise. It's time for everybody to do a gut check."

When asked about trading for a bat, he responded,

"Ask the guys who can't answer the bell every day. Once we find out who is ready to play every day, then we'll have a better answer about what we have internally. ... We need guys on the field, and as usual, we're not getting it. So ask them when you get (to Philadelphia)."

It seems to me like rather than admit he blew it by signing an overweight, headcase closer that never came through in the clutch for way too much money, he goes Armando on us and tries to blame his position players - not just for their lack of hitting and spotty defense as Armando did, but he goes as far as saying that their unhealthiness has been their fault. Let's just forget for a second that it's usually not someone's own fault for being injured, and let me state what every Giants fan with half a brain has been thinking the past few years...BRIAN, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU SIGN PEOPLE OVER 30 YEARS OLD TO EACH POSITION ON THE FIELD AND THROW AWAY DRAFT PICKS LIKE OLD FRUIT! NOT EVERYONE ON THE TEAM IS GOING TO BE IN THE LINEUP EVERY NIGHT! WHEN YOU ARE OLD, YOU ARE MUCH MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO INJURY! MAYBE IF YOU SIGN SOMEONE YOUNG FOR A CHANGE, THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE WEAR AND TEAR OF A 162-GAME SEASON!!!

Sorry about the tirade, but Sabean's frustration should lie in nothing but his self-caused mess of a team. He will have paid Benitez over $418,000 for each of his 45 saves in a Giants uniform. Just think about that for a while, Sabean. Once you can answer to that, you can start telling us how he wasn't a problem.

EDIT: Forgive me for living under a rock for the past week and not being able to find certain articles/news feeds. Apparently Hennessy has been named the new closer. It's not likely that Bochy went Michael J. Fox on us and took my advice, but anything's possible.

Sionara

2007-05-29T08:10:00.000-07:00

I won't be posting for a while, as I will be attending a wedding in Minnesota. I really would have liked to see the Twins, but they aren't in town while we'll be there. I'll have to knock that city out some other day in my quest to visit every stadium in MLB.

Speaking of which, I will be visiting PetCo in August, which will almost complete my CA stadium tour (have yet to visit Oakland), and it is really looking like a chance that my visit there in the beginning of August will be close to Bonds breaking the record. That is, if he continues at his torrid pace as of late. That would be probably one of the greatest moments of my life. Although my wife doesn't read this, I'll go ahead and say my wedding day would come away with that title...just to be safe!

Ethnic Idol?

2007-05-24T09:38:00.000-07:00

Well, another season of American Idol has come and gone. And, yet another season where I easily predicted the winner without even watching it. I don't have any proof other than telling my wife and coworkers, so for those of you who don't know me, you'll have to take my word for it that I guessed the winner.

I am no magician , so I will share my secret with you. Before I do, take a look at the past American Idol winners in chronological order:

Kelly Clarkson
Ruben Studdard
Fantasia Barrino
Carrie Underwood
Taylor Hicks
Jordan Sparks

Do you see it yet? Look at the sex and race of each winner:

White female
Black male
Black female
White female
White male
Black female

It's not perfect, but had Carrie Underwood and Fantasia switched years, it would be a perfect switch off each year between races! It's pretty understandable considering the politically-correct-ness of America today. Also, minus Carrie Underwood, it's a perfect switchoff between male and female! It's quite the coincidence, if you ask me. So, garnered with this knowledge, I predicted before the season started that a black female would win this year. Sure enough, when Jordan made it to the finals, it was a no-brainer. So, next year look for a male for sure, and he will probably be white unless they decided to go black so they can switch up the race of the sex that wins (so it won't be black female/white male every other time). No racism here...just the facts.

Oh, yeah, and the Giants just swept the Astros. Zito finally found his dominance again, which, according to Bengine Molina, was hindered by a thumb that was jammed in Colorado. I guess I could see that, but from what I saw he was just plain throwing more strikes last night. You don't give away many walks, and you'll always be in much better shape. And speaking of Bengie, did anyone think that he'd be carrying this team offensively instead of Bonds? He has been the definition of clutch with an average of .421 with runners in scoring position and .524 with runners in scoring position with 2 outs! Unbelievable! This, so far, is looking to be a fantastic signing by Sabean, which is something we've gone without for a long time.

Cut me, Mick!

2007-05-22T08:12:00.000-07:00

So apparently George Foreman has come to the point in his career when having made millions upon millions of dollars off of selling lean, mean, fat-grilling machines isn't enough. Now he has decided to leave his legacy to the new generation not as a burninating punching machine, but rather as a whining, excuse-maker.

In his new memoirs, he claims his trainer slipped him some sort of drug in his water before the Rumble in the Jungle, and that the drug was the reason he tired so quickly. Yeah, George, that makes a whole lot of sense. Let's just forget that had you won, you would have probably claimed the title of "Best Boxer Ever" and your trainer's monetary increase would diminish any reason for him to drug you. Let's forget that you folded when Ali played the match much smarter and played Rocky to your Clubber Lang. Maybe, just maybe, it was that you had only gotten to 8 rounds in 4 OF YOUR PREVIOUS 40 MATCHES!? Maybe that had something to do with being "tired as if I had fought 15 rounds."

The Shortest Straw has Been Pulled for You...

2007-05-21T12:53:00.000-07:00

...Matt Morris. The Giants' resurgence in starting pitching has been led by the most improbable of the starting 5 this year to do so. After a 3-year decline that could have been easily predicted by age and injury, Matt Morris has seemingly come back to #2 - starter form. This is certainly a sweet surprise for the Giants, as they are finally halfway getting their money's worth for the guy (did you know he's actually getting paid less than Zito this year, for all the grumblings of his overpaid-ness? Of course Morris's contract is not a 7-year one, but nevertheless...). Unfortunately for Morris, his timing is inexplicably perfect for the Giants to use him as trade bait.

It is well-known that the Giants aren't exactly lighting up the Bay with runs this year. In fact, they just plain suck when it comes to hitting. It's a testament to the fact that Cain is only 2-4 with the way he has been pitching this year. If Pedro Feliz is batting 3rd in the lineup, as he was on Saturday, you know you've got a problem. So...if only there was a team or two who had the opposite problem - a group of young, promising hitters with a poor and/or depleted pitching staff...

To me, the Yankees make the most sense as trade partners. Steinbrenner has a history of giving chances to guys performing well in their late ages, and wouldn't mind taking on Morris' $10+ million contract. Especially after yet another of their pitchers went down this weekend, I can't imagine that good 'ol George wouldn't be interested in a resurging pitcher who could keep them out of the cellar. Any of you think he'll decide to mail it in for the year and decide to change things up in the offseason? I wouldn't put my money on it. And guess which starting right fielder is crapping it up so far this year? I would certainly take a Morris + Hennesorreia for Abreu-type trade in a second. Abreu won't keep up his decline and Morris won't keep up his excellency. Neither team can't not afford to seriously consider it.

But why Morris, do you say? Well, his ERA and K/BB are both about half of the norm, and there's no way he keeps that up. The kids (Lincecum, Cain) aren't touchable, Zito's too expensive, and Ortiz will give you Morris' production for 1/20th of the price. Lowry's another trade candidate, but young, cheap, lefty pitchers with league-average numbers are much harder to come by. I'd also throw in Sanchez, as his development is being stunted in the bullpen anyway, and he's basically become a one-pitch pitcher. Morris is perfect, though--an older, expensive guy that won't kill us if he's gone (can still grab Sanchez and then Hennesorreia if someone gets hurt in the rotation), and who is pitching well. Buy low and sell high. C'mon Brian. DO IT!

Stern Warnings

2007-05-16T07:32:00.000-07:00

Sorry, Kevin. This pun thing is way too much fun.

During what has been one of the more memorable NBA playoffs in years, as well as one of the more memorable playoff series in years, David Stern has decided he has had enough of people actually enjoying the NBA, and has suspended Horry, Stoudamire, and Diaw for a game from the Spurs/Suns series. With Stern's ever-continuing drive to turn the NBA into his own Nazi regime, he has sucked any chance the Suns had of overcoming the Spurs (which was pretty slim anyway), and has destroyed what has been a fantastic series.

Certainly he is feeling the pressure of Roger Goodell's new tighter reign on the NFL, but c'mon David, is this really necessary? Yeah, they jumped off the bench and violated that rule, but does that really constitute the suspension of the best player on one team during a tight playoff series? Why not fine him or call a technical? No punches were even thrown! I half expected him to suspend Kobe for conspiracy of inciting the fight. Maybe we ought to retroactively look at each chest-bumping during the year and suspend players each time they came off the bench to defend a teammate. No wonder no one is watching basketball these days.

On another note, we were exposed to one of the sillier and more awkward moments of the year while watching Dirk Nowitzki accept his MVRSP (that being the Most Valuable Regular Season Player) award while all the more deserving candidates are still playing basketball. Why is it that the playoffs are not considered part of the voting process? Wouldn't the player that steps up during the playoffs and leads his team to, ahem, winning more games when they count, be more valuable to his team than someone that becomes invisible when they need him the most?

I'm not saying a player on a non-playoff team or a team with a quick playoff exit can't win an MVP, because my vote certainly goes to Kobe, who's team crapped out of the playoffs like a spicy bean burrito. You take Kobe off that team and they would no doubt be a high lottery team. But this post is not just for Kobe Bryant. It is a call out for recognition of Baron Davis, Tim Duncan, Lebron, and Jason Kidd--the guys who come through for their teams during high-pressure situations, and without whom their teams wouldn't be even close to where they are.

Itching because of Feliz

2007-05-15T13:16:00.000-07:00

As a nod to Kevin H. I've used a pun in my first post title. Don't worry, I promise it won't happen again.

Just as a short intro, I'll just say that I realize there's a million blogs out there and I guess it's more or less the "trendy" thing to do right now, but I really just wanted a place to put down my opinions and insight into the Giants organization. The title of my blog is actually quite ironic since I'm always quite pessimistic about my teams' chances, but, well...it sounded catchy I guess. Anyway, take my opinions for what they are but I hope they'll make you think about things differently and learn a little from my experience in tragedy that is being a Giants fan. Either that or you can just come by to hear my newest complaint about Pedro Feliz.

You stay classy Giants Nation?

Edit: I've been thinking about the substance of this blog, and I've decided that it won't be just about our beloved SF teams. There is just only so many ways I can say "This team can't score enough runs" and "Mike Nolan = savior of SF football". So, I'll be hitting up on other sports-related topics now and then when there's nothing newsworthy about these teams, and every so often a non-sports related post altogether.