Yankees Lose; Rays Win

The Yankees fell to Chicago last night with Freddy Garcia on the mound. I can't lie, Garcia has been solid for us. In fact, they showed a graphic during last night's game about how Garcia has the most wins out of any Yankees pitcher since the Pettitte injury, going 5-3. Last night was not one of those solid nights. He started off pretty well, working into and out of trouble in the first, and then cruising until the 5th. The Yankees were out to a 3-0 lead, until Garcia allowed 5 runs on three hits and two walks before exiting the game with the bases loaded. Girardi in his infinite wisdom decided to go to three different pitchers for three different batters, and all three off them picked up RBI's. The Yanks battled back and tied the game at 6, but in the bottom of the 7th Alexei Ramirez broke the tie with a 407 foot two run bomb to put the White Sox up 8-6. Adam Dunn added a homer in the 8th, and the Yankees went on to lose 9-6. 

A couple of states over in Kansas City, the Royals met up with the surging Tampa Bay Rays. Unlike the Yankees game, this matchup was really never close with the Rays winning 5-1. The Rays have now won five in a row, and are 8-2 over their last ten. This team will just not go away, as they've narrowed the gap to just 4 games in the AL East. 

One good piece of news for the Yankees is that Baltimore did lose last night, but even the Orioles are still only 6 games in back of the Yanks. These two teams have just not stop winning. If the season ended today all three of these teams would make the playoffs, under the new wild card format. Also under the new wild card format, the top division winner with the best record can play the wild card winner even if they are in the same division. Before this season, if the wild card winner and top division winner were in the same division, they weren't allowed to meet until the Championship Series. Although I think it would be cool to see all three of these teams in the playoffs, my main priority is seeing the Yankees there. The Yanks still have 7 games left with Baltimore, and 6 against the Rays. 

If I had to put a prediction down I would say that all three of these squads are going to make the playoffs, and in my mind that is good news for the Yankees. The Tigers and the Angels scare me with that pitching, especially Verlander and Weaver. I think it would benefit the Yankees to meet up against either the Rays or Orioles in the first round.Not because they aren't as good, but because they are familiar to the Yankees. They have seen these pitchers before, and our pitchers have seen these batters before. I just feel that playing against a team that you are more experienced with will be better for the Yankees. On the other hand that could also backfire for us. Because just like we know them, they will know us just as well. The Yankees also haven't seen much of Evan Longoria this season, and he has made a huge impact thus far. Since his return the Rays have gone 12-2, including a 4 game sweep of the Angels. 

For now all the Yankees can do to hold back these teams is win, and pray. However, the Yankees will be getting much stronger in the coming weeks, with the return of CC Sabathia over the next couple of days, and the hopeful return of Andy Pettitte within the next few weeks. The Yankees also hope Alex Rodriguez will return sometime in mid-September. 

NFL Season Outlook

The NFL season is just a couple weeks away and all of us fans want to know a little about the upcoming season. Now, I’m not going to have a full preview of every team, but I will discuss some squads that fit under certain categories. So here are the categories, don’t be afraid to comment if you think differently.

Team that will disappoint - Detroit Lions

Louis Delmas and his secondary must step
up or this season might be a failure

Quite frankly, the Lions had a God-awful offseason. Every day it felt like one player after another was getting arrested for DUI’s or battery charges. However, that’s not the reason why I’m not on the Detroit bandwagon. I just think the Lions are the odd team out in the loaded NFC that has easily 12 contenders. We all know they have studs in QB Matt Stafford, WR Calvin Johnson and DT Ndamukong Suh, but they have two major issues. The first issue is that their secondary is not as talented as it needs to be. In a division with the Packers and Bears, a secondary of CB Chris Houston, CB Jacob Lacey, SS Amari Spievey and FS Louis Delmas, may not cut it. Last year, the same four were torched for 255 yards a game. I would expect more of the same this year. The other issue for the Lions is that they have a huge question mark at the running back position. RB Jahvid Best is still battling concussion-like symptoms from last year and the other back, Mikel Leshoure, is recovering from a torn ACL. My bet would be on Leshoure starting in the opening week, but no one knows what to expect out of him. The lack of security at the running back position is not a good sign for the Lions, especially since opposing defenses will force Detroit to beat them on the ground.

Surprise playoff team - Buffalo Bills

Can Mario Williams be the force that
he has to be?

I know Nasm30 is shaking his read right now, but I just have a good feeling about this team. Last year, they started the season at 5-2, but skidded down the stretch due to injuries, specifically to starting RB Fred Jackson. This year, Jackson is back healthy again and more motivated than ever, as he made a comment a couple weeks ago that he believes he’s a top 5 running back.  With Jackson and RB CJ Spiller getting the bulk of touches in the ground game, this team should have no problem racking up yards. To add to that, in the offseason they brought in a star to solidify their defense in DE/OLB Mario Williams. His presence should help a defensive unit that was subpar last year at best. If Harvard grad QB Ryan Fitzpatrick can improve on last year’s season of 24 TD and 23 INT, which I believe he can, look for Buffalo to be in the mix come late December.

Team that no one is talking about that has all the tools to make a Super bowl -

Chicago Bears

QB Jay Cutler and WR Brandon Marshall

A Super bowl run is definitely a good possibility in Chicago.  If it wasn’t for the injuries to starting QB Jay Cutler and starting RB Matt Forte last year, odds are the Bears would’ve been a playoff team. This season, the team has relatively the same roster with one major addition, WR Brandon Marshall. Chicago must be ecstatic as they’ve been in need of a legit receiver ever since the Muhsin Muhammad days. The Cutler-Marshall tandem in 2007 and 2008 combined for 2,500 yards and 13 touchdowns. Expect the Bears with this new addition to now be one of the most rounded teams in the NFL. Cutler, Forte, Marshall on the offensive side, Peppers, Briggs, Urlacher on the defensive side, and Hester on special teams. Boy, this team is scary good. It would be a disappointment if they don’t make noise in the playoffs, because on paper, they're one of the best teams out there.

The team to bet your money on that isn't named the Patriots or Packers - Houston Texans

QB Matt Schaub must stay healthy
for the Texans to contend in the AFC

I really think the Texans are ready and poised to make a Super Bowl run. They arguably have the best running back and best wide receiver in the league on the same team in Arian Foster and Andre Johnson. In addition, Wade Phillips has done a superb job as the defensive coordinator. Phillips’ 3-4 scheme has created havoc up front, specifically from blooming star J.J Watt and Brian Cushing.  Last year, who knows what would of have happened if QB Matt Schaub didn’t get hurt? If Schaub and company can stay healthy, Houston may be on their way to the Superdome and Bourbon Street come February. 

Live Blogging From the Mets Game (Unfortunately)

7:03 First pitch being thrown in less than five minutes by R.A. Dickey and the stadium is packed as usual.

7:06 Little brother's first baseball game. "Who's that guy BB?" Ball Boy.

7:14 Dickey goes perfect through one. Jinxing it now so he doesn't break my heart later.

7:22 No idea if they play "Glad You Came" every time Wright gets a hit or because of how crazy this guy behind me went.

7:29 Mets score in the first inning. So basically I'm just going to have blue balls the rest of the game thinking they'll do it again.

7:47 The thing I dislike the most about baseball is it can sometimes be so drawn out. I see more action at Baby Gap.

7:50 There goes the perfect game. Rockies pitcher Alex White ended it with a two out rip over the second baseman's head. Gary would be so proud.

8:00 Of course the Mets get picked off at first. I don't know your name nor do I want to. Until you do something good you're just "the Mets" to me.

8:29 Had to take a break to run a train on some french fries.

8:31 Was just thinking about saying score is still 1-0 Mets, but of course they let up a solo shot off the Pepsi-Cola sign.

8:32 On the bright side, the Mets have two great plays for each of the first two outs of the 5th inning. Followed by Murphy giving his worst Luis Castilla impression.

8:45 Another sick play by the Mets. Baxter I forgive you for getting picked off.

8:49 Just overheard that the guys getting hammered next to me went to URI, yupppppp!

9:03 Second worst part of baseball games, fans that think they know everything. Third, this ugly cow screaming behind me. She sounds like she's going into labor every time she yells "Come on RAAAA!" There's one A you sheep.

9:07 Game still tied 1-1 two outs top of the 7th, full count.

9:12 Dickey got out of some trouble with runners on the corners with an inning ending strikeout.

9:22 Leaving the game. 3-1 odds the Mets let up 5 runs in the 9th to lose.

Final Rockies win 3-1, classic Mets.

Packed House

10 Breakout NBA Players

While ESPN rolls through another year of NBA rankings and the NBA offseason continues to move forward, I will breakdown a list of possible breakout players for this up and coming season.

10. Nick Young, 76ers- I hate to say this, and I mean I really, really hate to say this, because the amount of times I have been burned by Nick Young in NBA 2K12 is ridiculous. I mean like too many times to even count. He hasn't missed a three in that game all season. Regardless we saw what Nick can do in the playoffs with the Clippers, he has shown some flashes of great scoring potential and he isn't a total liability on defense. He is still only 27 years old and is now on a 76ers team that desperately needs a scorer. Can Young and his 14.2 points per game, and 36.5% three point shooting percentage be that guy?

9. Lou Williams, Hawks- The man who Nick Young basically replaced, Lou Williams, is next on my list. Now some people might argue he is already kind of there. He has definitely exceeded any expectations he's had since he was drafted, going 15th in the 2nd round out of high school. Last year, he was kind of the man for Philly, he averaged 14.9 PPG, the most of anyone on the team. He has the experience, heading into his 8th NBA season, and still retains his youth being only 25 years old. The thing that really concerns me is where he is now. Atlanta already has two guys who like to have the ball in their hands in Josh Smith and Al Horford, but with the trade of Joe Johnson I think that
Williams will get an opportunity to get his shots up in Atlanta.

The "Bulldozer" Doing His Thing

8. Nikola Pekovic, Timberwolves- Again another young guy here, Pekovic, the 26 year old big man drafted with the first pick in the 2nd round from Montenegro. This guy is a machine. He flies under the radar because he shares the floor with Kevin Love every night, but he is a rising star. According to the ESPN player efficiency rating scale, or PER, which is a rating of a players per minute productivity, Pekovic is the 24th best player in the league. Coming in above the likes of Pau Gasol, Marcin Gortat, Kevin Garnett and David Lee, just to name a few. Last season he averaged 13.9 ppg and 7.4 rpg, and while Love likes to stretch the floor with his shooting, Pekovic is as solid as they come in the post.

7. Carlos Delfino, Rockets- Now I know Delfino might be on the wrong side of 25, but he is still only 29 years old. Also, like Williams, he is headed in to his 8th season of NBA ball. I just love Delfino's style of play. He's explosive and a powerful scorer when he decides to attack the rim. We saw him in the Olympics, and he looked good in London, really good. With Argentina he averaged 15.5 points per game off the bench. Even though I hate Jeremy Lin, I think Lin will enjoy passing (the like 2 times per game he does) to the slashing Delfino.

6. O.J. Mayo, Mavericks- O.J. Mayo is on the verge of being a draft bust, but I think with his new home in Dallas he can turn his career around. Mayo is still only 24 years old, and still has a lot of raw potential. He could be a gifted scorer, with his combination of shooting skills and abilities around the rim. He averaged 12.6 ppg last year for the Grizzlies, not all that bad, but not good enough to crack the starting lineup on a consistent basis. He will most likely start this year on this Mavericks team, and when Dirk gets into trouble, he is really the next best scoring option with the loss of the JET. He will also have to serve as one of the team's main deep threats. The Mavs rely on their ability to shoot the three ball and over the past two years they have lost three above average shooters in Terry, Caron Butler, and DeShawn Stevenson.

5. Paul George, Pacers- We saw it last year in the playoffs, George can flat out ball. In the regular season last year he averaged 12.1 ppg, a pretty solid total. He's now heading in to his 3rd season, and is only 22 years old. He is an above average defender, and he showed how annoying he can be when guarding one of the league's best in Dwayne Wade. He will most definitely start again this year, and there isn't much depth behind him now that George Hill will be playing mostly point guard. One of the things you have to love about George is his length. At 6 foot 8 inches he is taller then most NBA shooting guards. This gives him a major advantage on closing out on shots, and on the glass.

4. Nicolas Batum, Blazers- After a failed attempt to escape to Minnesota, the 6 foot 8 inch swingman finds himself back in Portland. Batum really had a great season last year, and was one of the lone bright spots on this Blazers team. He averaged 13.9 points and just under 5 boards per game. The 23 year old French man is just coming into his own, and this season could be huge for him. I would say one of the biggest question marks surrounding him is his team. The Blazers are one of the leagues worst, and that can seriously bring down the numbers of a guy like Batum.

3. Al-Farouq Aminu, Hornets- This is a straight potential pick on my part. I think Aminu has the athleticism and will to become a good player in this league. While last year he only averaged 6 points per game, I still thing he has something special to offer. He is still 21 years old, and he has shown flashes of good play while with both the Clippers and the Hornets. However if his Olympic performance with Nigeria against the US is any indication of his future, I am way off.

2. Kyle Lowry, Raptors- Lowry is probably one of the best if not the best player already on the list, but I think there is room for more. The Rockets, blinded by Jeremy Lin, basically gave the Raptors Lowry for nothing, and I can do nothing but applaud this move. The Raptors wanted a new young point guard, and thats exactly what they got. Lowry is a good all-around player. He averaged 14 points last season and also averaged almost 7 assists per game. He has also been very efficient with turnovers over his career, averaging just 1.8 per game during his span in the NBA. Although he isn't surrounded by a whole lot of talent in Toronto, Lowry is still only 26 and I think he still has room to grow.

1. Kris Humphries, Nets- The most hated man in the NBA makes the list with the final spot, and deservedly so. Humphries is one of the more underrated big men in the league, with great rebounding potential. He averaged a double double last season, with 14 ppg and 11 rpg. He is still only 27, and now back with the Nets to serve as their starting power forward. He has carved out a nice little spot for himself with the Nets, and cashed in on a two year 24 million dollar contract. I guess he is lucky Kanye didn't have J drop him from the team.

The Worst: Annoying Fans

Public Enemy #1

So, tonight I went to see the Bronx Bombers live for the last time before I go back to school and I was hyped walking into the stadium. It was Yankees-Red Sox, a big game any time these guys meet regardless of record, and I was going with my dad and little bro. What is better than that? On top of this we got to witness another gem by Hiroki Kuroda on the bump, and two "yahtzees" by Ichiro in a 4-1 victory for the Yanks. Everything sounds fantastic and it should have been, but it wasn't.

A group of people in the row behind us were throwing some back watching the game. This doesn't bother me at all, you're at a baseball game, in America, beer only makes it more American. What did bother me on the other hand, was all of the nonsense that came out of these guys' mouths. They were with their girls, so they may have been trying to show off their knowledge of baseball while also trying to be big funny guys, but I literally took offense to what these guys were saying in their attempt to display their wisdom.

Here are just a few of the remarks I remember from the game, and no I did not make any of these things up. It started on the first pitch of the whole game. Kuroda fired a strike in, which apparently caused a chain reaction for one of the guys sitting behind us to let out some sort of war cry that sounded like someone dropped a fork down a garbage disposal, but louder. This was also our little amateur umpire's way of calling a "strike." Now maybe if he did this once, or even twice I'll let it go, but no, this guy was doing it throughout the whole game.

Next, one of the guys was maybe preparing for an upcoming color commentary tryout with these catch phrases he was just unloading onto the people around him. I swear every time there were two strikes on a Boston hitter he would scream, "wrap 'em up!" As if that was his way of saying, "strike him out!" That literally has never been used anywhere outside of Santa's workshop. On top of this, every time Kuroda threw anything that resulted in a swinging strike, the same guy said Kuroda was throwing his "Mexican Jumping Bean pitch." Yeah dude, I'm sure after the game Russell Martin gets interviewed about Kuroda's stuff and says, "He pitched really well, he spotted his Mexican Jumping Bean on both sides of the plate tonight..." No, shut up.

Einstein number three was maybe the slowest one out of the bunch and he was a Red Sox fan so I guess that explains it. First off, the guy got owned by the rest of his friends when he saw a sign that said, "Our Hiro." Now before opening his mouth, he should have thought for a second and realized that since it is a homemade sign, it is probably a play on words. Just like every other sign in the history of signs. Then he would have seen that Hiroki Kuroda was on the mound and put two and two together (I hope) and saw that was a nickname. But no, instead he opened his stupid face and screamed, "THEY SPELT HERO WRONG! CLASSIC NEW YORKERS!" Since when are we known for spelling errors? Anyways, after he was confronted about his lack of common sense, he then showed his true Boston colors by calling Dustin Pedroia "Petey" for the rest of the game. Now I knew this was a nickname before, because I remember Terry Francona used to call him that in interviews and I'd have no clue who he was talking about. But how dumb is that nickname. "Ped" sounds nothing like "Pete" but I'll drop it because there's still one more perpetrator.

This last guy was the one who made me the most mad. This was because he actually assessed baseball situations as if he knew what he was talking about, but in reality he was just like the rest of 'em. Early in the game, Yankee Eric Chavez was up at the plate with the bases loaded and a 3-0 count with 1 out. Now, if any of you have ever played baseball or even watched, you'd realize that the batter looks down at his third base coach and receives signals that have already been relayed from the manager to the third base coach. So any sign goes through the head coach. Well, Chavez apparently got the green light to swing at a strike to maybe blow the game open but instead swung and popped it up. The guy behind me went absolutely nuts yelling about how if the Yankees lost it's Chavez's fault, and that you never ever swing 3-0. This only tells me one thing about this guy. And that is that he must have batted ninth and played right back in his day, if they even let him on the field. He definitely stood at the edge of the batter's box while at the plate, praying a strike never came so he could walk and get a chance to run the bases. Awful. On top of this Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett walked the batter before Chavez to load the bases. The batter was Curtis Granderson and he stepped in with runners on first and second also with one out. So the double play is obviously already in line, but after Granderson walked, the bases were loaded and the double play was still and always was an option. The guy behind us had no clue telling everyone around him that the walk was a smart move by Beckett because he now set up the double play, which apparently wasn't allowed when Granderson was up. Once he said that, my dad actually turned to me and whispered, "We're moving if he says anything like that again."

One Last Thing: Sorry this is so long, but I am sure many of you can relate to this situation. If you can, comment some good one-liners that you've heard at games that you want to share, don't be afraid.

Andrew Luck is Such A Mouth Breather It's Not Even Funny Anymore

Mid-inbred laugh

What is this dude's deal? Using big vocabulary and trying to sound smart, you're not fooling me Andrew, you are secretly stupid I just know it. Someone's gotta be in the background with flashcards every time he gets to a key point. They just start waving to him and he can plug it in. I don't hate Andrew Luck either, cat can ball, kind of a stud actually. He put up stats in a run first college offense all while being slow in the head and that takes talent. But he is just killing me with his mouth hanging open like Tyler Hansbrough, always looking confused and clueless. Hansbrough is a certified dumbass but Luck has the masses fooled with his whole architecture shtick, but not me. All of those videos of him on ESPN pretending to be in class is really just him drawing stick figures. They gave him a ruler and pencil and he was like a kid in a candy store. Simple pleasures for a simple man. Keep balling Andy, but give it a rest, show America how dumb you are, no one cares if you can sling the pigskin around the park and truck cornerbacks.

Top 5 TV Characters

This is my list and I don't expect everyone to agree with me, but I'm probably dead on with all of these. For me, this is a nearly impossible list because there's just so much TV out and how do you know what's good and what's not. Luckily for you, I watch a lot of TV, and happen to know what I'm talking about. So here goes, my top 5:

               

5. Ryan O'Reily from OZ: Not the wizard of Oz, Oswald State Penitentiary and this guy was the most conniving, manipulative, funny, psychopath of all the prisoners in Emerald City. Ryan O'Reily was straight evil, yet there was something kinda likeable about him which is hard to do. Dean Winters, the actor's real name, also played Dennis Duffy on 30 Rock, another awesome character so he's not just a one hit wonder. OZ is an amazing show despite the large amounts of rape and male on male love, but besides all that it's some good stuff, but went off the air too early in my opinion. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RN5WI3bGIbI)


4. Michael Scott from the Office: Easy pick here, the leader of the Scranton branch of Dundler Mufflin. Inept, obnoxious, dumb, but overall very well meaning, Michael Scott is a gem. A lot of people would choose Dwight here and that's a fair choice, but Michael has so many moments and quotes that are just so damn funny that he's gotta be the pick here. The show has fallen off since Steve Carrell left, but it's still a funny, kind of a shadow of its former self. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-48OFresMkI&feature=related)

3. Ron Swanson from Parks and Rec: The Man's man. Ron Swanson does not fear anything. His mustache is on point, and he wears red like Tiger post-getting laid, Ron Swanson is a legend. Amazing dead pan delivery and a lover of steak and fine liquor, Ron Swanson is a perfect fit for Parks and Rec, which is a totally under appreciated show. I'm growing a mustache in honor of Ron Swanson as we speak, it's not gonna be as thick but it's the effort that counts. Parks and Rec comes back September 20th, so get ready.(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXhJPey3i_A)

2. Tyrion Lannister from Game of Thrones: Legit who ever thought a midget would be the biggest bad ass in a medieval sci fi series? Honestly, Tyrion has almost every memorable quote from the show, and he is the smartest person seemingly in the world. A lover of wine and hookers, he's sort of the comic relief early on but takes on a bigger role as the show progresses. Even though he is a Lannister, the most hated family in television history, I like Tyrion and I feel like he knows what's good most of the time. Plus he smacked around Joffrey who is actually the worst person ever. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiHbNoTZ64A) 

1. Larry David from Curb Your Enthusiasm: Just had to be LD, who else could it be really? He says literally what everyone wants to say to someone who has done something to them, but the only thing is, he has the balls to do it. LD is unfiltered and always seems to be in the worst possible situation in every day life and it's hard to look away. LD is a comedic genius, the brains behind Seinfeld, and when he finally came out from behind the scenes and put that ugly mug in front of the camera, it was pure gold. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HubZInAs0-A)




Honorable Mentions: Clay Morrow from Sons of Anarchy, Tobias Funké from Arrested Development, Cosmo Kramer from Seinfeld, and Mike Ehrmantraut from Breaking Bad. 

Poor Brad Mills

What a smile on Mills huh?

Who is Brad Mills? Well, he is the former manager of the Houston Astros. Mills got fired yesterday after 3 very poor seasons in which his record came out to 171-274. The lone thing he can even hang his hat on is finishing 76-86 during the 2010 season because it was the only time the team didn't finish last in the National League Central division.

All that being said, this was the worst season for Mills and the Astros by a long shot. The team is currently a comfortable 34 games out of first place in their division and 27.5 out of the wild card with their 39-82 record. Now even though this is a terrible showing, you can't put this all on Mills. In fact, you can't even really put this on the players. This is all on the front office. They have traded away every decent player that the team has had.

The trades started when the team shipped pitcher Roy Oswalt to the Phillies in 2010, who they actually made a decent trade for by receiving budding young pitcher J.A. Happ. That was about the only semi-productive move made by the Astros front office. They then moved Lance Berkman, Hunter Pence, Brett Myers, Wandy Rodriguez, Brandon Lyon, Chris Johnson and face of the franchise Carlos Lee for basically nothing. They even traded J.A. Happ who was actually a decent pickup.

This is why I feel for Brad Mills. He must have walked into the clubhouse every day taking attendance to see who is even still on the team, and then pick the lineup from there. Imagine how awkward that would be when a guy got traded? Mills would be going through, "Jose Altuve?" "Here." "Carlos Lee?" And then silence. Where would you go from there? Mills would have to try and remain confident, "Ok guys we just lost our best player, that has hit over 350 career home runs during his successful career and not to mention was also the clean up hitter for quite some time. Soooo.....Francisco? Ben Francisco, you are now starting in left and batting fourth."

I can picture the confused silence going on in the locker room when that was announced and can't keep a straight face. Ben Francisco. He has a few more hits in his career than Carlos Lee has home runs, and you want to know something funny? Francisco is the highest paid player currently active on the team. Francisco Cordero and Jed Lowrie are hurt and Ben Francisco is the only one left making more than $750,000. Awesome.

One Last Thing: The new manager that now gets to inherit this "team" is Tony DeFrancesco. Now I don't know if the Houston GM is just looking for guys whose name has a form of "Francisco" in it with Tony DeFrancesco, Ben Francisco and Francisco Cordero, but it is definitely something to think about. Either way it seems to be working, and good luck Tony, you're going to need it.

Did You See the Fight Last Night? No One Else did Either...

So apparently there were some MMA stuff happening last night, and it wasn't really much of a show. The defending bantamweight champion, Ronda Rousey, took out challenger Sarah Kaufman in just 54 seconds. No, you didn't read that wrong. She won in just 54 seconds, and guess what? That's the second longest match of her career. She is 6-0 all time since beginning her career in 2010. She has won all her matches by submissions and posted times of 23, 57, 24, 25, 49, and most recently 54 seconds. The girl goes out there and beats the crap out of her opponents, without ever even breaking a sweat.

Ok, so this is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever seen. I realize that this girl is obviously a beast at her job, but what is going through her head? She's got to string these girls along a little bit, and then crush them right when they think it's going to be close. She has to be making literally no money for MMA, and like the bare minimum for herself. I mean sure, she probably gets paid a good amount for winning the championship and stuff, but her TV ratings never even had a chance. Does she not have a manager? Shouldn't he or she be giving her the same advice? Like, "Hey Ronda? Can you maybe just try and let these fights go on for a little bit? Please?"

Even if people wanted to watch this fight, and I mean let's be honest, it's girl's MMA, they would have to plan it out like way in advance. Say you and your buddies want to watch the fight. So it starts at 7, you order pizzas, your friends come over, order it on pay per view, before you are even to the crust on your first slice, boom. Over. Or say it's that one friend, everyone has at least one, who's a couple minutes late. You might as well not even invite him, by the time he gets there the whole arena is cleared out.

Even worse, say you and your friends decided to actually go to the fight in San Diego. Wow, what a huge mistake that would have been. It's the same thing as on TV, if you really want to see that fight you have to be on your game. "I want popcorn." Over. "I need to go to the bathroom." Missed it. You have to do all that stuff in advance. They better have been giving those tickets out for free, because if I would have paid for that, only to leave literally 1 minute later, I would have been more than pissed.

So to anyone out there who may have paid to see this fight, either live or on TV, I feel for you bro, that's rough. Just know now never pay to see a Ronda Rousey fight again, it's not even worth it, just assume she won like 30 seconds into it.

On a side note, ultimate big league move by Rousey right after the fight. Literally minutes after she threw Kaufman to the curb, she called out Cris "Cyborg" Santos to fight her. Cyborg, who actually looks like a robot, is 10-1, and I guess the best remaining challenger for Rousey. So maybe there is hope, and you may want to order the next Rousey fight after all, it could be good. Oh wait forget it, I almost forgot it's still women's MMA.

P.S. Do you think these girl fighters who live in the gym, and probably ingest some sort of steroids on a daily basis are jealous of the ring girls? I'm going to go with yes. There is no way they look at them between rounds and don't want to just kick the hell out of them.

Zito Fires in a Strike in Today's Giants-Padres Game

San Francisco pitcher Barry Zito trying a little too hard on his Chris Brown impression by chucking his "Deuces" waaaaaay up there. 

PS: Fantastic reaction by the announcer calling it low. A little Bob Uecker action.

A Fire Will Rise

Don't get alarmed, this isn't going to turn in to an all Amar'e site, just saw this and had to post it.

Jets Fan Perspective on the Met Life Bowl

Let me start by saying I in no way condone Mark Sanchez or whatever it is he does out there. Some pretty boy from California, slinging the rock around the park just hoping he doesn't get picked for 6. Well that lasted about a whole quarter before, on a 3rd and long, he throws a 2 yard out that a DB jumped and took to the house. I mean for the most part, our 1st team defense was strong, got a nice turnover after pressuring Eli by "The Walking Weight Room" Laron Landry. I literally don't think that dude stops lifting, during half time he's doing curls while Rex is up there berating people between bites.  Nah I love Rex, I don't blame him for most of the stuff that goes on, he stands up for his players and talks them up and they just don't perform but Rex still takes responsibility, which is the only thing I could ask for. Sanchez is a total train wreck this preseason but so is the offensive line. I mean we got Nick Mangold and Brick but after that it's hit and mostly miss. I kind of feel for Wayne Hunter but then I see him play and I want to take him out back and break his ankles with a 9 iron. He gets beat like he stole something seemingly every series. Yeah it is only the preseason, but they look more clueless than usual out there and that's a bad sign. I hope Tony Soprano and that mustache gets the offense into shape or someone's getting whacked, capiche.

Wayne Hunter looking confused, standard procedure. 

PS- I literally won't get into Tebow because I would go on forever about how much I hate him and wish he was not a football player but rather a missionary in Papua New Guinea, where he couldn't hurt my eyes with his horrible release and stupid face.

PPS- I'm well aware it's Sparano.

Giants Pre-Season Game 2

The Giants and Jets were back at it again in the second annual Metlife Bowl and the Giants ended up walking away with a 26-3 victory. The Giants defense looked a lot better this week, but the first team offense struggled to get the ball in to the end zone, despite the 5 receptions for 51 yards by Victor Cruz. Eli Manning also had a pretty ugly interception in which he tried to through the ball out of bounds but it ended up going right to Laron Landry instead.

On a side note, in case you haven't noticed, Laron Landry likes to work out a lot. You can look at the picture he tweeted about 4-5 months back as evidence of his serious workout plan. I would absolutely love to see Tebow and Landry in a cage match (no homo.) Landry would probably start of swinging trying to rip Tebow's head off, who would obviously do nothing because of his religious background. In the end, Landry probably murders him easy.

Laron Landry Being Large

Back in terms of the game, it was a pretty up and down one for the Giants. They did a lot of good things on defense especially in the secondary. Corey Webster is obviously solid and I was happy with the progress of both Prince Amukamara, and the rookie out of Virginia Tech, Jayron Hosley. Hosley probably had the play of the game with his pick six off of Sanchez. But where the Giants really excelled was where they always do, in the trenches. 

This defensive line unit is no doubt, in my somewhat biased mind, the best in the league, and I love how Defensive Coordinator Perry Fewell shuffles them around. There is no team who puts more pressure on the quarterback on third down than the Giants. During the regular season they'll even throw out all four of their D-Ends at once, with Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, Jason Pierre-Paul, and Mathias Kiwanuka on third down in their NASCAR set. The first unit finished the first half with three sacks, two by Pierre-Paul and a half sack by Osi and Tuck each. The Giants all in all finished the game with 7 sacks, while the Jets only finished with 14 completions. 

Metlife Bowl Trophy

As for the offense, I was not impressed by anyone out there but Cruz. He continues to play as though he has something to prove, I guess because he does. He wants to go out there shut everyone up about this "one year wonder" talk, and cash out at the end of the year. Eli played ok, but like I said earlier he had an ugly interception. This game may end up being significant later on because the Giants starting running back Ahmad Bradshaw injured his hand in the first quarter. The X-rays were negative, but this could be another one of those nagging injuries for a while. One of the only bright spots of the game on offense was the play of the rookies. Although Wilson didn't look as good as he did last week, Reuben Randle continued his good play with an impressive 49 yard catch over a defender and Joe Martinek, the Rutgers product, also had a nice 14 yard catch and dive into the endzone. 

MVP of the game was obviously Larry Tynes. Dude is an absolute legend. The former Ottawa Renegade has kicked the Giants to two Super Bowls, and added four out of four field goals and two extra points, shouldering the load, in tonight's game. 

Sticking with the special teams play, T.J. Connelly of the Jets is probably the worst punter in New York since Matt Dodge (it's ok to talk about now.) Conley had a 19 yard punt followed by a punt of 23 yards. Now that's what I call consistency. 

Arsenal vs Sunderland 0-0: Some Thoughts

Abou Diaby grossed out by the no goals

Alright, so the Barclays Premier League kicked off this weekend and the marquee game televised on ESPN was the Gunners, of course, and the Blackcats of Sunderland. Now in my last Arsenal blog, we discussed the betrayal of former Arsenal goal scoring sensation Robin Van Persie (hurts to write his name). The new era of Arsenal would take the field at the Emirates without their former captain and leading goal getter. More news came prior to the game as well concerning transfers. Arsenal had agreed to sell Alex Song, their best passer, to the vultures at FC Barcelona. I hate to see Song go as well, but it's another good piece of business for Arsenal, turning in 14 million in profit for a player they signed for 1 million pounds in 2006. Hopefully they use this and Van Persie's fees on more players to help the club because there are still some holes.

Despite keeping the ball for most of the game, the Gunners were unable to break down a sturdy Sunderland defense. All 3 new signings played, Lukas Podolski, Santi Cazorla, and Olivier Giroud. Podolski and Cazorla started while Giroud came off the bench. Cazorla is a classy midfielder, a great passer with FIFA-esque vision and he works hard for the team, running all over the pitch. Podolski didn't run the full 90, but he showed flashes of what he could be for the club. Giroud on the other hand, came on for Podolski and was handed a golden opportunity in the 82nd minute by a wonderful slip pass by Santi Cazorla, but instead of pouncing and sealing a deserved 1-0 lead for Arsenal, he drilled his shot wide looking like me in the park or Jonathan Soriano. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBS7r9XSTGg, Ok it wasn't as bad as that dude.) And so went Arsenal's hopes of all 3 points in their opening game.

I still like how the Gunners played. They weren't too bad at the back on defense, Vermaelen did well in his first game as captain and Per Mertesacker filled in well for Laurent Koscielny, who was out with a muscle strain. One Gunner who I was happy to see back was Abou Diaby. He's gonna have to fill in for Alex Song and I'm pretty sure that if he stays healthy, he can help the Gunners tremendously.

I know a 0-0 draw sounds boring, but it's a step forward for Arsenal. Next week they travel to Stoke City, where it is always tough to get points. Hopefully there will be another signing by that time and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will be back from injury to give a must needed boost of energy and youth. Keep steady at the back and put the ball in the net, pretty simple stuff I'd say, Arsene will tell the boys something pretty similar I assume.

Bobby Valentine and the Red Sox, A Failed Love Story

We all know about the Bobby V saga going on in Boston right now, and it’s pretty damn annoying. It’s safe to say that Bobby Valentine may be the most hated man in Beantown. It started with him pissing off a fan favorite in Kevin Youkilis, and now it has made it's way to the whole team. Even Pedroia, Gonzalez and the hot dog guy on Yawkey Way have beef with him, and it’s just not the ideal start in Boston. That being said, there are three ways to end this drama and the SportsCenter buzz around it.

The first way, is for Bobby V to wake up and change his mindset. His stints in Japan as a manager and as an ESPN analyst have made him very self-centered. He thinks he’s the man or something just because he was the main guy in those two situations. News flash Bobby, in Boston, its not about you. You shouldn’t have a weekly appearance on Michael Kay’s radio station, and you shouldn’t want to be in the glamor of the media. It may sound cliché, but baseball is a game for the heart and soul of the players. As much as the media makes of managers, players ultimately win and lose games. If Valentine can understand this concept, it would benefit him greatly. Sometimes silence is better than words. Remember that Bobby.

The second way to end this Valentine story, is to just straight up fire the guy. It’s pretty obvious he likes to get under the skin of his players, and that is just not acceptable in the managerial role. It’s good when managers challenge their players, but to say they aren’t trying their hardest is absurd. I’m sure the fans wouldn’t be too mad if he were to be fired. The guy was never really welcomed in Boston from the start, which makes it all but easier to let him go.

The final way to put a stop to the Valentine frenzy is to fire every single trainer associated with the Sox. I’m pretty sure at some point during the season, every position player that started opening day was hurt. Ellsbury, Crawford, Pedroia, Ortiz, Gonzalez, Middlebrooks all have been hurt and the list goes on. How can Bobby V win games if he has guys wearing the #77 in his everyday lineup? The answer is he can’t. The Sox, when healthy, have one of the deadliest lineups in baseball. They just need to find a way to keep their big bats in the lineup. Shuffling the deck at the trainer position is worth a shot.

If it were up to me, I’d just keep everything the same in Boston, but what do I know? I’m a Yankees fan. 

MillMeek22

2012 Breakout NFL Predictions

Who will be this year's Victor Cruz?

As the month of August continues to slowly wind down, the start of the NFL regular season is now just around the corner. And with the start of a new season, many people are preparing for their fantasy football drafts. So I decided to give you a few players who I feel are undervalued in many mock drafts and by most experts.

Quarterback:

Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons - This guy can win games...in the regular season. Despite being 0-3 in his first three playoff attempts, he is still 43-19 as a starter in regular season play and has made the playoffs in three out of his first four seasons. During that one season in which the Falcons missed the playoffs, the team still managed to finish with a winning record at 9-7. So you know the guy is a ballplayer, he just has yet to get over the playoff hump. That being said Matt Ryan has been steadily improving statistically since coming into the league in 2008. In fact, last year Ryan ranked 8th in passing yards with just under 4,200 and through 29 touchdowns along with only 12 interceptions. He also ranked 8th in fantasy points by position last year. Now, why do I feel like Ryan will breakout this year? Well, it is his fifth year in the league and all five have been spent with the same team under the same coach. Also his weapons are poised for big years. Roddy White is coming off back to back 100 reception seasons and is one of the premiere wideouts in the league. Taking some of the heat off White is second year stud Julio Jones, who is now healthy after missing three games last year with a nagging hamstring injury. Rounding out Ryan's targets is tight end Tony Gonzalez, who "Father Time" has yet to catch up to, and still produces at a top five tight end level. All of this along with the steady run game provided by Michael Turner is why I think Matt Ryan will put up huge numbers this season.

Running Back:

Murray has shined in training camp

DeMarco Murray, Dallas Cowboys - I really wanted to put Oakland's Darren McFadden here but the fact that Carson Palmer is still a starting quarterback somewhere is mind boggling, and with no passing game, there is no ground game. It also kills me to pick a Cowboy, since my G-Men have to chase this guy around twice a year and compete for the division against, but Murray is a stud. I say that with caution though. This is because he is a stud...when healthy. Last season, after finally being named the starter, Murray burst onto the scene with a 253 yard performance and until getting his season ended early by my Giants in week 14, he was putting up solid stats. This season, Murray comes in as the feature back and will get almost all of the carries when healthy. A few of you might be asking, "What about Felix Jones?" Well, Mr. Jones has not been impressing anyone in Cowboys camp. How bad is it? Jones failed his conditioning test at the start of training camp! As for Murray, he has been running rampant and looks determined to breakout and cement his name atop the rushing leaders.

Wide Receiver:

Titus Young, Detroit Lions - Wide receiver is a tough one because anyone can burst onto the scene without any notice. Last season it was Giants wideout Victor Cruz, and in 2010 it was Denver's Brandon Lloyd who now is with the Patriots. If this trend continues, I expect Detroit Lion Titus Young to be that guy. His quarterback Matthew Stafford is coming off his first injury free season of his three year career and put up ridiculous numbers, throwing for over 5,000 yards and 41 touchdowns. So last year proves Stafford knows the system and the fact that he is going into his fourth season means that he should be more comfortable going through his reads instead of just throwing it up to Calvin Johnson (which does work by the way.) This means more action for Young. Last season in his rookie campaign, Young was thrown right into the fire as the team's third wideout behind Johnson and Nate Burleson, right after the lockout. So Young missed some valuable meshing time with the Lions' offensive unit. This season I think Young will occupy the number 2 wideout position, as Burleson starts to get older, and with Johnson commanding most of the defense's attention, Young will have an opportunity to really have a big season.

Tight End:

Jacob Tamme, Denver Broncos - The lone reason I am taking Tamme here is because of Peyton Manning. The guy loves his tight ends. After making Dallas Clark into who he was, one of the prominent tight ends in the league, to pretty much nothing after Manning missed all of last season, you can see how important Manning is in terms of tight end production. Tamme's numbers were nothing special last season with only 19 receptions and 1 touchdown, but an increase in targets and more red zone trips this season as opposed to Tamme's horrid 2011 Colts team, should give him a lot more opportunities to breakout this season.

Rookies To Keep An Eye On:

Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts - No surprise here, but he is the starter going into week 1 and scouts did say he was the most impressive draft prospect ever.

Doug Martin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Most people are inly looking at Trent Richardson to do anything this season in terms of rookie running backs. But, with LeGarrette Blount and Doug Martin the Bucs have a 1-2 punch and Martin will most likely be the feature back. Plus Martin is nicknamed "The Muscle Hamster."

Watch out for these two

Michael Floyd, Arizona Cardinals - Paging Kurt Warner. Imagine if the Cardinals had a decent quarterback? With arguably the top wideout Larry Fitzgerald already in Arizona this tandem could be deadly. Fitz has been working with Floyd, pushing him in workouts all throughout the summer. Now it's just a matter of the ball getting to them

Colby Fleener, Indianapolis Colts - Luck's Stanford companion. The reliable checkdown that was always there for Luck, is now reunited with him in the pro's, in what could be a connection you see for many more years.

Mark it Down; STAT Will Be An All-Star

During the summer of 2010, the NBA world was buzzing with the amount of elite level free agents that were bouncing around looking for work. The list included the likes of Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson, Amar'e Stoudemire, Carlos Boozer, Dirk Nowitzki, and LeBron James. The Knicks had been preparing for this summer for the past two years by trading away decent players and draft picks in the hopes of cutting salary, so they could then make the best possible run at two of these big time free agents. Experts had picked New York as one of the more likely landing spots for the real prize, LeBron James. The Knicks were focused on getting LeBron, and they knew if they could get another big name to play alongside him, his choice to come to NY would be much easier. So they called everyone. They met with Joe Johnson, they met with Bosh, they met with Wade, and not one of them was interested. Johnson would end up returning to his previous team, the Atlanta Hawks, and Wade and Bosh would eventually end up together in Miami. One player on that list did however have interest in the Knicks, and that player was, of course, Amar'e Stoudemire. The explosive power forward who had just opted out of his contract with the Phoenix Suns. Stoudemire brought a strong skill set with him, and having already been very successful running Mike D'Antoni's offense in Phoenix, this move seemed like a no brainer. Next came the hard part, convincing LeBron to follow Stoudemire and to have the Knicks officially return to relevance. Things were looking good. LeBron had met with the Knicks and seemed to be pleased. The NBA crew on ESPN, which includes the worlds worst guesser in Chris Broussard (I swear if half of his reports were true, the Knicks would have a lineup that looked like Paul, Melo, LeBron, STAT, Chandler), reported LeBron had narrowed it down to returning to Cleveland, or heading to New York, or Miami. Then the news broke LeBron would be announcing his "decision" on live TV at a Boys and Girls Club in Greenwich, Connecticut, not far from the Knicks practice facility. This was it. It had to be he was announcing New York, why else would he announce it there? Hundreds of people gathered outside the building to see the decision. Now I'm sure you're asking yourself, 'What kind of an idiot goes and waits outside the building for that kind of thing?' Well my friends, I am that kind of idiot. A few of my buddies and I waited outside hoping to hear good news about LeBron and his "decision." But good news would never come. LeBron decided to "take his talents to South Beach" and join the Miami Heat.

When the dust settled all that remained in New York was Stoudemire, who had confidently promised, "The Knicks are back." And as far as I'm concerned he has lived up to that promise. 

Before Stoudemire, this team was completely irrelevant. They hadn't even made the playoffs since 2004. Stoudemire came in, and with the mid-season addition of Carmelo Anthony, powered the team to the playoffs. Now the team has made the playoffs in each of the past two seasons and Stoudemire has been apart of the effort. Although the team has only gone 1-8 in those two playoff series, just making it there is an improvement from before.

This city, and these fans expect this team to win championships, and you know what? So do I. The truth of it is that all starts with STAT. I think he is what makes our team different than what Anthony had in Denver. If STAT can play like we have seen he can and know he can, then this team will go far. 

Last season Stoudemire averaged 17.5 ppg and 7.5 rpg. A drop off from his career averages, yes, but as bad as everyone is saying? No. I having been a fan of Stoudemire over the years know he is not a 17 and 7 player, he is more of a 25 and 9 type player. If we can get that kind of play out of him on an even semi-nightly basis, there is no way the Knicks don't improve. And STAT has been taking steps in the right direction. He has always relied on his quickness and strength to score, so he never really had a great post game. But he has spent a significant amount of time this off-season to correct that, by working with the great Hakeem Olajuwon. That, along with rest, and other off-seson preparations is why I believe you can officially mark it down, the old STAT will be back and will be an All-Star this season. Is STAT overpaid? Probably. But is he over the hill? No. 

Danny Almonte 2.0

Kotaro Kiyomiya, try saying that one time fast, is the talk of this year's Little League World Series. Kiyomiya is a monster of a human, let alone kid, on the Japanese National Team. He is 13 years old and measures in at 6 feet, 206 pounds. On top of this, he throws a fastball at speeds around 80 MPH from a distance of 46 feet! That is the equivalent of a 104 MPH fastball from a Major League distance. Good luck touching that.

Now, if you get as excited as I do every time this tournament rolls around, the name Danny Almonte probably pops into your head. He was the kid who lied about his age in order to be eligible to play. What a legend Almonte was, he threw a no-hitter to get his Bronx, NY team to Williamsport and followed that up with the first perfect game since 1957 in the 2001 tournament. Just "big leaguing" everyone.

I see a lot of similarities here though. Kiyomiya throws way harder than anyone else in the tournament at 80 MPH, Almonte threw 75. He also is way larger than any other player in the league at 6 foot, 206. Almonte was 5 foot 8, but he was more of a wiry build and wasn't as large. And both, were and are, what everyone who has interest in the tournament, was and is, talking about.

I don't know enough about ol' Kotaro over here to say whether or not he is or isn't 13 years old, but the fact that he also said he hit 60 home runs in 50 games this season, along with his stature and 80 MPH fastball, I'm definitely going to question it. If it is true, watch out Bryce Haper. And Mr. Kiyomiya, I cannot wait until you sport the pinstripes. See you in a few years!

One Last Thing: What numbers do you think you could put up if you played in this league at your current age now? I'm pretty sure I'd be batting .800 with around 10 homers and 25 RBI's as long as we don't play Japan. Plus, no one is touching my "Uncle Chuck" when they have two strikes, so my WHIP and ERA would be unmatched. I might even challenge Kotato for the Little League Cy Young, but I don't want to get ahead of myself.

Fantasy Dominance

Classic Fantasy Nerds, Carson Palmer over there is Nasm30 in 20 years.

As nasm30 posted earlier, a new fantasy season is upon us. Amongst this group of clowns who think they know things, I'm Steinbrenner (pains me to use that as a metaphor). I've won 2 baseball leagues and a football league in my hay day but for a year I've been denied my career grandslam. Currently, my fantasy baseball team is a top the league once again and I still keep Jason Bay on my bench to boot. That's called being the best fantasy GM of all time, I know what works and I slay the competition. I even have Cameron Maybin in my lineup, dude is the biggest disappointment since I was born. For whatever reason, I'm a stud in fantasy, I can't figure it out. Since I see no break in my reign of dominance after this football draft I put together, I may have to take my talents elsewhere. I might have to join one of those creepy rando pools on ESPN or CBS, just to give these guys a chance. Anyway stay tuned to see if I pull out the clutch baseball dub for the trifecta and football could get serious.

Which Blogger Got the Best Team?

nasm30

Beardface 

MillMeek22

CB32

AF

nasm30-  I got a great veteran presence at quarterback, and good stability at wide receiver with of course Nicks and with one of Aaron Rodgers favorite targets in Nelson. I am nervous about my situation at RB with two hit or miss prospects in Run DMC and the very sketchy CJ2K. I am also able to keep tradition alive with a solid bench and the New York Giants Defense. 

Beardface- Classic Eagles fan taking McCoy with the first pick overall over Foster (also I don't know why he's on his bench in the picture). I would have taken Foster without any hesitation, despite Millmeek22's brother telling him to "stay away from players on the vegan diet." Not saying McCoy is bad by any means, I just think Foster is better. However, I do actually really like his team. Two players I really wanted were Lynch, and especially Marshall. 

MillMeek22- I always feel like the guy with the last pick gets one of the best teams, and MillMeek proved me right. I mean Vincent Jackson is on his bench. Really good team I think, good receivers and good running backs, although injuries have to be a concern with his RB's. Overall really strong team.

CB32- Unfortunately, I must admit CB32 did probably get the best team out of all of us. Like MM, he's got a great bench Phillip Rivers and Frank Gore. Of course he's got one of the better QB's in Brady and essentially double points on about 12 touchdowns because of Gronk. He was also able to get a couple of solid RB's with Turner and Forte, but again like MM has to worry about injuries to both Gore and Forte.

AF- My quest to one day name my team Double Dwayne Bowe is again put on hold because of the pick by AF. Somehow he walked away with Foster with the 4th pick, and that automatically makes his team pretty damn good. Charles can be great, and with the two receivers the Giants have Eli has a high fantasy value. 

There are the teams, so go ahead and vote who got away with the best team. Check the Poll on the left side of the home screen.

Preseason College Football Top 10

It’s that time of the year again.  Lou Holtz’ slur is so close to being back in action, training camps have started, helmets and shoulder pads have been colliding and college towns are buzzing with excitement. Yes, College Football is nearly two weeks away. I feel it is a necessity to list off the first top 10 of the year, so let the debate begin.

10. South Carolina - Don’t laugh the Gamecocks off this year (grow up, I know your laughing right now). They return junior RB Marcus Lattimore, who is quite frankly a beast. Last year, he averaged 5 yards a rush against some of the top defenses in the nation. They also have sophomore DE Jadeveon Clowney anchoring their D-Line, who lived up to his recruiting hype, as he recorded 8.0 sacks last year. The only problem I see with this squad is that they have to face LSU, Florida and Clemson all on the road. All I have to say to that is good luck.

9. West Virginia - Let me just start with, how is it even possible that WVU is playing in the Big 12 this year? They aren’t even relatively close to any of the other Big 12 School. But I digress. West Virginia, on paper, is the 2^nd best team in the Big 12. That being said, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if they won the conference. Senior QB Geno Smith is expected to put up huge numbers. He put on a clinic last year recording 4,300 yards and 31 TD’s. Smith also has some weapons. The Mountaineers return their dynamic wide receiver tandem of junior Steadman Bailey and senior Tavon Austin. A huge question this team will have to answer is whether or not their defense can translate to the Big 12. If it can, the song “Country Roads” will be rocking the college football world.

8. LSU - The Tigers would have been probably #1 if it weren’t for the dismissal of the "Honey Badger," Tyrann Mathieu. That being said, Baton Rouge still has a roster to roar for. The defense still has a bunch of talented players, specifically juniors DE Sam Montgomery, CB Tharold Simon and S Eric Reid. Although the defense should be fine without Mathieu, the offense will most likely struggle. Newcomer junior Zack Mettenberger will occupy the quarterback realm and he will probably have a learning curve. However, they will still be one of the best team’s in the country.

QB Denard Robinson

7. Michigan- Ann Arbor has quickly gained its swagger back as Brady Hoke led the Wolverines to a Sugar Bowl victory last season. This season should be no different for the Wolverines. They return Heisman hopeful QB Denard Robinson, who should be able to become a better passer this season. They also have a defense containing great senior presence with Safety Jordan Kovacs and linebacker Kenny Demons. Not to mention, according to ESPN, the Wolverines have brought in the 8^th best recruiting class highlighted by DT Ondres Pipkins and OT Kyle Kalis. Overall, Team 133 should be one that is better than last year, but their record may not show it. They have a date with defending National Champs Alabama and play on the road against Notre Dame, Nebraska and Ohio State. Winning 3 of the 4 will hopefully send the "Maize and Blue Nation" to Pasadena.

6. Florida State - Calling it right now, "The 'Noles" will be competing in the National Championship this year. Florida State is blessed with an easy schedule and has a talented enough roster to run the table. Led by senior QB EJ Manuel, they should be able to put up points. To compliment Manuel and the offense, Florida State has a solid defense. They will add the #1 recruit of the 2012 class, DE Mario Edwards to the D-Line that already has stud senior DE Brandon Jenkins in the system. This team is legit and they should make some serious noise in the postseason.

5. Georgia - What makes Georgia so dangerous this year is that they have the makings of the formula that has led to success in the SEC over the last 5 years. This happens to be a great defense and one established offensive tool. Junior QB AJ Murray is on the verge of becoming a great college quarterback, and the Bulldogs have a tremendous linebacker core in Jarvis Jones and Alec Ogletree. Furthermore, Georgia returns 20/22 starters from last year’s team who made a run to the SEC title game. I expect the Bulldogs are not only going to have a great chance to win the SEC, but to also represent the conference as well in the National Championship.

4. Oregon - The reigning Rose Bowl Champs come into the 2012 season still with one of the most versatile spread offenses in the game. It is true that they lost the handy man that could do everything, RB LaMichael James to the draft, but they still have assets out the wazoo. In particular, the Ducks have two players in senior RB Kenjon Barner and sophomore ATH De’Anthony Thomas that are poised to have giant years. The only question in Eugene is who will be the starting quarterback? Right now it’s between sophomore Bryan Bennett and redshirt freshman Marcus Mariota. Either way, the Ducks should be fine as Chip Kelly’s offenses in the past have never seemed to skip a beat regardless of who’s  at quarterback.

3. Oklahoma - There were big expectations for the Sooners last year and they didn’t live up to the hype as they finished the season 10-3. This year is much of the same. They have a Heisman hopeful in QB Landry Jones, as well as a "ball hawk" in junior safety Tony Jefferson that are both more then capable of leading this team to a Big 12 Championship. That being said, the wide receivers in Norman are incapable of reading, sometimes. Sophomore 5-star recruit WR Kameel Jackson was dismissed off the squad earlier this summer, while junior WR Jaz Reynolds was suspended, both due to bad grades in the classroom. The only thing that is keeping the Oklahoma wide receiver core afloat is the Penn State fiasco.  Bob Stoops was able to land senior WR Justin Brown from the Nittany Lions, who recorded 500 receiving yards last season. Brown will compliment junior wideout Kenny Stills well, but I just don’t know if they have enough weapons to compete for the National Title.

Will QB Matt Barkley
 win the Heisman this year?

2. USC - The first year off of their recent bowl ban should be one that is exciting for the Trojans. Senior QB Matt Barkley, the favorite to win the Heisman, is poised to take this USC squad to a BCS bowl game. Last year, Barkley was stellar as threw for 3,500 yards and 39 TD. Without a doubt, look for much more of the same this year. In addition, the Trojans may have the best 1-2 punch in the backfield as well as at the wideout position. USC has running backs Curtis McNeal and newly acquired Silas Redd, who combined accumulated 2,000 yards and 13 touhcdowns. They also have wide receivers Robert Woods and Marquis Lee, who racked up a combine 2,400 yards and 26 touchdowns last season. This USC team could be deadly and possibly end the SEC’s run of 6 consecutive titles.

Can Alabama repeat as National Champs?

1. Alabama - I really hate this, but the Crimson Tide come rolling in at the number 1 spot. Nick Saban honestly might be the best college football coach of all time. The guy is a machine. All he does is win and reel in top notch recruiting classes every single year. Although Alabama lost most of its core from last year, they still have junior QB AJ McCarron, who surprised many people last year. He should have a pretty good year since his offensive line has monsters like Barrett Jones and Chance Warmack anchoring it. I wouldn’t be shocked if McCarron gets sacked less than 10 times this year. The Alabama O-Line is just that good. In addition, any other team would be reeling from a loss such as Trent Richardson, but not ‘Bama. They have junior Eddie Lacy to fill his shoes, who last year averaged 7.5 yards a carry on 95 attempts. Lastly, many people believe the Crimson Tide brought in the best recruiting class in 2012. The class is highlighted by two phenoms in S Landon Collins and ATH Eddie Williams. Both should see playing time next year. The one thing I will say is this, Alabama may have a hard time with their schedule. They have to play Michigan in "Jerry World" to start the season. By no means am I saying they are going to lose to the Wolverines, but they certainly don’t have any time for a tune-up game. They also have a mid-season matchup in Baton Rouge against LSU. If they can get past those two games, and odds are they will, Bama will find itself defending their national title in Miami on January 7^th.