How do you like them apples?

Cleveland was left heart broken in the summer of 2010. The face of Cleveland, Lebron James, left the Cavaliers to play with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami. The Cavaliers were not the same in the 2010-2011 season without James. They finished the season 69-93, one of the worst in franchise history. Then the almost forgotten Indians, are giving hope back to a city where most needed. The Indians have the best record in baseball with a 26-15 record. No one saw this coming other than Manny Acta, the Manager of the Cleveland Indians. And what are his keys to success so far?

"The pitching," said Indians manager Manny Acta. "Other than the Opening Day, our starters have all been able to go deep into the game. It gives us a chance to keep the guys rested in the bullpen so we can match up with them. "That combined with our defense." (cleveland.com) 

Their pitching is ranked 6th Overall in the MLB with a team ERA 3.38. Their young gun stud Justin Materson is 5-2 with a 2.50 ERA, 51 SO, and 1 Complete Game. The Indians recieved Masterson in the Victor Matinez trade to the Red Sox. So far it looks like the Indians got what they wanted knowningly that Martinez was going to walk away; unlike the other Cleveland team who let their superstar walk to Miami who is about to go to the NBA Finals.

But don't forget about their offense. Travis Hafner is currently batting .345 with 22 RBI, and Asdrubal Cabrera is batting .312 with 10 HR and 34 RBI. They are currently ranked 3rd Overall offense as a team.

The Indians defense has been spectacular with only having 22 Errors all year. Their defense is ranked 3rd in the MLB with a fielding percentage of .987. Asdrubal Cabrera has been flashing his glove all over Sportscenter's Top Ten Plays.

This is a big step for the orginization from going 69-93 to 30-15 in 45 games. Watch out for the Indians, here they come!

photo: http://baseblog.us/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Cleveland-Indians-Walk-Off1-275x275.jpg

http://www.thesportsbank.net/core/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/asdrubal-cabrera-indians-300x185.jpg

quote: http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2011/04/post_86.html

NCAAF Playoff system?

The hot topic in NCAA is if the NCAA should do a playoff system to crown the next National Champion. Every other sport in the NCAA has some kind of a playoff system. They have the Final Four, Frozen Four, College World Series, and the Lacrosse Championships. Even President Obama believes that they should have some type of a playoff system.

If they do a playoff system this is how I believe it should work. The AP's top NINE would have automatic bids to the 'BCS Playoffs'. Then for the final spot would be decided on a wild card bid that two teams would play for. The reason why the top nine get automatic bids instead of the top ten because teams like Boise State or TCU (before people knew about them) would get an opportunity to play the #10 ranked LSU or Arkansas. This is the most fair way to do it. I do believe that the current BCS system is not the best system for NCCAF. If we look at the NCAAB, if they had the 'BCS System' then that would of meant that Ohio State and Kansas would have faced for the National Championship. But both of those teams didn't even make the Final Four! So why give the Championship to two powerhouses when some well coached, average team could win it all? Wouldn't that be better for the BCS? I'd think so. We all remember the Boise State vs Oklahoma Fiesta Bowl in 2007. Moments like these will last a life time if we have a playoff system.

 

 photos:

http://www.betvega.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/2009-2010-bcs-championship-odds.jpg

http://files.renegadebs.com/miscjunk/LSU-Flynn-BCS-Trophy.jpg

The Mets should wait before trading away Reyes, Beltran, or K-Rod.

Oh the Mets, or I should say Metropolitans.
I am one of the biggest Mets fan on the planet of the earth. I really thought that this year the Mets could get back to their old self and make a push for the playoffs. They are not playing as bad as some would have thought they would. They are only 3 games under .500 while starting only 5 of the starters from Opening Day. David Wright went on the DL for back problems, Chris Young is done for the year with rotator cuff surgery, Ike Davis out with a calf/ankle problem, and Angel Pagan out with some muscle problem. If the Metropolitans want to keep in the Wild Card hunt they need all 9 starters to be 100% healthy. Look at Beltran. You can tell that he is 100% healthy when he hits 3, 2 Run Homeruns, in the same game!

When I drive in my car, I listen to 660 WFAN or 1050 ESPN, the host/commentator and the fans bash the Mets saying that the front office is doing a terrible job not trading Reyes, Beltran, K-Rod, or even Wright! As a Mets fan it hurts me to hear people say that. The New York Mets are only 3 games under .500! THE NEW YORK YANKEES ARE ONLY ONE GAME BETTER THAN THE METS! Why aren't people going ballistic on Cashmen? Because they are the New York Yankees. Since the Mets 'choked ' back to back years, people want to throw the Mets under the bus. I believe the Mets are still in the race for the playoffs. In the last ten games they are 7-3.

If the Mets do fall out of contention early, then I can see the Mets looking to deal players. If the Mets trade anyone, they need to get good level prospects. Not 'C' level prospects that has 50% potential of making the big leagues. I want a #2 prospect for someone like Reyes. Reyes is a game changer. Why throw something away for nothing in return? They could always keep Reyes, let him test the market in FA, and get a first and second round draft picks if he leaves. If the Mets decide though to trade Reyes, I could see him going to San Fransisco for (#1 prospect in SF,1st baseman) Brandon Belt, (#2 in SF, RHP) Zack Wheeler, Madison Bumgarner, or Jonathan Sanchez. I would prefer Wheeler because we already have a first baseman named Ike Davis. Beltran could be dealt to the Yankees because of their DH problems.

But I can not see Wright being traded at all. Wright is the heart of the franchise, you would lose the entire Mets fan base if he gets dealt away. He has done so much for the Mets. Do you remember his barehanded catch over the shoulder? It is the greatest catch of all time. Unless if we get Albert Pujols for Wright, I do not want Wright to be gone.

 photos:http://img.fannation.com/upload/si_blog_post_images/jose-reyes.jpg http://product.images.fansedge.com/33-76/33-76866-F.jpg
http://s3.amazonaws.com/sfb111/story_lrgimage_2010_05_R9271_I_Like_Ike_Ike_Davis_Tshirts.jpg

Thomas' MVP of the Week 5/07-5/14: Adrian Gonzalez

Every week we will give our MVP of the week award to a player or a team who each of us believe deserves the award. They would receive the award for the numbers they put up, or delivering in the clutch, or even a top play.

My MVP of the Week is Adrian Gonzalez. He has been on a tear for the Red Sox even though the Red Sox are on a slow start. Adrian Gonzalez so far is batting .325 with 9 HR and 35 RBI this season. This week alone, Gonzalez is hitting .406 with 6 HR and 12 RBI. If Gonzalez keeps hitting the way he is now, the Red Sox should have no problem winning the division.

Quinn Horvath

Blake Kawalski

Honorable mention: Spackenkill Baseball clinched the Divisional title for the first time since 2007. Spackenkill is a young team with 3 starting freshmen (they are starting pitchers as well) and 3 sophomores that all contribute day in and day out. So far they have put up a record of 12-6 (12-2 in the league) with one more game to go. One of the two top moments of the year for Spackenkill is when Freshmen Blake Kawalski Homered on his FIRST VARSITY PITCH that he saw. So far Blake is hitting .279 with 27 RBI. The top moment so far for Spackenkill is pitcher Quinn Horvath. Quinn threw the first no-hitter in Spackenill's history on May 5th. Quinn has a pitching record of 4-1 with an ERA around 2.5. Spackenkill will likely get the #1 seed in sectionals. Since they won the division title, they qualified a spot in the MHAL Tournament. They will take on the winner of division 4 on Thursday 05/19. If they win the game on the 19th, then on Monday 05/23, they will play in the MHAL Championship trying to capture the first MHAL title in Baseball.

Spacken What? Kill!

photo: http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2011/05/14/alg_adrian-gonzalez-sacrifice-fly.jpg 
Spackenkill's photos: Fleischman Family

New-Look Lakers?

After being dealt an early exit in the playoffs for the first time in two years, the Los Angeles Lakers, who have been one of the NBA's few constants in the last decade. However, with time comes age, and with age, comes change.

This off-season for the Lakers will undergo major managerial and personnel changes, pending the looming possibility of lockout of course. With Phil Jackson announcing his retirement so early, many questions are now centered around Jerry Buss and his franchise.

The only things that will stay the same this year are Kobe Bryant on the court and Jack Nicholson in the crowd.

Coaching Staff:

Phil Jackson has retired for good and the Lakers will have to find a new head coach.

Possible fits here:

• Rick Adelman; the former head coach of the Houston Rockets
• Mike Dunleavy; the former head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers
• Jeff Van Gundy; current ESPN NBA analyst and former head coach of the Orlando Magic
• Brian Shaw; current Lakers assistant coach

Why they fit:

The Lakers have had to replace a legendary coach before in Pat Riley, so there is no reason that Jerry Buss cannot do it again with Phil Jackson. Adelman is a coach that has had success with veteran teams before and his "corner" offense is similar to Jackson's "triangle" offense.

Dunleavy has coached in the Staples Center before and is a strong tactician with a long history of post-season success (NBA Coach of the Year in 1999 with the Portland Trail Blazers).

Van Gundy is another coach that can take a veteran team on a deep run and would bring a strong defense to L.A.

Shaw has garnered the very strong public backing of many players including co-captains Bryant and Derek Fischer.

I think Dunleavy or Shaw would be the best fit for the Lakers franchise, however Shaw and fellow Lakers assistant Chuck Person have been interviewing for the head coaching position of the Golden State Warriors.

Personnel:

• Kobe Bryant: Lets face the facts, Kobe will retire in a Lakers uniform. However, Kobe is on the down-side of his career and visibly past his prime. In the playoffs he was slowed by a bad knee, of which was just recently operated on. He will put in another few strong years for the purple and gold, before retiring.
• Derek Fischer: Almost a non-factor in games, expect Fischer to retire in the next year or two.
• Pau Gasol: Another aging player, past the prime of his career, went soft in the playoffs, putting in a subpar performance and being out-played by the Mavericks and Hornets big men. Could also be traded.
• Ron Artest: Expect Artest to be traded soon. This should come as no shock as Artest has already asked for a trade this season and was nearly dealt, before the Lakers decided that they wanted to take a shot at the three-peat.
• Lamar Odom: Will likely be thrust into the starting line-up after Artest leaves. This is another former star that is past his prime, and should not be playing for much longer.
• Andrew Bynum: Bynum's fate became apparent as soon as he took off his jersey on the court after being ejected from committing that cheap-shot foul on J.J. Barea in the closing minutes of Game 4 against the Mavs. Jerry Buss does not want the reputation of the brand of Laker basketball to be tarnished and do not expect to see Bynum back next year. Bynum could be used as trade bait, as he has already been part of trade talks this year (included in Lakers package in Carmelo Anthony trade talks). The combination of Bynum and Gasol leaving in the near future will pave the way for the Lakers to possibly sign Dwight Howard, the first step in their rebuilding process for the future.

With Jerry Buss in the front office, the Lakers will have a short rebuilding process. They have more trade ammo than any other team in the league and can bring in a lot of young star power, most notably big man Magic Dwight Howard. They also have many established veterans to mentor the young players (Who is better to learn from than Kobe Bryant?). Expect to see them back in the NBA Finals within the next seven years.

Photos:

http://lakers.topbuzz.com/gallery/v/andrew-bynum/Andrew+Bynum+tries+to+block+Dwight+Howard_s+shot.jpg.html

http://celebrityimg.com/?view=img&search=KobeBryant&imgid=153442&page=1

Is Cam Newton really the answer for the Panthers?

From the moment when the Commissioner, Roger Goodell, said  "With the first pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Carolina Panthers select…Cam Newton, QB Auburn" I shook my head in disbelief.

I will guarantee that in 5 years, the Panthers will regret selecting Newton over QB Jake Locker or QB Blaine Gabbert. I am not saying that Newton is not an elite athlete; don’t get me wrong, he is a freak athlete. But he does not have what it takes to be a franchise Quarterback.

I classify Cam Newton as a ‘Running Quarterback’. The only successful ‘Running Quarterback’ in the NFL is Michael Vick. There are many failed ‘Running Quarterbacks’ who were college superstars like Newton; Jamarcus Russell, Vince Young, and Pat White just to name a few. If the Panthers want to get back to the super bowl again they needed a player that would be a solid safe pick that will be a starter for years to come. Let’s get real. Are the Panthers going to win more games with Cam Newton as their QB? No, so why didn’t they take OLB Von Miller or WR A.J. Green? There is a good chance that the Panthers will be selecting in the top 10 or even top 5 again. So why go with Newton when there is a QB by the name Andrew Luck who will go top 10 in the 2012 Draft depending on his senior season. If he performs as well as he did this year, then do whatever it takes to trade up to the #1 draft pick, but this is not the case for the Panthers. The Bills, on the other hand, drafted very smart and will go after Andrew Luck next year. Quote me on that.

The main reason why the Panthers went with Newton is because of his strong athletic nature and to give the Panthers fans something to believe in the 2011 NFL season (if we have one). I really hope Cam Newton proves me wrong because his character and love for the game is something that the NFL needs.  

photos: http://d3qc245dgdquna.cloudfront.net/slider/cam-newton-draft.jpg and http://www.sfexaminer.com/files/blog_images/Stanford%20Andrew%20Luck_0.jpg

Changing of the Guard

There are plenty of Laker-haters out there; plenty of people who think Phil flaunts his rings,  Kobe fakes his grit, Pau is a softie, and Ron Artest is -- okay Ron Artest is insane, I think we can all agree on that.  So, naturally, there were plenty of people dancing in the streets Tuesday night when the Lakers got pummeled by the Dallas Mavericks and were swept out of the playoffs.



And there are more than a few people who root against the Celtics simply for the sheer merriment of rooting against the Celtics. There's not much to hate on in terms of players and coaches. Ray Allen is a 3-point phenom, K.G has the heart of a lion, Paul Pierce has been in the league for what seems like centuries and can still hang with the young guns, and Rondo is one of the premier young point guards in the Association. Plus, there's not a whole lot of bad you can say about Doc Rivers; one of the classiest coaches I've seen in any sport. But regardless, people hate the Boston Celtics, simply because they're from Boston, and those people were elated to see them fall to the Heat on Wednesday. 

But are these reasons really why people hate these teams? Or is it that they've been on top for so long that sports fans are dying for a change? I argue the latter.

I, however, am one of those sports fans who believe that the inevitable changing of the guard this year in the NBA is a terrible thing.

Besides Miami's somewhat random NBA championship with Shaq, Pat Riley and company in '06, the last time one of the remaining playoff teams won a title was in 1998 when Michael Jordan's Bulls won it all. And, not to mention, the other playoff teams still in the hunt besides the Heat and Bulls -- Dallas, Atlanta, Oklahoma City and Memphis -- have not won a title in their franchises' histories.

Who wants to see a Grizzlies vs. Hawks NBA final? Not me.

The same can be said for the other major sports. Who is going to remember last season's Giants vs. Rangers World Series match up besides fans from San Fran and Texas? And can you tell me who won, or even played in the 2003 Super Bowl? (Tampa Bay Bucs vs. Oakland Raiders, for those of you who didn't bother looking it up).

The Lakers and Celtics are not the only teams that matter in the NBA, obviously. And that's not the reason why I was hoping to see them in the finals again this year, or at least put up a fight in their respective series. And don't get it twisted--I don't wish upon a star every night that they will meet up every year for the finals. I just don't think I'm quite ready to push them out into the cold so quickly, only to invite in a Grizzly and a Hawk.

Heat Check

After watching tonight's tragic 4th quarter collapse of the Boston Celtics, I was left wondering where the Miami Heat's sudden ability to be clutch came from. The Heat scored the last 16 points of the game en route to a 97-87 victory in Miami which saw them knock Boston out of the playoffs.

If I remember correctly, the end of the regular season saw the Heat finishing with a league-worst 1-18 shooting in game-winning or game-tying shots. You would think that having three perennial all-star players would create an embarrassment of riches that would afford the team a lot of options down the stretch of a tight game.

So where did this sudden outburst of clutch shooting come from? Well it seems to me that LeBron James has finally stepped up his game to the point of which he can take control of a game again, just as we were accustomed to in Cleveland.

After shooting just 2-8 from the field in the 1st half, LeBron scored the final 10 points of the game including the three-pointer that put the Heat up for good with 2:10 left as well as the three-pointer that essentially clinched the series for the Heat with 40.4 seconds remaining. After hitting the huge three, LeBron turned and posed for some fans who screamed in delight; vintage LeBron.

LeBron's late-game heroics against a very experienced and capable Boston team have officially put an end to the speculation that LeBron and the Heat cannot be effective late in games.

Photo:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/lee_jenkins/11/12/miami.heat.blackhat/index.html

2011 NHL Playoffs

(left to right) Steven Stamkos, Vincent Lecavalier, and Martin St Louis

The New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Montreal Canadians, Buffalo Sabers, defending champions Chicago Blackhawks, Anaheim Ducks, Phoenix Coyotes, and Los Angeles Kings all went home early, as the rest of the playoff teams moved on. Then the Flyers, Capitals, and Predators were the next to go. The only series remaining is the Detroit Red Wings vs. San Jose Sharks, which is going to a game 7 tomorrow night on Versus. I  believe that the Sharks will move on to the Western Conference Finals because they are a younger, more skilled team than the Red Wings. The Red Wings are too banged up and I don't think they have anymore gas left in their tank. So my Conference Final picks are between the Sharks vs. Canucks and then Lightning vs. Bruins. The Lightning will win in 5 games because the offense is too much for the Bruins. The Western Conference should be a 7 game series, Sharks and Canucks, with the Canucks coming out as the winner. Both teams are evenly matched from offense to defense. There are two reasons why I am going with the Canucks. First off, the Canucks will have game 7 at home, advantage Canucks. The second reason is that whenever Roberto Luongo is hot, so are the Canucks, therefore he will be big in this series. My Stanely Cup Finals is between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Vancouver Canucks. I have the Lighting wining in 6 games. Since the All-star break, I have really started to believe in the Lightning with their 'Big Three'. Most sports fans would agree that the 'Big Three', in Flordia, are Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh who are members of the Miami Heat. While the underrated 'Big three' (in Flordia) are Steven Stamkos, Vincent Lecavalier, and Martin St Louis. The Lightnings 'Big Three' will rase the cup in June for the second time in the Lightning's history (last time 2004).

Edited by Allyson Finck
Photo: http://www.zimbio.com/photos/Vincent+Lecavalier/Steven+Stamkos/Nashville+Predators+v+Tampa+Bay+Lightning/Uc8F_4bd33V