The Return of the Quick Takes

I’m back baby, and ready to rumble. I took a bit off because we were tweaking the format and posting different things more often but upon further review; because you demanded it Quick Takes is back with a vengeance.  So before we get into it, let’s check the score so far.

Scoreboard

So there has been a shake-up in the scoreboard.

*The Mets are 2 games over .500 at 41-39, but a mile behind the Phils for the division lead and half a mile back in the Wild Card.  So a playoff berth is probably unlikely but they probably won’t be as bad as I expected. But they may wind up being bigger losers because of this season because of the faux playoff run, they won’t trade any big name players to rebuild AND they won’t make the playoffs.  On top of that, Jose Reyes has finally become the consistent MVP lightning rod type player we’ve been waiting for and because of Fred Wilpon’s general awfulness and the Bernie Madoff debacle he’s going to walk at the end of the season.  So I’m still not very pleased with the Mets although it is fun to watch Reyes play this season. <tears>

*Boy do the A’s suck.  My World Series pick for this season was the Oakland A’s and the Milwaukee Brewers.  Now the Brewers have turned it on and made a contender of themselves (although the Yankees are taking them behind the woodshed and showing them what’s up this week) and they may be one trade away from being on the Phillies and Giants level come September. Unlike those two teams, the Brew Crew can hit.

So after losing 9 in a row and then firing there manager, the A’s had a minor bounce back with 5 wins in a row.  But since then they’ve become somewhat of a mediocre side note to the Giants in the Bay Area standing at 36-45 and in last place in a weak AL West.

Meanwhile in Laverne & Shirley-ville, the Brew Crew has made some noise sitting at 44-37, 1 game up on a fading Cardinals squad.  No one in this division poses a legit threat other than the Reds. So it could be smooth sailing for Bernie the Brewer and the beer men from Milwaukee cause let’s face it, the Pirates are an awesome story, and even though I picked the Brewers, nothing would please me more than to see the Pirates win that division. But you and I both know that’s not happening.  We’re looking at a 70 to 80 win season at best which is a great start for that young squad.

So I think I will put the A’s on the back burner and watch them, but pick another possible AL World Series team and that will be ……God can I tell you how much I hate the AL right now.  I really don’t think any team but the Yankees or the Red Sox are going to come out of the AL and it disgusts me.  It was fun to see the Rangers make it last year and the Rays a few years back but now we're back to the same old song and dance. I am so tired of the “Sawx” and the Yanks. SALARY CAP NOW! I digress.

*My Cy Young pick also has taken a severe turn for the worse.  RA “Long Live the Knuckleball” Dickey has not performed up to the Niekro standard. Dickey stands at 4-7, with a 3.77 ERA. It seems the book is out on him. Even though his ERA is not terrible, he seems to be having trouble avoiding the big inning like he did last year. So it’s going to be difficult to cultivate a cy young campaign out of this first half, but I’m putting all my money behind the Knuckleball.

That’s it for the scoreboard so far, now on to the fray.

ESPN needs to get off the NBA’s and the NFL’s tip

This is just getting to be a bit too much now.  I know I'm sounding like a broken record here but what the hell is with ESPN and there continued obsession with the NFL and the NBA.  I will say it again, we get it, they’re ESPN products and need their continued support.  But there I was on my couch on a Monday morning watching ESPN 2's 1st and 10 and here were the following topics: T.O., the NFL network's Top 100 players, who should be the Top 10, Scottie Pippin, is Arian Foster the best RB in the NFL and where should Vince Young go. (cue the crickets) WTF!? I did this last week so let me do it again, here are 5 stories that are way more interesting than that s**t.
1- Jose Reyes is leading the league in hitting by far at .341 and keeping the Mets alive at 2 games over .500
2- Davey Johnson managing the Nats; making it official that AARP will be a sponsor for the MLB. Between Jack McKeon, Davey Johnson and Jim Leyland you have a total age that is larger than all the other 27 managers in baseball, combined.
3- US soccer and the CONCACAF Final
4- The Williams sisters ousted at Wimbledon in same day
5- The Pirates are over .500 this late in a season and only 4 games out of first.
All of these topics are way more interesting than the NFL, who may not even play this year, and the NBA who just ended its season, and they may still go on strike. And the worst part is they talked about the NBA, but they didn't even talk about the most relevant topic in the NBA, the draft.  God, someone needs to take a shovel to ESPN, really. And today it got worse.  I heard Mike and Mike in the morning talking about Herm Edwards at the NFL Rookie Symposium giving a talk about the dangers of being a pro athlete. Now I love me some Herm Edwards. He’s one of the few guys on that network that I can tolerate.  Because he’s entertaining, knowledgeable without being pompous and a former Jets head coach; all good things. But the way Mike Greenberg went on about Herm it was like he was praising his daddy or something. He’s like “Herm Edwards is the best person in all of sports to give this talk. Being a former athlete, and coach he’s the most qualified and blah…blah…blah.” Of course that wasn’t a direct quote but that was the gist of it.  Well actually the gist was this “Herm is the best person in all of sports to give this talk. Being a former player, coach and ESPN analyst he obviously possess the knowledge to direct these young stars. And since I’m such a brainless shill for this conglomerate that has drained the life out of what was once the beacon of creativity and edginess in sports broadcasting, I need to suck the teat of the “Worldwide Leader in Sports” cow that is the Disney version of ESPN. I mean really they could’ve put Jerry Glanville or Jeff George up there and I would say the same exact thing I said about Herm Edwards, and then we; meaning the entire f**king network, will play the clips of Herm talking to death.  To the point where you, the viewer can recite them word for word.  And have everyone from a desk jockey to Steve Young on Sportscenter to analyze what it was Herm was saying.”  Do you get the point yet? I’m tired of ESPN.  But here’s the problem, there isn’t a better outlet yet.  I say yet because that’s where we come in. REVOLUTION! Like Paul Revere without a horse.

Wimbledon

Say what you want about the summer classic at the All England Club, but to me it’s as true a sign that it’s summer as the start of baseball season.  Now I’m not a tennis guy.  I enjoy playing tennis on occasion, and watching the majors when we get to the Semi-finals and onward.  But I’ve noticed a trend in Women’s tennis specifically that has made me watch a little more. Have you noticed that the Women’s Tennis pro field has become a very attractive field?  Look at the final, Maria Sharapova who is beautiful and has been since she broke into the pros in early 2000’s and Petra Kvitova who despite making some awful faces on the court and having a Letterman size gap in her teeth is at least watchable.  But others in this field were very fun to watch from a guy standpoint.  Let’s just take the best from the top 25 players:

*Dominika Cibulkova (ranked #24) Wow, might be one of the hottest girls I’ve ever seen and she’s good.  No Anna Kournakova here.  She made it to the Quarterfinals at Wimbledon before bowing out to Sharapova.

*Ana Ivanovic (ranked # 18) Widely regarded as the hottest woman on the tour right now; Ana is absolutely stunning to watch on the court. Even though her beauty rivals Sharapova, her play at Wimbledon did not, bowing out in the 3^rd round in straight sets.

*Jelena Jankovic (ranked # 15) As hot as she is this Serbian beauty did not have the tennis chops to stick around long enough for us to look at.  She was bounced in the 1^st round.  It was sad to her go.

*Marion Bartoli (ranked # 9) Bartoli may not have your typical blonde hair, blue eye type of hot, but something about her was very nice to look at during this tourney.  Unfortunately she was bounced in the Quarterfinals by a borderline hottie, Sabine Lisicki, but Bartoli did dispose of one of the Williams sisters so that’s always good in my book.

*Maria Sharapova (ranked # 6) Nothing more needs to be said, you know who she is.

*Vera Zvonereva (ranked # 3) Vera, in my opinion, rivals Sharapova in the looks department, as well as the tennis department. Although she didn’t perform as well at this year’s fortnight, she has won 11 singles titles so far in her short career. More than Kournikova ever pulled off.

*Caroline Wozniacki (ranked #1) It was a tough call in the fourth round when the stunning Cibulkova upset the cute Wozniacki.  I mean who do you root for in this case.  All I know is it’s really cool when the #1 player in the world is that HOT! It’s got to be good for you sport.

I know what you’re thinking right now, “where are the Williams sisters?” <yuck>  I do not find these 2 women at all HOT.  Great personalities? Yes. Great players? Hell yes! Good champions? Perhaps 2 of the best ever.  Hot? NO! Sorry guys, I don’t agree with the majority on this.  And it’s not a race thing either.  I think out of the 2, Serena would be the best looking, but she is entirely too manly for me.  I’m afraid she might bench me or something, have you seen the guns on her. And I just don’t find Venus good looking at all.  So don’t go off all half-cocked about race.  I can name five black women I find gorgeous without a blink.

I Still Can’t believe it’s True

Derek Jeter is set to come off of the DL on Monday of next week and I bet Yankee fans can’t wait. Not because there team will be better with Jeter, but because they will have a chance witness history with Jeter attempting to go for his 3,000^th hit; something that has never been done in a Yankee uniform.  I still can’t believe that’s a true figure, that no one the history of the Yankees has ever hit his 3,000^th hit as a Yankee. Of those in the 3,000 hit club only Dave Winfield, Rickey Henderson and Wade Boggs wore the Yankee pinstripes and the only one out of that group that did most of his damage in the Stripes would be Dave Winfield.  So think about this, the Yankees have had the all-time Home Run king, the single season home run king twice, the consecutive games streak forever, only perfect game in World Series history, most championships ever, most pennants ever, most wins in a season and the list goes on.  But the one thing that has eluded them, the 3,000^th hit is about to come home.  I think it’s fitting that Jeter, very underrated as a hitter, will bring this one home to the Yank.  Not only did he bring them back to prominence in the mid 90’s, but now he will bring them what might be the last thing yet to be accomplished in the Yankee Pinstripes. I hate Derek Jeter with all my heart as a fan, but I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to witness his career.  Good luck on your 3,000^th Jeter, and now back to the hatred, enough of that s**t.  

Mario Jr. Returns

Jaromir Jagr will be returning to the NHL next year, and even better he may be returning to Pittsburgh. This might be one of the coolest stories I’ve heard come out of the NHL since Messier went to New York the first time. Jagr was such a tremendous player with such high skill and great scoring ability that to watch him play the game at the highest level was like watch a violent ballet. Jagr could make any defensemen or goalie just look absolutely foolish in his heyday.  But a few years back he decided to play in Russia and last season he proved he was still a force worth reckoning with. Rumors are that Detroit, Montreal and Pittsburgh are the front runners for Jagr’s services next season. Jagr’s numbers in Russia for 3 seasons were very good; 155 games, 66 goals, 79 assists, and 145 points.  Now put him in Pittsburgh with Crosby and Malkin and you have yourself a potential 2 or 3 year dynasty in Pittsburgh.  I like this story a lot and will be covering it going forward. 

A side note, the Mario Jr. thing is from the early 90’s. When Jagr first came up he was a remarkable talent. The likes of which we hadn’t seen since his teammate, Mario Lemieux first came up.  Well some Pens fan figured out if you jumble Jaromir’s name around, it could make Mario Jr.

And Finally…..

Have you ever noticed how sometimes you don’t miss something until you do it again? This past weekend I had the privilege to go to a San Francisco Giants game at AT&T Park with my newly aged 3 year old Ben. Now my general take on sporting events is that I like them, but I would always, ALWAYS prefer to watch them on a good TV with friends around.  Especially when it’s one of my teams playing in a big game. But when it’s any other teams, I’m good to go.  So I’m a Mets fan, going to AT&T Park to see the Giants and the Indians, no big deal.  Outside of the few idiots I encountered (read from earlier in the week to see what I’m talking about) I thoroughly enjoyed myself and realized, once again, how much I love going to games. The atmosphere, the smells of popcorn and hot dogs, and as an added bonus, AT&T Park has the best smelling Garlic Fries ever, and the sounds of the organ.  I haven’t been to any kind of live games since I was scarred by the 2006 Game 7 NLCS devastation at Shea; so I think I had PTSD and now I’m over that. Coming year I now have a new dedication to going to games.

One Last thing

I’m not sure if you have noticed but you’re not seeing a whole lot of “lockout” coverage here at The Sports Riot! That’s because we don’t care.  You see what these crybaby millionaires and billionaires don’t understand is that the fans don’t care about this s**t. And the NFL, the ghouls that they are, continues to exploit and play on the emotions of us fans by constantly leaking info about these meetings.  Look, when a major corporation or a public entity goes on strike they hammer the deals out in private and usually the only details you get from the media are of the basic variety.  Where it is, what is happening and when might it end, THAT’S IT! You never get the back and forth, they want this and they want that crap. No it’s, a deal was reached but no details were released.  So as a fan I beg of you, stop calling these radio shows to talk about this crap, that’s what they want.  If you want to make a statement about your frustration at this selfishness, don’t call the shows, don’t watch NFL Live or the NFL Network, and don’t play this speculation game these vultures want you to play.  All of these shows predicting what’s going to happen in the upcoming seasons when you don’t even know if there is going to be a next season.  It’s stupid and it’s what they want you to do.  So if you feel cheated and annoyed at this crap, just make it stop.  As fans, you hold all the power.  If these crybaby players don’t want to play by the rules of normal money making businesses and continue to rob the NBA blind then don’t by tickets when the season starts and see where that leaves them. If these owners are going to cry poverty then maybe don’t give them the revenue to pony up $20 mil a year for a borderline player like Rashard Lewis.  So let’s unite, and lockout all the lockout programming that’s been going on.  Let’s band together and be fans of the games that are on the field of play.  If the CFL is all we got, then so be it.  Go Argos!

Random Thoughts with Jay, NHL Draft Edition

As soon as the Boston Bruins hoisted the cup I already missed hockey.  While in The States, hockey is probably the 4^th most watched sport (unless that disaster MLS has surpassed it); it’s my second favorite sport behind baseball.  Although the season has ended, there’s still plenty to follow before training camps start in September.  Tracking free agents is a favorite pastime of mine as well as the NHL Entry Draft which took place this past weekend.  Obviously I have an opinion about it.

Winnipeg Has A Name!

Prior to making their first pick in the draft (seventh overall), Winnipeg announced the official name will be the Jets.  This is a relief to all Jets fans who have been doing nothing but speculating since True North purchased the team.  I’ve read a bunch of message boards and the speculation of a name was insane.  I heard the Falcons (which didn’t sound terrible), the Moose (that stuck me as pretty lame considering that was the name of the AHL team that played in Winnipeg), and the Polar Bears (which is totally retarded and reminded me of the defunct IHL Orlando Solar Bears, which is really stupid).  Overall consensus was that the team should be named the Jets, which has been my stance since Day One.

The logo still has not been released and when they made their first pick, center Mark Scheifele, he wore a black “NHL” sweater and hat, so that can be the next thing for the message boards to speculate on.

Winnipeg’s management got this one right.  As you all know the Winnipeg Jets are an official Riot! team and the only option for a name were the Jets.

The New Look Flyers

Thursday afternoon the Flyers made two blockbuster trades.  First they sent captain Mike Richards to the Los Angeles Kings for forwards Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds.

As much as I liked Richards, I love this trade.  Schenn was the Kings top prospect and I’m surprised the Kings parted with him.  Teams have been trying to pry him from LA for the past couple seasons and the Kings refused.  Wayne Simmonds is a good player, who while not an offensive juggernaut, is a good hitter and likes to mix it up. Oh, and Simmonds is black, which never hurts.  Always bet on black.

The second trade was sending Jeff Carter to the Columbus Blue Jackets for a 2011 first round pick (number eight overall), 2011 third round pick, and right wing Jakub Voracek.

I also love this trade.  First off I never liked Jeff Carter.  While he had some good offensive seasons, he’s a pussy who constantly gets hurt (on a side note after I hear of this trade I was talking to some dude at a bar and he disagreed with Carter being a pussy and actually said “well Wayne Gretzky wasn’t a physical player.”  First off, you can’t compare Carter to Gretzky, and Gretzky didn’t need to be physical considering he had the likes of Dave Semenko and Marty McSorley playing the roll of bodyguard.), and checks out during the playoffs.  I never liked him and I’m happy to see him go.  Aside from my dislike of Carter, the return the Flyers got for him is epic.  I’ll get to the draft pick later (which was a total steal), but I dig Voracek.  He’s a former seventh overall pick, who has good size and natural talent.  In his second full season in the NHL he finished with 50 points (that would place him sixth on the Flyers).

These trades also freed up enough money for the Flyers to sign goalie Ilya Bryzgalov.  While I think a nine-year deal is excessive, especially since in the final year of the deal Bryzgalov will be 40, it’s refreshing to know the Flyers will actually have a top tier goalie (over the past two season no other goalie has had more wins in the NHL).  The last time that happened was when Ron Hextall was between the pipes.

The Picks

Look, I don’t claim to know much about hockey prospects, but I do try and do my homework before the draft starts.  Here are a few observations:

-          As I predicted Edmonton took Ryan Nugent-Hopkins with the first pick.  Although this was a deep draft, Nugent-Hopkins was clearly the top dog in the draft.  I envision him playing along side Taylor Hall (the 2010 first overall pick), for many years to come.

-          The Devils snagged Adam Larsson with the fourth overall pick.  Larsson was the best defenseman in the draft and rumors swirled that he might have been the first overall pick.  It was a bit of a surprise that Colorado or Florida passed on him.

-          With the eighth pick in the draft I was hoping the Flyers would grab Dougie Hamilton.  Chris Pronger and Kimmo Tinnamen are both aging, and the hard hitting Hamilton could be on the blue line for years to come.  Instead they went a different route and drafted the best available player, center Sean Couturier.  I was surprised he was available at when the Flyers picked at eight.  Couturier was the top rated draft pick (ahead of Nugent-Hopkins), this past winter until he missed a chunk of the season with mono.  Even with the missed games Couturier had he still finished fourth in QMJHL scoring with 96 points and won the MVP.

-          With the twelfth pick the Hurricanes drafted defenseman Ryan Murphy.  Murphy is small for a defenseman, but he knows how to move the puck.

Additional Trades

The Sharks acquired All-Star defenseman Brent Burns for former 30 goal scorer Devin Setoguchi, Charlie Coyle, and a 2011 first round draft pick. The Sharks gave up a lot for Burns, but as shown in the playoffs the Sharks need defense.

The Blackhawks dealt defenseman Brian Campbell for forward Rostislav Olesz.  Chicago looks like the winner here.  Campbell has five more years on his contract and it’s a real bloated (he’s not that good and isn’t remotely worth the money he’s getting paid).  It works for the Panthers who need to add payroll to meet the salary floor (which is another complete joke.  The Panthers are a shit-run franchise and should be relocated, preferiblely to Quebec City.  Hockey in Miami is embarrassing).

The Sabres got physical defenseman Robin Regehr and forward Ales Kotalik and a 2012 second round pick for Chris Butler and Paul Byron.  I’m confused on this trade from a Flames perspective as they gave up a lot for a couple of young players.  Oilers and Canucks fan have to be happy they won’t have to see Regehr punishing their forwards throughout the season.

Columbus sent Nikita Filatov to Ottawa for a third round pick.  Filatov struggled last season and soured in Columbus, so a change of scenery could really bring out his talent.

The Oilers re-acquired Ryan Smyth for Colin Fraser and a seventh round pick in 2012.    This is a good deal for Edmonton.  With the Oilers being the youngest team in the league, a seasoned veteran can really be a leader these kids need.

The next big date in the NHL is July 1^st when free agency begins.  It’ll have to do until training camp.

Major League Surprises

As we near the halfway point of the season and enter the Dog Days of Summer, the season is really beginning to shape up.  Who are the teams that will contend, who are the jokers, and what players are disappointing or surprising?  As any baseball fan knows it’s a long season and what is supposed to happen on paper doesn’t necessarily mean that’s actually how it will pan out.  As self-proclaimed baseball dorks, this type of thing fascinates us so we hope it fascinates you as well (and if it doesn’t, don’t be a jerk, read it anyway).

The Cleveland Indians

The surge of the Tribe this season might be the biggest surprise so far this season.  They are currently in 2^nd place in the AL central, one game behind the Tigers. Considering they finished with 93 losses last season with only the Royals finishing with a worse record, and no big free agent pickups this past offseason you have to give Cleveland some love.

Personally I find their record to be baffling.  On paper this isn’t a very good team and outside a handful of players like Shin Soo-Choo, Grady Sizemore, and Fausto Carmona, the roster resembles the movie Major League.

Another baffling fact is Soo-Choo is having a career-worst year only batting .244 with 5 home runs and 27 RBI’s, yet his .244 average is ranked fourth on the team.  The saving grace has been shortstop Abdrubal Cabrera, who leads the team in all offensive categories, and defensively has a nightly web gem on Baseball Tonight.

Josh Tomlin and Justin Masterson have led the young pitching staff.  They have cooled in recent days but Carlos Carrasco (the centerpiece of the Cliff Lee trade), has begun to get hot.

Ubaldo Jimenez

Last season Jimenez had a career season when he finished third in wins (19), third in strikeouts (214), second in shutouts (2), eighth in ERA (2.88), and first in winning percentage (.704).  He also finished third in Cy Young voting (behind Roy Halladay and Adam Wainwright), and made his first all-star team.

This year Jimenez has been an abomination on the mound.   In 13 starts Jimenez is 2-7 with a bloated 4.68 ERA.  His K/9 is down over one per game his BB/9 is up per game and his WHIP is almost .500 from last season.  He is currently one of the big reasons the Rockies are struggling to stay above .500.

Curtis Granderson

Granderson has always had five tool talent and has had some impressive seasons.  His best season came in 2007 where he earned his only All-Star birth and batted .302 with 23 home runs, 74 RBI’s, and a league-leading 23 triples.  After that Granderson’s stats slipped and was shipped off to the Yankees before the 2010 series.  His first season was less that the Yankees hoped for, where while he did hit 24 home runs, he batted a meager .247.

With less than half the season passed, Granderson is on pace to shatter the career season he had in 2007.  Currently he leads the American League in runs (62), triples (6), and home runs (21).  His .280 batting average ranks him fourth on the Yankees, and his 53 RBI’s are second only to Mark Teixeira (who has 54).  Granderson is a shoe in for his second All-Star selection and should he keep it up, Comeback Player of the Year.

Lance Berkman

Berkman, a five-time All-Star was one of the most feared hitters in the National League.  During his hay day he averaged 33 home runs and 110 RBI’s per season.  Things started to slip for Berkman in 2009.  He battled some injuries that caused his power numbers to dip and his average dropped over 30 points.  In 2010 Berkman had a real slow start and never recovered.  He was traded mid-season to the Yankees, and what was a perennial All-Star, was now a bench player, backing up first base, outfield and designated hitter.

Berkman wasn’t offered a contract in the offseason by the Yankees, and there weren’t many takers.  That is until the Cardinals took a flyer on the 35-year-old free agent.

It was money well spent.  Berkman is looking like the player of old.  Berkman is currently batting .303, with 17 home runs (he had only 14 all last season), with 51 RBI’s.  Also, given the fact Albert Pujols will be on the shelf until August, they now have an adequate fill-in until Pujols returns.

Hanley Ramirez

Sure, he’s had some injuries this season but Ramirez’s season to date has been an abortion (thank god he’s not on my fantasy team).  The career .306 hitter is currently hovering around The Mendoza Line. His speed numbers are down (13 stolen bases), and he leads the league in times caught stealing (6).  His current play is a shell from what he was two years ago when he led the league in hitting (.342).

Hopefully the recent benching by “Grandpa” Jack McKeon, will wake Ramirez up and he can turn it around.

The New York Mets

This might be a stretch here, but I’m completely surprised that the Mets have recently been flirting with .500.  In my pre-season predications I had them in last place with over 100 losses, and unless they have a collapse of epic proportion, that’s not going to happen.

What’s really surprising here is the Mets are doing this without Johan Santana who’s been out for the entire season and only 39 games by David Wright.  Outside of Jose Reyes, who is an early front-runner for MVP, and Carlos Beltran the Mets have been winning games with cast-offs and no-names.  Guys like Chris Capuano, Dillon Gee, Justin Turner, and Ronnie Paulino have Mets ownership thinking they are going to be buyers down the stretch. 

Adam Dunn

Talk about a bust on the South Side of Chicago.  White Sox fans knew what they were getting into with Dunn’s strikeouts considering he averages a 185 whiffs in a season, but they were hoping for the other guarantees upper 30’s to 40’s in the home run department and at least 100 RBI’s.  Barring a miraculous hot streak, that’s not happening this season.  Through 64 games Dunn seven home runs and 29 RBI’s.  He also leads the league in strikeouts with 91 and although he’s never been much of a hitter for average he’s always at least hit his weight.  His current .195 is completely unacceptable.  He keeps these shit stats up he’s going to get a Venezuelan ass-kicking from manager Ozzie Guillen.

In hindsight, I’m glad he snubbed the Orioles to join Paul Konerko in Chicago.

The Pittsburgh Pirates

Another possible reach, but based on their record this late in the season, it deems some attention.  No disrespect to any Pirates fan (as someone who roots for teams like the Orioles and Oilers, I feel your pain), but they have been a complete joke (along with the Royals and afore mentioned Orioles), for the last 15 years.

Things are looking up for the Bucs.  The top picks they’ve consistently drafted over the years are finally maturing and the Pirates are actually a game over .500 and find themselves in third place in the NL Central, only three games behind the first place Brewers.

Young studs like Neil Walker, Andrew McCutchen, Jose Tabata, and Garrett Jones are leading an offense that uses speed and timely hitting to score runs.  The pitching staff I still find to be a concern.  Any Pirates fan who thinks the Bucs are going to make a playoff push needs to quit smoking PCP.  Should they finish with a record around .500 you have to have optimism for the future.

Jake Arrieta

When most people discuss the Orioles, they discuss the young pitching that has come up through the farm system.  Names like Zach Britton, Chris Tillman, and Brian Matusz are supposed to be the future of the Birds rotation.  Britton has had a solid rookie campaign, but Matusz can’t stay healthy and Tillman has been a mess and is back in the minors.  The one name always overlooked is Jake Arrieta.

Arrieta was very inconsistent in his rookie campaign, sporting a 6-6 record in 18 starts.  In 16 starts this season, Arrieta leads the American League (at the time of this writing); with nine wins on the last place Orioles.  His 71 strikeouts also lead the birds (he’s ranked 25^th in the AL).  Another interesting stat regarding his wins, they account for 26% of the Orioles wins this season.  While it’s not like Steve Carlton’s 1972 season when he accounted for 50% of the Phillies wins, but nevertheless, it’s impressive.

The San Francisco Giants

I know what you’re thinking “how can the defending World Series champs be a surprise?” Well let me tell you.  Being based in the San Fran Bay Area as I am I hear a lot about the Gigantes and the A’s (whom I will bitch about next) and watching the defending champs this season thus far has been a surprise. The Giants today on 6/28 stand in first place in their division with a 2.5 game lead on the D-Backs.  Now granted it’s somewhat of a weak division, but they are still 12 games over .500 with the third best record in baseball.  The first reason why this team is surprising is because they have no middle of the line-up at all.  Currently they have Aubrey Huff with 8 homers and 41 RBI, Pat Burrell with 7 homers and 20 RBI and Nate Schierholtz with 4 homers and 23 RBI holding down the middle of the lineup.  Their three best hitters Pablo Sandoval, Buster Posey and Freddy Sanchez have either been battling injuries all year, or will be out for the rest of the season (Sanchez and Posey are done for the year) and they don’t have one player, not one with more than 8 homers. I know the Giants were built on pitching and they won the World Series on the backs of those studs, Cain, Sanchez, Lincecum and that bullpen, but they also had a lineup that produced something.  Although they just laid 19 runs on the Cubs in a doubleheader sweep yesterday, they haven’t been scoring runs at all. As a matter of fact they had won 5 games in a row last week while scoring a total of 15 runs.  I hope that pitching holds up, they will be a great story if they make it back to the Fall Classic with this lineup.

Oakland A’s

So like I said earlier, being based in the Bay Area of San Fran like I am I bought into this Oakland A’s sob story and hype.  How can there be a sob story and hype you ask?  The Oakland A’s might be the lowest drawing team in the majors right now.  I know the Marlins are tough to compete with in this category but the A’s are giving them a run for their money. In a stadium that holds roughly 35K, the A’s are pulling maybe 12K per game.  I’ve heard that number as low as 6 or 7K at points this season. So the question becomes with a team that has such a rich history and great baseball tradition why are they drawing such a low amount of fans? The stadium is almost always the answer. True it is a dump and it is in a bad part of town but it’s always been a dump and it hasn’t levitated magically to a shit part of town all of sudden so why now? Maybe the area has gotten worse over the years, and with ticket prices rising and the A’s not making the playoffs for 9 seasons I’m sure all play a part.  But for some reason the empty seats seem emptier this season. So there’s the sob story that the A’s lose because their fans don’t support them and the fans don’t support them because the stadium sucks and the stadium sucks because the A’s lose and the fans don’t come out. It’s a vicious cycle I know but here’s where I get pissed; I picked this team to win the AL this year.  They are built like the Giants with tremendous pitching and timely hitting.  Well the pitching was great early but the timely hitting needs to be more than once a month and after a 9 game losing streak, my dreams of a Brewer-A’s World Series is over. I don’t know if that’s a surprise to you, but it is to me.

The New York Mess

Ok, I will admit it, the Mets are way better than I expected them to be.  I picked them to lose 100 games just like Jay did.  But what I will say is I’m not buying it.  Being a Mets/Jets/Rangers fan for my whole life I’ve learned to spot the fraudulent contender early and this Mets team reeks of it. They pulled to one game over .500 last night by annihilating the Tigers 14-3 (they hit their first Gland Salami since 2009) and stand 5 games back in the Wild Card chase and 9.5 games back in the NL East; so a playoff berth is unlikely.  But what this record does is puts management in a position to not better themselves by unloading a Beltran or a Frankie Rodriguez.  I’m not buying this success, I’ve seen it before.  This team will still finish 10 games below .500. It may not be the 100 loss season I predicted but it may actually be worse in the long run.

Great Pitchers having crap seasons

In what is the “year of the pitcher” there are a few guys not having such great years.  Not just scrub guys either, former cy-young winners and perennial all-stars struggling to get it done.  Here’s the list:

*Ubaldo Jimenez – (2010) 19-8, 2.88 ERA (2011) 3-7, 4.50 ERA

*Chris Carpenter – (2010) 16-9, 3.22 ERA (2011) 2-7, 4.26 ERA

*Roy Oswalt – (2010) 13-13, 2.76 ERA (2011) 4-6, 3.76 ERA

What are your major league surprises?  Drop me a line at shatmeself@yahoo,com and we’ll discuss them.  Also, if you haven’t yet, follow The Sports Riot! on Twitter.  You’ll hear about breaking sports news and the daily escapades of me and my esteemed colleague Chris.

Game Etiquette

After reading about Chris’s experience at the Giants game on Sunday it inspired me to revisit etiquette.  In our first installment, we covered bar etiquette and it was received well.  Now we’re going to cover game etiquette.  This is stuff we should know, but unfortunately there are a lot of ignoramuses out there, so class is in session.

Children

Like Chris on Sunday, most parents who are sports fans really get excited when they are taking their child to their first live sporting event.  I remember mine and it’s a rite of passage for all sports fans. 

That being said, your child isn’t the center of everyone’s universe.  If your kid is carrying on and becoming a distraction, get up and take your kid out of the seat.  People are paying good money to watch a sporting event and shouldn’t have to deal with a crying kid who wants ice cream.

Your child also needs to sit in his seat.  I know it’s probably not easy for a kid to sit through an entire game, which is why you need to get up for a bit.  This also avoids your child becoming a distraction.  Never, ever, ever let your kid run through the stands.  They can hurt themselves, it’s annoying to everyone, and makes you a bad parent.

Attire

I’ve touched on this in the past (I think in a mailbag, I have the memory of a goldfish), but I want to go into it a little deeper.  It’s pretty simple and it takes basic common sense. 

If you’re opting to wear some type of sports gear, it must be relevant to the game.  If the Phillies are playing the Mets, leave it to those two teams.  No one gives a sh*t if you’re a Red Sox fan, and you just end up looking like an *ssh*le. Also, and this is big here in Philadelphia, if you’re at a Phillies game, leave your Eagles and Flyers gear at home (no one gives a shit about the Sixers).  Just because you’re wearing gear from the same city doesn’t mean you’re representing.  You’re better off not wearing any gear at all and avoid looking stupid.

There is one exception to this rule.  You can wear a different jersey if that player is on that team.  I own a Mike Vick Falcons jersey and I’ve worn it to Eagles games.  It still holds relevance.

Fellas, leave the flip flops at home; they’re made for the beach not a stadium, and no one wants to see your jacked up feet.  Should you still opt for the flip flops, I hope you get your foot stepped on.  Be a “bro” somewhere else.

I support all gear except one.  The visor. Visors are made for chicks and no man should wear one unless he is on the golf course.  Anytime I see some douche wearing a visor (especially if it’s backwards), I silently pray he gets herpes.

Ladies…  You have attire responsibility as well.  You’re going to a sporting event so dress like it.  Countless times, I’ve seen women walking around the stadium dressed like they’re going to an R. Kelly concert.  Your war paint, big hoop earrings, short skirt, tube top, f*ck me pumps, and hair gel aren’t going anywhere.  They’ll be waiting for you when you get home. There’s no reason to inflict that on people who are trying to enjoy a game.

Your Seat

When arriving at the stadium, take note of who is around you.  If you’re sitting in a section full of nuns or a summer camp trip, watch your language (although making a nun blush is a good time).  You have to have respect for other people around you.  If you want to bitch, complain, and carry on like white trash, do it in your local bar (that’s where I do it).  Occasionally you will slip, passion inflicts that and if you’re not used to being around children it’s bound to happen.  If it does, simply apologize and don’t do it again.

You should also plan ahead.  If you’re someone who pees a lot or feels the need to stretch you legs 15 times a game, make sure your tickets are aisle seats.  Having to constantly get up because someone needs more relish for their hotdog, then has to pee, then wants another hot dog, is a giant pain in the ass.  They have roaming vendors for a reason.

Finally, if you’re one of those people who buy cheap seats in an effort to sneak lower (I support that and have been known to do it myself), there are rules.  Should the people who have tickets for the seats you are sitting in arrive, apologize and get up.  Don’t be an asshole and cop an attitude.  It might be embarrassing to be caught sitting in someone else’s seat but that’s the chances you are taking by sitting in an empty seat.

The Field

This one is really simple.  Stay off of it!  It’s not cool to run around the field and you’re only going to get arrested, your ass kicked, and possibly tazed (if you live in Philadelphia).

You might end up getting street cred in the frat house, but everyone else thinks you’re a giant choad who is holding up the game.

Rooting for the Opposing Team

There’s nothing wrong with rooting for the opposing team.  Before I lived in Philly I spent years doing it because the teams I rooted for weren’t in my home city (and for the first time I will do it in Philly when the Jets come to town to take on the Flyers).  But use your head.  Don’t make a spectacle of yourself and act like an a*hole.

Rooting is good.  I also support good-natured ribbing between rival fans.  Just don’t take it to the idiot extreme.  Standing up, shouting, and taunting is probably going to end up in an ass kicking (something I do not condone).  There are a*hole fans in every city, so there’s a chance it could happen.

Basic Respect

This is self-explanatory, but unfortunately people still don’t get it.  If you bump into someone say excuse me.  When ordering concessions, say please and thank you.  If you have to go to the bathroom, don’t cut the line (you’re not that important).  If you don’t have a kid or a medical condition, stay the hell out of the family bathroom.  It’s no ones fault but your own that you’re pee shy.

Alcohol Intake

Look, it’s been well documented I enjoy a beer or six.  In saying that, try and control yourself for the post game celebrations (or something to cry into).  Aside from the fact that it’ll cost you $60 bucks to get drunk (beers at Citizens Bank Park hover around eight bucks), no one wants to sit next to a drunken asshole who spilling shit and bumping into people.  It’s embarrassing for you and anyone in your entourage.

There’s nothing wrong with getting a good buzz, but behave yourself or go to an AA meeting before the game.

Leaving Early

Nothing is more frustrating when you see people leave the game early.  Regardless of the score, if you’re attending the game stay until the last out or final seconds (barring a medical emergency).  If you’re team is getting their ass kicked and you leave, you’re not a real fan.  If you are leaving early to beat traffic, you’re a peckerhead who should have given the tickets to someone who would appreciate them.

I remember when I was a kid my dad and I went to a Mets/Phillies game (he’s a die-hard Mets fan), and as the bottom of the ninth started the Mets were down by five runs.  My dad wanted to leave because the Mets didn’t have a chance.  As we made our way to the car, the crowd erupted.  The Mets scored six runs in the ninth, capped by a game-winning home run from Darryl Strawberry.  While I was pissed the Phillies lost the game (at the time they were a terrible team and didn’t win much), I laughed that my dad didn’t see the win because he already gave up.

Tailgating

Growing up in New York I didn’t have much experience tailgating.  Sure it was big for football but I always assumed that’s where it was relegated to.  Upon moving to Philly I was shocked that it doesn’t matter the sport, people are going to tailgate.  I have friends who have gone to tailgate for a Phillies game and didn’t even have tickets.  It’s an event here (maybe it wasn’t so much in NY because no one drives to Madison Square Garden and both baseball stadiums are in shit neighborhoods).  Still there are a couple of rules.

Set you stuff up by your car.   There’s plenty of room at the end of your parking spot to set up your grill and cooler.  The parking lot is crowded and there has to be enough space for everyone.  It’s all about consideration.

If you’re playing a game like Cornhole, make sure it’s on the side and not in the way of traffic.  Cars trying to park shouldn’t have to get out of your way.

If you’re meeting people who are already tailgating, don’t come empty handed.  No one likes someone who’s going to mooch off your beer.  Have a little class and don’t be a cheap bastard.

Above all, clean up your mess.  Don’t leave your garbage in the parking lot.  I know here in Philly they actually have people who ride in golf carts with garbage cans on the back.  If your city doesn’t have that, bring your own garbage bag, or locate a garbage can.  Don’t be a f**king pig and leave your trash in the parking lot.

Okay kids, schools over.  Be sure to study, they’ll be a quiz next week.  Have an opinion or think I missed something?  Hit be me up at shatmeself@yahoo.com and we’ll chat.  Be sure to follow The Sports Riot! on Twitter @TheSportsRiot.  You’ll get our thoughts on what’s going on in the sports world and inside our warped minds.

A Day at the Park

(Disclaimer: I think that the San Francisco Giants, fans, players and organization, are in general class acts and I have the utmost respect for most of them, but this just has to be said) 

This may shock some of you, but someone let the founder and general of this rotting vessel we call The Riot! have a child or two.  It's true, anyone can be a parent.  Being a good parent has a whole different set of criteria, and often times I meet them, so there's the good news. Then there are other degenerate s**td**ks out there who should have their reproductive organs amputated for fear that they will reproduce. I know they exist because I spent yesterday with a whole group of them at AT&T Park during the Giants-Indians game. 

First, the good. My 3 year-old son received two tickets to a Giants game for his birthday on Friday from my wife's friend.  They were amazing seats (thank you so much Laraine). Anyway, we met some very cool people on the way in who were excited about Ben's, first pro ball game. I had not been to a Giants game before, but I have always held the Giants fans in high regard, and in the beginning they did not disappoint. The stadium is amazing, one of the best I've seen. I've been there before for a Fan Fest, but never during a game day; it had a much different feel and it was very cool. Then a very friendly lady helped me balance a 3-year old and two uncovered drinks down the steps to our field-level box seats (thanks again Laraine) where we settled in for the game. This is where all the good ended.  Let me just say that the following incidents were isolated and I'm sure do not reflect badly on the Giants fan as a whole; they just really pissed me off.  I went over to change a diaper and there was no changing table in the men's room.  It had been damaged and I needed to find another one.  So I went around the corner and saw a "Family Restroom."  Now, when you see the sign that says "Family Restroom" and it has a picture of a baby on it; does that translate to "Private Restroom?" Apparently in AT&T Park it does.  There was a line of roughly 10 people waiting to use the "Family Restroom." I know what you're thinking --"It's a sold out stadium so waiting in line for a restroom is nothing new," and normally I would agree but here's the problem; nobody was holding a child, or even standing next to one for that matter!  So I was thinking these selfish asses would let me go ahead, given that I was holding a squirmy 3-year old whose dream in life to that point was to see the Giants play, and he was missing some of it because some of these A*Holes were nervous goers, but NO! not on this day. I was annoyed to say the least.  (A side note here, my wife, who has Crohn's disease, let me know that sometimes people with Crone's or IBS need a private restroom if they are experiencing flare-ups. So to those who were legitimately in need of a private restroom, we're cool; but to the rest I hope your next s**t is square.) So 30 minutes and half an inning went by while I was staring at the back of some half-witted teenager who was standing in the "Family" line for the bathroom rambling on about whether Tim Lincecum actually smokes weed. We should've taken a urine sample in the "Family Restroom" from that kid; that might tell the story of that conversation. Then back to our seats, and all was well for a while.  Maybe I'm being bitchy about the "Family Restroom" thing, but the next incident that's coming around the bend really sent me into full-on New Yorker mode.  But before that, a word about the game experience with a 3-year-old.  Benny had an awesome time for about 4 innings and then the 3-year-old restlessness set in. He started to fidget and accidentally hit people in the back of the head, which those people were cool with and Ben apologized for, but around the 5th inning we took a break.  At the end of the game they were letting kids run the bases at AT&T Park, which would be amazing for a kid who thinks every nice looking patch of grass is a baseball field, so i really wanted him to make it through.  So we went for a walk around the park.  As I was walking, I did some selfless promotion.  The Giants had set up an Internet station with about four big screen TV's displaying the webpages people were looking at.  So I decided that the San Fran faithful needed to see The Riot! and they did.  All four screens were donning TSR! proudly and many people stopped and read.

So if you were one of the lucky, welcome aboard. After spending the 6th and 7th innings walking, we returned to our seats with Pretzel in hand, ready to close this baby out.  I have to say I'm shocked that a 3-year-old, without much fighting, made it through a full nine and cheered vigorously to a Giants victory as Affeldt finished off the Tribe by striking out the Shelby Duncan; the16th K of the day for the Gigantes.

Then it was time to head down for the base running exhibition put on by children under 14 (always a treat).  We got on a line that wraps around the whole building, but it was moving rather quickly. After just 30 minutes we got to the gate.  At this point I was in high spirits; Ben and I had had a great evening and now we were going to top it off with  a memorable experience for both myself and my son.  As I was about to enter the field, some "tough guy" comes up with his mullet-sporting boy and unfortunate-looking daughter and cut the line. This usually wouldn't bother me nearly as much because I was having such a good time, but this guy bumped into me and didn't even excuse himself.  Unfortunately I had my 3-year old with me otherwise the full-on New Yorker may have emerged from deep within. So I shook that off and headed to the field behind  Jersey Shore Guido and his two awful-looking spawn.  We got to the starting line of the base running exhibition when this s**td**k stopped his son and gave his mulleted, wheezing bag of boy a pep talk that rivaled Knute Rockne, about "running hard" and "this is your moment." WTF!? Did I stumble onto a Giants tryout field by mistake or was this a fun promotion put on by the team and See's Candies?  I didn't know Tim Sabean, Giants GM, was going to be down on the field signing players after this; I would have prepared myself more for that.  Oh my God, why do we have to put up with these people.  I wish there were Jihadists against douche bags like that.  No, instead they wage "Holy War" against  innocent people while douche bags like this guy put mullets on their poor unknowing kids' heads and then pull this BS. Anyway, Ben ran the bases like a champ and looked completely dumbfounded that he got to be on the field where the "BASEBALL PLAYERS!" get to play (he gets very excited about baseball players).  I have to say a quick thanks and give the Giants' field crew and security credit for making this a very organized and well run event, and not stressing us, the fans, out at all during this process.  I'm sure they were under a fair amount of stress, given that  it was a nationally televised ESPN game, and they need to keep the field preserved for the sake of the next game and so on right?  You can't just have kids wandering the field. So here's the finale of this act-- we were getting off the field.  Parents were not allowed on the field unless they had a very little kid like I did.  So I was walking off the field with Ben and I heard  someone berating a security guy about getting his daughter and that she was scared and that his "family is more important than your "f**king grass."  I turned around and the girl wasn't crying; she was staring at everything like a dumbfounded 8-year old would do. The system was set-up so she couldn't wander off and this guy was acting like someone was about to steal his unfortunate ejaculation from the field. You guessed it, it's the return of wind-pant wearing Jersey Shore wannabe. After berating the security guard (who was remarkably calm and respectful while talking to this ass), he mumbled all the way out of the park.  I followed him just so I can write this piece for you all because you mean that much to me.  So to all you Jersey Shore wannabes who think your children are the best-looking and most talented spawn ever, remember: a mullet is still a mullet, no matter who wears it. And nobody likes you or your kids.
All in all, we had a great time and Ben will remember this day for a very long time, I'm sure.  It's just an interesting thing to note that a kid's experience is way different than yours.  Luckily, our children will not have to deal with inconsiderate people using a bathroom that's not for them or the likes of Mullet-Boy and his greezy, impolite, douche bag father anytime soon; they can just run the bases.