2008 MLB Season, Fin

Hello again everybody...

Happy Halloween to you all. I hope you've come up with a creative costume. Me? I'm dressed as a "WCCO Studio Coordinator who's had his vacation day rescinded". It's more about the attitude than the outfit, but I think I pull it off nicely!

Today's my last word on baseball. Well, until the "hot stove league" begins over the winter anyway. But today I look back on the season that was in Major League Baseball. So off we go!

"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort."
- Herm Albright (1876-1944), American author

That might be the best argument for positivity I've ever heard!

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The 2008 Major League Baseball season. Where to begin? I guess at the beginning right?

March: Spring Training. The annual rite where baseball brings the feel of spring, even if the weather conditions disagree. Unfortunately for me, the season got off to an awful start.

Each March for the last several years, I've taken a trip to visit my parents down in Phoenix and take in a handful of Spring Training games. The last two years haven't gone terribly well. Two years ago my dad got violently ill. So much so, it required a trip to the emergency room. An IV-bag of fluids and some antibiotics later, he came through it okay. But obviously it put a damper on the trip.

March 2008 was even worse. I hadn't even left the airport in Minneapolis, when I found out that my 90-year-old Grandmother was gravely ill and had been taken to the hospital. At my parents' insistence I made the trip to Phoenix anyway, but had to return early when she passed away a couple of days later. Losing a member of the family is always traumatic, but I was comforted by the fact that Grandma Cook was as ready to move on to whatever that next phase of existence is as anyone I'd ever known.

So yeah, it was a tough March. But it led to...

April: The regular season begins.

Also at my parents insistence, I made a "make-good" trip to Phoenix for a 4-day weekend in April. This allowed me to attend a couple of Diamondbacks games for the first time in several years.

I saw two games in which the D'backs worked over the Colorado Rockies - 2007's darling team. And those games cemented my decision to adopt Arizona as my "other favorite team" for the 2008 season. I got my Brandon Webb jersey and took the picture you see at the top-right of the blog.

My adoption was obviously helped by the red-hot start the D'backs got off to (20-8) in the month of April. I also felt good about it considering the 13-14 record my original favorite team, the Minnesota Twins, started with. I felt compelled to add another favorite team, because I didn't want to suffer through what I felt would be a rough season for the Twins without something else to sustain me.

May: The newness of the season has worn off. The comforting routine begins.

This was the first time I'd purchased the MLB "Extra Innings" package. That gives you access to nearly every televised MLB game in the country. This was fantastic because it allowed me to watch D'backs games as well as Twins games. Plus, if there was a must-see pitching match-up on a given night, I could tune that in as well.

It turned out to be better in theory than in practice however. While I'm a big fan of my standard work-hours (1pm-9pm, M-F), it does impinge on prime-time TV viewing. And this year I learned it meant that any game on the East Coast was one I either had to DVR or not watch at all. So while I re-learned to love the dulcet tones of Vin Scully calling a Dodgers game, I didn't feel like I got as much out of the investment as I would've liked.

The D'backs went 12-17 in May, while the Twins went 18-15. That was sure to turn around though, right? Right?!

June: Summer arrives and baseball fans bask in the glow of the warm sun. At least those fans whose teams play in a ballpark without a dirty tarp for a roof. (Come on 2010!!!)

June brought my Dad back into town to do some work for the Sheriff's Office. It also allowed us to attend a game between the Twins and the D'backs at the Metrodome. Despite my adoption of Arizona, I remained solidly a Twins fan for the 3-game set, and was rewarded with a Minnesota sweep. (Thanks has to go out to my main-man Logan, who attended the Sunday game and helped finished off the sweep for the Twins, resulting in one of the greatest pictures I've ever seen!

The D'backs went 10-16 in June. The Twins went 14-9. My two favorite teams were headed in opposite directions in a hurry!

July: Mid-summer. The mid-summer classic. Baseball passes the midway point and the contenders start positioning themselves for playoff runs.

The All-Star game was won by the American League once again, meaning that the ALCS winner would have home field advantage in the World Series. I still hate this rule, but it isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

But I think the game itself was overshadowed by the one skill competition that still captivates people, the Home Run Derby. There was a run of years when the Slam Dunk competition during the NBA All-Star festivities competed with the Home Run Derby (thank you Michael Jordan). But those years a long past.

This year's Derby saw a mammoth first-round performance by the presumptive favorite for this year's Comeback Player of the Year award - Texas OF Josh Hamilton. Hamilton powered a record 28 home runs out of Yankee Stadium to set a new single-round record. Unfortunately for Josh, only the first and second rounds are cumulative. Everybody goes back to zero for the Finals, and that's where Hamilton ran out of steam and was beaten by Minnesota 1st baseman Justin Morneau.

So I was conflicted. I loved the fact that one of my guys won the contest. But my glee was mitigated by the fact that Morneau's victory would be quickly forgotten amongst the well-deserved hype generated by Hamilton's record-setting night.

The D'backs went 14-11 in July. The Twins went 15-10. Suddenly it was looking like both my teams might make the playoffs! Ahhh, baseball nirvana.

August: The dog days of Summer set in and baseball fans start to wish the playoffs would just get here already!

The non-waiver trade deadline was July 31st, so I started August cringing. The Dodgers had added Manny Ramirez, so the D'backs chances just got a whole lot slimmer. The White Sox had added Ken Griffey, Jr. I didn't think that was as costly to the Twins as the Ramirez addition was to the D'backs. But considering that neither of my teams made a significant addition, I wasn't feeling all that great.

The Twins began an epic road-trip at the end of August to make way for the Republican National Convention. While it was widely proposed that this road-trip would define their season, it really didn't as they went 5-9 on the trip but remained in contention.

The D'backs went 13-15 in August. The Twins went 17-12.

September: The home stretch. A crispness enters the air. Who's in the playoffs and who's out of the playoffs gets decided.

Perhaps the most disappointing month of the season for me. The D'backs went 13-13 and stood pat while the red-hot Manny-Ramirez-led Dodgers passed them by. The Twins stumbled to a 11-14 finish which forced them to play a play-in game versus the Chicago White Sox to determine the AL Central Division winner. A game the White Sox won, sending the Twins home for the off-season.

But there was a shining light that came through in the end. The Tampa Bay Rays had gone from the worst record in 2007, to AL East champions. A truly terrific story that had played out over the course of the entire year. Let's face it. I was just thrilled that the Red Sox (whom I hate) didn't win the division.

October: A month of playoff wonder. Even for those of us who's teams didn't make the post-season, we can still pick a team or two to follow and root for!

For me the playoffs became a case of praying that the Dodgers and the Red Sox (whom I hate) didn't both end up in the World Series. It would be a shame to be forced to avoid the Fall Classic.

Fortunately it didn't turn out that way as the Philadelphia Phillies cruised through the NL playoffs to the World Series. And they were joined by the Rays after a hard-fought battle with the Red Sox (whom I hate) in the ALCS.

Unfortunately, the Fall Classic wasn't so classic. Not only did it end in a Phillies victory after only 5 games, but 2 of the 5 games were marred by weather. Game 3 didn't start til late at night after the rain stopped. And as we're all aware, Game 5 took place over 40+ hours after being suspended midway through the 6th inning.

All in all, it was a heck of a season. Some ups, some downs. Some excitement, some dull stretches. Sounds kind of like life in microcosm doesn't it?

I think that's one of the reasons I like baseball so much. It's like a companion that's there for you 8 months out of the year. Nearly every day for those 8 months you can open a newspaper, or log onto a web site and there's baseball. You can pay rapt attention if you like. Or you can tune out for a while and it'll be there whenever you choose to return.

When asked how to follow a losing team with interest, legendary Detroit Tigers broadcaster Ernie Harwell once said, "It's easy. Just remember that every day you go to a ballpark, you might see something you've never seen before."

That's sort of how I experienced the 2008 baseball season. Writing this blog has forced me to watch and research the game in ways I never have before. And if it was possible, it's increased my love for the game.

I hope you've enjoyed taking the journey with me. And hopefully you'll hang around so we can do it all over again next year!

That's all for this week. Have a safe and spooktacular Halloween! I'll be back on Monday with the Post-Mortem on my college football picks. Until then, thanks for reading!

Congrats to the Champs, ST Top 10 Poll & Week 10 picks

Hello again everybody...

I'm on the front-end of a 11-hour as I write this, so I'm working to stay positive. That's a little tough because the Wild suffered their first regulation loss last night, getting worked by the Dallas Stars 4-2. That may not sound like a blow-out, but trust me, it wasn't as close as the score may indicate. Oh well.

On the plus side, the Wild have a chance to get right back after it tonight, as they return home to face Les Habitants. That's right, the Canadiens are in town, and the Hammer is giddy. I can't help it, his giddiness is infectious.

Also we've got new World Champions in the world of baseball. So while my "last word" on the 2008 baseball season will come tomorrow, I want to offer my congratulations to the Philadelphia Phillies. Game 5, part deux, last night was pretty exciting. Plus, since it was only 3.5 innings, it cruised along really quickly. And congratulations should also go out to the Tampa Bay Rays. While the Phillies won the series, the Rays won the hearts of a significant number of baseball fans, and their story is one which deserves to be lauded.

But today is college football day here at the Sports Take. So we've got the 6th edition of the Sports Take Top 10 College Football Poll. And then it's time for my 2008 College Football Picks: Week 10. So let's get after it!

"There are two cardinal sins from which all others spring: Impatience and Laziness."
- Franz Kafka (1883-1924), Austro-Hungarian fiction writer

Ummm, no comment?

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This week brings us the 6th edition of the Sports Take Top 10 College Football Poll. Several dedicated ST readers have voted in their Top 10 teams in college football, and here are the compiled results: (the comments in italics are from random pollsters)

Rank) (first place votes) - Points - Last Week's Ranking

#1) Texas (10) - 100 - 1
Two real challengers left: an explosive Air Raid offense, and a schizophrenic Jayhawk.

#2) Alabama - 87 - 2
Yes, all they do is win, but I can't help but feel an upset lurking within the tough SEC.

#3) Penn State - 81 - 3
It wasn't a pretty win over Ohio State, but they did what they had to do. Barring a series of injuries, they should run the table.

#4) Oklahoma - 61 - 4
They have to be the best 1-loss team in the country.

#5) Texas Tech - 50 - 7
Your schedule has three Top 10 teams: Horns, Cowboys, and Sooners. Prove you belong!

#6) Florida - 43 - 8
63-5 over Kentucky?! If that wasn't a statement game, this week versus Georgia should be.

#7) USC - 38 - 5
They need to blow people out to make their case and they didn't do that versus Arizona. Hence the drop in the polls.

#8) Georgia - 35 - 9
After this week, it'll be UGA or FLA representing the SEC East.

#9) Oklahoma State - 18 - 6
Is it possible to move up with a loss? If Texas keeps winning big, these guys look even better.

#10) Utah - 17 - NR
Their only ranked opponent this year is TCU in two weeks.

Others Receiving Votes: Boise State 15, Ball State 2, Missouri 1, Ohio State 1, TCU 1, Tulsa 1

So there was no upheaval in the top 4 teams, but all kinds of shake-ups in the back half of the Top 10. Anyone see anything that looks out of whack? Attach a comment and let us know!

Finally today, it's time for my Week 10 picks from the world of college football. Two weeks in a row of +.500 performance. Can I keep it up? Can I hit on a Flier Pick after whiffing the last couple of weeks? Let's see!

As always, if recreational gaming were legal and were I to have the wherewithal to make a worthwhile wager, these are the games I'd be betting on:

First off...

Minnesota -7 versus Northwestern (11am): The Gophers are 7-1 (4-1). The Wildcats are 6-2 (2-2).

Does this line seem kind of small to anybody else? I was expecting -10 or something. Especially considering that Northwestern QB C.J. Bacher is questionable with an injury.

The Gophers have been solid defensively and are no longer at a disadvantage against the Wildcats' offensive scheme, since they practice against a very similar attack every day.

Here are some words I never thought I'd say: I love the Gophers in this game. It's their homecoming, so there should be a raucous crowd ready to make a ton of noise. And that turns the Metrodome into a serious home field advantage.

So let's give the 7 and root for the Gophers! (Lon, this is working splendidly!)

Next...

Notre Dame -4.5 versus Pittsburgh (1:30pm): The Irish are 5-2. The Panthers are 5-2 (2-1).

Pittsburgh's coming off a 54-34 upset loss to Rutgers. Getting popped in the mouth by a team you were supposed to beat is one thing.

Having to go on the road to one of the more legendary stadiums in the country after getting popped in the mouth by a team you were supposed to beat, is even worse.

If Notre Dame can get up a couple of scores early, I think they walk with this one.

So we'll give Pitt the 4.5 and wake up the echoes...

Thirdly...

Alabama -23 versus Arkansas State (2pm): The Crimson Tide are 8-0 (5-0). The Red Wolves are 4-3 (2-1).

Quick. Off the top of your head. Can you name the conference that Arkansas St. plays in? I couldn't.

'Nuff said. Alabama names their score here. We gladly give the 23 and roll Tide!

Lastly...

Texas -4 @ Texas Tech (7pm): The Longhorns are 8-0 (4-0). The Red Raiders are 8-0 (4-0).
*This game is this week's Sports Take Flier Pick of the Week!

Ball State is off til Nov. 5th, so I can't use them this week. So I had several different games I could've gone with for the Flier Pick. I finally settled on what will be the most watched game this week (Georgia/Florida being a close second).

Tech proved me wrong last week, so I'll give them respect. But I give Texas more. I think it's fairly clear at this point that they're the best team in the nation. I hear folks say that either Texas or Alabama are destined to lose a game. If that's the case, I think it's 'Bama. Because I don't see anybody beating the Longhorns.

So I'll lay the 4, cross my fingers and hook 'em horns! (Actually, I'll have to use two hands to make that work. Which is going to make operating the remote a real pain! The sacrifices I make!)

So there are your 4 picks this week. See anything you disagree with in there? Speak now, or forever hold your peace! Well, maybe not forever, but at least until Monday!

That's it for today folks. I'm back tomorrow with my final word on the 2008 Major League Baseball season. Until then, thanks for reading!

Game 5, Part Deux & DFTU

Hello again everybody...

I thought today I'd be talking about the end of the World Series, or previewing Game 6. Turns out I'm talking about the first suspended game in the history of the World Series. Opinions and speculation abound. Then it's this week's version of the DFTU. No dilly-dallying. Let's go!

"Play: Work that you enjoy doing for nothing."
- Evan Esar (1899-1995), American Humorist

I'm asked from time to time if I ever expect the blog to start generating money or turn into a second career. My answer? I haven't the foggiest idea why anyone would want to pay me to do this because it would feel like stealing money from them if they did. Don't get me wrong, I'd do it. But this has never felt like work. It's much more like... play!

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Speaking of play...

(that's what we in the business call a "professional segue")

... play resumes tonight in Game 5 of the World Series. For those of you who missed it, a veritable monsoon parked itself over Philadelphia for the last two days, forcing MLB officials to suspend a World Series game for the first time in history.

Think about that. The World Series has been an annual event since 1903. In all that time, never, not once, has a game been stopped and then re-started on a different day. Obviously there's been weather situations before this, but in those cases, the game was never started and was postponed til another day. In 1989 Game 3 of the World Series was postponed 10 days because of the Loma Prieta earthquake. But because it hit prior to the first pitch, even an earthquake didn't suspend a game already in play.

So the question on the minds of many people this week was, should Game 5 of this year's Series have even been started Monday night? Or should MLB officials have postponed it rather than put themselves in this position?

We all know that weather forecasts are fickle. So to those that say that MLB should have decided during the day not to play, I don't think that was ever a viable option. What trapped the folks in the commissioner's office was that there was a potential for the heaviest rain to hold off til 11pm or later. Combine that possibility with the fact that the forecast for Tuesday was even worse than what they were facing on Monday, and I think that MLB can hardly be blamed for trying to get the game in.

It became obvious fairly early on in the game however, that the weather conditions were not going to allow the game to be played to its natural conclusion. So the second question becomes, when should the game have been stopped?

I think Tampa fans are elated that they had the opportunity to tie the game up before it got stopped. Conversely, there are plenty of Philly fans who are screaming bloody murder that the game was allowed to go as long as it was.

There's no easy answer here. Once Tampa tied it in the top of the 6th, it became obvious that the game needed to be stopped right there. Anyone who saw B.J. Upton stumbling around 3rd base as he scored the tying run, could come to no other conclusion.

No, MLB wasn't required to wait until the game was tied. The commissioner has the discretion to suspend a World Series game, even if it's gone past the requisite 5 innings regardless of the score. But once Tampa tied the game, it became far easier to stop play.

Bottom line, they pushed it as far as safety allowed and stopped it when they had to. I don't really have a problem with starting the game and trying to get it in. And I don't have a problem with stopping it when they did. It was a no-win situation to be sure, but I can't think of a better way that it could've been handled based on the information that MLB had.

So what happens tonight? The first pitch of the bottom of the 6th is scheduled for 7:37pm central time. Grant Balfour will be on the mound. At least until Philadelphia's first batter is announced, when it's assumed that manager Joe Maddon will bring in rookie sensation David Price. Why the convoluted switch? Balfour was the pitcher of record when the game was suspended, so by rule, he has to be on the mound when the game is started. However, once the first batter is announce, the game has officially resumed and Maddon is free to make whatever substitutions he likes.

Does either team have an advantage with the suspension? Well, clearly the Phillies have the advantage of the extra half-inning. Because the game was suspended in the middle of the 6th, the Phillies have 4 at-bats, while the Rays have only 3.

On the other hand, the Phillies had their ace, Cole Hamels, on the mound and with the suspension, they lose his services. But I'm not sure this is really that much of a disadvantage for the Phillies. If you recall in my preview, I said that the Phillies had a distinct advantage in terms of their bullpen. So if this second part of Game 5 is going to be bullpen versus bullpen, then shouldn't Philadelphia be favored?

Look, there's no history to fall back on here. Therefore I have no earthly idea how this is going to shake out. I've been rooting for the Phillies though, so I'll continue that tonight.

If you want to say you witnessed sports history, tune in tonight for the first ever "second half" of a World Series game!

Finally today, it's time for everybody's favorite segment: Dan's Favorite Teams Update!

Wisconsin Badgers: The Badgers are 4-4 (1-4 in the Big 10).

Finally! Off the schneid in the Big 10! Thank the maker.

For those of you who missed it, the Badgers defeated the Illini 27-17 this past Saturday. Junior QB Dustin Scherer finally stepped up and made an impact, throwing a TD to David Gilreath and running for another on his own.

The defense was also a huge part of the win, picking off Juice Williams 3 times to help set the offense up with short fields.

I don't know where this version of the Badger football team has been for the last four weeks, but it's nice to finally see them. Welcome back fellas!

The biggest bonus of the win over Illinois is that it sets the Badgers up pretty well for bowl eligibility. The rest of the schedule is: @ Michigan State, @ Indiana, vs. Minnesota and vs. Cal Poly. I think we can be fairly confident in wins over Indiana and Cal Poly, and those two wins gets the Badgers to the magic number of 6.

The biggest negative of the win over Illinois was losing TE Travis Beckum for the rest of the year. Beckum broke his left leg and had surgery this week to repair the damage. This is sort of a double-whammy for Beckum. Travis was considering entering the draft last year, but decided to come back for his senior season. So not only does he lose the rest of this season, but he's on a tight schedule now if he wants to rehab in time for the NFL Combine. Forgive the pun, but that's a tough break for him. (Damn you Lon!)

As mentioned earlier, the Badgers are on the road this week, facing the Michigan State Spartans (7-2, 4-2) at 11am on Saturday. On paper Michigan State is certainly the favorite here. But the Badger fan in me wonders if the whipping they took from Ohio State a couple of weeks ago perhaps took some of the fight out of them. We shall see!

Minnesota Wild: The Wild are 6-0-1, 13 points, and in 1st place in the Northwest division.

Minnesota has earned the distinction of being the only team left in the NHL without a regulation loss. That's obviously mitigated by the fact that they have a loss in overtime. But the NHL's bizarre standings rules aren't the Wild's fault, so Wild fans should feel just fine about touting that distinction!

I'm still not sure exactly how the Wild are pulling this off. With all the scoring they lost in the off-season, and with Marian Gaborik still on the shelf with an injury, it's incredible to me that they're winning at this pace.

The main reasons for this surge as near as I can tell?

1. Mikko Koivu - the man that earned the C for the month of October may very well be in line to become the Wild's first full-season captain. Koivu is amongst the league-leaders in assists and has been, without question, the Wild's best player.

2. Antti Miettinen - the winger has been one of a pair of significant free-agent acquisitions. Most fans had no clue who the guy was when he joined the Wild, but since scoring 6 goals in the first 7 games, they sure know who he is now!

3. Andrew Brunette - the only mistake Doug Risebrough has ever admitted to making was letting Bruno go a few years ago. Now the power forward is back and once again a part of the Wild's top line. 3rd on the team with 7 points, the move to bring him back is paying off.

4. Niklas Backstrom - his .932 save percentage is 5th amongst goaltenders with more than 5 starts, and his 1.98 goals-against average is 4th. It makes things remarkably easier on your defensemen when you have a stopper like Backs between the pipes!

The Wild shoot for their 7th win on the year tonight as they visit the hated Dallas Stars at 7:30pm central time.

(Aside: I'm wearing a Minnesota North Stars sweater today. This has drawn some questioning looks around the ST offices. But at this point, I consider the North Stars and the Stars as two wholly distinct and separate franchises. My loyalties clearly still lie with the Wild.)

After tonight's tilt in Dallas, the Wild return home to face Montreal tomorrow night before heading back on the road for a west-coast swing which starts Saturday in Phoenix.

That's all for today folks. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for the Top 10 Poll and my Week 10 Picks! Until then, thanks for reading!

World Series Games 3 and 4 & Week 9 Post-Mortem

Hello again everybody...

Back to the start of another work-week. And a frustrating one it is for me. I was supposed to have this coming Friday off, but one of the other Coordinators messed up his knee and is out for another full week at least. Unfortunately for me, the brain-wizards who run this place have seen fit to under-staff us to the point that I had my vacation day rescinded.

Normally that would annoy me in and of itself. But because apparently God got bored again, it gets worse. I found out late last week that the Coen brothers (No Country For Old Men, O, Brother Where Art Thou?, etc.) are going to be filming a portion of their new movie at the Synagogue across the street from my apartment building. You guessed it... starting Friday. And just to add insult to injury, they're all evening shoots, from 5-9pm. How late does Dan have to work? Yup, til 9pm.

Yes, this is my life.

But enough of my grousing. The World Series is on the verge of conclusion, so today I'll go over what happened over the weekend and then preview tonight's potential clinching game. Then it's time to dissect how my college football picks did in a little segment I like to call the Week 9 Post-Mortem. So let's get to it!

"It is well to remember that the entire universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others."
- John Andrew Holmes, author

Doesn't it just grate on you when people get all wrapped up in their own drama?! Yeah, me too.

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If you didn't see the World Series games over the weekend (and judging by the ratings, you didn't - copyright Harry Doyle), you missed out on a whale of a Game 3 and an unexpected blowout in Game 4.

Game 3: Philadelphia 5, Tampa Bay 4

If it wasn't for the sloppy defense at the end, this would've been one of my favorite World Series games from the last 5 years. You had the young lion (Matt Garza) squaring off against the cagey veteran (Jamie Moyer), and both had outstanding performances.

Garza didn't have the same kind of outstanding stuff that he did in Game 7 of the ALCS and the Phillies were able to score 4 runs off of him over his 6 innings of work. Moyer on the other hand took his "slow, slower and slowest" approach and held the Rays lineup to 3 runs over his 6 1/3 innings of work.

I loved watching Moyer guile his way through this game. The guy's 45 years old and in his first career World Series. Most people, including yours truly, had penciled his start as the one that the Phillies would lose at home. Instead he threw every piece of junk he could get his hands on (I'm pretty sure there was a porcelain fixture sighting in there somewhere) to hold the Rays line-up down.

I just wish it had been those two performances that decided things. But the Rays scored the tying run in the 8th when B.J. Upton stole 3rd and then scored when the throw to third went into left field. The Phills then scored the winning run when a Tampa miscue put a Philly runner on third, which was followed by one of the ugliest infield, dribbler singles you'll ever see.

So the Phills took a 2-1 series lead heading to...

Game 4: Philadelphia 10, Tampa Bay 2

This one was all but over by the 5th inning. Ryan Howard's bat finally woke up as Philly's slugger hit 2 home runs including a prodigious blast in the 8th inning to help salt the game away.

Rays starter Andy Sonnanstine wasn't able to get out of the 5th inning having given up 5 runs, though only 3 of them were earned.

Phillies starter Joe Blanton was not only solid on the mound (6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER), but also hit a solo home run to help give his club a lead they'd never relinquish.

This one was never all that close, which was disappointing because the Rays needed this game badly to make this a close series.

Instead the Phillies own a 3-1 series lead as we head to...

Game 5: Scott Kazmir (TB) vs. Cole Hamels (Phi)

I'm not going to say this is a lock win for the Phillies, because it's not. But consider these numbers:

Cole Hamels is 4-0 in the playoffs with a 1.55 ERA.

Scott Kazmir is 1-1 in the playoffs with a 4.15 ERA.

Hamels is young, and there have been some questions about the shape his arm is in this late in the year.

Kazmir has been shaky at best, but the Rays have David Price sitting in the bullpen ready to come in if Kazmir struggles early.

That all being said, I think the Phills will be popping the champagne at the end of the night. Either way, I just hope it's a good game. I was hoping that this Series would be more tightly contested than it has been so far. So even if it ends tonight, I'd like to see it go out on a high note if at all possible.

7 pm is the scheduled starting time. First pitch, as usual, won't be til closer to 7:25 pm.

Next up, it's time for my Week 9 College Football Picks Post-Mortem!

Last week was a nice bounce back for the picks, but could I continue it this week? Did my magical "+ .500" season continue? Would I just get to the damned results already? Okay, okay, settle down!

Minnesota -1 @ Purdue: Final Score - Minnesota 17, Purdue 6.

Once again, the Gophers defense stepped up. Giving up only 6 points to a Boilermaker offense that has the potential to put a bundle of points on the board is an impressive effort, especially on the road. Granted, Purdue QB Curtis Painter got hurt and couldn't complete the game. But if you consider where the Gopher defense was last year versus the performances they're giving this year, it's still damned impressive.

What Dan Learned: Minnesota's pretty good. They're clearly behind both Penn State and Ohio State, but you could argue that they're the 3rd best team in the conference. 3 out of their next 4 games are at home. And it wouldn't surprise me a bit if they're favored in all 4. No, I'm not saying they have a chance at a Rose Bowl (the loss to Ohio State will probably preclude that), but a New Year's Day bowl is suddenly very much in reach.

1-0 and feeling good about the day.

Kansas -1.5 vs. Texas Tech: Final Score - TX Tech 63, Kansas 21

Woops.

ST reader "Lon in Forest Lake" accused me of being on a controlled substance when I made this pick. No Lon, that's the fella at that other radio station.

But I will admit to being glaringly wrong in my assessment of this game. I'm still not sure that Tech is totally for real, but suddenly I don't think that the Longhorns can name their score against the Red Raiders this coming week.

What Dan Learned: "The first rule of poker is leave emotion at the door" - Rusty Ryan, Ocean's 11.

I picked this game because I wanted to be right about Tech being a fraud, not because there was evidence that Kansas could actually beat them. That was a mistake. No more emotional picks! Unless they're Flier Picks that is!

1-1, but my darling Ball State Cardinals will come through for me, right?

Ball State -25 vs. Eastern Michigan: Final Score - Ball State 38, E. Michigan 16
*This was the Sports Take Flier Pick of the Week.

Dammit. 3 measly points from a push. One freaking field goal.

Oh well. Vegas was going to over-estimate Ball State sooner or later. Hopefully we'll get a more reasonable spread this week.

Thank God for the Flier Pick. Still 1-1 and needing Alabama to pull through!

Alabama -6.5 @ Tennessee: Final Score - Alabama 29, Tennessee 9.

Whew.

Here's the thing. Bama's #2 in the BCS, but #3 Penn State is getting all the predictions for the Title game.

How's that work? All Bama does is win. Maybe they're not blowing people out of the water. But they're not exactly nail-biters either.

What Dan Learned: Phil Fulmer better have that resume updated. He saved his job late last year, but I don't think he'll pull it off two years in a row. Sorry Jon.

So 2-1 this week brings my season total to 21-13 (.618). We're making money baby! Well, we would be if we were actually betting on these games. But still, I feel good!

That's all for today folks. Remember, check out tonight's baseball game. It may be the last one you'll see till February! I'll be back on Wednesday, with perhaps a baseball season-wrap, and at least a solid DFTU effort! Until then, thanks for reading.

World Series Games 1 & 2

Hello again everybody...

It's almost the weekend, though for some of us it'll be shorter than for others. I don't mean to grumble, but one of our guys went down with a knee injury and won't be back for a couple of weeks. And the wunderkinds that run this place have so understaffed us (thank you crappy economy) that those of us who are healthy enough to work, are being saddled with all kinds of overtime, including having vacation days rescinded. Joy.

But enough of my whining. We have a 1-1 World Series and it looks like this one might go the distance. That's nothing but good for baseball. So today I'll talk a little bit about what we've seen in Games 1 and 2 and what's on tap for this weekend.

Onward!

"The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you're still a rat."
- Lilly Tomlin (1939- ), American actress, comedian, writer and producer

Yeah, not feeling real kindly towards the job at the moment. Can you tell?

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So we're two games into the 2008 World Series and it's tied at 1 game apiece.

First of all, I have to call out my father. Mind you, I love the man dearly and have nothing but the utmost respect for him.

But there's only so far I can be pushed before I have to push back.

You'll recall I laid out my reasons for rooting for the Phillies back on Wednesday. Well not long after that I got an email where my father stated that I ought to be rooting for the Rays since he was born in St. Petersburg. Seems like a reasonable request, doesn't it?

What my dad wouldn't tell you is that he's an army brat (that's not my term - I'd never refer to my father directly as a brat), and spent like 15 minutes in St. Pete before they moved off to the next army base. So it'd be like telling me I can't root for Maple Grove since I was technically born in Golden Valley. Even though the family moved to Maple Grove before I was old enough to have a clue about what a city even is!

What he also won't tell you is that prior to these playoffs, he'd seen exactly zero Tampa Bay Rays games. And even at this point, he couldn't tell you 5 players from the team without using the Internet to cheat.

So I'm rooting for the Phills and anybody who'd like to insinuate that I'm going against the family can kindly shove it!

Sorry Dad, I needed to get that off my chest.

So about the actual games...

Perhaps the most remarkable stat of the Series so far is that Philadelphia hitters are 1 for 28 with runners in scoring position (RISP).

1 for 28?!

I guess on the upside, that means that the Phills are getting plenty of guys into a position to score. But to have that level of failure at bringing them in is flat-out astounding.

The Rays on the other hand, proved last night that they don't have to hit home runs to win. With runners on 2nd and 3rd and nobody out in the bottom of the first, they executed two straight ground balls to the right side of the infield, bringing in 2 runs and jumping out to a 2-0 lead. It isn't flashy and chicks don't dig the "ground ball out rbi", but small-ball can win baseball games, and Game 2 was a huge win for the Rays.

The bottom line analysis for Games 1 and 2 is that even with their RISP failures, the Phillies managed a split in the first two games, which gives them a chance to close it out at home if they sweep the 3 games in Philadelphia.

I doubt that'll happen, but there's at least that opportunity.

Instead, I'm forecasting a 2-1 breakdown in favor of the Phills. I like Tampa's chances in Game 3 with Matt Garza on the mound, but I see the Phillies taking the next two behind Joe Blanton in Game 4 and Cole Hamels in Game 5.

The teams are off today as they travel back to Philly. Games 3-5 are Saturday through Monday at 7pm. There may be some weather on Saturday which could make things interesting. When was the last time we had a World Series double-header? Okay, I doubt they'd actually do that, but how much fun would that be?!

So tune in if you can, or check back Monday for my thoughts on Games 3 and 4!

That's all for this week folks. As I said, I'll be back on Monday. Until then, thanks for reading!

ST Top 10 Poll (5th ed.) & 2008 College Football Picks: Week 9

Hello again everybody...

Thursday's here and that means we usually get right to the college football goodness. But with the World Series having started, I have to at least mention Game 1.

I'll have more on the Series tomorrow, but for today, suffice it to say that I thought Game 1 was close, but with all the runners stranded on base, not terribly dramatic. Both pitchers threw relatively well, but neither was truly dominant. All the pressure's on the Rays now though, as they really can't afford to go to Philadelphia down 2-0.

As I said, more baseball tomorrow.

One other quick note... Today marks the 100th edition of The Sports Take. Sweet, I qualify for syndication! (What? That's only for TV Series?! Somebody get my agent on the phone! What? I don't have an agent?! Dammit!)

Today, it's college football. That means we get the 5th edition of the Sports Take Top 10 College Football Poll. Then it's more of the finest in college football prognostication as I give you my picks for Week 9! Off we go...

"Humor is the only test of gravity, and gravity of humor; for a subject which will not bear raillery is suspicious, and a jest which will not bear serious examination is false wit."
- Aristotle (384 BC - 322 BC), Greek philosopher

Any quote that can work in the term "raillery" is good by me!

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First off today it's the 5th edition of the Sports Take Top 10 College Football Poll. 10 loyal Sports Take readers have grouped together and voted to bring you their Top 10 teams in the nation. Comments for each team come from a random selection of pollsters. Without further ado, here are the results:

Rank) Team (1st place votes) - Points - Last Week's Ranking

#1) Texas (9) - 99 - 1
Handily beat Missouri 56-31. Still several tough tests ahead. But any doubts about their ability to bounce back from an emotional win over Oklahoma were definitively answered.

#2) Alabama (1) - 88 - 2
They need to focus on the games at hand, not LSU in 3 weeks.

#3) Penn State - 78 - 3
If they win in Columbus this week, they'll play for the National Title.

#4) Oklahoma - 61 - 4
Essentially two games behind Texas in the Big 12 South, they are the best team in the nation with no shot at playing for the National Title.

#5) USC - 43 - 8
Absolutely dismantled WASU 69-0. Running up the score? Probably. But it's what they have to do to get themselves back in the title hunt.

#6) Oklahoma State - 37 - 9
If the Cowboys can find a way to win at Texas this week, Mike Gundy is not only a man... he's THE man!

#7) Texas Tech - 34 - T5
This is mostly because I can't make myself vote for USC or Florida yet... and Minnesota doesn't have a signature win yet.

#8) Florida - 32 - T5
Crushed an overrated LSU team in the Swamp. Possible let-down this week versus Kentucky as they look ahead to Georgia.

#9) Georgia - 25 - 10
Could be a Top 5 team with wins at LSU and versus Florida in the next two weeks.

#10) Ohio State - 24 - NR
National Championship here we come! (unless Penn State beats us, then they'll go)

Others Receiving Votes: Utah 12, Boise State 9, LSU 6, Ball State 2

So there you have it. Not much change at the top, but the middle sort of jumbled itself up. Do you see any great injustices? Anyone that's way too high or way too low in your opinion? Add a comment below and tell us why!

Finally today it's my 2008 College Football Picks: Week 9!

It was a struggle to come up with lines that I thought were off this week. So I'm out on a limb with a few of them. That could mean my first 0-fer week of the season. Or it means that I could keep things rolling. Who knows?!

So as always, were recreational gaming legal, and were I to have the wherewithal to make a worthwhile wager, these are the games I'd be wagering on:

Minnesota -1 @ Purdue (11am): The Gophers are 6-1 (2-1). The Boilermakers are 2-5 (0-3).

In the spirit of Lon from Forest Lake's advice, I'm going with the Gophers here. Minnesota's had two weeks to prepare for what's still a potent Purdue offensive attack. The Gopher defense has been playing with more speed and aggressiveness this year, which accounts for a large part of their turnaround.

The Purdue defense on the other hand, has been woeful. So I think the Boilers are going to have a devil of a time slowing down the Weber-to-Decker express. And if Minnesota gets the passing game rolling, that will open plenty of holes for running back DeLeon Eskridge.

I expect the Gophers to win by at least 10 points. So we'll give the one and root for the Gophers!

(I'm taking an awful risk here Lon, this had better work! - copyright Grand Moff Tarkin)

Next...

Kansas -1.5 vs. Texas Tech (11am): The Jayhawks are 5-2 (2-1). The Red Raiders are 7-0 (3-0).

I've believed all along that Tech is a fraud. They run a gimmicky offense that can score a lot of points, but they haven't faced a team that also scores a lot of points. That ends this week.

Kansas isn't quite as strong as they were last year, but they can still go.

I think the home field advantage comes into play and Kansas edges this one out by a field goal. So we'll give the 1.5 and rock, chalk, Jayhawk!

Thirdly...

Ball State -25 vs. Eastern Michigan (11am): The Cardinals are 7-0 (3-0). The Eagles are 2-6 (1-3).

This is the Sports Take Flier Pick of the Week.

25 points is a huge number. But Ball State's had two weeks to get ready for a barely-breathing Eastern Michigan squad. And they get them at home.

Ball State's the ST darling team, so what the hell, give the 25 and make them the Flier pick!

Finally...

Alabama -6.5 @ Tennessee (6:45pm): The Crimson Tide are 7-0 (4-0). The Volunteers are 3-4 (1-3).

The entirety of this game hinges on which Tennessee team shows up. Will it be the team that got smoked by Florida 30-6 at home? Or will it be the team that worked over a tough Mississippi State defense 34-3 at home?

With a potent offense like Alabama's visiting Knoxville, I have a feeling it'll be the former. Yes LSU is a big game in a couple of weeks, but I think there won't be much looking past the Volunteers. Nick Saban's way to good of a coach to allow that.

I think the Tide's revved up and sticks it to Tennessee here. (Sorry Jon)

So we'll give the 6.5 and roll Tide!

So there you have it. Feel free to add a comment with your thoughts/feelings about them below. At least we'll have a solid idea of how I'm doing early in the day!

That's all for today folks. I'll be back tomorrow with a quick look at the first two games of the World Series (go Phillies!). Until then, thanks for reading!

World Series & DFTU

Hello again everybody...

It's a gloomy Wednesday here in Minneapolis weather-wise, but that's okay because tonight begins my personal favorite spectacle in all of sports. That's right, the World Series begins tonight in Tampa Bay.

So today I'll have my World Series Preview and tell you who I'm rooting for and who I think will win. Then it's this week's version of the DFTU. So no dawdling, let's have at it!

"I have never met a man so ignorant that I couldn't learn something from him."
- Galileo Galilei (1564-1642), Tuscan physicist, mathematician, astronomer and philosopher

I've talked to several that have called into WCCO radio, but I've never actually met them.

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So tonight it begins. The World Series. Game 1. Though I'm certain the executives at Fox Sports are cursing the fact that it's not a LA/Boston (whom I hate) Series, I'm looking far more forward to the Phillies/Rays match-up that we'll see tonight.

And that's because the teams are so evenly matched. At least on paper. And as we all know these games aren't decided on paper. But paper is all we have to go on at this point, so in that vein, here's my breakdown:

Hitting: Both teams showed the ability to score runs in the run-up to the World Series. For the Phillies, Shane Victorino has been their clutch hitter. Not the source Philly fans would've predicted headed into the post-season, but I'm sure they'll take it. As for their big guns? Ryan Howard and Chase Utley started slowly in the LDS and LCS, but started to come on in the late stages, and are in a position to peak at the most important time.

For the Rays, there hasn't really been a single "clutch" hitter. They've shared the wealth. And that's really the story of their entire season. At any given point, it's been a variety of players that have stepped up to do the job. Their big guns? Evan Longoria, Carl Crawford and B.J. Upton have all stepped up at various times, though none of them have dominated over long stretches.

Advantage: I give a slight edge to the Phillies here. And I say that because I anticipate big things from Howard and Utley. If they don't track like I expect, then this could change in a hurry.

Starting Pitching: Again the teams are fairly evenly matched. The Phillies rotation looks like this: Cole Hamels, Brett Meyers, Jamie Moyer and Joe Blanton. Hamels going in Games 1 and 5 is a natural. Meyers and Moyer have been a touch shaky in the post-season. And Blanton has been a good anchor to the rotation.

The Rays counter with: Scott Kazmir, James Shields, Matt Garza and Andy Sonnanstine. Kazmir was supposed to be the Rays ace coming into the playoffs, but has struggled mightily with his control. Shields has probably been their best starter over both the LDS and LCS. Garza, of course, was your ALCS MVP. And while Sonnanstine was probably the 4th best starter amongst the 4, he's been fairly solid.

Advantage: Gotta give this one to the Rays. While we've seen over the years that dominant starting pitching isn't the end-all/be-all of winning the World Series (Atlanta Braves anyone?), it's a strong component of a champion. And while neither staff is unworthy of winning, I think it's pretty clear that Tampa has the stronger foursome.

Relief Pitching: The closer for the Phillies is Brad Lidge, whom I believe has converted something like 45 of his last 45 opportunities. None too shabby.

The closer for the Rays is... undecided? Troy Percival closed much of the year, but there are questions as to his health. When he was out during the year, Dan Wheeler closed. But as they say, as a closer, he made a heck of a set-up guy. In Game 7 of the ALCS, rookie David Price closed the game for the Rays. So certainly he's an option in the Series, but he is a rookie.

Advantage: Clearly the Phillies have the edge in the bullpen. Their roles are more clearly defined. And as a group they've had more success than Tampa. If the games are consistently close, then Philly has a definite advantage.

Defense: You don't make the World Series if you're weak on defense. That being said...

Advantage: The Phillies have slightly better numbers in the post season. 2 fewer errors. 4 less stolen bases allowed. 1 more outfield assist. These aren't large differences, but taken in totality, they do tip the scales towards Philadelphia.

Managing: Tampa's manager Joe Maddon has a career record of 251-286 and is 7-4 in the playoffs.

Philadelphia's manager Charlie Manuel has a career record of 574-484 and is 9-8 in the playoffs.

Advantage: Push. Yes, calling it even is something of a cop-out, but both of these managers have been pretty terrific this season. Maddon is clearly going to win the AL Manager of the Year award, and Manuel will certainly get consideration in the NL. While Charlie has a slight edge in terms of experience, their playoff opportunities are similar if you consider the time that Maddon spent in Anaheim working with Mike Scioscia. If I was going to look for any crack in either armor, I might suggest that Maddon made some curious pitching decisions in Games 5 & 6 of the ALCS. But I'd also have to point out that he pushed every correct button in Game 7 pitching-wise, so it's hard to find any advantage for either team here.

So if you add all that up, who wins the World Series? I say Philadelphia. Neither team has a distinct advantage over the other, so I expect that this Series will go at least 6 games if not the full 7. And that should create plenty of tension and drama. All of which is good for baseball. But I have to make a pick, so I'm calling it for the Phillies in 7.

Game 1 is tonight at 7 pm (if the first pitch gets thrown before 7:25, I'll be shocked). And remember, in the last 11 World Series, 10 times the team that won Game 1 won the the whole thing, including the last 5 in a row. Yet another reason to favor the Phills. Cole Hamels is the best pitcher the Phillies have. The same can not be said for Scott Kazmir and the Rays.

The final question is, "Who's Dan rooting for?" Believe it or not, it's also the Phillies.

I know many of you would think that I'd root for the Rays. And there are plenty of reasons to like Tampa. If they won the Series, they'd become the first team in baseball to go from the worst record one year to World Series champion the next. And I likes me some history. And then there's the fact that they beat the team I despise more than any other. Both wonderful reasons to pull for Tampa.

But I have far more personal connections to the Phillies. My former radio employer and one of my best mentors, Mike Sullivan, is a big-time Phillies fan. And one of my closest female friends has a good friend who's father is a scout for the Phillies. Sure that's kind of convoluted, but this friend of mine is seriously attractive, and if you don't think that counts for a lot, you're kidding yourself!

So in the end, the personal ties won out over the "good story" element and I'm pulling for the Phills! And in saying that, I really hope I haven't put the whammy on them.

We'll see how it goes!

Finally today, it's time for everybody's favorite segment: Dan's Favorite Teams Update!

Wisconsin Badgers: The Badgers are 3-4 (0-4 in the Big Ten).

I said on Monday that I needed advice as to how to deal with your college football team sucking the bag. And there can be no question at this point that the Badgers are pretty awful. Fortunately, my good friend and loyal ST reader, Lon in Forest Lake, came through with flying colors. If you didn't see the comment he attached to Monday's column, here it is:

Lon said...

Counseling from a Husker fan, on how to get through a season where your team sucks the bag:

1. Once conference play starts, start reciting, "Well, there's always next year."
2. Get a hobby. One with no sharp instruments (woodworking = not so good...knitting = marginal...coloring books = good)
3. Follow the local small-town papers in the state, who tout their local talent as "Ready to help the College team next year."
4. Become fans of your conference's biggest rival. Then, after you cheer them to victory, you can say, "We beat the stuffing out of them 30 years in a row, you know."

...I really wanted a 5th, for 5 years of Coach Alienation (Callahan), but other than "learn how to mask weeping with hysterical laughter", I couldn't come up with anything.

Solid advice I think. So I guess I have to start reminding myself, "There's always next year!"

And let's see... hobbies? I haven't played much poker lately. I suppose I could pick that back up.

Helping the team next year... I hear there's a freshman quarterback they like a lot.

Fan of the rival... I really have to root for the Gophers?! Okay, I guess I can find some sort of middle ground there. So enjoy your season Gopher fans. You're playing really well and I hope you beat Purdue this week. And I'll even grant that you're likely to beat the Badgers on November 15th. Of course, that'll be only the 4th time you've won "Paul Bunyan's Axe" in the past 15 years.

You're right Lon, I'm feeling better already! Thanks!!!

Minnesota Wild: The Wild are 4-0-0, 8 points, and tied for first place in the Northwest Division.

Since I last wrote about the Wild, they finished off their 3-game road trip by beating Florida and Tampa Bay (shootout win). They haven't played since Saturday and will take on Buffalo at home tomorrow night.

But the story that's been dominating headlines lately is the contract status of winger Marian Gaborik. It appears that Gaborik and the Wild have hit an impasse in contract negotiations, which means that trade talks have begun in earnest.

This sucks.

No, Gaborik isn't on the same level as Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin, but he isn't that far behind. And he's also the only remaining member of the first ever Wild line-up. He's by far the best player the Wild have ever had, and losing him would create a gaping hole in thier offensive production.

All that being said, if he doesn't want to sign here, then there's not much choice for general manager Doug Risebrough but to trade him. Sadly, when you trade a superstar player, you're never going to get equal value for him (unless you're Dallas trading away Hershel Walker). So the prospects that the Wild get in return won't do much to mollify the fans who'll be sorry to see Gabby go.

But what can you do? Personally, I trust Risebrough to get the best deal he can.

The only question is when does a deal get done? Technically the deadline for deals is March 3rd, so this could definitely drag on for a while. My hope, however is that if a deal has to get done, that it gets done sooner than later. 4-0-0 is a great start to the year, and I'd hate to see such a good start get spoiled by having this cloud hanging over the club all season long.

The Wild are on a 3-game home stand as they host Buffalo tomorrow night, Columbus on Saturday and the Blackhawks on Monday.

That's all for today folks. I'll be back tomorrow with the 5th edition of the college football poll as well as my Week 9 picks. Until then, thanks for reading!

Don't Call it a Conversion & Week 8 Post-Mortem

Hello again everybody...

Welcome to the beginning of another week. I hope you had a wonderful weekend. Mine was okay. I think that my sinus infection/plague may finally be starting to work it's way out of my system (insert Dan knocking on every potentially wooden service in Studio 6 at WCCO here). So hopefully I'm back to my usual entertaining, coherent self. Although admittedly, I'd settle for coherent!

So today it's time to catch up with things that happened over the weekend, including my mother thinking for a second that I had become truly religious. And then it's the Post-Mortem on my Week 8 College Football Picks. So let's get to it!

"To be able to fill leisure intelligently is the last product of civilization, and at present very few people have reached this level."
- Bertrand Russell (1872-1970), British philosopher, historian, logician and mathematician

I think we can safely include ourselves in the "very few people who've reached that level", don't you?

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Wow, what a weekend. Numerous big wins in college football. A weird, wild shootout between the Vikings and Bears. And the Wild won their 4th straight game to open the season.

But all of that pales in comparison to what happened in the American League Championship Series.

Dial back your clocks to Thursday night. Tampa and Boston (whom I hate) had reached the 7th inning stretch with the Rays leading 7 to 0 and contemplating the first World Series run in franchise history.

And then the unthinkable happened. Suddenly the Red Sox (whom I hate) of last season showed up. A Big Papi home run here, a J.D. Drew home run there and a Coco Crisp single to cap it off and in 3 innings, the Red Sox (whom I hate) had scored 8 runs and won the game.

I can't even describe how painful this was to watch. After Ortiz's home run to make it 7-4 it wasn't difficult to read the writing on the wall. And not just in terms of Game 5. Not only did it appear likely that the Red Sox (whom I hate) would win that game, but suddenly what had seemed a sure thing series-victory for the Rays was seriously in doubt.

Saturday was Game 6. The Rays were back at home. Surely their fans would pump them up and push them over the top and save the club from having to face a Game 7 for the first time ever.

Or not.

Tied at 2, Kevin Youklis came to the plate and with one swift stroke sucked all the life out of Tropicana Field and gave the Red Sox (whom I hate) a 4-2 victory.

So now the series was 3-3 and nobody, yours truly least of all, would've been surprised if the Rays folded up shop and rolled over in Game 7. When you've never been in a series of that magnitude before, and you lose a game like the Rays did in Game 5 (one of my favorite writers, Bill Simmons, calls it a "stomach-punch game". That seems pretty apt to me) you're allowed to sit there in stunned disbelief as your opponent punches their ticket to the World Series.

But a funny thing happened along the way to the Red Sox (whom I hate) coming back from their second consecutive 3-1 deficit in an ALCS. Namely that Matt Garza wouldn't allow it.

Yes, former Twins prospect Matt Garza started Game 7 and gave an MVP performance. Holding the Red Sox (whom I hate) lineup to 2 hits over the course of 7 innings. Knowing it was all or nothing at that point, Rays manager Joe Maddon then used every bit of his bullpen to match up against Boston (whom I hate) hitters and shut them down the rest of the way.

Included in that cavalcade of relievers was David Price, winner in relief of Game 2, who came in to finish the game. The trick? It was only his 6th appearance in a Major League game in his career! And in picking up the save, the dominant left-hander became only the 3rd pitcher in history to pick up a win and a save in a single LCS.

In microcosm, Game 7 was the story of the Rays season. Nobody's quite sure how it happened, but just when you were sure the Rays were down and out, they came back with a brilliant team performance and won their way into their first ever World Series. Absolutely incredible.

My last word on this series will be a series of text messages I exchanged with my mother:

Dan: Red Sox lose! There may be a God after all!

Mom: You've seen the light! Hallelujah!

Dan: Well let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Mom: Do the Rays have to win the world series for you to have your conversion?

Dan: No. If the Red Sox's (whom I hate) plane had exploded in a fireball on the way to Game 6, that might have done it.

Mom: Sometimes you frighten me a bit.

Dan: That's probably fair.

Moving on...

Time to check how I did on my Week 8 College Football Picks. Last week was rough. Would I rebound? Would I come back and right the ship? Or had the bad mojo from last year already returned with a vengeance? Let's find out!

Georgia Tech -2 vs. Clemson: Final Score - Georgia Tech 24, Clemson 17

This was an interesting game. Had Clemson not shot itself in the foot repeatedly they certainly could have won.

When a team fires their coach mid-season it can result in a modest turn-around, or in the players quitting on the club completely. I don't think the Tigers' kids quit. I think there's just not enough talent there to get the job done.

What Dan Learned: Georgia Tech is going to be a huge pain in the tail for the rest of the ACC in years to come. As well as they've done so far this year, it's clear that they've got a ways to fully assimilate head coach Paul Johnson's offense. But when they do, look out. We'll be very careful with them the rest of this year. But we'll keep a close eye on their improvement for next year!

Okay, 1-0. That's a good start to the weekend. Now let's see if we can get things turned around for the Badgers!

Wisconsin +3.5 @ Iowa: Final Score - Iowa 38, Wisconsin 16

This was this week's Sports Take Flier Pick of the Week. Thank God.

Oof. This just sucked. Yes, Iowa running back Shon Greene is good. But the Badger defense made him look like a Heisman Trophy candidate.

The scary part as a Badger fan is that you're not sure where the next win is coming from. If you look at their schedule: vs. Illinois, @ Michigan State, @ Indiana, vs. Minnesota and vs. Cal Poly, I can only see 2 wins in there right now (and no, one of them *isn't* Minnesota... dammit). And 2 more wins won't get Wisconsin to a bowl game.

What Dan Learned: How to weep silently.

The only saving grace of this game is that it was the Flier Pick. So I don't have to count it. So, still 1-0 and moving on...

Penn State -23 vs. Michigan: Final Score - PSU 46, Michigan 17.

This one almost didn't work out. I mentioned in my preview that there was some chance that Penn State would be looking past this game to their big tilt with Ohio State next week. Turns out there was more than some chance.

There was no doubt that the Lions came out flat and the Wolverines took full advantage running out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter and 17-14 lead at halftime.

Unfortunately for Michigan, the second half score was 32-0 in favor of Penn State. Hmmm, I wonder how that halftime speech in Penn State's locker room went? I'm setting the over/under on curse words at 52.

What Dan Learned: Combined with Ohio State's 45-7 thrashing of Michigan state, this game set up an enormous show-down next week at the Horseshoe. Currently the Lions are a 2-point favorite. This one appears so close, that I'm not sure you'll be seeing it in the Week 9 picks!

Back on the horse! 2-0 and trying to go undefeated on the week!

LSU -3 @ South Carolina: Final Score - LSU 24, S. Carolina 17

Yes! 3-0 baby! Woo!

Okay, admittedly this one didn't go how I figured it would. I thought that LSU would jump all over South Carolina as payback for the drubbing they took from Florida last week.

That turned out not to be the case. In fact, the game went right down to the wire and it was a 4th quarter touchdown that gave LSU the lead for good.

What Dan Learned: South Carolina's better than I thought. One of the big SEC contenders is going to slip against this team and it will be very costly. Florida, I'm looking at you!

So I finished the week 3-0. I'd feel a lot more celebratory about it if it wasn't for that stinkin Badgers game. I may need to see counseling from a Gopher fan on how to get through a season where your team sucks the bag. Unfortunately, I've yet to meet one that's interested in doing anything more than rub their success in my face. Oof.

This week's 3-0 makes me 19-12 (.613) on the year. I'm back to feeling quite comfortable. Will I take some risks this week then? Tune in on Thursday and find out!

That's all for today folks. I'll be back on Wednesday with my World Series Preview. Will the ST offices be decked out in red (Phillies) or blue (Rays)? Some of you may have an idea, but tune in Wednesday to find out for sure! Until then, thanks for reading!

ST Top 10 Poll, Week 8 Picks & DFTU

Hello again everybody...

It's Thursday and kind of an odd day for me. I'm off of work tomorrow (hence no column), so this is the end of my work week. But since I was out sick on Monday, it turned into a 3-day week for me so even though it's the end, it feels like the middle. Add that to the various medications I'm taking, and I barely know my own name at this point.

But I'll try and bring you a solid column anyway!

Before I get to the rest of the docket, we here at the Sports Take would like to offer our congratulations to the Philadelphia Phillies on dispatching the Dodgers and getting to their first World Series in 15 years. More on baseball on Monday.

Today I've got the 4th edition of the Sports Take Top 10 College Football Poll. Then I'll bring you more of the finest in college football prognostication - well I'll bring you my Week 8 picks and you can decide the quality of them! And finally it's this week's version of the DFTU. So let's get to it!

"Personally I'm always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965), former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

You can always count on Sir Winston for a solid quote. I don't know when the last biography was written on him, but I'm hoping Walter Isaacson (author of the recent Einstein, Franklin and Kissinger biographies) picks him as his next subject. Fascinating stuff.

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First up today, it's the 4th edition of the Sports Take Top 10 College Football Poll. Lots of upheaval from last week when the top 3 teams all lost. Let's see what the voters decided to do! (The comments following each pick are randomly selected from various pollsters.)

Rank) Team (First Place Votes) - Points - Last Week's Ranking

#1) Texas (8) - 98 - 5
The Horns beat #1 ranked Oklahoma in a great game. Their reward is back-to-back-to-back games versus offensive powerhouses Missouri, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. Have fun with that.

#2) Alabama (2) - 86 - 4
Bet they're glad they didn't play this week!

#3) Penn State - 78 - 6
Dominated a lousy-looking Wisconsin team on the road. Any question as to who's the best team in the Big 10 should be settled in two weeks when PSU visits Ohio State.

#4) Oklahoma - 65 - 1
The Sooners now need Texas to lose twice to conference foes to have any chance to play for the title.

T#5) Florida - 41 - NR
Made a statement versus LSU that the Gators belong in the Nation Title conversation. Their November 1st contest versus Georgia will decide the SEC East.

T#5) Texas Tech - 41 - 7
Nebraska loses 52-17 at home to Missouri and Tech needs overtime at home to beat the Huskers. Tech isn't even close to the 5th best time and will lose 3 regular season games this season. Until that happens, I guess the Red Raiders belong here.

#7) BYU - 37 - 9
This year's Boise State? Or is Boise State this year's Boise State?

#8) USC - 31 - 8
Shut out a pitiful ASU team 28-0. I'm still not sure there's a big enough win left on their schedule to move them into BCS Title contention, but if everybody above them keeps losing, who knows?!

#9) Oklahoma State - 27 - NR
I'M A MAN! I'M 40! The Cowboys ruined Missouri's season. A letdown versus Baylor this week? Hmmm...

#10) Georgia - 15 - 10
Solid, though unspectacular win at home versus Tennessee. Still not a team I expect to see at the top of the Polls this year.

Others Receiving Votes: Ohio State 10, Missouri 8, Utah 5, Boise State 4, LSU 3, Ball State 1

Just for the record, even though Ball State is the current official Sports Take bandwagon team, I wasn't the one that voted for them. Though I love the fact that somebody did!

So what do you think? Anything in there seem criminal to you? Post a comment below and let us know!

Next up it's time for my 2008 College Football Picks: Week 8! My confidence is a little shaken after last week's 1-3 outing. Maybe that's why it felt difficult to find games that I thought had skewed enough lines to bet on. But I think I've cobbled together 4 picks that'll get me back on track! (I hope)

Georgia Tech -2 @ Clemson (11am):

Let's see. Clemson fired their coach, benched their quarterback and I think their running back is now dinged up too. And Tech's only giving 2 points? Yes please!

Yes, the game is at Clemson, but as poorly as this club's been playing, I think they might prefer to play on the road as often as possible. At least you expect fans to be hostile on the road.

The line's been sliding towards Tech all week, so let's get on the bandwagon while we can, give the 2 points and root, root, root for the triple-option!

Wisconsin +3.5 @ Iowa (11am):

This is this week's Sports Take Flier Pick of the Week.

Okay, I've resisted picking Wisconsin games all year because I didn't want to have to root against the Badgers and I've never trusted them to cover.

But after 3-straight losses to open the Big 10, I feel like I need to change the mojo somehow. So I'm picking them to cover. This game is vital to their chances. The Badgers still need 3 wins to be bowl eligible. And while they have on in their pocket against Cal Poly late in the year, they still need to get on a roll to avoid the indignity of the Motor City Bowl.

Iowa's coming off of a big win over Indiana, so they're feeling some confidence. But that confidence is tempered by the fact that people are still calling for their coach's head. Combine those two factors and the stage is set for an upset at Kinnick Stadium.

Yes, the Badgers are a road dog, but allowing for crazy picks is why I invented the Flier Pick in the first place!

So we're taking the 3.5 and praying that Wisconsin can get off the schneid!

Penn State -23 vs. Michigan (3:30pm):

I'm loathe to pick the team that just laid the wood to my beloved Badgers, but this one has 45-7 written all over it as well.

After their emotional win over the Badgers, the Wolverines have lost two straight including a 13-10 gut-punch from Toledo last week. The team's just a mess. They don't have the tools to run head coach Rich Rodruigez's offense the way he wants, and he steadfastly refuses to change his scheme to fit his talent. The result is inconsistently on a level seldom seen in Ann Arbor.

But this game isn't even in Ann Arbor, it's in Happy Valley. And that makes a Nitanny Lion rout even more likely. There's a slight chance that the Lions look past this game to their showdown next week with Ohio State. But Joe Paterno's been around way too long for that to be much of a risk.

No, I think that Penn State rolls in this game and that giving 23 won't be any kind of problem.

LSU -3 @ South Carolina (7pm):

I know the Tigers just got worked by Florida last week, but they only give 3 against a mediocre South Carolina team?

Seems off to me.

I see coach Les Miles throwing the 4th string kicker in a closet somewhere and swearing to the rest of the team that he'll only feed the kid bread and water until they start playing to the level he expects.

(I also expect the kicker to be in on the bit and be getting all the food he wants, for kicking back and watching some DVD's in the closet all week.)

In any case, the Tigers will be fired up this week and run one up on South Carolina to try and get some of their credibility back.

We'll give the 3 and hope that kicker got a good selection of movies!

So there's your 4 picks for the week. Let's see if I can get back on track!

Finally today, here's everybody's favorite segment Dan's Favorite Teams Update!

Wisconsin Badgers: The Badgers are 3-3 (0-3 in the Big 10).

I was afraid of this. After two heartbreaking losses to open the Big 10 campaign, the Badgers took a good ol' fashioned "behind the woodshed" beating last week as they lost 48-7 to Penn State.

(Aside: Why is the woodshed such a popular place for people to take a beating? Is it just the privacy of it? Or is it the ready availability of blunt instruments? And after a while, wouldn't you get suspicious when somebody asked you to go back there? Kind of like how a dog gets agitated when it recognizes the route to the Vet's office? Yes, these are the things I wonder about.)

The offense is a mess. Quarterback Allan Everidge is playing with zero confidence. And it's to the point where he's listed as "co-starter" with junior Dustin Scherer. And it wouldn't surprise me a bit if Dustin started on Saturday.

And when your QB is so unreliable, it's easy for defenses to throw 8 or 9 men in the box and completely shut down your running game, which is what the entire Badger offense is predicated on in the first place.

It's just not good.

And even though they gave up 28 points, I didn't think the defense played all that poorly. They're just limited in what they can do, and when their offense does nothing, they end up in situations where they're simply over matched.

So yeah, I took them in my picks this week. But that was purely a "remojofication" pick. If they lose this week, this could snowball to Gopherian depths! Not good. (Wow... two new terms in one paragraph!)

Minnesota Wild: The Wild are 2-0-0 and tied with Calgary and Vancouver for first place in the Northwest division.

Well the good news is that the Wild won their first two games and did so by getting offense from unexpected sources.

While you expect offense from Mikko Koivu, Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Marian Gaborik, when points start coming in bunches from the likes of Andrew Brunette, Eric Belanger and Antti Miettinen, that's the start of a balanced offensive attack. And that's something the Wild have been sorely lacking in past years.

The bad news comes on the injury front. Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Owen Nolan and Marek Zidlicky have all been sent home from the current road trip to have their injuries evaluated by the Wild medical staff in St. Paul. These aren't minor losses. At Nolan's age, it's no surprise that he's dinged up this early. But the Wild are counting on a solid year from Bouchard. And Zidlicky was an important free agent addition. Take those guys out of the lineup and the bench gets thin in a hurry.

The one upside to these injuries is that it allows the Wild to call up the second greatest hockey-name in team history: Cal Clutterbuck. Read it out loud a couple of times. Just rolls right off the tongue!

(Note: For those of you wondering, "Lubomir Sekeras" is still and likely forever the greatest hockey name in Wild history.)

The Wild continue their road trip tonight in Miami as they take on the Panthers then they travel to Tampa to ride the Lightning. Then they get a nice 4 day break before they return home to face the Buffalo Sabres. Hopefully that break will allow them to get healthy quickly!

That's it for this week folks. I'm off to Hudson, WI, to help call a high school football game tomorrow night, so most of tomorrow will be spent preparing for that. Yes, for one night only, it's the re-teaming of Dan Stevens and John Hanson for the finest in Wisconsin high school football action! Or, the best we can muster after not having done this in years! If any of you are curious, kick off is at 7pm and apparently you can "Listen Live" at SportsRadio 1400's website.

I'll be back on Monday with a World Series preview and the Post-Mortem on my Week 8 picks! Until then, thanks for reading!

Baseball Update & Week 7 Picks Post-Mortem

Hello again everybody!

First of all, let me apologize for not posting yesterday.

Quick background: I've been fighting against what apparently is a sinus infection (it's either that, or the bubonic plague, I can't decide) for the last three weeks. I've also always been one of those people who thinks, "if it ain't broke or bleedin', I'm not going to a doctor."

Well last week, the discomfort got bad enough that I decided to set aside that rule. So I went to a doc and got some antibiotics. Unfortunately, they didn't take. So yesterday I took another day off of work and went to my primary physician and he gave me a different antibiotic, so hopefully that will finally kick this thing out of my system. Hopefully...

So I spent yesterday in various states of consciousness, which precluded me from writing anything worth reading. But I'm back today and feeling relatively better (insert Dan furiously knocking on some sort of wood-based product here), so it's time to play catch-up.

Today I'll bring you up to date with the two League Championship Series and where they go from here. Then it's the Week 7 Picks Post-Mortem. Not the best of weeks for the ol' picks, but that was coming sooner or later. So let's get to it!

"The only function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectable."
- John Kenneth Galbraith (1908-2006), Canadian-American economist.

Sounds about right to me...

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First to baseball...

Philadelphia Phillies lead the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-1:
Well I was way off on this pick. This one now has Philly in 5 or 6 written all over it. Bottom line, Philadelphia's offense has been clicking and L.A.'s hasn't. In fact, if you remove Manny Ramirez from the equation, the Dodgers wouldn't have much in the way of offense at all.

I said in my initial breakdown of this series that clutch hitting would go a long way towards indicating the victor and that's turned out to be true. It just wasn't the clutch hitter I'd imagined it would be. Manny Ramirez has hit well mind you, but the rest of the Dodgers haven't put him in situations where he can win a game.

Instead the clutch hitter who's emerged is an unlikely hero named Shane Victorino. Victorino's only hitting .267 this post-season, but has several clutch hits including a Grand Slam in the LDS against Milwaukee and a huge home run last night versus L.A. Toss in 11 RBI, and Victorino's clearly been the clutch hitter in the NL this post-season.

The series is off today as the two teams travel back to Philadelphia for Game 5. Tomorrow night Philly sends Cole Hamels (winner of Game 1) to the mound to face Chad Billingsly (loser of Game 2). Clearly this sets up for the Phillies to put this series away. Which is exactly why I'm not going to predict that it will happen. It certainly could, don't get me wrong. But in this year's playoffs, just when you think you've got them figured out, they throw a curveball at you.

Tampa Bay Rays lead the Boston Red Sox (whom I hate) 2-1:
Color me surprised. After the two clubs split the first two games in Tampa, I figured for sure that Boston (whom I hate) would take the 2-1 lead after Game 3. First game of the ALCS in the city of Boston... rowdy fans... Jon Lester on the mound... it all set up for a Red Sox (whom I hate) win.

Unfortunately for Bostonians, the Rays line-up had different ideas. After a solid first inning from Lester, the Rays jumped on him in the 2nd inning, scoring 4 runs and grabbing a lead they'd never relinquish.

Game 4 is tonight. Knuckleballer Tim Wakefield heads to the hill for Boston (whom I hate) while Andy Sonnanstine hits the bump for the Rays. Both pitchers are making their first appearances in the ALCS, and for Wakefield, it's his first appearance in this year's post-season. But does a knuckleballer ever really get rusty? Hard to say. Sonnanstine defeated the White Sox in their ALDS series. And since he only went 5 2/3 innings in that game, he should be fully rested.

Both teams will are hoping their starters can carry them late into the game, but will be willing to go to the bullpen early if necessary since it gives Tampa an enormous advantage if the Rays win this game.

First pitch is at 7:07pm central time.

Next it's time for my Week 7 Picks Post-Mortem. Two straight weeks of 3-1 records led to this. Could I keep it rolling? Let's find out!

Vanderbilt -2.5 @ Mississippi State: Final Score - Mississippi State 17, Vanderbilt 14

And just like that, I'm back off the bandwagon. I'd finally started to believe that Vandy was for real, and they turn around and amass a whopping 107 yards of offense against a suddenly stingy Bulldog defense.

I guess that shouldn't be a total surprise after MSU held down a suspect Auburn offense earlier this year (a game Auburn won 3-2). But I really thought Vandy had what it took to beat a team that should be an SEC also-ran.

What Dan Learned: Look, the SEC is tough enough to predict when you're dealing with the top teams. We're not messing with the middle or bottom of the league any more. Unless the line's way out of whack that is!

Okay, so I was off to an 0-1 start. Time for the comeback to begin!

North Carolina -7.5 vs. Notre Dame: Final Score - UNC 29, ND 24.

Close, but no cigar.

This was the only one of the 4 picks that I actually got to watch some of on Saturday. And I wasn't really ever in contention. Give the Golden Domers credit, they hung right with North Carolina throughout the game. But the Tar Heels finally took the final lead in the 4th quarter. There was enough time left where I thought they had a chance to add on a field goal and cover for me, but it was not to be.

What Dan Learned: I'm not going to say Notre Dame's for real, but they are a dangerous football team. I'm not sure they'll be an underdog in any of their games until they meet USC in late November. And if they are, it shouldn't be by any more than a field goal. If it is, I think we have to take them!

Oof... 0-2 and begging for Auburn to come through!

Auburn -19 vs. Arkansas: Final Score - Arkansas 25, Auburn 22

What the !@#$?!

From what I've read, this was a simple matter of Arkansas' defense showing up, while Auburn's didn't.

Still, this is a truly horrible loss for Auburn. Not is it the first time they've lost back-to-back SEC games in five years, but Arkansas is about as bad as it gets in the SEC. Meaning that the road's not going to get any easier for them the rest of the year.

What Dan Learned: !@#$ Auburn. I'm done with them.

0-3 and now the "Flier Pick" has to come through just so I don't go 0-fer!

Ball State -16 @ Western Kentucky: Final Score - Ball St. 24, WKU 7

Thank God for the Cardinals!

They started slow, but once again adjusted at halftime and squeaked out my one win of the week.

Sounds like MiQuale Lewis is making a play for "best college running back you've never heard of" as he surpassed 100 yards rushing for the 6th straight game.

What Dan Learned: I may be relying on the Cardinals for the rest of their season. They're a Top 25 team now and that will bring some pressure with it. But as long as the lines remain reasonable, they may have become the "Flier Pick" staple for the rest of the season!

So that's what a 1-3 week feels like. Suddenly memories of last year have come flooding back. But I'm not going to hang my head! I'm still 16-12 (.571) for the year, which remains a vast improvement over last season. Time for a comeback next week!

So that's it for today folks. It's looking like this is a two-column week as I'll likely be throwing the Poll, Picks and DFTU at you on Thursday and call it a week. Until then, thanks for reading!

ST Top 10 Poll (3rd Ed.) & 2008 College Football Picks: Week 7

Hello again everybody...

This is going to be the last post of the week for me. Tomorrow's a day off and I've got things to do! So if you're looking for the DFTU, check Wednesday's post.

Today I'll unveil the 3rd Edition of the Sports Take Top 10 College Football Poll. And then it's time for my Week 7 college football picks. So let's get to it!

"The man who writes about himself and his own time is the only man who writes about all people and all time." - George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950), Irish playwright

I had no idea I was so deep?!

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I've made one minor tweak to this week's edition of the ST Top 10 Poll. Enough of the pollsters have been including comments with their ballots that I want to add some of those in as well. They'll appear in italics under each ranking.

So without further ado, here are the top 10 college football teams in the nation as ranked by Sports Take readers:

Rank) Team (First Place Votes) - Total Points - Last Week's Ranking

#1) Oklahoma (8) - 98 - 1
Avoided the so-called "trap game" in Waco walking all over an improved Baylor team. A win against Texas this week all but puts them into the Big 12 Championship game.

#2) LSU (1) - 78 - 2
Idle this past week, but no one did enough to jump over them.

#3) Missouri - 77 - 4
Scored 52 points in three quarters at Nebraska. I know this is the only quality win thus far for the Tigers, but if you score points, you get attention.

#4) Alabama (1) - 75 - 3
Every top team has an ugly win somewhere along the way. Maybe this was 'Bamas.

#5) Texas - 67 - 5
Likely to fall to somewhere 6-10 depending on this Saturday's result vs. Oklahoma.

#6) Penn State - 49 - 6
Not a dominant performance, but they did what they had to on the road.

#7) Texas Tech - 29 - 9
Impressive win in Manhattan. Tech mixed in a little defense with their offense and may give Texas and Oklahoma some trouble.

#8) USC - 23 - T7
Because life isn't fair, they'll be there in the end.

#9) BYU - 22 - T7
Scored 24 points in the first quarter at Utah State and then called of the dogs (or Cougars in this case). This could have been ugly, but they went easy on their young in-state rival.

#10) Georgia - 10 - 10
Idle this past week, but they keep on clinging to a Top 10 spot.

Others Receiving Votes: Ohio State 9, Vanderbilt 6, Florida 2, Oklahoma State 2, Utah 2, Kansas 1

So there you have it. Not a lot of shuffling from last week, but none of the top teams lost, so you wouldn't expect much movement. Still, do you see anything you heartily disagree with? Attach a comment and let us know!

Finally for this week, it's time for my weekly college football picks. Can I land a 3rd straight week of 3-1 goodness? We shall see!

As always, were recreational gaming legal, and were I to have the wherewithal to make a worthwhile wager, these are the games I'd bet on:

Vanderbilt -2.5 @ Mississippi State (1:30pm):
The Commodores are 5-0 (3-0). The Bulldogs are 1-4 (0-2).

Okay, I finally believe. After beating Auburn 14-13, I'm finally on the Vandy bandwagon. Yes, this is a road game for the Commodores, but Mississippi State is marking the days til their next head coach, so I don't see them putting up much competition.

Vandy's at least a field goal better here, so let's give the 2.5 and root for the smart kids!

Next...

North Carolina -7.5 vs. Notre Dame (2:30pm):
The Tar Heels are 4-1 (1-1). The Irish are 4-1.

This is a big game for both teams. North Carolina's win over Miami was big, but they need this win over Notre Dame to maintain their Top 25 ranking. And how many times has Notre Dame started a season 4-1 and not been ranked? A road win over a BCS conference team would go a long way towards legitimizing Notre Dame's record.

So why do I like the Heels here? First, home-field advantage. We've established that it matters. Not that road teams can't win. But when two teams are fairly evenly matched, we go with the home squad.

Second, speed. UNC head coach Butch Davis knows from his days in Miami that you win with speed. And he's recruited with that in mind. Especially at the wide receiver position. It seems to me that the Tar Heel receivers have a distinct advantage over the Irish cornerbacks.

Plus North Carolina has finally stabilized the quarterback position. Starter T.J. Yates is still out, but junior Cam Sexton has stepped in and let his club to two wins in a row.

So I like the Tar Heels to win going away here. We give the 7.5 and root against the Golden Domers. (Sorry Dad)

Thirdly...

Auburn -19 vs. Arkansas (4pm):
The Tigers are 4-2 (2-2). The Razorbacks are 2-3 (0-2).

So I just picked Vanderbilt because they beat Auburn. What the hell am I doing picking Auburn when they're giving 19 points?

The simple answer is Arkansas is just that bad. The Tigers are going to be looking to get back on track after last week's loss, and the Razorbacks are just the cure for what ails them.

Arkansas' defense has surrendered 38, 52 and 49 points in their last 3 games. So clearly they can be scored upon.

Auburn is still struggling to implement the spread offense, and 19 points is a lot to give, but I have a feeling they break out this week against such an inferior opponent.

So we give the 19 and hope that the pieces come together for Auburn!

Finally...

Ball State -16 @ Western Kentucky:
The Cardinals are 6-0 (3-0). The Hilltoppers are 2-4.

This is this week's Sports Take Flier Pick of the Week.

The Cardinals are on a roll, so we're sticking with them. WKU's two wins came against Eastern Kentucky and Murray State. Every time they've stepped up in competition, they've gotten smoked. I don't expect this week to be any different.

Ball State's the new ST bandwagon team, so we'll give the 16 and hope we didn't just put the same whammy on them that we did on East Carolina earlier in the year!

So there's your 4 picks. See something you disagree with (anybody? Lon? anybody?)? Attach a comment below and let us know why!

That's all for this week folks. Again, the ST offices are closed tomorrow, so I'll be back on Monday with a Post-Mortem on the picks and my thoughts on how the LCS's are going so far! Until then, thanks for reading!

LCS Picks, Western Conference Preview & DFTU

Hello again everybody...

It's the middle of the week and time for a deep breath before a big sports weekend. The League Championship Series start tomorrow. The NHL kicks off over the weekend. And of course there's a full slate of college and pro football to contend with. Now that I think about it, I'm glad I have Friday off. I may need it!

So let's not dawdle. There's plenty to get to. I've got LCS Picks. I've got the Hammer's NHL Western Conference Preview. And we'll wrap it up with this week's version of the DFTU. So let's get to it...

"Talk low, talk slow, and don't talk too much." - John Wayne (1907-1979), American film actor.

The Duke was offering advice on acting in that quote. But when I read it, I immediately thought of Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. I wonder why?

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The National League Championship Series starts tomorrow. The American League Championship Series starts on Friday. Time for the official Sports Take picks!

Los Angeles Dodgers over Philiadelphia Phillies in 7:
It pains me to do this. Those that know me, know I can't stand Manny Ramirez. I respect the abundance of natural talent he was blessed with. But I despise the lax, disrespectful manner with which he uses it.

That being said, the Dodgers are on a roll, having swept the Cubs. Their starting staff has rounded into shape and their bullpen has settled into a solid rotation. Offensively, Manny's being Manny. And that takes a ton of pressure off of guys like Andre Ethier and James Loney, allowing them to swing free. And so far they're coming through.

The Phillies dispatched the Brewers in 4. But I think that series was somewhat deceiving. Neither Ryan Howard, nor Chase Utley hit all that well. And those are two bats that the Phills desperately count on. Granted, the Brewers pitched very carefully when Howard was at the plate. And the rest of the lineup more than compensated. But those two guys will have to get it going if Philly wants to make the Series.

Pitching-wise, this series should be awfully even. Cole Hamels looked outstanding in his start against the Brewers. And I liked what I saw from Joe Blanton in the series-clincher as well. Brad Lidge hasn't looked lights out as the Phillies closer, but he is 43 for 43. And that can't be easily discounted.

So when a series is that close pitching wise, you figure it'll go seven games. And then you pick your winner based on who's hitting has been more clutch. I hate to say it, but Manny Ramirez lives for clutch hits. So I'm going with the Dodgers. And now that I've typed that, I'm going to go slam my fingers in a door somewhere. Dammit.

Tampa Bay Rays over Boston Red Sox (whom I hate) in 6:
I'll say this right now. If the World Series comes down to L.A. vs. Boston (whom I hate), I'm declaring the baseball season officially over and not watching a second of it. It's not even a matter of not having someone to root for. It's that I dislike both teams enough that I'd be rooting for everybody to lose. And that's no way to watch a World Series.

Hopefully, my picks will come through and that won't be necessary. I think that the ALCS breaks down much the same way the race for the AL East did during the series. On paper, Boston (whom I hate) should be the better team. But in the end the Rays will prevail.

Boston (whom I hate) beat the Angels in 4 games. But sooner or later their injuries have to catch up to them right? 3B Mike Lowell is officially out for the ALCS. That's a big-time bat to take out of the lineup. Folks in the know are saying that DH David Ortiz's wrist still isn't quite right. And pitcher Josh Beckett lost the only game the Red Sox (whom I hate) dropped in the Division Series.

Tampa on the other hand, is finally healthy. 3B Evan Longoria had a big series as the Rays defeated the White Sox in 4. LF Carl Crawford has resumed his place in the lineup. And closer Troy Percival looks like he could be back after missing the division series.

The Rays were 8-1 against the Red Sox (whom I hate) at Tropicana Field in the regular season. So home-field advantage should matter in this series. If the Red Sox (whom I hate) can steal one of the first two games they have a shot. But if the Rays win the first two, then I think the series is theirs.

I know the folks at Fox are praying for a Red Sox (whom I hate)/Dodgers World Series. I can only hope that God has a sense of decency. Please God? Don't do this to me!

Moving on...

Monday I brought you the Hammer's NHL Eastern Conference Preview. Now it's time for him to tackle the Western Conference. Here are his thoughts:

15. Los Angeles- Is it me or does it always seem that this franchise has been rebuilding? Except for a brief run in 2000-2002 this team has been completely irrelevant since trading away Wayne Gretzky in 1996. They have some good young talent on their team like forward Anze Kopitar, Patrick O’Sullivan, and defenseman Jack Johnson. The smart money is on the Kings having the inside track at picking John Tavares in the 2009 Entry Draft.

14. St Louis- It wasn’t long ago that this team has the longest streak for most consecutive years in the playoffs. Then the lockout hit and the team decided to rebuild. Whatever progress they made in 2007 was lost when they took a huge step back in 2008. To make matters worse their stud on the blue line Erik Johnson torn his ACL during a golf outing. (Who does he think he is Tiger Woods?) They have a nice forward in Brad Boyes but their other top forwards; Keith Tkachuk and Paul Kariya are on the downside of what have been magnificent careers. I won’t be surprised if one or both of these two are traded at the deadline.

13. Phoenix- One thing the Coyotes have lacked in recent years is depth at center. That won’t be a problem this season with Olli Jokinen arriving from Florida and Kyle Turris arriving from the University of Wisconsin. Still the Coyotes paid a step price, trading Nick Boynton and Keith Ballard to get a guy who has never been to the post-season. The only guy on the blue line I’m familiar with is Derek Morris who has never quite lived up to his potential. I see the Coyotes in a lot of 6-3 games this season. I’ll let you figure out which side of the number they are on.

12. Vancouver- A lot of people are making a big deal about goalie Roberto Luongo being named captain of the Canucks. I think a bigger issue is who will replace the scoring now that Markus Naslund and Brendan Morrison have left for New York and Anaheim respectively. They still have the Sedin Twins and they added Pavol Demitra from Minnesota but Naslund will not be easy to replace. Luongo and the Canucks defense will have to win a lot of 2-1 to contend for a playoff spot.

11. Colorado- Remember when this use to be an elite team in the western Conference. Those days are gone as Colorado is now in transition and trying to stay afloat in the west. They still have Joe Sakic, who might be the 2^nd greatest hockey player to wear the number 19. Replacing Jose Theodore in goal is either A) Peter Budaj who couldn’t win the job last year or B) Andrew Raycroft who is on his 3^rd team despite winning the Calder trophy in 2004. They lost Andrew Brunette and brought in Darcy Tucker, who looks like a psychopath on skates, from Toronto to replace him. They still don’t know if they will have Peter Forsberg and Tony Granato replaces Joel Quennville, who replaced Tony Granato as coach in 2004. This team has me so confused that I don’t know what to expect. As of right now, it’s not much

10. Columbus- The Blue Jackets have never been to the NHL playoffs, which is amazing when you consider that it seems like every team finds a way in the post-season. This off-season the finally gave up on forwards Nikolai Zherdev, sending him to the Rangers, and Gilbert Brule, sending him to Edmonton. They made their commitment to Rick Nash and surrounded him with RJ Umberger, who played at Ohio State, Raffi Torres from Edmonton and Kristen Huselius as a free agent to bolster their core of forward. They have a great young goalie in Pascal LeClaire but after Rotislav Klesla their blue line is week. I think it will be another year before they are in the post-season.

9. Nashville- I thought after cutting salary last year the Predators would miss the post-season. I was wrong as the Predators clinch the 8^th seed and earned a 1^st round exit at the hands of the Detroit Red Wings. After watching that series I realized that this is a well-coached team that is not easy to beat. But this year they lost their best defenseman, Marek Zidlicky, to Minnesota and one of their top forwards, Alexander Radulov, to the Russian League. (For now, stay tuned.) Dan Ellis emerged as their goaltender and I think they’ll play hard but they will fall just short of the post-season.

8. Chicago- it’s amazing how one man’s death can transform a franchise for the better. That is what happened last year in Chicago after Bill Wirtz passed away. His son Rocky took over day-to-day operations of the teams and the Black hawks have become relevant once again. Led by Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews the future looks bright for the Hawks. They added Cristobel Huet in goal and are hoping Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Cam Barker can anchor the blue line. For the 1^st time in about 15 years this franchise has hope and I think they make it to the post-season and Dave Anton becomes more pleasant to be around during the hockey season.

7. Edmonton- For as long as I can remember this has been the team no one wanted to face in the post-season because if you played them you were going to have to earn every win against them. After missing the playoffs the last two years the Oilers are back and they may be better than when they were in 2006 when they made the Stanley Cup Finals. They have a good core of young forwards led by Dustin Penner, Andrew Cogliano, & Sam Gagner. They added Erik Cole to give that trio some veteran leadership upfront. They brought in Lubomir Visnovsky from LA to pair with Sheldon Souray on the blue line. The success of this club will depend on Mathieu Garon who claimed the goaltender job away from Dwayne Roloson last season. If he plays in 2008-2009 like he did at the end of last season the Oilers will be in the playoffs for the 1^st time in three years.

6. Calgary- They have one of the best forwards in the NHL in Jarome Iginla, a future Norris Trophy winner in Dion Phanuef, and a Vezina Trophy candidate in Mikka Kiprusoff. After those three players there isn’t much on the roster for Calgary. Unable to get out of the 1^st round since the appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals in 2004, the flames have been constantly tinkering with their team trying to find the right mix. I like the addition of Mike Cammalleri. I don’t like the addition of Todd Bertuzzi. This team will be very tough to beat in the regular season but I think they will underachieve once again in the playoffs.

5. Anaheim- Many people expected the Ducks to repeat last season as Stanley Cup champions. Instead they spent much of last year without Scott Niedermeyer and Teemu Selanne and when they did come back they were a step behind with the end result the Ducks losing to Dallas in the 1^st round. This is still a pretty good team. They have good forwards in Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry who are just starting to reach their primes. Bobby Ryan, who was drafted after Sidney Crosby in 2005, is expected to make the roster and will be a Calder Trophy candidate. They still have three good defenseman in Niedermeyer, Chris Pronger and Francois Beauchemin, who doesn’t get the credit he deserves because of Niedermeyer and Pronger. Plus J.S. Giguere is back in goal for the Ducks. This is still one of the top teams in the Western Conference.

4. Dallas- Last year Marty Turco finally chased his playoff demons and led the Stars to the Western Conference finals losing to Detroit in six games. This year I expect Dallas to even be better with having Brad Richards for a full season. They added Fabian Brunstrom from Sweden. He is expected to be the next great Swede in the NHL. The Stars also added Sean Avery just to irritate everyone in the West. They should make up for the loss of Niklas Hagman (Toronto) and Antti Miettinen (Minnesota).

3. Minnesota- I know they lost some of their scoring touch with Brian Rolston going to New Jersey, Pavol Demitra going to Vancouver and Mark Parrish being bought out. It doesn’t matter because they have the best coach in the league in Jacques Lemaire and they are much better on the blue line after adding Marek Zidlicky from Nashville. He should finally give the Wild the puck moving defenseman they have needed. The also added Marc-Andre Bergeron from Anaheim and Erik Reitz from the AHL in Houston. This trio will replace Keith Carney, Petteri Nummilen, and Sean Hill. The Wild also brought back Andrew Brunette from Colorado and added Owen Nolan from Calgary. The one weakness this team still has is depth at center. Another thing to keep an eye on is Marian Gaborik and his contract status for next season. Fortunately everyone in the Northwest Division has issues. That should be enough for Minnesota to repeat as division champions.

2. San Jose- This was the team a lot of people picked to win the Stanley Cup last year. (Myself included) And for the 3^rd year in a row they lost in the 2^nd round of the playoffs. That was enough for GM Doug Wilson who cleaned house this off-season firing coach Ron Wilson and bringing in Todd McClellan from Detroit to coach the Sharks. The Sharks also brought in Rob Blake, Dan Boyle, and Brad Lukowich, all who have won Stanley Cups to play defense for this team. This team is still loaded at forward led by Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, and Jonathan Cheechoo. Look for Joe Pavelski to make the leap this year and join this trio up front. Evgeni Nabokov continues to be a workhorse in goal for the Sharks. This team has a lot of talent and will continue to be a big threat for the Stanley Cup.

1. Detroit- So how do you improve a team that just won their 4^th cup in eleven years? Easy, just add the best free agent on the market in the off-season. That is what the Red wings did signing Marian Hossa to a one year deal worth seven million dollars. This team doesn’t rebuild they reload. The have arguably the best defenseman in the league in Nicklas Lidstrom, Brian Rafalski, Brad Stuart, Niklas Kronwall, Brett Lebda, and Andreas Lilja. It so good Chris Chelios will have trouble cracking the starting lineup. Henrik Zetteberg finally came into his own winning the Conn Smythe trophy in the playoffs. He is joined my Pavel Datsyuk to give the Wings the best one-two punch in the West. The one thing to watch is how Chris Osgood will fare being the number one guy in net after coming off the bench last season to lead the Wings to the Cup. There is so much talent on this team it’s hard not to pick them to repeat.

So I guess we Wild fans can book our playoff tickets right now! Nice!

Finally today, I'm taking Friday off, so here's your weekly edition of Dan's Favorite Teams Update!

Wisconsin Badgers: The Badgers are 3-2 (0-2 in the Big Ten).

Who'd have guessed the band would make that much of a difference? No, I'm not blaming the Ohio State loss on the band getting suspended. But it was clear to me, as well as several other fans I spoke with, that the atmosphere at Camp Randall was defintely more subdued than we'd expect for a big night game.

But as I said, that wasn't why the Badgers lost. They lost once again because their offense failed to consistently execute. Especially in the passing game. All American TE Travis Beckum was back on the field, and that helped. But under-appreciated TE Garret Graham was still nursing an injury. And frankly the Wisconsin WR's aren't consistent enough to represent a threat.

So once again, an opponent stacked the line trying to take away the Badger running game. And except for a couple of series were successful in doing so. When that happens, QB Alan Everidge needs to be able to throw the ball downfield and make the defense pay for over-playing the run. And once again, he failed to do so.

Head coach Brett Bielema has already declared that Everidge will get the start on Saturday versus Penn State, but he added that Everidge will need to cut down on his mistakes. The unspoken "or" in that statement is that junior QB Dustin Scherer is waiting in the wings and can step in if Everidge continues to falter.

Penn State should be an even sterner test than Ohio State was. So to put it mildly, I'm filled with trepidation. In fact, I'm strongly considering taping the game and going to the Wild game Saturday night. If the Badgers are going to catch the whipping I fear they might, then watching it on tape will allow me to zip through it a little faster!

Speaking of the Wild...

Minnesota Wild: The Wild open their season Saturday versus the Boston Bruins.

I wish I shared the Hammer's optimism about the Wild's season. But I fear that the losses they suffered during the off-season, combined with Marian Gaborik's contract status will be the impetus for a serious step backward.

Losing Demitra and Rolston cost the team 46 goals. Bringing in Nolan and Brunette brought in 35. And based on the style that the Wild play, 11 goals lost can really hurt.

Like the Hammer, I do like the addition of Martin Zidlicky on the blue line. He may finally be the forward-moving defenseman that Kim Johnnson was supposed to be.

But the over-arching story to the Wild season will likely be Marian Gaborik's contract. Gabby's in the last year of his deal, and so far, negotiations towards a new deal have been stuck in neutral. If Wild GM Doug Risebrough can't get a deal done with Gabby as the trade deadline approaches, the Wild may be forced to trade their original superstar. That equates to flushing the Wild's playoff chances right down the porcelain fixture (copyright Dark Star).

Maybe I'm just being pessimistic. I thought the Twins would struggle this year and they damned-near won their division. Hopefully the Wild will better the Twins outcome and finally break through and be a force in the playoffs!

Maybe.

That's all for today folks. I'll be back tomorrow, wrapping up this week with the 3rd edition of the Sports Take Top 10 College Football Poll as well as my ever-popular college football picks! Until then, thanks for reading!

Weekend Thoughts, NHL Eastern Conference Preview & Week 6 Picks Post-Mortem

Hello again everybody...

Welcome to another workweek. I hope your weekend was pleasant. I only have a few minor complaints about mine. And I'm sure most of you can guess what one of them was (damn you Ohio State). But in the big picture, it was a good weekend. And since I'm kicking off a 4-day work week, I really shouldn't complain at all.

Today, I'll be offering a few thoughts from over the weekend. Then it's time for the NHL season to get underway, so I've employed the greatest hockey mind I know to bring you a preview. Today we start with the Eastern Conference. And then it's time for my weekly Picks Post-Mortem. Are back-to-back 3-1 weeks possible? Would the planet tremble on it's axis if I exceeded .500 in two consecutive weeks? We'll find out...

"People that are really very weird can get into sensitive positions and have a tremendous impact on history."

- Dan Quayle (1947 - ), forty-fourth Vice President of the United States

Ahem... Pot? Kettle? Moving on...

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First of all, a few thoughts from the weekend...

- My condolences to Brewer fans. You had a nice run. But it wasn't quite enough to get out of the first round of the playoffs. I'm glad the Crew got a win on Saturday, if for no other reason than it allowed a loyal ST reader to attend Sunday's game. It sounds like the atmosphere in Milwaukee was pretty electric. I guess 20+ years of not being in the playoffs will create that.

Well-played Milwaukee. Go get 'em next year.

- My contempt for the Chicago Cubs. Really Cubbies? After all the "100 years of futility" talk during the season. After putting together the best offense and best record in the National League. And that's the best effort you can come up with?! Can I rescind my "Manager of the Year" vote? Okay, maybe not. And I'm not sure it was Lou's fault. Though I do wonder when a team comes out that flat. Personally, I figured the Cubs/Dodgers series to be the least ripe for an upset of any of the 4 series. One more way in which I mis-judged this baseball season!

- If the Dodgers meet the Red Sox (whom I hate) in the World Series, we here at the Sports Take would like to copyright the term "World Series of Suck". Thank you.

- Yes Gopher fans, you're ahead of the Badgers in the Big Ten standings. And yes that pains me. But I fully expect that situation to have righted itself by the time the two teams clash on November 15th. And fortunately, the pollsters have a grasp on reality. The Badgers are still ahead of the Gophers in the polls. It may be small consolation, but I'll take whatever I can get at this point!

Next up, it's time to head back to the hockey rink. The NHL season is set to kick off this week. The Wild open the season Saturday at home against Boston. So that means it's Sports Take Preview time. And while I count myself as a fairly knowledgeable hockey fan, I knew that there was one man who could hands down do a better job of previewing the NHL for you. That's right. It's the return of the Hammer!

Some of you doubted his NFL picks. Some even went so far as to mock his Washington pick. Well the Redskins are now 4-1 with wins over the Cowboys and the Eagles on the road. How do you like him now?

So pay close attention to the Hammer's NHL picks. Better hockey information you will not find!

Without further ado, here is the Hammer's Eastern Conference Preview:

15. New York Islanders- This may be the most dysfunctional team in all of sports. More so than the Lions or Raiders. They are on their seventh coach this decade, their gm is a guy who was the backup goaltender two seasons ago and their franchise player is a goaltender they signed to a 15 year deal despite never winning a playoff series. Honestly this team overachieved the last couple years with Ted Nolan behind the bench. He left after two seasons because he didn’t see eye-to-eye with GM Garth Snow. (If you are scoring at home that is two teams Nolan has now left because he didn’t see eye-to-eye with the GM. Not the best way to get another job Ted.) Their big additions this year were adding defenseman Mark Streit from Montreal and forward Doug Weight from Anaheim. I like the Streit signing but I think Weight’s best days are behind him.

14. Atlanta- When you look at this roster it is hard to believe that they won the Southeast Division two seasons ago. They have a great scorer in Ilya Kovalchuk, a solid goaltender in Kari Lehtonen and nothing else. I like the trade last year of Marian Hossa to replenish a young core that was stripped bare to make the post-season two years ago and signing Ron Hainsey is their latest effort to fill the skates of Brayden Coburn who was traded to Philadelphia. That being said, I think this team has a ways to go before they are competing for a playoff spot.

13. Toronto- The New York Islanders are the only thing keeping this team from being the laughingstock of the NHL. Last season they fired John Ferguson as GM and brought in Cliff Fletcher to clear all the dead weight in the locker room. The only problem was Ferguson signed most of the players to no-trade clauses and was unable to move anyone at the trade deadline including Mats Sundin who a lot of teams wanted for the playoff push. This summer Fletcher was able to clear up some roster space saying goodbye to veterans Darcy Tucker, Kyle Wellwood and Bryan McCabe. He also hired Ron Wilson to coach the Leafs. Wilson has a history of overachieving with teams where little are expected of them and underachieving when expectations are high. Fortunately there are no high expectations this season.

12. Florida- When you look at this team on paper and you see Tomas Vokoun in goal, Bryan McCabe, Jay Bouwmeester, Nick Boynton, & Keith Ballard on the blue line you think this is a pretty good defensive team. You then look at the forwards and ask yourself who is going to score goals for this team. To get Boynton & Ballard the Panthers traded captain Olli Jokinen to Phoenix. That relives the team of one headache but with Bouwmeester approaching free agency another one is on the horizon. If they decide to trade him and get a goal score this team might contend for a playoff spot.

11. Carolina- It is hard to believe that two years ago the Carolina Hurricanes were the Stanley Cup champions mostly because they missed the post-season the last two years. It makes you wonder if it was a fluke or not. The big deal the Canes made this off-season was sending forward Erik Cole to Edmonton for defenseman Joni Pitkanen who Philadelphia & Edmonton ran out of patience waiting to develop. He’ll help replace Glen Wesley who retired. What will hurt this team is the injury to Justin Williams who tore his right Achilles tendon and is out four to six months. It will be interesting to see how Carolina replaces him.

10. Ottawa- This is a team that was in a free fall going into the post-season last year. They were able to make the playoffs but didn’t last long after Pittsburgh swept them in four games. They lost goaltender Ray Emery and defenseman Wade Redden this off-season which might be addition by subtraction in the locker room. They also traded Andrej Meszaros to Tampa Bay for defenseman Filip Kuba (remember him Wild fans.) And the goaltending duties are being shared by Martin Gerber & Alex Auld, neither of which sends chills down my spine. I think this is the year the Senators miss the post-season.

9. Buffalo- No team was in better shape after the lockout the Sabres. They had one of the deepest teams and won the President’s Trophy in 2007. Unfortunately they were unable to re-sign Chris Drury and Daniel Briere and they ended up missing the post-season. This year they were able to resign Goalie Ryan Miller and were able to replenish some depth adding Craig Rivet from San Jose to the blue line. Still something is missing from this team and Miller will have to play at a Dominik Hasek type level for the Sabres to claim a post-season spot.

8. Tampa Bay- With the talent this team has I have no idea how they finished dead last in the league last year. It doesn’t matter that won’t happen this year. New ownership has come in and changed everything about this team. They signed Vincent Lecavalier to an 11 year deal making sure he is the face of this franchise. They signed forwards Gary Roberts, Vaclav Prospal, Ryan Malone, Mark Recchi, and Radim Vrbata. They added Andrej Meszaros from Ottawa and Matt Carle from San Jose to help out along the blue line. And mike Smith should give them the goaltender they have been looking for since Nikolai Khabibulin left as a free agent three years ago.

7. Boston- This is quietly one of the top young teams in the NHL. They have a good core of players starting with Phil Kessel and Milan Lucic and they have a Norris Trophy candidate in Zdeno Chara to anchor the blue line. What we will have to keep an eye on is if Manny Fernandez can come back from his knee injury to retake the goaltender job away from Tim Thomas and if Patrice Bergeron has recovered from a head injury he suffered against Philadelphia.

6. New Jersey- Every year people want to count this team out and every year they keep finding a way back into the post-season. I’ll say it right now, As long as Martin Brodeur is the Goalie the Devils will be in the playoffs. This season they brought back forwards Brian Rolston and Bobby Holik. I like these additions. I’d like it even more if it was 1998 instead of 2008. That being said when you add those two players to a group of forwards that include Jamie Langenbrunner, Zach Parise, Jay Pandolfo, John Madden and Brian Gionta you have a pretty good core there. Paul Martin will continue to anchor the blue line for New Jersey.

5. Philadelphia- Everyone who knows me knows how I feel about the Flyers. (If you don’t know me I hate the Flyers.) That being said this team rebounded from being the worst team in the league in 2007 to being one of the final four teams in 2008. I think they overachieved. They have a good core of forwards starting with Mike Richards, Daniel Briere, & Jeff Carter. They got a steal when they acquired Kimmo Timonen from Nashville and Brayden Coburn from Atlanta two seasons ago but I don’t trust their goaltending. Martin Biron had a good post-season. So did Brian Boucher, Roman Cechmanek, John Vanbiesbrouck, and Robert Esche. None of those players were able to step up and become a Stanley Cup caliber goaltender. I’d like to see Biron do it in back-to-back seasons before we declare the Flyers goalie situation solved.

4. New York Rangers- Despite my praise for Martin Brodeur I think the Rangers may have the best goaltender in the East in Henrik Lundqvist. They may have lost Jaromir Jagr to the Russian League but I think Markus Naslund will do fine replacing him. Chris Drury and Scott Gomez have another year together which will help. I also expect Brendan Shanahan to come back before the end of the month.

3. Washington- This may have been the best story in the NHL last year. They fired their coach around Thanksgiving last year and kept chopping away before turning it on in the final month of the season and winning the Southeast Division on the final day of the year. They have arguably the most exciting player in the league in Alex Ovechkin. They brought in former Hart Trophy winner Jose Theodore to play in goal for the Capitals last year. If he can play like he did against Minnesota in the 1st round the Capitals will win the division this season.

2. Pittsburgh- I wanted to put this team number one. I think they have the best one-two punch in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. I like the depth they have at forward. I think they have a great goaltender in Marc-Andre Fleury. Then I found out the anchor on the blue line, Sergei Gonchar is out for four to six months after shoulder surgery. This is still a great team but It will be interesting to see if Brooks Orpik, Daryl Sydor, or Hal Gill can pick up the slack in his absence.

1. Montreal- This team is loaded with talent. Saku Koivu leads a good group of forwards that added Alex Tanguay and Robert Lang in the off-season. Andrei Markov and Mike Komisarek anchor a blue line that is as good as any in the Eastern Conference. Carey Price will have a full season in goal and will only get better as the year goes on. After losing in the 2nd round of the playoffs last season they will have a chip on their shoulder and will have something to prove.

That ladies and gents, is the wisdom of the Hammer. His Western Conference Preview will head your way on Wednesday. Oh, and to put it in context, loyal readers will by now have a firm grasp on my hatred for the Red Sox. But that hatred is but a candle next to the raging inferno of hate the Hammer harbors for the Flyers. Seriously. I changed the spelling of the "Flier Pick of the Week" for that very reason.

Speaking of which, let's get to my Week 6 Picks Post-Mortem!

Illinois +2.5 @ Michigan: Final Score - Illinois 45, Michigan 20.

I wrote on Thursday that I thought the folks who set this line must've been smoking something. I'm not sure if I was right about that or not, but clearly they were way off.

Michigan started strong in this game and had me worried for a bit. But Juice Williams got the Illinois defense rolling eventually and steamrolled the Wolverines in the second half.

What Dan Learned: Michigan's going to be one of those teams that teases you with what they might be capable of, but then turns around and gets smoked by more established teams.

The other lesson is when you see a line that out of whack, bet it. Even if it is on a road underdog!

1-0 and feeling good!

Arizona State +9.5 @ California: Final Score - Cal 24, ASU 14

Ugh. That lousy half-point. It'll break your heart sometimes.

Leading up to the picks this week, ST reader Scott in Eau Claire pointed out this game asking, "Is ASU really this bad?" Apparently they are.

What Dan Learned: We're avoiding the Sun Devils for the rest of this year. They're just too schizophrenic. One week their offense looks fantastic and you start putting QB Rudy Carpenter on your mental Heisman Watch List. The next week they get handled by a Cal squad who got beat by a Maryland team which just got humbled by Virginia - possibly the worst major conference team in the country.

Follow that? Yeah, I barely did too. Bottom line - we're not betting on ASU to cover any more!

1-1 and not as cocky.

Ball State -7.5 @ Toledo: Final Score - Ball State 31, Toledo 0.

And the Cardinals keep on rolling. This game wasn't available on TV, so I can't tell you much more than Ball State started slow (it was 3-0 BSU at half), but eventually wore down the Toledo defense and ran away with it in the second half.

Ball State is dangerously close to becoming a staple in the ST picks. Of course I thought that about East Carolina too and look what happened to them!

What Dan Learned: When you see a team scoring points like crazy, and they're not a double-digit favorite over a team that's surrendered 90 points over it's last two games? You bet the college fund. Think about it. Is it really that much worse then betting on the stock market right now?! Thanks for that 401k advice Mom! It's working out splendidly.

2-1 and waiting on pins and needles for...

USC -16 vs Oregon: Final Score - USC 44, Oregon 10

*ST Flier Pick of the Week

Believe it or not, I'd actually given up on this game early on. In fact, I'd been second-guessing this pick since I made it on Thursday. I felt slightly better when I heard Lee Corso say, "No way USC's 16 points better than Oregon."

(Aside: I think if you bet exactly the opposite of Lee Corso's picks, you could retire after a season or two. The guy's awfully entertaining, but not much of a prognosticator.)

But I was still worried. Especially when Oregon went up 10-3 early. But 41 USC points later, it turned out I was dead right. USC needed a strong win, and they got it.

What Dan Learned: Stop second-guessing! The two picks I've felt worst about after making them have both come through resoundingly. This is all about pride anyway, so if I'm going to be wrong, I might as well be bold about it!

So yes ladies and gentlemen, that's another 3-1 week. That makes me 15-9 (.625) for the season. Not too shabby if I do say so myself. And I do! The pressure's on to keep it going. We'll see what kind of magic I can conjure up on Thursday!

That's all for today. I'll be back on Wednesday with the Hammer's Western Conference Preview. Until then, thanks for reading!

2008 ST Baseball Awards & DFTU

Hello again everybody...

We've reached the end of another week, and another glorious weekend awaits us. Or something like that. It's a touch delayed around the Sports Take offices because I have to work til 1am thanks to the silly lack of staffing around here. Oh well. Helping out the other guys will hopefully result in some good karma for yours truly. Or at least that's what I'm telling myself...

Today I've got a quick baseball note, then the 2008 Sports Take MLB Awards followed by this week's installment of the DFTU (yes Hammer, I'm finally prepared to discuss the Michigan/Wisconsin game). So let's get to it...

"A joke is a very serious thing."

- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965), British politician known chiefly for his leadership of the United Kingdom during World War II

It's a very serious thing because sometimes the baseball gods frown upon said joke.

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Witness the 2008 Chicago Cubs.

Apparently the baseball gods didn't like my "...and baby goes to sleep" line very much. The Cubs have gotten drilled in their first two games against the Dodgers. Yes, the same Dodgers who were ushered into the playoffs by the massive collapse of the Arizona Diamondbacks. The same Dodgers who finished a grand total of 84 wins, barely over .500. Yes, those same Dodgers have scored a total of 17 runs in 2 games against the Cubs.

So the Cubs go on the road now, down two games to none. And since it's a "best of five" series, one more loss means the presumptive favorite in the National League will head home in ignominious defeat.

Baseball's a crazy game huh?

With that, it's time to hand out some hardware (figuratively speaking). Here, then, are the 2008 Sports Take MLB Awards!

NL Manager of the Year: Lou Pinella, Chicago Cubs

Honorable Mention: Tony LaRussa, St. Louis Cardinals; Charlie Manuel, Philadelphia Phillies

Remember, these are regular season awards. Despite the collapse of the Cubs in the playoffs so far, there's no question that they had an outstanding regular season. There were a lot of expectations heading into the season - always a dangerous thing on the north side of Chicago - but Pinella skillfully guided his charges to the best record in the National League.

NL Most Valuable Player: Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies

Honorable Mention: CC Sabathia, Milwaukee Brewers; Manny Ramirez, L.A. Dodgers

Howards .251 batting average isn't going to wow anybody, but 48 home runs (8 more than anyone in baseball) and 146 runs batted in (16 more than anybody in baseball) are more than worthy of the award. People who know me know that I'm loathe to put a pitcher in the running for MVP, but there can be no question that Milwaukee (also down 2-0 in their playoff series) would've been done long ago if not for the acquisition of CC Sabathia. If that doesn't qualify as "valuable", I don't know what does. Similar recognition must go to Ramirez for his impact with the Dodgers. That being said, I still think he's a dope.

NL Cy Young: Brandon Webb, Arizona Diamondbacks

Honorable Mention: CC Sabathia, Milwaukee Brewers; Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants

So how can CC be on the MVP list and not win the Cy Young? Simple. In my mind the MVP should almost always come from a contending club. How valuable can you be if you're not getting your club into the playoffs? The Cy Young simply honors an outstanding pitching season regardless of your team's overall record. Again, these are my opinions. There's no question that CC was amazing in the second half. But he wasn't perfect either. And if you want to win the Cy Young based on half a season, you'd better be damned near perfect. Webb's 22 wins tie him for the most in baseball and are 4 more than anybody else in the National League. That equals a Cy Young performance to me.

NL Rookie of the Year: Geovany Soto, Chicago Cubs

Honorable Mention: Jay Bruce, Cincinnati Reds

Soto not only put up solid offensive numbers (.285, 23HR, 86RBI), but was lauded for his handling of the Cubs pitchers. There are more than a few personality issues in that clubhouse (witness the Zambrano/Barrett fight from last year), and Soto navigated those waters with the savvy of a veteran. Bruce brought some light to an otherwise dismal year for the Reds. If he continues his maturation, he'll be mentioned as an MVP candidate some day.

AL Manager of the Year: Joe Maddon, Tampa Bay Rays

Honorable Mention: Ron Gardenhire, Minnesota Twins; Mike Scioscia, L.A. Angels

This one's the no-brainer of all time. When you take your team from 66 wins last year to 97 this year, you're going to be Manager of the Year. Period. There's no question that the front office deserves a great deal of credit for reshaping the roster. But Maddon had to bring those players together and keep them focused in the right direction. That earns you this award. Gardenhire took a team that was expected to finish 3rd or 4th and got them within one game of the playoffs. If it wasn't for Tampa's amazing finish, this award could be his. And when your team wins more games than anybody in baseball (L.A.), the manager (Scioscia) has to at least get a mention.

AL Most Valuable Player: Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox (whom I hate)

Honorable Mention: Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers; Justin Morneau, Minnesota Twins

Had Morneau not fallen apart in the last two weeks of the season - even if that came from "trying too hard" - the Twins may very well have made the playoffs and he would've won this award. But he didn't step up the way Ryan Howard did for the Phillies, and for that reason, the award goes to Pedroia. Yes, it pains me to do it. But the guy had an outstanding season (.326, 17 HR, 86 RBI)for a team that made the playoffs. Maybe it's by default that he gets it, but sometimes that's how it works. Hamilton deserves a mention for his amazing first half if nothing else.

AL Cy Young: Cliff Lee, Cleveland Indians

Honorable Mention: Roy Halladay, Toronto Blue Jays; Mike Mussina, New York Yankees

Lee has already been named "Comeback Player of the Year", which is absolutely deserved. He'll be collecting some more hardware soon. A 22-3 record, 2.54 ERA and 5-to-1 strike out-to-walk ratio is as dominant a performance as we're likely to see anytime soon. I'll always remember it if for no other reason than I was in attendance for one of the 3 losses! Halladay had his usual amazing year. He's the Albert Pujols of the pitching world. They can't give these guys the awards every year, even though you could clearly make a case for them. Mussina had been written off by plenty of pundits, but came back with 20 wins for the first time in his stellar career.

AL Rookie of the Year: Alexi Ramirez, Chicago White Sox

Honorable Mention: Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays

This was the hardest one of all to pick. Both guys had outstanding years. Ramirez finished with a batting average of .290, 27 home runs and 77 RBI. Longoria had an average of .272, also with 27 home runs and 85 RBI. And considering that Longoria missed almost a month with a hand injury, his numbers would've been even better. But you don't win an award based on what you "would have done", you win it based on what you did. And what tipped it in my mind for Ramirez was his performance down the stretch. The grand slam in Game 162 was clutch. And as one of my favorite writers, John Buccigross, is fond of saying, "clutch is everything".

So those are my award winners. Think I'm out of my mind? Attach a comment and let us know why!

Finally today, it's time for everybodys favorite segment: Dan's Favorite Teams Update!

Minnesota Twins: The Twins finished 88-75 and in 2nd place in the AL Central.

Look (copyright Joe Biden), it's hard to be real upset about the end of the Twins season. Yes, it would've been fantastic if they'd made the playoffs. But we have to remember that they clearly exceeded the modest expectations that surrounded this club at the beginning of the year. And with the youth in their pitching staff, and their core signed for the next few years, there's a lot to like about this clubs future.

That being said... Curse you Jim Thome! Curse you!

There... I feel better now.

Wisconsin Badgers: The Badgers are 3-1 (0-1 in the Big Ten).

In the span of an hour, I went from thinking, "the Badgers have a shot at a Rose Bowl this year" to thinking, "my god, they could start 0-3 in the Big Ten". That, my friends (copyright John McCain) is a bad afternoon.

And "bad afternoon" is the only way to describe the debacle in the Big House last Saturday. I give the Wolverines credit for making adjustments at halftime and executing well enough to win the game in the second half.

But let's be honest. The Badgers lost this game. They lost this game when they failed to score more than 19 points off of Michigans 5 turnovers in the first half. They lost this game when their passing attack fell apart in the second half. They lost this game when Michigan put 9 in the box, stifled the Badgers running game and dared Wisconsin to pass on them. And they lost this game when they inexplicably failed to execute a basic formation on a 2-point conversion play that would've sent the game to overtime.

It was like watching a train wreck in slow motion. There was nothing I could do to stop it. And the outcome seemed inevitable after a point. But I couldn't stop watching. It wasn't a matter of determining whether they'd win or lose that game. It was a matter of determining which cluster-jumbled way they'd find to lose it. Ugh.

Now it's time to put that one behind them, and move on. There's no time to wallow because a sterner test awaits. This week Ohio State comes to Camp Randall Stadium to face the Badgers. And it's a night game. I can't tell you exactly why, but things are definitely different under the lights in Madison. Perhaps it's because the fans have had all day to properly... ahem... prepare for the game. Whatever it is, the energy of the stadium alone should help make this a close game.

After last weeks loss, I'd be foolish to predict a win for Bucky. So I'll just say this is a winnable game. I firmly believe that Ohio State is not as good as they've been in the past couple of years. And when you get a team in that state at home, you have to give them your best shot. If the Badgers can't get motivated after last week's abysmal performance, then this season may be over for them already.

That's all for this week folks. I appreciate you taking the time to read all 5 posts. I know that's a lot to make time for, but there was a TON going on this week. Back to regular programming next week. Tune in on Monday for the Post-Mortem on my Week 6 picks. Until then, enjoy your weekend and thanks for reading!

ST Top 10 Poll #2 & 2008 College Football Picks: Week 6

Hello again everybody...

The baseball playoffs are underway and fall temperatures abound here in Minnesota. You know what that means? Yep, time to talk more college football!

Today I bring you the second-ever Sports Take Top 10 College Football Poll. Obviously there's some serious shake-ups after last week. And I like it! Then it's time for my Week 6 college football picks. I've gone 3-1 in two of the last three weeks. I'm not being cocky, just hoping to sustain the roll. So let's get to it...

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After 5 weeks of college football action, here are the Top 10 teams according to Sports Take pollsters:

Rank) Team (First Place Votes) - Total Points - Last Week's Ranking

#1) Oklahoma (6) - 96 - 2

#2) LSU (1) - 83 - 5

#3) Alabama (3) - 82 - 8

#4) Missouri - 73 - 6

#5) Texas - 65 - 7

#6) Penn State - 47 - NR

T#7) USC - 25 - 1

T#7) BYU - 25 - 10

#9) Texas Tech - 19 - NR

#10) Georgia - 9 - 4

Others Receiving Votes: Ohio State 8, Florida 4, South Florida 4, Vanderbilt 4, Utah 2, Wisconsin 2, Connecticut 1, Oklahoma State 1

I checked the math multiple times to make sure LSU really edged out Alabama (they did) and that USC and BYU were actually tied (they were).

Very interesting results. Obviously the voters thought very highly of Alabama's victory at Georgia. What's even more interesting to me is that USC didn't drop out of the Top 10 after their crushing loss at Oregon State. As much anti-USC venom as I heard after the first poll, I thought for sure the voters would punish them for that lack-luster effort. But that's not the case.

So here's your chance to comment. See something you think is out of whack? Post a comment below and let us know.

Thanks once again to all who participated in the poll. If you'd like a chance to vote, please send me an email at: dcook93@yahoo.com and I'll give you the details!

Next up it's time for my 2008 College Football Picks: Week 6!

I'm 12-8 on the year so far, let's see what happens this week. Again, were recreational gaming legal and were I to have the wherewithal to make a worthwhile wager, these are the games I'd be betting on:

Illinois +2.5 @ Michigan (2:30pm) The Illini are 2-2 (0-1). The Wolverines are 2-2 (1-0).

Are people in Vegas smoking something?! Look, it was a nice comeback by Michigan last Saturday versus Wisconsin (I'll suck it up and talk about it more tomorrow). But did you see that first half?! 5, count them, 5 turnovers by the Maize and Blue in the first half. That's brutal. It was only Wisconsin's woeful offense that kept Michigan close enough to make that comeback possible.

Illinois is coming off a road loss at Penn State. Yes, they got fairly well handled, but the Nittany Lions are the odds-on favorite to win the Big Ten. Illinois still has all kinds of weapons on offense, starting with junior quarterback Juice Williams.

If I'd guessed the line in this game before seeing it, I'd have said Illinois -3. So when I see that they're getting points? Well, that's an automatic. We take Illinois plus the 2.5 points and figure they'll win it outright!

Next...

Arizona State +9.5 @ California (2:30pm): The Sun Devils are 2-2 (1-0). The Bears are 3-1 (1-0).

I think Cal's probably the better overall team between these two. But I can't see them giving another team 9.5 when their running back is dinged up and suddenly there's an open competition at quarterback.

I know, I know, 2 road underdogs in a row is a good way to cost yourself some cash. But these are the two lines that most clearly appear to be out of whack to me. So there you go.

We take the 9.5 and shout for the devils!

Thirdly...

Ball State -7.5 @ Toledo (6pm): The Cardinals are 5-0 (2-0). The Rockets are 1-3 (1-0).

Yes, this makes 3 straight road teams. But at least this one's a favorite! I say when you find a good thing, you keep rolling with it. Ball State destroyed Kent State last week and have scored 40+ points in their last 3 games. I don't see Toledo stopping that streak.

The Rockets have lost 2 straight home games to Fresno State and Florida International, surrendering a total of 90 points. Not exactly the kind of defensive effort that's set up to stop the Ball State offensive juggernaut.

So give the touchdown-plus and we'll take Ball State to go 6-0!

Finally...

USC -16 vs. Oregon (7pm): The Trojans are 2-1 (0-1). The Ducks are 4-1 (2-0).

This is this week's Sports Take Flier Pick.

Yes, that loss last weekend at Oregon State was devastating to USC's national title hopes. But I think that's all the more reason to think that USC is going to lay one on Oregon this week. In order to get the voters' attention, USC is going to have to run it up a bit on the lesser competition they'll face in the Pac 10. And even with Oregon's good record, that needs to start this week.

Oregon's down to their third-string quarterback. One of the dirty little secrets of the spread option offense is that it exposes your quarterback to take some hard shots. And the law of averages has slapped the Ducks around like the proverbial red-headed step child this year. Don't let last week's 63-14 crushing of Washington State fool you. WSU is terrible. That played a larger role in that score than Oregon's talent.

I'm not going to be floored if Oregon covers. That's why the "Flier Pick" exists after all. But I'm stepping out on a limb and proclaiming the return of the Trojans!

So there you go. 4 picks for you to ponder over the weekend. Enjoy all the action! I'm back tomorrow with my 2008 Major League Baseball Awards. Until then, thanks for reading!

Oof..., Playoff Predictions & Final Peek at the Picks

Hello again everybody...

Clearly it's a dark day here in The Sports Take offices. If you didn't see the play-in game last night between the Twins and the White Sox, you missed a classic. It was playoff baseball at its finest. Unfortunately, the wrong team won.

So today I'll be giving you my thoughts on that game, previewing the first round of the playoffs, and bringing you the final Peek at the Picks segment for the 2008 baseball season. Off we go!

"Everyone is a genius at least once a year. The real geniuses simply have their bright ideas closer together."
- Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1742 - 1799), German scientist, satirist and Anglophile

Dan's Baseball Corollary: "Every hitter is clutch at least once a year. The best hitters simply have their clutch hits come closer together."

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And in a way, that perfectly describes what happened in last night's 1-0 Chicago victory over the Twins in the play-in game.

Prior to the game, I thought that if the Twins lost, I was really going to be crushed since they'd come so far during the season. But it turns out I wasn't.

That game last night was everything that is good about baseball. It was brilliantly pitched on both sides. Both teams played solid defense. And in the end it was one fantastic defensive play and one clutch hit that determined the finish.

In the fifth inning, Twins DH Michael Cuddyer led off the inning with a double. Delmon Young followed with a productive out, as his fly out allowed Cuddyer to tag and move to third. That brought Brendan Harris to the plate. Harris hit a fly ball to shallow center field. Cuddyer tagged and tried to score from third. Chicago CF Ken Griffey, Jr., threw a strike to home plate. C A.J. Pierzynski skillfully blocked Cuddyer's path to the plate, caught Griffey's throw, and applied the tag to end the inning.

I've discussed this with several people who's baseball opinions I respect, and the overwhelming response is that you had to send Cuddyer in that situation. No, the fly ball wasn't as deep as you'd like it to be. And yes, Cuddyer had been plagued by injuries all year, including one to his foot. But Chicago pitcher John Danks was dealing, and you had to try and take your shot when you had it, because there was no guarantee that you were going to get another one.

Griffey made a perfect throw. A.J. made a fantastic tag. You tip your cap and move on.

As far as the Twins pitching goes, Nick Blackburn pitched a gem. Yes he made some mistakes, but not many, and those he did make, he limited the damage on as much as he could. Chicago DH Jim Thome is a future Hall of Fame hitter. Nick's not the first guy to leave a fat pitch up and over the plate that resulted in a moon-shot home run by Thome. And he won't be the last. It just happened at an awfully bad time.

But that was still only one run. And that means that Nick gave his team a chance to win, and that's all you can ask.

So that was it. One throw, one home run, and that's a ballgame. I'm bummed, but not devastated, because it was such a good game. The Twins had a helluva season and lost out on the playoffs by thaaaat much. Oh well. Let's go get 'em next year!

So with that said, here's a brief sketch of the first round of the playoffs:

Philadelphia over Milwaukee in 4: Sorry Crew fans. Believe me, I'd love to see you advance here. And I dearly hope I'm wrong. But the guy you're running out for Game 1 has pitched 4 innings since May? And then you're bringing back CC Sabathia on short rest again for Game 2? I just don't think you have the pitching to get this done. Again, I hope I'm selling you short. But if I have to make a pick, I'm going with Philly.

Chicago over Los Angeles in 3: The weakness of the NL West finally gets exposed here. Chicago throws Dempster, Zambrano and Harden and puts the baby to sleep. Fin.

Los Angeles over Boston (whom I hate) in 5: This one could really go either way. In the end, I think the Angels having home field and Boston (whom I hate) not having a healthy Josh Beckett makes the difference. Torii Hunter finally gets back to the ALCS with a whale of a chance to finally make a World Series. That makes me smile.

Tampa Bay over Chicago in 4: A lot of people are going to pick Chicago to upset in this series, and I can't blame them. There's no question that the White Sox have the edge in experience in this series. But they've had to expend so much emotion and energy just to get here, I don't think they have enough to make it past Tampa. The Rays are obviously in foreign territory, and it won't shock me if they fall flat because of it. But I'm sticking with Tampa on this one.

By the way, if you don't trust my picks, here are the Hammer's thoughts:

Angels over Boston in 5
Sox over Rays in 4
Cubs over Dodgers in 5
Brewers over Phillies in 5

I'll take 3 out of 4 versus the Hammer any day!

Finally today, it's the final edition of the Peek at the Picks for the 2008 baseball season. All year long I've compared the current MLB standings to my pre-season picks. Well we've reached the end of the marathon. Time to see how it all shook out.

NL East: Philadelphia Phillies, 92-70 (Dan's Pick: NY Mets, 3 GB)

I got close on this one. Even closer if you count the Wild Card. But no cigar. Once again the Mets had a lead late in the year. And once again they failed to seal the deal. Johan Santana did his job, but Mets GM Omar Minaya is going to have to find him some help if he wants his club to finally break through.

NL Central: Chicago Cubs, 97-67 (DP: Cubs)

Hey, I got one right! Yup, this was the one. The Cubs had a fantastic year and are the presumptive NL representative in the World Series. In the words of the Hammer, "If they don't get it done this year, they never will". I'm with you Hammer. I'm with you.

NL West: Los Angeles Dodgers, 84-78 (DP: Arizona Diamondbacks, 2 GB)

If there was ever an argument to be made against automatically giving a division winner a playoff spot, this year was it. And yes, I'd have felt the same way if the D'backs had won it. Just an abysmal year for the West. There's enough talent in this division that they could rebound next year. But chalk this one up to, "somebody had to win it".

NL Wild Card: Milwaukee Brewers, 90-72 (DP: L.A. Dodgers, 6 GB)

Do I get half a point for having my pick make the playoffs somehow? Eh, it wouldn't really matter anyway. Kudos to the Brewers for not rolling over when their skipper was inexplicably let go. As I write this, Game 1 of Brewers/Phillies is under way. Suddenly the Twins not being there hurts a whole lot more than I expected it would. Oof...

AL East: Tampa Bay Rays, 97-65 (DP: Boston, whom I hate, 2 GB)

Flat out the best story in baseball this year. The Rays were in the mix from day one and persevered through some significant injuries to take down the big boys. Boston, whom I hate, still managed to grab the Wild Card. Another half a point? Maybe? Come on! Okay, maybe not.

AL Central: Chicago White Sox, 89-74 (DP: Detroit Tigers, 14 GB)

Yes, Chicago's record adds up to 163 games. Minnesota gave them a helluva run, but in the end, Chicago won out. Kudos South Siders. The Tigers were a complete failure. Originally my pick to win the World Series, Detroit failed in every way imaginable. It'll be interesting to see how much change occurs in Motown in the off season.

AL West: Los Angeles Angels, 100-62 (DP: Seattle Mariners, 39 GB)

My biggest failure of the year. I wanted to pick the Angels and managed to talk myself out of it at the last minute. Oof. There wasn't a winner in the "How far back will Seattle finish" contest. Congratulations do go to ST reader Lon in Forest Lake, for coming closest at 36 games. Close Lon, but no cigar.

AL Wild Card: Boston Red Sox (whom I hate), 95-67 (DP: Cleveland Indians, 14 GB)

Completely whiffed on the Tribe too. Cleveland was beset by injuries early on in the campaign and never really recovered. As a Twins fan, I'm terrified by what the Indians could be next year. Flat out terrified.

So I got 1 right. Will anybody give me credit for two if you count the two half-points?! Post a comment below if you think I should get a little love for those!

Either way it was a rough year for the baseball picks. But baseball's a tough game to predict like that. That's why the people who are inveterate football gamblers rarely wager on baseball. Too many things change too quickly over too long a season. Then again, that's why I'm such a fan!

That's it for today folks. I'm back tomorrow with the 2nd ever Sports Take College Football Poll, and my Week 6 picks. Until then, thanks for reading!