This has to be my favorite time of the year for sports. The NFL is in full swing, college football is back and the baseball playoffs are just about to get crankin’. Absolutely perfect. Now if the weather would cool off a little! Quick hits from the sports landscape:
- Last weekend, something like 7 of the top 13 college football teams were upset. Those games, coupled with early season losses by Michigan and Louisville (preseason Top 10 teams) prove the absolute absurdity of the preseason polling system. I’ve said it every year and I’ll say it again: in order for these rankings to mean anything, they shouldn’t even vote on them until October. Otherwise, they’re flimsy.
- Two weeks from now we’ll have a possible Super Bowl preview as the Patriots and Cowboys square off. I’m predicting we’ll see 80 points scored in that one.
- Well, I guess it’s time for me to finally eat crow about the Cubbies. I’ll admit, I took delight in their early season scuffle and enjoyed kicking them while they were down (see here). But I give credit: they somehow backed their way into winning the worst division in baseball. Hey, it worked for the Cardinals last year, so you never know. But I’ll still be rooting for ‘Zona and anybody else the Cubbies happen to play.
- You heard it here first: the Cleveland Indians will win the World Series. Sabathia and Carmona are as good a 1-2 combo as anybody and they have 6 or 7 guys in their lineup that can beat you anytime. Their one weak link: closer Joe Borowski. Don’t put too much stock in his ability to put out any late-inning fires.
- After winning 14 of their last 15 to win the NL Wild Card, the Colorado Rockies deserve a postseason berth. Regardless of how they fare in the tournament, two of the Rox are worthy of individual accolades. Despite a great offensive performance by the Brewers’ Ryan Braun, Colorado shortstop Troy Tulowitzki will be your NL Rookie of the Year. And if Matt Holliday (the NL leader in batting average and RBI) isn’t the NL MVP, it’ll be the league’s greatest travesty since Ozzie Smith was robbed of the 1987 award by Andre Dawson of the last place Chicago Cubs.
- After a disappointing 2008, Tony LaRussa mulls his future as the Redbirds skipper. My opinion: I’d love to have Tony manage the club as long as he wants to. But if he decides to walk away, I want Joe Girardi. The former NL Manager of the Year is a hot commodity — and always seems to be linked to the potential Yankees vacancy if (when) Joe Torre is fired in the Bronx — but as a former Cardinal, I’d like to think we have some ties there. But like I said, I want Tony to stay as long as he wants.
already & not yet 
I think that I picked the Cubs to win it all. Hate that we’re not in it. I love watching the playoffs. Should be a fun October!
You did pick the Cubbies. And you call yourself a Cards fan.
Jason, check out my predictions and analysis of the postseason on my blog. I think you’ll enjoy it.
Will do, brotha.
“Cleveland Indians will win the World Series”Hear, hear. Too bad a certain blogger picked the TIGERS to win this division. However, my best prediction of 2007 was picking the Indians back in March:https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=10390185&postID=7987992799375453726“After a disappointing 2008…”Ok, Jason. I know you’re disappointed about the 2007 Cardinals, but are you already throwing in the towel on 2008? Or does your crystal ball see more of the same for the Cards in 2008?Personally I’d be really surprised if the Cards sat on their hands during the offseason. There is just too much tradition of winning in that franchise to take a season like 2007 and not try to make some changes. Who knows? A season like this might be a collective cold shower for Cards management, and perhaps they will be more aggressive in the 2007-2008 offseason than they were in the 2006-2007 offseason.