The MLB regular season is fast-approaching, which means that your summer sports fix will likely contain baseball, some soccer, and lots of Yankees-Red Sox and Cubs-Cardinals on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. Anyways, here's a look how screwed MLB's cellar dwellers are this season.
San Diego Padres: It's going to be a long season in San Diego. With no football team to fall back on anymore, the Padres will only prolong the agony. At least they're developing some guys in the farm system and acquiring international prospects, though.
Cincinnati Reds: The Reds have half-assed their rebuilding process, trading their veterans away for peanuts. But like the Padres, they're invested in the international pool quite a bit. Still, there's not much hope with the Cubs and Cards in your division along with an underachieving Pirates team and the Brewers already rebuilding.
Chicago White Sox: The White Sox raised the "white flag" this winter, trading away players like Adam Eaton and Chris Sale. In return, they got an overhaul of prospects. It'll be a horrid year for the South Siders, but take solace in knowing that the future is bright.
Oakland Athletics: The AL West could have almost any of its teams win its division this year... Except for the A's. The rebuilding process is still going on and the A's are still restocking its farm system. This might take a few more years to complete.
Philadelphia Phillies: The Phillies have a promising rotation and under-the-radar players like Odubel Herrera. However, it'll take a couple more years for the Phillies to come back into prominence considering the Nationals and Mets won't be the only competitive teams in the future.
Tampa Bay Rays: The Rays could actually be a playoff team this season. The Yankees are still rebuilding and fresh off of getting rid of bad contracts, the Orioles don't have much in the rotation, and the Blue Jays lost some key pieces to their team. With an underrated rotation, the Rays could be a wild-card team if their lineup shows some life.
Not many people have noticed this, but the Brooklyn Nets are currently on a 16-game losing streak. Their last win came on January 20th against the New Orleans Pelicans, 143-114. With the win, the Nets snapped an 11-game losing streak. In fact, the Nets are 2-32 since December 12. They've allowed 100 points or more in all but one of these games during their mediocre stretch (February 1st vs. the New York Knicks in a 95-90 loss). As a whole, Brooklyn's only yielded less than 100 points five times this season. The Nets didn't even win a single game in the month of January.
What's worse for the Nets is that even if they have the worst record in the NBA, there's no guarantee that they'll get the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft in the summer. The NBA runs a draft lottery that picks the winner at random. The more losses you have, the more ping pong balls you'll get (you have to miss the NBA playoffs as well). Some people have a hunch that the NBA lottery, like the NBA itself, is rigged. Brooklyn fans may harbor those feelings if they don't get the No. 1 pick. The good news for Nets fans is that the previous two teams with the worst NBA record got the No. 1 pick.
As for right now, no one knows when the Nets will win again. They are currently on a West Coast trip that includes games in Denver and Oakland. Their schedule is quite unforgiving at the moment. When will the slide end? How many records of futility will the 2016-2017 Nets break?
People like to make "Resolutions," specifically to lose weight. A lot of the time, they either:
Go back to their old ways
Give up after Mid-January
Are successful at first, but put the weight back on shortly after
Many people also resort to gimmicky diets such as the Atkins diet, gluten-free diets, and other methods. Some people will resort to tactics like plastic surgery (something that I've contemplated in the past) and weight-loss programs. The success of these methods can vary, but a lot of these are good marketing ploys to get you to buy their items. Let me tell you how I lost weight.
Since November when I was 184 lbs, I lost 29 lbs. The secret? Burn More Calories Than You Take In. It's that simple. No gimmicks. No tricks. Just don't take in so many calories and burn off more than you can chew.
Our country (and world) is turning into an obese wasteland full of angry, upset people. People are not only becoming mentally unstable, but physically unwell to boot. It's best to not overthink things when you try and lose weight. Just burn more than you take in! Also, doing plenty of cardio does help in burning calories. Also, three fruits and vegetables a day helps.
I read an article this morning where Anthony Rizzo talks about why the Chicago Cubs will never be hated by sports fans. Reading this seemed rather intriguing, considering the amount of media coverage the Cubs got on their run to the 2016 World Series title. It got me thinking if that really would be the case. I came to the conclusion that this probably won't be the case and I came up with a few reasons why.
Now the main reason itself isn't the Cubs's fault. The Cubs themselves are quite likable. Guys like David Ross and Jake Arrieta were all great stories for the North Siders. However, media outlets like ESPN, CNN, and FOX Sports creamed themselves when the Cubs actually won. ESPN even covered Cubs President Theo Epstein and his crew re-signing with the Cubs for five years (That's something you'd normally see on MLBTradeRumors.com). The "Worldwide Leader In Sports" started up the hype concerning the Cubs with the "Pursuit of History" tab. This may be the biggest reason why the Cubs will become a hated team, since networks like ESPN and FOX Sports tend to lean towards the big market teams, i.e. the New York Yankees, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Boston Red Sox. The Cubs fall into this category.
In fact, the love from the corporate media had gotten to ridiculous heights during the Cubs's postseason. Publications like the New York Times and "The Worldwide Leader in Sports" gushed when Chicago came back against the San Francisco Giants in Game 4 of the NLDS this year. Many of them called it one of "the greatest comebacks ever" (Sorry Cubbies, but Tom Brady and the Pats have you beat in that category this year). This flood of annoying writing and editorials will persist for a few years, which will probably lead to many sports fans getting sick of hearing about the Cubs and seeing Jesse Rogers slobbing on Joe Maddon and Theo's knobs. The point is, we get that the Cubs won their first title in 108 years. Nice story to distract Americans from real world problems. Now can we please move on?? And can a St. Louis Cardinals fan please revoke Joe Buck's "Cardinals Card" since he got hard from the Cubs winning the World Series?
Are there any liberals out there who are scared of or have a hatred for Trump? Don't worry, the owners of the Cubs, namely Pete Ricketts, donated to Trump's campaign. Yes, some of Trump's comments have turned off members of the Ricketts family before Pete decided to contribute to Donald Trump's successful campaign to the tune of $1 million. In fact, Trump named Todd Ricketts to his cabinet after winning the 2016 Election.
If you want another reason why the Cubs will probably be hated, this reason should sway you.
I'm going to be honest, this sounds like an aborted folk song. Let's all gather by the campfire, hold hands, and sing this song after Kris Bryant jacks a walk-off home run, shall we?
Right now, the Cubs aren't a team that you should really hate (or be jealous of) as a sports fan However, they do have the lineup that'll get them championships for years to come. Will they go the way of the Red Sox? Stay tuned.
I have here a few things of note that will be of utter importance in the near future. Here are a few notes to pass on. (Tengo aquí algunas cosas de la nota que serán de la importancia absoluta en un futuro próximo. Aquí hay algunas notas para transmitir.)
I am planning on doing a few shows in Las Vegas in late April. The location is to be determined, but I'm hoping it'll be at the Bellagio. I'm also looking at Las Vegas as a potential future home for me.
(Estoy planeando hacer algunos shows en Las Vegas a finales de abril. La ubicación está por determinar, pero espero que será en el Bellagio. También estoy mirando a Las Vegas como un potencial futuro hogar para mí.)
I am looking for guests to be on my show in the future. I'm already talking (or trying to talk to) to a few people to come on my show. It'll likely have a local flavor to it.
(Estoy buscando a los invitados a estar en mi show en el futuro. Ya estoy hablando (o tratando de hablar con) a unas cuantas personas a venir en mi programa. Es probable que tenga un sabor local a la misma.)
I'm looking into possibly getting my podcasts onto Youtube. The first podcast is exclusively on Youtube, but there will be other shows that'll be on the site.
(Estoy buscando en posiblemente conseguir mis podcasts en Youtube. El primer podcast es exclusivamente en Youtube, pero habrá otros programas que estarán en el sitio.)
Sir Charles Barkley is one of the brashest basketball players to ever step foot on a court. He's also a hilarious on-air personality for Turner Sports's "NBA on TNT". Chuck has pulled down an average of 11.7 rebounds a game, averaged 22.1 points per game, and led the NBA for five straight seasons in percentage of two-point shots made (1986-1991). Here's a look at some of Sir Charles's finest moments on and off the court.
Believe it or not, the MLB season is nearing quickly with pitchers and catchers reporting in just a matter of days. Here's a few things to expect from this season.
The Cubs, Indians, and Red Sox Will Be Really Good: The Cubs are practically returning the same team that they had from their World Series-winning season last year sans Jorge Soler, Aroldis Chapman, and Jason Hammel. Therefore, not much will change on the Cubs' front. However, the Red Sox got a major overhaul, picking up the likes of Chris Sale with some years of control to bolster their rotation. Meanwhile by Lake Erie, Cleveland added Edwin Encarnacion to their lineup and will be getting Andrew Miller for a full season while getting Danny Salazar and Carlos Carrasco back from injuries. The American League will be an interesting race between these two teams.
Can the Astros Break Through? After whiffing on trading for Jose Quintana, Houston doesn't have a reliable starter to even out their rotation. They'll have to hope for Dallas Keuchel to rebound and/or one of the other arms to step. The Astros did overhaul their lineup by adding Josh Reddick, Brian McCann, and Carlos Beltran, though.
The Next Step: The Atlanta Braves are taking their next step in the rebuilding process, adding veterans like Bartolo Colon and Brandon Phillips to their team. In due time, the Braves should be contenders. However, it'll take at least one more year of losing to get Atlanta to where they need to be.
Are the Royals Done? It doesn't seem like that long ago that the Royals were your World Series Champions. However, injuries and losing players like Wade Davis to free agency have hampered Kansas City to the point of falling below .500. Can the Royals make one last hurrah before pieces are traded off?
Alright, so both of these catches involve the New England Patriots. Both of these catches were called by none other than Joe Buck, too. The Pats were on the receiving end of the first one, the Pats benefitted from the second. Either way, both catches are downright spectacular and helped their respective teams win the Super Bowl. Which catch do you think is the better of the two?
With the Atlanta Falcons's improbable rise to the near-top of the NFL world, the hope that a mid-level team can rise from the ashes to the Super Bowl has inspired many teams. Which teams could rise to the top?
Carolina Panthers: If the Panthers can figure out their offensive line, Cam Newton should have an easier time rebounding from a terrible 2016 campaign. He'll get more protection, meaning he'll be less prone to making bad throws since he won't be under pressure as much. Being sacked 36 times this year did Cam no favors at the QB position.
Detroit Lions: There's talk about who'll be the next Matt Ryan and a lot of talk has centered around Matt Stafford. With a rating of 93.3, 4,327 passing yards, and 24 touchdowns this year, Stafford looks to be on the cusp of taking that next step. Granted, the Lions will need to find a running game and may need to upgrade their offensive line once more. But the Lions are trending in the right direction.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: This team could be a defensive version of the Falcons. The Buccaneers were close to making the playoffs this year, but missed out due to a lackluster start. However, the Bucs brought hope to Central Florida with a five-game winning streak that saw the Bucs hold opponents to 12.8 PPG in that stretch. They'll have plenty of free agents moving around, but the team is trending upward.
Indianapolis Colts: This list is centered mainly around teams who have the QB's ready to take the next step. Andrew Luck is (and should) be one of them. Once deemed the heir to Peyton Manning's place as the franchise QB, Luck hasn't shown a whole lot. 2016 saw Luck put up career highs in completion percentage (63.5%), yards per pass attempt (7.78), and QBR (71.2). While the Colts have other issues to deal with (like the team's health and defense), the Colts need a strong Luck to lead their team to the Super Bowl aspirations that they're expected to achieve.
Washington Redskins: The 'Skins put together an offensive juggernaut like Atlanta thanks to the rise of Kirk Cousins (4,917 passing yards, 25 TDs, 12 INTs). In fact, Washington was third in total offense this season with 6,454 total yards. With weapons like Jordan Reed, the 'Skins's main focus will be on what to do with Kirk Cousins this offseason.
Right now, I have a terrible cough and a runny nose. It's been hard for me to sleep in spite of the fact that I need sleep to speed up my recovery. This got me thinking about Michael Jordan's "flu game". This was Game 5 of the NBA Finals, when Michael Jordan called up his personal trainer at 2 a.m. to inform him that Jordan was ill. The cause was food poisoning, likely from the pizza he ordered the night before. Jordan wound up scoring 17 points in the second quarter as the Bulls trimmed Utah's lead to four. Jordan added 15 more points (he ended up with 38 points in the game) as the Bulls upended the Jazz, 90-88. Some of Jordan's most memorable highlights from the game are seen here.
With the Super Bowl just a few days away, I'd figure I'd comprise a list of the greatest Super Bowl games to happen. I think I did a blog like this, so correct me if I already did. Anyways, here's some of the greatest to ever happen.
10.) "The Guarantee": I know that some of you out there want this to be higher. After all, the Jets were 18-point underdogs in the game with Joe Namath's infamous guarantee. However, the Jets actually won Super Bowl III handily by a score of 16-7. The funny thing was that Namath had an average game, going 17 for 28 with 208 yards and no touchdowns. The Jets rode Matt Snell to 121 yards on 30 carries and a touchdown.
9.) Super Bowl XIII: The Cowboys and Steelers are some of the NFL's bluebloods, having gone at it in multiple Super Bowls. This one was an instant classic, with the rematch storyline coming into play with both teams having faced each other in a previous Super Bowl. The Cowboys were the defending champions at the time, but couldn't handle Terry Bradshaw. The Steelers' quarterback went 17 for 30, throwing for a then-SB record 318 yards and four touchdown passes. The Steelers scored two touchdowns in the span of 19 seconds in the fourth quarter to beat the 'Boys, 35-31.
8.) Super Bowl XXXVIII: The last Super Bowl in Houston featured a nail-biter as the Panthers proved to be the Pats' toughest competition amongst all of New England's Super Bowl wins. The game was scoreless for a record 26:55 before the two teams combined for 24 points leading up to halftime. Both teams didn't score in the 1st and 3rd quarters, respectively. This was also the Super Bowl where "The Nipple Incident" happened involving Janet Jackson and the NFL made Super Bowl half-time shows milquetoast for a period of time.
7.) A Dynasty Is Born: In what is being hailed as the birth of a dynasty, the New England Patriots were surprisingly considered a massive underdog at the time against the St. Louis Rams and for good reason: "The Greatest Show on Turf" was coming off a 14-2 regular season, having steamrolled through various opponents. However, a quarterback named Tom Brady led the charge in spite of the Rams outgaining the Patriots, 427-267, with Adam Vinatieri winning the game with a 48-yard field goal.
6.) "Seattle Should've Ran the Ball": You should know all about this one. In what has become internet canon, the Seattle Seahawks were driving deep into New England territory, down 28-24. Instead of giving the ball to Marshawn Lynch at the one-yard line, Pete Carroll tried a pass play The end result was a Malcolm Butler interception to seal the deal for New England.
5.) Mike Jones Saves the Day: More on the "Greatest Show on Turf". Kurt Warner was part an offensive three-headed monster that included Marshall Faulk and Isaac Bruce for the St. Louis Rams. However, the Tennessee Titans took the Rams to the brink. If it wasn't for a Mike Jones tackle to stop Titans WR Kevin Dyson at the one-yard line, the Rams would've been one of the greatest NFL teams (or sports teams, in general) to not win a championship in the corresponding season. Instead, the Rams won, 23-16.
4.) "Wide Right": With a chance to win Super Bowl XXV (and to finally give the city of Buffalo a championship), Scott Norwood lined up for a 47-yard field goal at the end of the game. Unfortunately for the city of Buffalo, he pulled it wide right as the New York Giants escaped with the win, 20-19.
3.) Super Bowl XXIII: Joe Montana and Jerry Rice gave the 49ers their third Super Bowl, good for most at the time in the NFC. Down 16-13, San Francisco marched down the field 92 yards in under three minutes, capping off their comeback with a Joe Montana pass to Joe Taylor with 34 seconds for the game-winning touchdown. Back then, the cost of a Super Bowl commercial was only $675,000.
2.) Super Bowl XLIII: The Arizona Cardinals aren't really known for being football excellence. So when the 9-7 Cardinals made the playoffs, representing a weak NFC West, many experts didn't pick them to make the Super Bowl. But not only did they make the Super Bowl, they took Pittsburgh to the wire. Needing Santonio Holmes's six-yard circus grab for a touchdown to win the game, the Steelers won their sixth Lombardi trophy, 27-23. James Harrison also lumbered his way in for a touchdown, returning an interception all the way to the house.
1.) "The Helmet Catch": David Tyree's biggest moment came in Super Bowl 42 when he made a circus catch... using the top of his helmet. He reeled in the circus catch that would ruin New England's perfect season, leading the New York Giants to victory, 17-14. This game was known as one of the greatest upsets in Super Bowl history.
Here's another edition of "On The Playlist!" You can check out what's bumping on my playlist. Some songs you'll recognize and some you'll like. I'm not feeling too well today, but I hope to have more podcasts up soon. Anyways, check it out!!!
