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Oct

30

October Sports Craziness

Filed Under Major League Baseball, NFL, NBA | 

Sports Craziness

This has been one of the craziest sports weeks I can remember. There are big stories from the all three major sports: managers moving, players opting out of contracts, players agreeing to contracts, championships won, injuries, etc. Here are my thoughts on the top stories:

NFL –

* When was the last time the Colts were 5.5-point under dogs at home? The Patriots at the Colts is the most anticipated regular-season game in the history of the NFL. Two undefeated teams have never faced off this late in the season. This will be a great game, and I will be on the edge of my seat come Sunday. I expect we will see a rematch in the AFC Championship.

* Tony Romo has agreed to a 6-year-$67-million extension. What are the Cowboys thinking? I agree that Romo has been the best QB in a bad NFC but $67 million? Does anyone remember what he did last year? He came out and set the league on fire in his first five starts and then fell apart. How about we make a guy prove his worth for a full season before we give him contracts that rival proven veterans Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.

MLB –

* The Boston Red Sox are once again World Champs. The Sox cooled off the red hot Rockies with a four-game sweep that never even had Sox fans worried. Congrats to the Red Sox organization for putting together a nice blend of young talent and proven veterans. This is a scary good team that has a chance to be back in the World Series a year from now. By the way, I will take Manny on my squad anytime. Even with all the quirks, he is one of the best big game players of all time.

* Joe Girardi has been offered the job as Yankees manager and is expected to accept today. This is the first smart move the organization has made since its season ended. I was sure when it ran Torre out that Mattingly was the next manager for the “Evil Empire.” Instead, it went with the more-experienced Girardi. Girardi has his work cut out for him to win games without Arod and a few other veterans that may not return. If Yankee fans can be patient, Girardi will be able to get this team back to its winning ways within a couple of years.

* Where will Arod end up? After opting out of his contract and giving up $72 million, Arod is an unrestricted free agent. The frontrunners for his services include (1) the Dodgers. Joe Torre is rumored to be the new manager of the Dodgers. If this goes down, Torre will push to get Arod and his huge bat into the middle of the LA lineup. (2) San Francisco. The Giants had better make a big move if they want to keep fans coming to the stadium. Arod would slip right into the spot Bonds vacated. (3) The sleeper team is the Cubs. Lou Pinella and Alex were together in Seattle and would be a nice fit in Chicago. The one big hang up is the ownership. Can it put out the cash before a sale goes through?

NBA –

* It is opening night in the NBA. I know most people are bored by the regular season, but I am intrigued by it. My favorites to win this year are the obvious teams like the Spurs, Suns, and Mavs. Several franchises, though, will be fun to watch as they try to become elite teams. The Houston Rockets has improved its roster with Steve Francis and Luis Scola. New coach Rick Adelman will use Yao Ming as the go- to guy in the offense, which will open up Tracy McGrady to roam and find his shot. Golden State does not play defense, but if it can stay healthy, there aren’t many teams that score enough points against the Warriors. Finally, I love the Raptors this year. Toronto made strides last year, and now it’s coming back with the same nucleus and another year of experience. This should be a fun season.

* The Kobe watch continues. A trade seems unavoidable at this point, and now Phil Jackson is asking that it be done sooner than later. The reported offer to the Bulls seems crazy. Kobe is good, but the Lakers are asking for Deng, Gordon, Thomas, and Noah. Throw in Paxson’s first born, why don’t you. The deal will get done but not until the asking price goes down.

I am a sports fanatic and love this time of year. It was fun to watch SportsCenter last night and not have to see stories repeated over and over. There is so much going on that not even ESPN can ruin it.

Lonnie White
Head Sports Writer
Sportprojections.com

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