BASEBALL IS HERE!!!!!!! Thank. Fucking. God. If I had to sit through one more hockey game, I was going to go insane. Nothing against hockey, but I really don't care which team the Flyers will end up losing to in the first round. Ditto for the Sixers. It's baseball season baby. The Nationals just beat the Braves on a Ryan Zimmerman walk off home run. Suck on that, Braves fans! Oh wait, there's no such thing.
And on that note, it's time for my condensed baseball preview in which I make predictions that will make me look stupid in 6 months. Here we go:
NATIONAL LEAGUE:
NL EAST: As much as it pains me to say it, The Mets.
NL CENTRAL: God this division is terrible. Cubbies take it again.
NL WEST: Fuck the Rockies. Arizona will win the division on the strength of their pitching.
NL WILDCARD: The Phillies. But only if Adam Eaton gets hurt.
NL MVP: Chase Utley, Phillies. It's time for the most talented guy on the team to win.
HOME RUN CHAMP: Ryan Howard, Phillies. It's already a two man race between him and Fielder, and I think Prince takes a small step backward this year. Besides, Howard has been killing the ball all spring and he's in great shape. No reason he can't chase 60 again.
BATTING TITLE: Utley. I'm telling you, he's good.
CY YOUNG: You ready for this? I'm going to be bold: Johan Santana, Mets. I know, I know, picking the best pitcher in baseball to win the Cy Young is crazy. But just watch. He's going to do well. And yes, I really, really hope I'm wrong.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: How the fuck should I know?
NLCS: Phillies over Mets in 6.
AMERICAN LEAGUE:
AL EAST: Boston. Yeah, they're still pretty good.
AL CENTRAL: Detroit. But Cleveland will make it closer than some people think. This one is coming down to the wire.
AL WEST: Another terrible division, save for The Angels, who will win it easily.
AL WILDCARD: The Yankees. Sorry Cleveland, but come on, they're the fucking Yankees.
Al MVP: The trendy pick is Miguel Cabrera (Tigers), and I do think he wins one some day. But the smart money is on A-Rod (Yankees), who will probably repeat.
HOME RUN CHAMP: Richie Sexson, Mariners. Haha. Just kidding. I'm gonna be bold again and say A-Rod.
BATTING TITLE: Ichiro, Mariners. Not kidding this time. He's really good.
CY YOUNG: Justin Verlander, Tigers. He's gotten exponentially better in first two seasons, and that trend won't stop. And with that offense, he could easily win 20 if he stays healthy and sane.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Seriously, no one can really predict these things.
ALCS: Tigers over Red Sox in 7.
WORLD SERIES: Same as I predicted last year, Tigers over Phillies, in 6. And yes, I still hope I'm wrong, but only by a little.
Mmmm, baseball. It's here. Thank you Jebus.
Showing posts with label Predictions that will make me look stupid in 4 months. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Predictions that will make me look stupid in 4 months. Show all posts
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
NBA Thoughts And Predictions
With the Jason Kidd trade now final, it officially raises the age old question, "Who the fuck is going to win the Western Conference?" The East is easy. Only 5 teams even have winning records, (Boaston, Detroit, Cleveland, Orlando and Toronto) and only the first 3 mentioned have a legitimate chance of winning the conference.
The West though? The West has 10 teams with winning records, and while only 8 of them will make the playoffs, conceivably any of those 8 could end up winning it all. There are, however, as far as I'm concerned, 6 teams with a real chance to come out of the West and win it all, provided they don't get too worn out in the Conference championship and shit the bed against Detroit, Cleveland or Boston. The teams with the best chance to win the West are, in reverse order, as follows:
New Orleans: Chris Paul is a beast. Tyson Chandler is a beast. David West is a beast. I love all of them as basketball players and would be surprised if someday Paul doesn't have at least one ring. But Peja Stojakovic is about as clutch as your granddaddy's Cadillac, and if he's your best outside shooter, you aren't winning a championship. It's one thing to miss a clinching 3 pointer. It's another thing entirely to airball one.
Utah: That Kyle Korver trade was huge. The needed someone to stretch defenses and they got him. Boozer and Williams are great players and this team could absolutely win a championship. They would easily be the best team in the East. But they don't play in the East, and I don't see them geting past any of the next four teams in a 7 game series.
L.A. Lakers: Gasol for Kwame Brown and a couple of picks? Um, YES. You now have a rejuvenated Kobe playing with a talented big man and a good cast of supporting players. Sound familiar? I thought so. Unfortunately, Gasol is no 2000-2002 Shaq, and this team has a very shallow bench. Still, never underestimate Kobe.
San Antonio: The reigning champs stood pat amidst all the trades and I can't say I blame them. They're a great team with a great nucleus and a great coach. Unfortunately for them, repeating is really, really hard and other teams improved drastically. Would I be shocked if the Spurs repeated? Certainly not. But I don't think it's going to happen.
Dallas: Love the Jason Kidd trade, although they're really going to miss Keith Van Horn. Devin Harris is a very good, young point guard, but he isn't Jason Kidd. I think Kidd will do a lot for Josh Howard and Dirk, but I'm still not sure this team can really bang down low with the big boys in the conference, which is why I have to give the nod to...
Damn it, that isn't the right one. I have no idea how that even got on here. The Clippers are fucking terrible. Hold on one second. Ok, here we go.
THIS team is going to win it all:
Thats right, Phoenix: I LOVE the Shaq trade, and not because I believe that, in this stage of his career, he is a better basketball player than Shawn Marion. But as far as this team is concerned, he IS more valuable. This exact group of players had their chance of winning a championship. they didn't. And they didn't because they didn't have a big man in the post that could handle the other big men in the conference, especially Duncan. Also, a happy, motivated Shaq is a wonderful thing. I don't care how old he is, he can still play. Phoenix can now run or grind it out, and they can do it well. That's why I think they'll finally be able to hold whatever the hell the NBA championship trophy is called over their heads come June. And I'll be rooting for them, not just because it will make me look smart. You gotta love Steve Nash. Us white basketball players (current and former) gotta stick together.
The West though? The West has 10 teams with winning records, and while only 8 of them will make the playoffs, conceivably any of those 8 could end up winning it all. There are, however, as far as I'm concerned, 6 teams with a real chance to come out of the West and win it all, provided they don't get too worn out in the Conference championship and shit the bed against Detroit, Cleveland or Boston. The teams with the best chance to win the West are, in reverse order, as follows:
New Orleans: Chris Paul is a beast. Tyson Chandler is a beast. David West is a beast. I love all of them as basketball players and would be surprised if someday Paul doesn't have at least one ring. But Peja Stojakovic is about as clutch as your granddaddy's Cadillac, and if he's your best outside shooter, you aren't winning a championship. It's one thing to miss a clinching 3 pointer. It's another thing entirely to airball one.
Utah: That Kyle Korver trade was huge. The needed someone to stretch defenses and they got him. Boozer and Williams are great players and this team could absolutely win a championship. They would easily be the best team in the East. But they don't play in the East, and I don't see them geting past any of the next four teams in a 7 game series.
L.A. Lakers: Gasol for Kwame Brown and a couple of picks? Um, YES. You now have a rejuvenated Kobe playing with a talented big man and a good cast of supporting players. Sound familiar? I thought so. Unfortunately, Gasol is no 2000-2002 Shaq, and this team has a very shallow bench. Still, never underestimate Kobe.
San Antonio: The reigning champs stood pat amidst all the trades and I can't say I blame them. They're a great team with a great nucleus and a great coach. Unfortunately for them, repeating is really, really hard and other teams improved drastically. Would I be shocked if the Spurs repeated? Certainly not. But I don't think it's going to happen.
Dallas: Love the Jason Kidd trade, although they're really going to miss Keith Van Horn. Devin Harris is a very good, young point guard, but he isn't Jason Kidd. I think Kidd will do a lot for Josh Howard and Dirk, but I'm still not sure this team can really bang down low with the big boys in the conference, which is why I have to give the nod to...
Damn it, that isn't the right one. I have no idea how that even got on here. The Clippers are fucking terrible. Hold on one second. Ok, here we go.THIS team is going to win it all:
Thats right, Phoenix: I LOVE the Shaq trade, and not because I believe that, in this stage of his career, he is a better basketball player than Shawn Marion. But as far as this team is concerned, he IS more valuable. This exact group of players had their chance of winning a championship. they didn't. And they didn't because they didn't have a big man in the post that could handle the other big men in the conference, especially Duncan. Also, a happy, motivated Shaq is a wonderful thing. I don't care how old he is, he can still play. Phoenix can now run or grind it out, and they can do it well. That's why I think they'll finally be able to hold whatever the hell the NBA championship trophy is called over their heads come June. And I'll be rooting for them, not just because it will make me look smart. You gotta love Steve Nash. Us white basketball players (current and former) gotta stick together.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
