Pick of the Week

I can't believe how unsuccessful I have been lately. My previous two picks of the week were incorrect, as was my entire MLB Forecast for round 2. My inaccuaracy is mind-blowing. To go from greatness to mediocrity is just terrible.

Oh well, maybe I'll get it right this time. I'm taking the Lions over the Rams.

Next week should be crucial for Lions

The Lions were off on a bye this week, so obviously it wasn't a very influential week. But next week, on the other hand, could be a very important one for them.

A statement will be made next Sunday, when the Lions take on the woeful St. Louis Rams. It will tell us a lot about our team. If the Lions win, it'll put them at 2-4, nothing great, but at least it would mean that they are capable of beating some of the slop that is at the bottom of the NFL. If they lose, it'll leave us questioning whether- after all this rebuilding- the "new" Lions are really that much improved from last year's squad.

And that isn't the only reason that the Lions need the win. It shouldn't be too hard to forget the dillema that they are in with fans and ticket sales. Win, and they should prevent a few blackouts. Lose, and they'll be lucky to sell out any games other than Thanksgiving.

Of course, their chances of winning ought to be highly impacted by whether or not Calvin Johnson and Matthew Stafford play. Johnson is the Lions' best player, at least on offense, and Stafford is probably the only quarterback on the roster capable of getting the ball to him.

I'm not kidding. I've decided that, from here on out, the Lions' best hopes of rebuilding lie in Matt Stafford. I was once a stubborn believer of the sit-back theory, but only now do I realize that the Lions are best off keeping him out there, partially because of their current situation, and partially because of the type of player that Stafford is

The scary part is over with. They got the win. Now that the pressure is off, Stafford ought to be able to concentrate better. He's made some mistakes early on, but he is improving. It'll take some time, but by next year, Stafford could potentially be one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. No joke.

Earlier in this article I mentioned the "type of player" that Stafford is. There are different types of quarterbacks out there. I've realized that while Stafford is no Matt Ryan, he's not the type that you should have sit back and watch either. Peyton Manning would agree with me, although that might only be because, at the time, he was trying to convince the Lions to start Stafford in hopes that someone could break the record he set for most interceptions as a rookie.

Daunte Culpepper is clearly nowhere close to his old self, throwing a bunch of lobs. Stanton might have been a great quarterback, but, alas, it appears that the Lions have ruined him. So I repeat, their best hopes lie in Stafford.

Let's hope that it's an option next Sunday.

Pick of the Week

I couldn't believe my eyes last Thursday when I saw that, in an NFL poll, the players voted that Saints QB Drew Brees was the most underrated player in the NFL. I mean, seriously, how can he be underrated when they're constantly shoving the guy down our throats this year? Of course, the only thing that the poll really proved was how ignorant the players in the NFL are.

Am I bitter? Yeah, I'm bitter. And sick and tired of the Drew Brees Apprecation Tour. That's why I'm thrilled at the fact that him and his also overrated New Orleans Saints are taking on the New York Giants this weekend.

Forget the fact that the game will be in New Orleans. I have a feeling that Brees is due for a bad game, and it's easy to see that happening with the tough New York defense. I like the Giants in this one because of their strong defense and powerful running game.

2-1 so far this season

World Series will be a winner in any scenario

Heading into the AL and NL Championship round of the playoffs, commisioner Bud Selig, as well as all others who hope for the best in baseball, ought to count his blesssings.

Here we are, one round away from the World Series, just four teams left. There are four potential matchups in the Fall Classic, and they all sound appealing. And that is certainly good news for Selig and all other major MLB supporters. It means that there's actually a very good chance that this year's Series won't simply be devoured by the NFL.

Let's talk hypothetically. We'll start with the first potential matchup: LA-LA, or Angels-Dodgers. This would be the first ever Freeway Series. I mean think about it: An entire World Series being played in Los Angeles (well, technically half of it would be in Anaheim, but still). A local rivalry. Great weather. Stadiums likely filled with all sorts of famous people. Does it get much better than that? (ok maybe that last one is a bit debatable).

And the city itself isn't the only reason. I mean, it certainly doesn't hurt that the Angels have comitted their entire season to young pitcher Nick Adenhart, who died in a car crash early in the season. They have been, as Sports Illustrated puts it, "touched by an angel". If that doesn't make for a feel-good story, then what does?

And then there's Manny. Manny, Manny, Manny. The guy who we love and hate at the same time. It certainly would help TV ratings if the slacking outfielder were part of the World Series.

Ok, so we went through LA-LA. Now let's say that, for whatever reason, the Angels miss the Series, and it's Dodgers vs Yankees. Is it still good? Yes. Manny still plays, plus it means Joe Torre squaring off against the team that dumped him for Joe Giradi. Not to mention that it would include the Evil Empire. I mean, c'mon, isn't winning more fun when you badly want the other team to lose? That should be the case for any fan whether their pulling for Torre to take down the hated Yankees or wishing that the Yankees could shut up the critics who said that they messed up in firing Joe.

Even if the Dodgers miss the Series, it should still be a good one. The Angels could still make it as the inspirational team, and if it's Yankees vs Phillies then, well, at least we have what looks like a "Cold War", given the surprisingly low October temperatures that we have been seeing, not to mention that the Series has a chance of going into November.

The MLB should be thankful for this sudden turn of events. This year, attendence took a record low decrease. And it's easy to see why. Sure, the Mitchell Report hurt. Sure, the economy doesn't help. But perhaps even worse was last year's World Series bomb. I mean if the Series was a movie, then last year's would've easily earned the embarrasing one-star rating from most critics. It got delayed. It had no truly exciting moments. It featured one boring team (philadelphia) and one semi-interesting team (the Rays), and the boring team won. Not to mention that it only took five games.

Great games can change a sport's popularity. Just ask the NFL, which began a gradual transformation after The Best Game Ever (Colts vs Giants, 1958, in the Championship). I'm not saying that the Series will transform baseball in the same way, but it certainly ought to help. In the worst case scenario, at least we will see two hated teams (you may not hate the Phillies now, but trust me, you will if we see Yankees-Phillies) fighting against the weather. It will be a performance worthy of about 2.5 to 3 stars.

Hopefully, though, the Series will feature at least one LA team, which means three stars or more. Still, even if it doesn't , I don't think there is a matchup capable of hurting baseball.

Especially when you consider where it is now.

MLB Postseason forecast : Round 2

Ugh, I can't believe a went a, well I really don't want to use this adjective but, well, an average 2-2 in the first round. For a random fan, that's nothing bad, but for me, an master of prediction, it's quite a letdown.

Well, I've decided to use my fury as motivation by picking the next round of winners, hopefully it'll turn out better.

The ALCS is between exactly the two teams I expected, the Angels and the Yankees, although I do admit that I would much rather see Angels-Twins. Oh well, I knew the Evil Emipire would interfere, so I picked them. But not this week. The Yankees can overspend all they want, but the Angels are playing inspirational baseball, motivated by the loss of young pitcher Nick Adenhart, so I'm picking them to move on.

In a sense, the NLCS was much harder to prepare for. After all, I wasn't planning on either of these two teams (Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers) being in it. Despite this inconvenience, I found it was surprisingly easy for me to make the pick. I underestimated the Dodgers when the were facing the Cardinals. Well, I'm not making the same mistake twice. Sorry Phillies, but your hopes of repeating are about to be destroyed by the Dodgers.

Wait, LA-LA in the World Series? Yep, got that right. It ought to be a good one, too.

First round Forecast

With the MLB playoffs approaching it's time for the Great Guru (formerly known as the Sports Schwab) to make another forecast, so here goes...

I think the Angels can continue to play some inspired ball and take down the Boston Red Sox (sorry, Beantown, but you've gotta lose sometimes).

As much as I like the Twins and hope that they can pull off the upset, I just don't see them measuring up to the juggernaut that the Yankees have assembled.

The Dodgers are a great team, but something tells me that the Cardinals' pitching will probably be too much for them to handle.

Perhaps my toughes forecast is that of the Rockies/Phillies matchup. On one hand, the Phillies aren't really as great as their record suggests, and there's also the feared World Series hangover. But then again, the Rockies aren't too talented either. I was actually quite surprised to see them emerge as a wild card. After much debating I finally decided to go with the Rockies simpley because I had yet to pick an upset for the round.

Follow the Great Guru all through the football season with his pick of the week, every week!

Just short

Tigers fall in heartbreaking loss

Tuesday night's game will have it's place in some of the greatest of all time, but that doesn't matter too much for the Detroit Tigers.

The Tigers fell, 6-5, in 12 innings to the Minnesota Twins in the 2009 A.L. Central tiebreaker, otherwise known as the Meltdown in the Metrodome. In doing so, they lost the race despite the fact that they held at least a share of the division since May 10.

That's cold.

Was it momentum (heading into the game, the Tigers were coming of losing a series to the Kansas City Royals, while the Twins had won 16 of their last 20) that lost it for the Tigers? Was it the stadium? (aka the Dreaded Dome) Was it karma? (answer me, Miguel Cabrera)

Whatever the case, the game shifted back and forth. And at times it seemed almost inevitable that it would end, right then and there.

It looked like the Tigers had it when Rick Porcello struck out Joe Maur for the second out in the bottom of the six inning, while the Tigers led, 3-1. But then Jason Kubel stepped up and homered to right field. Brand new ballgame.

It looked like the Twins might wrap it up in regulation when Orlando Cabrera hit a lead-changing two-run shot, making it 4-3. Then Magglio Ordonez, the Tigers' hottest hitter, stepped up and tied it in the eight with a solo home run.

Then along came the ninth. The Tigers put runners on the corners after a bloop single followed a bunt single. All with nobody out. But Joe Nathan struck out Placido Polanco and then forced Ordonez to line into double play.

A lineout double play? A strikeout from Polanco?

That's cold.

The Twins threatened in the ninth as well, where it probably would have ended had it not been for a great diving stop by Brandon Inge. And Inge seemed set on course for hero of the game after he smacked a go-ahead double to score Don Kelly in the 10th. Inge worked so hard in this one, and yet his team still lost.

That's cold.

So how did the Twins respond to Inge? In their half of the tenth, Michael Cuddyer hit what probably should have been a bloop single to left field. Ryan Raburn, sprinting for the ball, took a dive and missed it completely. By the time Curtis Granderson threw the ball in, Cuddyer was sliding into third. Ryan Tolbert would single up the middle to score Cuddyer. When Nick Punto hit a fly ball with Alexi Cassila on third base it looked like the Twins had the Tigers finished. But Raburn redeemed himself by gunning out Cassila at the plate to end the inning.

I'm sure that at the time the Tigers were relieved to still be in the game. But on the other hand, I'm sure they were disappointed that they hadn't been able to end the game. They would have if they had been able to hold the Twins off.

They came very close, but the Twins struck back and tied it, terminating the Tigers' chances of early victory. And the Tigers went on to lose the game.

That's cold.

In the top half of the 12th, the Tigers loaded the bases. Then came the Inge call. Inge would ground into a force out at home for the second out. Then came a strikeout from Gerald Laird. And the Tigers proved, once again, how hard it is to drive in runners from scoring position when you're wearing a jersey that bears the old English D.

In the bottom half of the 12th, Jim Leyland decided to leave Fernando Rodney in the game, which has had me scratching my head ever since the move was made. Of course, Rodney blew it. Scott Gomez singled to lead off and was bunted to second. Then Alexi Casilla stepped up and singled him home to win the game. It wasn't Rodney's fault. He was being overused. The Tigers' closer threw 48 pitches in the game, which was 13 more than his previous season-high of 35.

Fernando Rodney, who had been one of the team's most reliable players, was hung out to dry in the 12th, and lost the game.

That's cold.

Now give some credit to the Minnesota Twins. They hung in this race all through the year, despite the fact that they often appeared to be fighting a losing battle (early in September, the Twins trailed by as many as 7 games). They stayed strong despite pitching issues and late injuries of Justin Morneau and Joe Crede. They fought hard, and it finally paid off. They deserve a spot in the postseason.

Then again, a huge conflict heading into Tuesday's game was that, well, both teams seemed to be deserving of a spot in the playoffs. Was it really fair that one of them, ultimately, would have to go home? One would think that the Tigers had performed well enough to head to the postseason. The problem was that, on Tuesday, they didn't show it.

And that, without a doubt, is cold.

'Dome, Big Mo, Tigers' offense will all have their roles in Tuesday showdown

And it wasn't too long ago that we thought they were finished.

Just weeks ago it seemed as if they were out for sure. They trailed by 7 games with little season left. As television play-by-play broadcaster Mario Impemba put it, "If they don't watch it, the Minnesota Twins may soon find themselves out of this A.L. Central race."

They weren't a serious problem. Our focus was Chicago, Chicago, Chicago. The Twins were nothing but an afterthought.

And yet, this very Tuesday night, the Detriot Tigers will head out to the Metrodome in a one-game-playoff against the Minnesota Twins to determine the winner of the pennant race.

The Tigers have held at least a share of the division since the middle of May, so it would seem that they would have wrapped things up by now, and yet, heading into tomorrow, their playoff hopes remain up in the air.

And neither team is truly all that much greater than the other. They each have their strengths (offensive power for the Twins, strong pitching and defense for the Tigers) as well as their flaws (offensive woes for the Tigers, pitching issues for the Twins). And obviously they have the same records.

But which one will win? Unfortunately, the Twins do have one added advantage: the Metrodome. Oh, the dreaded dome. Most visitors hate it, and our Tigers are no exception. They have won just twice there, and one of those took 16 innings.

And then, of course, there's momentum, aka Big Mo. I think one thing that often seperates succesful sports experts from sports experts who always get it wrong is their ability to understand Big Mo. It is a determining factor in several games that appears to have no exact science. Believe me, if I could completely explain to you, I would. Part of it is evaluating, but the second, more imporpant principle is being able to feel it.

So who has the Big Mo? One could likely make a case for either team. The Twins are on an extreme hot streak, came from behind, and are playing in front of their home crowd. The Tigers, well maybe it's not as easy making a case for them. Let's just settle for the fact that since they have led the division most of the year, there is a definitely a feeling of superiority. Also key here is whether or not the Twins will keep their firepower going.

As of right now, I couldn't tell you. My feel part isn't talking.

Regardless of Big Mo, one thing is for sure. If the Tigers plan on winning at the Metrodome, they will need some offense. As good as Rick Porcello is, I doubt that he is capable of keeping a high-powered Minnesota Twins offense from scoring any less than 3 runs. So obviously the Tigers will have to fight fire with fire.

The Tiger offense has been feast or famine all year long, and if they plan on winning Tuesday, they better go with the first of those two.

Wings open in Stockholm with 4-3 loss

But don't let that decide your opinion on their chances this year.

It was quite disappointing, really.

The Detroit Red Wings blew a 3-1 lead Wednesday night against the St. Louis Blues, who rallied to win it with three goals in the 2nd Period to win it, 4-3.

Now don't get suddenly worried. I have confidence that the Wings can recover from this, simply due to the fact that, well, they're the Red Wings. And we can always count on the Red Wings. Call me naive all you want, but this is realism. The Wings have finished at or near the top of the league every year during the decade. They have been by far the most trustworthy team in Michigan.

Times are tough, but the Red Wings ought to provide some relief. I laugh when I hear the argument about how hard it is to make it to three consecutive Stanley Cups. Sure, it's not easy, but it's certainly doable. And there's no doubting that the Red Wings will enter the season very hungry. If losing game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals on your own ice, in front of your own fans, to a team that you simply can't stand doesn't result in motivation, then I don't know what does.

Forget the loss of Marian Hossa. The Wings have plenty of potential in star forwards Valteri Flippula and Dan Cleary, both of whom will likely improve, particularly Flippula. I don't know much about Cleary, other than that injury limited him last year which means he ought to be in for improvement. But Flippula is the one that gets my attention. I have to admit that as the season starts, I feel terrific about the young Fin's ability. With Hossa and Hudler gone it means more minutes, something he lacked last year. Flippula will be on the third line this year, and I'm sure that, by the time the season is over, plenty of teams would like to have this guy on their first line. Flippula, a two-way, speedy, stickhandling forward, has shown that he has some Datsyuk in him.

More punch will come from youngsters Darren Helm, Villie Leino, Justin Abdelkader, and, perhaps most of all, defenseman Jonathan Ericsson aka Big E. The Red Wings have also added enforcer Todd Bertuzzi and shooter Jason Williams. My guess is that they took Bertuzzi to replace Kopecky and Williams to replace Samuelsson. If I'm correct, then there's a good chance that the strategy will work.

There will be a renewed focus on defense and goaltending this season, which is no surprise considering Osgood's rocky start last year, as well as the ineffective penalty kill. Ericsson will add some skill to the defense, and Chris Osgood has vowed to avoid another terrible start. I remain convinced that what Osgood encountered was a mental problem and nothing more. He put it behind him with a Conn Smythe-worthy playoff performance, and ought to avoid it this year. And with guys like Niklas Lidstrom, Brian Rafalski, Niklas Kronwall, Ericsson, and Brad Stuart behind (or rather, in front of) him, he should have all the help that he needs.

There is no reason to suddenly be worrying simply because of an 0-1 start. The only way that this will shape the Wings' season is if they let it.

And, given their track record, it's safe to say that they won't.

Pick of the week

Last week Brett Favre showed why he is considered one of the greatest of all time. This week he'll be taking on his old Packers at home on Monday Night Football.

Now there are plenty of people out there who are still mad at Favre and are rooting against him. Too bad for them. I like the Vikings simply because of the fact that they are strong at every position.

Season record so far: 1-1