Manny Random Cogitations (Sept. whatever-it-is, 2007)
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by Manny Stiles
These cogitations are random to you, not me... each of these could (and may eventually be) their own article:
Baseball - All teams Division
- It doesn't get any better than this - 4 division races!!! We haven't even gotten to the Wild Card debate yet!! It's gonna be a good finish, I hope the playoffs are the same.
- I'm still waiting for another 4 HR game from someone this season... Hell, I want a FIVE HR game!! So everyone can call it a record, blow it out of proportion and I can inform you that the record is actually SEVEN - by Harry Wright. Harry was the true "father" of baseball, was the first guy to throw a changeup as well as the game's first great manager. He left his jobs as a jeweler and cricket instructor to start the first Pro Baseball team in Cincinnati.
- Anyone else notice that the Yankees got hot while A-Rod has cooled off?
- Poor Magglio - lead the league in batting all year long just to lose it in the last week? We'll see...
- If any fanbase needed to have their team choke away a lead in the worst way possible to lose a division, it's the Red Sox. Especially since the NorthEast Bias Network aired Bronx is Burning this season... Don't worry, no matter if the Sox or the Yankees win the division, the Great Fox Hype Machine will roll out it's annual montage of Jeter and Schilling video clips but neither team will be playing in the World Series anyway... Waaa waaa.
- Who will get the "ephing" label this year, BoSox fans? Eric "ephing" Gag-me is looking like the front runner... You always needed a scapegoat to explain away reality before (Buckner, Little) WHY stop now?
- Are the Indians really that good? They must be. I saw them for a 3 game set in Tampa in April and I thought Pronk was gonna hit 80 HRs this year. If they're doing what they are without him carrying them on his thick shoulders, WATCH OUT in the playoffs!
- If you don't live in Ohio, how many Indians can you name? Thought so!
- The Angels and Mariners don't like each other - who can blame them?
- The D-Backs have surprised me. They haven't collapsed yet... but there's still time. Either way, they are ahead of schedule with their turnaround plan. But they have some work cut out for them this offseason. Decisions, decisions...
- If I was a Mets fan right now, I would wish I wasn't. If you lose out to the Phillies that's bad enough. But you'll have mouthy Yankees fans to deal with all winter too... At least the Giants and Knicks are there to.... Oh. My condolences.
- Red Sox fans would be served well to learn from Cubs fans this year. Or maybe they finally learned the hard way. Win, THEN POP OFF!@!! I haven't heard much yapping from them and that's commendable. Before the season started, I remember having a hard time finding takers on my "Rays or Cubs - who will finish with a better record?" Challenge. Lucky me! Will we end four of the longest titleless streaks in 6 years (Angels, Red Sox, White Sox, Cubs)? If the Cubs even get to the World Series, should we pack our bags for Armaggedon?
Baseball - Rays Division
- I'm getting tired of the tired "let's make fun of the Devil Rays" jokes... They're tired and show a lack of creativity. Anyone can pick on little brother, but it's more fun to pick on an unsuspecting cousin - Take a look at the Pirates sometime - they have finished in 6th place 3 of the last 4 years - the Rays have never finished SIXTH!!!
- Take a look at the Mariners, they went 15 years before they ever cracked .500 and took 17 years before they finished better than 4th place in their division... If the Rays take another 5 years, then you can say whatever you want.
- Let's see how many jokes there are when the Rays sweep the Red Sox then rest their regulars and play the kids against the Yankees.
- The Rays will be players in the Free Agent market this offseason. Yes, you heard me correctly. Owner Stu Sternberg is hardly a poor cheapskate like the previous owner. They had a plan in place to develop, THEN add pieces (Why take on $8mil pitcher like Gil Meche to finish 4th?).
- They will resign Carlos Pena and Scott Kazmir will get an extension. They are targeting a seasoned starter, a bullpen arm or two and a veteran catcher. Names I've heard mentioned - Curt Schilling (God, please NO!!!) and Jorge Posada - seriously. They want to change the culture in Tampa and have been trying to mimmick the Yankee way of professionalism. It won't happen until they get some Professional mindsets into the young lockerroom.
- Joe Maddon really did a good job this year considering the HORRENDOUS results of the bullpen. I won't say the pitchers are as bad as their luck! Ok, Shawn Camp is pretty bad. He throws the highest, most tee-ball appearing sinker in baseball. And Brian Stokes single-handedly added a new category of pitcher types: groundball pitcher, strikeout pitcher, fly ball pitcher and now - Hit it to the ephing moon pitcher!
- Everyone stand up and give B.J. Upton a round of applause. He had a hell of a year! He missed a month to injury, moved from infield to center and despite some learning curve bumps and bruises had molded himself into a hell of a baseball player. And he's only going to get better!
- All I want right now is 4th place - The Rays have relatively played pretty well (17-14) since this event happened
- Don't look now but as of today a Tampa Bay Ray leads all of MLB in a (positive) statistical category!!! Delmon Young leads all of MLB in Games Played!!!
- James Shields won't be pitching anymore this season - they shut him down because he had set a personal best in innings pitched. It's things like these that make me appreciate this franchise so much - they CARE about the players and the future more than now (rightfully so!)
- Can you say "World Series in Tampa" - that's the goal, the pieces are in place, the plan is working and the Rays braintrust doesn't care if YOU want to regurgitate the past. They are climbing the mountain while you're talking about how long they spent at the base camp. I am enjoying the ever beautifullizing view!!! They don't want to be just a winning franchise, they want to win it all, bad!
- Owner Stu Sternberg grew up a diehard Yankees fan and wants kids in Tampa to feel what he felt growing up. Given the state of the Buccaneers, the window is opening... He would also LOVE nothing more than for the Rays to be the Yankees (perrenial pennant contender) in the not so distant future (if he doesn't make a move to buy the actual Yankees first!)
Basketball - WNBA Division
- World Champion Phoenix Mercury!!! That's right, as I called it!!! Did I rub it in your faces? Not yet! Video and pics galore to come.
- After my month+ long affair with WNBA fandom, let me say - I am totally hooked! You cannot find a better pro sports bang for your buck! I took my family to a playoff game and had pretty damned good seats, 2 beers and a round of stadium dogs for all and spent less than $45. PLAYOFF game!!! Plus it was a great game! I went to a FINALS game (by myself due to scheduling issues) and spent $20!!!
- There is no better "Team" in the World right now than the Mercury. They are a very tight-knit crew. From Management to the 12th man they define organization. A lot has to do with Diana Taurasi's infectious energy and passion, more has to do with Paul Westhead and General Manager Ann Meyers Drysdale putting the right pieces together. They really play well together.... now if they can KEEP them together... (Westhead is looking to take an assistant job in Seattle and Penny Taylor might be staying in Australia next year to play with the Opals, her National Team.
- Diana Taurasi is the heart and soul of the team and there might not be a more confident athlete in the world. She is a walking case study in swagger. She shoots threes from behind the NBA line, not the WNBA line... every time. She enthuses her team and the crowd like few athletes. She is a straight up Baller.
- A person whose opinion I greatly trust said "Taurasi plays like a man and that's a compliment" - I rebutted "No, she plays like a Future Basketball Hall of Famer". Pound for pound, she is the best basketball player on the planet right now. If you try to argue this with me, you haven't seen her play.
- Paul Westhead is the first guy to coach an NBA Champion and a WNBA champion. He had Magic in L.A. and Taurasi in Phoenix... they are remarkably similar when you think about it. Oh, and Taurasi spent some time at center in the clincher... (cue the Twighlight Zone music)
- Westhead summed it up best at the Championship rally when he quoted John Wooden - "Isn't it amazing what a team can accomplish whenno one cares who gets the credit"
- The Mercury were the first team to clinch a WNBA title on an opponent's home court.
- Cappie Pondexter is unstoppable. She is a Kanye West song on the court. Harder, better, faster, stronger. Her tattoo says "The Future" but in my opinion, she is "The Shit"! Maybe "the Closer" is a better name because ever game they won in the playoffs this year, Cappie TOOK OVER at the end of the game. She had more "and ones" in the past month than I've ever seen any player get (male or female)
- For everyone who bashes the WNBA for whatever reason - I say Penny Taylor
- And for everyone who says that the physical talent difference is too much - you won't find a player in the NBA that plays as HARD as 'Miller Time" a.k.a. point guard Kelly Miller. She is a basketball player with a bulldog mentality in triathlete's body.
- Here's another tidbit - The Mercury are the only team to win a Championship after trading away the #1 overall draft pick - in ANY sport. The pick brought in Tangela Smith, who turned the Big Four (Taurasi, Pondexter, Taylor, Miller) into an unstoppable Five! Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't need to look it up...
- The crowds at a WNBA game are electric (especially considering the lower numbers than the NBA). The teams are almost disgustingly fan friendly and SUPER kid friendly. And generally they appreciate the players for their talents (they cheered Lauren Jackson) but they can be cruel to opposing players - they didn't "BOO" Cheryl Ford during the Finals, they "Moooooo"'d the hell out of her! It was kinda mean...
- Now it's the Suns turn to complete the sweep!
Football Division - NFL
- The NFL has never been so blah and SO HYPED at the same time that I can remember. Is there truly ever going to be a dominant team again? The cap needs to be lifted or at least made like the NBA's with a soft cap. Too many key players can get hurt and the depth of teams is brutally thin. EVERY team is one key injury from a 5-11 season. EVERY team (Pats fans)
- Oh my GOD!!! People cheat in the HGH league? I mean... NFL???
- A quick reminder to people who think a hot start is an indicator of guaranteed success - when the playoffs start, every team is 0-0 again. Or do we need to watch the DVD of the 6th seeded Steelers tromping to a Title two years ago?
- If I was a billionaire, I would pay players (and their fines) to celebrate TDs as gaudily as possible! IT"S A GAME, Goodell!!! The people in the stands pay to be entertained!!! Even if the opponent celebrates - the fans can still enjoy it by booing! How many TDs is a guy going to score before he is out of the league and working at Best Buy? They go through brutal training camps, they bust their asses in practices and slam volumes of playbooks into their concussed brains - LET THEM CELEBRATE!!!
- The one thing I think the NFL needs to do is stop the monochromaticism. If you have a dark jersey, please wear the light pants and vice versa. When you wear the same color top and bottom it look like you have footy pajamas on... What's next? a one piece uni?
- The Kevin Everett situation has been a godsend (literally, a story only GOD could write - and have screenwriters screw it up later) for the spinal injury medical research field. Let's hope the NFL wises up and rides the wave of spinal injury advancements and FINALLY gets the concussion stuff straightened out. I've had my fair share of concussions over the years (6) and I still can't imagine what NFLers deal with, but it makes me sick how horribly crooked the NFL has handled the brain trauma issue.
- Pats fans - the Texans and 49ers are 2-0 too...
Football Division - College
- Is the movie about Appalachian State in theatres yet?
- Apparently Charlie Weis didn't learn too much from Bill Belichick or maybe he just has scruples for breakfast. Then again maybe he had too many scruples for breakfast...
- No matter what you think you know in September, it will all be forgotten by October.
- OK, I understand why people like to bitch about things. But WHAT/WHERE does bitching bout the polls in September get you? THEY DON'T MATTER!
- There will never be a playoff system in D1-A until someone figures out a way to make the fatcats fatter... Every Bowl game is the biggest event to the area that hosts it. Turn the bowls into playoff rounds and you devalue a whole bunch of people who consider themselves important. Cry all you want, they can't hear you with wads and wads of cash stuffed into their pockets.
- A playoff sytem won't end the bickering either. Because eventually a low seed will go on lucky run and ruin the integrity of the regular season (a la Baseball's Wild Card)
Sports Media Division
- If you think that black quarterbacks don't get scrutinized more than white quarterbacks and it's all a bunch of crap... ask yourself: Do black journalists get scrutinized more than white journalists?
- Do people know how to think for themselves anymore? When you watch Reporter A give a story, you are getting ONLY what he wants to tell you. And everything he tells you, no matter HOW unbiased they think they're being, the producers will position and splice the piece how/where they want to, to better slant the angle. Sports journalists are biased. Biased to what sells advertising. Or we'd have more noodling and curling stories...
- Think that the media focuses too much on the negative? 1) It's only news when something goes wrong - they never report the planes that didn't crash, and 2)Years from now you will remember these as being "the good old days" - trust me!
- Am I the only one that thinks O.J. was trying to steal that stuff because the murder weapon (or proof of his murder guilt) was hidden in it?
- As a general rule, if CNN covers a sports story, it's not worth writing about here... unless you have an angle - it better be a good angle.
- Popular is not the same thing as good.
- It IS ok to turn the channel or better yet, turn it off! If you've ever gone on vacation where you couldn't stay plugged in 24/7, you realize that when you get back you never miss much do you?
Crumbs in the 'Chair Division
- Are you ready for more Armchair related Stiles self-promotion? What ever happened to people making commercials? I'm not the only one with barely enough equipment to make it happen - let's put the MULTI back into multimedia! I've got more coming, are you ready? How about an Armchair rap song? Yup... in the works. I've been sitting on some ideas for too long and am getting bored with being lazy... watch out!
- I have a challenge ALL users coming real soon - something that NEEDS to be done! Watch the Lockerroom for more details.
- Instant History is fine and all, but the word "EVER" is really getting used too much. It's irresponsible and it smacks of blatent ignorance. Please avoid my wrath and choose your superlatives better... When you get into your 20's you start to realize that EVER is a damned long time... and by the time you're in your 30's every EVER has happened 4-5 times already. Unless you're 12 years old, Stop it!
- The only way to be first to a story is to BE the story. There is no BREAKING NEWS on Armchair when the AP news wire is already there, there is only a flood of broken news. But keep trying anyway...
- General rule: If you ARE going to write an article and you want to make it seem good, just pretend for a second you are not the article's only reader...
