Good afternoon Colts fans!  I know none of you missed it, but for our Denver readers who might be still in denial, the Colts took it to the Broncos in last Sunday’s AFC Divisional game here in Denver.  Unfortunately, the luck ran out yesterday in Foxborough (as it always has) and we were embarrassed once again by a team that we love to hate.  I had the good fortune of being able to attend the game here in Denver; it took a kidney to get tickets to the nose bleeds but it was worth it (much better outcome than yesterday).  Well, maybe not for the Broncos fans.  As my first post in a good long while, I thought I’d share my take on the game.

All in all, it was a pretty lackluster game in my opinion.  I’m still not convinced the Colts played all that well but they played better than the Broncos.  Both of Luck’s interceptions were really dumb throws in my book; I could see the picks coming from a mile away (or at least that’s what it felt like from near the top of the stadium).  As us Colts fans are so used to, a Peyton Manning led team failed to show up after the bye week.  Clearly, this wasn’t a problem last year as the Broncos made it to the Super Bowl but the Broncos just did not show up.  Expectations in Denver were that this team was infinitely better than the team that was embarrassed by the Seahawks in the super bowl and then last Sunday happened.  As I told all of my friends that are Broncos fans after the loss, the Colts didn’t play well but they played well enough.  I think I was most impressed by the defense and how they clamped down as the game went on.  I was a little nervous after the opening drive by the Broncos led to a TD and was full of dumb penalties like the roughing the passer call on Arthur Jones for a low hit on Peyton (THAT TOM BRADY IS AN ACTUAL ROUGHING THE PASSER PENALTY YOU FLOPPER) however the D stepped it up and came up with some really big plays. 

I think my favorite drive on the offensive side of the ball wasn’t one that led to a touchdown.  Instead it was the drive that more or less sealed the game.  With eight and change left on the clock the Colts drove 54 yards on 13 plays before kicking a field goal to put them up 24-13.  On that drive they ran the ball time and time again with Boom Herron and Zurlon Tipton chewing up large amounts of yardage with each carry.  For a brief moment it looked as if this team had a running game, which we all saw snuffed out yesterday.  However, this drive effectively ended the game even though I remained cautiously optimistic because four minutes is a lot of time to give Peyton Manning especially only up 11.  Once again though, the defense clamped down and the Broncos dreams were dashed in the cold, Denver drizzle. 

After the game had ended I was conflicted.  On one side I was ecstatic that I had gotten to watch my team (in person) win a really big game and get within one game of the Super Bowl.  On the other side I didn’t want to celebrate too much and be an obnoxious fan in front of some very dejected Broncos fans.  I also knew that with the win, and a very big win, the Colts had an even bigger test ahead of them against Pretty Boy Brady and Bellicheat in Foxboro, a horror story we’ve suffered through time and time again.  I also felt bad for the Broncos fans, because I knew how they felt.  Time and time again we watched our Colts flounder in the playoffs despite a stellar season.  I also felt bad for Manning because I really want him to get another ring or two, especially if that means shutting up the Brady fans.  All in all, I really enjoyed getting to be there for a big win, especially the “screw Tom Brady” chant that Broncos and Colts fan stated simultaneously on the way out of the stadium (screw being a euphemism)   

Unfortunately, I wasn’t celebrating yesterday.  I don’t think I need to say this but yesterday’s game was downright awful to watch as a Colts fan.  I didn’t really watch any of the fourth quarter.  It was the same old story for the Colts in Foxboro in January, crappy weather, crappy play, a few questionable calls, and always…a loss.  A day later, I’m disappointed in how we played.  We were just not good…understatement of the year.  The Colts looked like a team that had played two big games and just ran out gas for the third one.  Cheap shot Blount (reference to his days at Oregon) once again ran all over us and we just…we just couldn’t…I don’t know, we just collapsed.  As is tradition, there were some questionable calls, like the roughing the passer call on Jerrell Freeman which was no worse a hit than what Luck endured but Cry Baby Brady gets his way if he sells it enough (which he did).  No surprise here.  I honestly didn’t expect anything different.  I would like to get all of your opinions on the call because I clearly disagree with the CBS rules analyst.  You can see the video by clicking the link (his name).  

Finally, there’s the Deflategate which has emerged since very early this Monday morning.  The gist of the accusations is that the Patriots deflated the game balls or some of the ones used in the game.  Footballs are supposed to be inflated to a certain pressure and apparently at some point in the game the officials took a ball out of play and circulation to have it measured.  As a result the league is looking into whether or not these accusations are true.  I agree with almost everybody on this topic…there’s no way this would have affected the outcome of the game.  Even if the Patriots were using the deflated balls, which are easier to throw and catch, when only they were on offense (that’d take some serious coordination/bribing of the ball attendants), the Colts could not get anything on the offensive side of the ball.  Part of me wants this not to be true so we can just forget about how poorly our team played.  Another part of me wants this to be true and to hope for severe punishment because of how much I dislike the Pats.  That being said, and I absolutely hate that I’m about to agree with Brady, but this seems pretty ridiculous.  OK excuse me while I go throw up.

Alright, that’s about it for me.  I want to congratulate all the teams who made the playoffs this year on successful seasons.  I would also like to thank the Broncos fans for being gracious hosts even in defeat.  One of the gate attendants even shook my hand on the way out and wished us luck.  Let me know what you think about the Freeman hit, I’m very curious about what everyone thinks.  Stay tuned for my thoughts on the Colts needs leading up to the draft.  Have a great week everyone!

--The Briefing                  

Hello All, and welcome back to those sports guys.  I must apologize for for the lack of writing on my part recently.  I accepted a position as a teacher and coach over the summer and the combination has kept me quite busy.  But hopefully things will begin to ease up and I will be back to posting more regularly.  But, as has become tradition over the last few years, I am going to break down the Indiana football teams and their quests for postseason football.

Indiana (3-2; 0-1)
For the Past few years, everybody has been saying "This is the year that IU makes it back to a bowl".  nd the last few years, IU has come precariously close with tight losses in conference and out of conference keeping them from the elusive preseason.  The hard thing to predict about these Hoosiers is which team will show up.  IU seemingly gave away should be wins at Bowling Green (That was painful to watch) and never really showed up against Maryland just a week after stunning Mizzou.   I hate talking about must win games in September, but in terms of Bowl hopes, those were both pretty devastating losses.  All that said you can't change the past, so lets start looking to the future.  IU has 7 games remaining and they need 3 wins.  On paper you have to count the Michigan State game next week and the OSU game in November as losses.  Similarly, I would chalk up Purdue as a win.  Purdue is not nearly as dreadful as last year, but IU should* (depending on which team shows up) win.  IU will then need to scratch out 2 wins in the other 4 games.  Unfortunately for the Hoosiers, all 4 of those games are conference games.  So lets look at those 4 games in particular.   

First up, this week, is a trip to Iowa.  Iowa is 4-1 but there is record is a bit deceiving.  While they have won 4 games, only  2 are against a power conference team and those are Pitt and Purdue.  While they have played some decent none power conference teams (Norther Iowa, and Ball State) they haven't destroyed anybody (not even Purdue).  There one loss is the Iowa State and it was close.  This one is potentially winnable for the Hoosiers, but the fact that Iowa has found a way to win in 4 of their 5 games makes me nervouse , because that is something the Hoosiers have not been able to do constistantly in decades... and the game is on the road, typically makes things just a little more challenging. Next up after that is a Michigan team that looks to be in shambles.   Before the season I would have marked that game up as a loss, but playing that game at home could result in a win for the Hoosiers... or a get right game for the Blue and Maize.  Penn State and Rutgers are both a little tough to predict because they haven't beat anybody really good, but haven''t been upset either.  I'm guessing Penn State will have revenge on their mind after last season, but it's a little hard to get a read on exactly how good those 2 teams are right now.  

Prediction: IU are really hard to predict right now, but I am going to give the Hoosiers the benefit of the doubt and say they squeak in at 6-6 and get some bowl game we've never heard of. 

Purdue (3-3; 1-1)


Good News from the Boilers season so far:  They have beaten the teams they were supposed to beat.  More Good news for the Boiler fans:  They gave Notre Dame one of its few challenges this year.  Here's the bad news:  Purdue probably won't win another game in 2014.  If the cards fell right, Purdue could concievably beat Minnesota or IU, but realistically the pieces aren't quite there yet.  Appleby is looking like the QB everyone thought Ettling would be, but he'll be around for a couple more years.  The Big Ten Win at Illinois was huge, and Purdue is definitely better than the abismal version from 2013, but the next few weeks might be rough for Boiler fans. 

Prediction: They are still singing "Hail Purdue" and chanting "Boiler up" here in Lafayette, but the Boilers are still a couple years away from being relevant in the Bowl scene or the Big Ten.  3-9 for the Boilers this year.  

Notre Dame (5-0)


Talking about the Irish is always difficult for me, because their is so much hype and tradition surrounding the Gold and Blue that it is hard to tell what's real and what's not.  Here are the facts:  Notre Dame is undefeated and has a marquee win against Stanford that they truly earned on a late drive.  They also haven't played a true road game and they have 2 stiff challenges on the road before the season ends.  I think the real tests will be back to back road games against Florida State and Navy.  I think the Irish will drop one of the 2.   Now, do I think the Midshipmen have any business hanging around with the Irish?  Absolutely not... but that hasn't stopped them in the past.  And if the Irish do manage to upset the 'Noles down in seminal country... well that game wedged between Arizona State (currently #20) and Florida State seems like an easy one to overlook.  

Prediction:  The Irish are a lock for being Bowl bound, but I don't think they get the undefeated mark.  That said, 11-1 looks completely feasible for this team and making the playoff is not outside of the realm of possibility, especially if that only loss is to an undefeated Florida State team (needs to be a close loss though, no repeats of Bama from a few years back).  

Ball State (1-4; 0-1)


The Cardinals look to be a shell of the team they were the last couple years.  Losses to Indiana State and Army are pretty damaging whenever they come about.  The tight losses to Toledo and Iowa aren't awful, but Ball State will need to rack up several MAC wins to have a shot at a Bowl at this point.  UMass and Eastern Michigan figure to be gimme wins, but all of the rest of the teams are playing well enough that Ball State could have some trouble.   

Prediction:  BSU beats Army and Indiana State and I am a believer, but those losses are pretty damaging and while there isn't a ton of common opponents to compare off of, the rest of the league  doesn't have those damaging losses hanging over their heads.  5-7 feels about right for these Cardinals 

Thanks for reading and savor in the Colts win from last night.

-T.O. signing out

Well the regular season has been over for almost a week and that means another forgettable season in the books for the Cubs.  Last week the 100th anniversary of Wrigley Field came to a close with a 3-1 win over the Cardinals.  With the win the Cubs finished the season at home with a 41-40 record, the first season with a winning record at home since 2009.  On a side not the win followed by a loss by the Rockies officially ended my 3 year reign of winning $5 in a bet with a friend.  The bet:  that the Cubs would finish the season with a worse record than the Rox.  The Cubs finished 7 games above the Rockies as the Rox finished with the second worst record in baseball.  Back on track, this year went about as well as I expected it too, even before it began.  In fact, it actually finished a bit better than I predicted.  If I remember correctly I picked the Cubs to win 68 games, two more than last year, and now that the regular season has ended, the Cubs finished with a record of 73-89.  So a bad season, but a little better than predicted, and better than a bunch of other teams.  I attribute a lot of this success, a lot of which came in the second half of the season, to guys being called up from the farm which in turn, trickles up to the guys calling the shots in the front office:  Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer.

Since I’m a scientist and a baseball fan, let’s have a look at some stats.  First, I’ve detailed the Cubs win percentage by month that can be seen in the graph below.

It doesn’t show a whole lot as the Cubs have generally sucked all season.  That’s right, I said it, and I’ll also remind the Colorado readers that we’re still better than the Rockies (so much for your 90 win season Monfort). So since I claimed they were better in the second half (post All-Star Break) let’s compare the two.  Before the All-Star Break the Cubs posted a 0.426 win percentage.  The Cubs finished with a 0.485 win percentage since the break.  So what changed?  Weaker opponents in the second half?  I don’t think so.  Since the break the Cubs have played the AL East winning Orioles (at Wrigley, a three-game sweep by the Cubs…nice), the AL wild card chasing Blue Jays (a road sweep by the Jays…ouch), the Giants (winners of the NL wild card playoff), the NL west winning Dodgers (a pretty rough series at Wrigley but a good one in LA), the Pirates (unfortunate losers of the NL wild card playoff), and the NL Central winning Cardinals (more times than I can remember or care to count).  They have also played the former NL Central leaders, the Brewers, taking five of seven.  In fact it was a sweep of the Brewers had Wrigley at the start of September that helped the Cards and Pirates catch the Boo Crew and ultimately knock them out of the playoffs…shucks (you’re welcome Taylor and Brian).  So if the match-ups weren’t all that easy (granted taking five of seven from the floundering Rockies helped), why the better play.  My thought:  the arrival of the first fruits from the farm.  With the exception of a few players the majority of the AAA call ups came after the break and the guys that were called up before the break were only called up a few days to a week before (the exception being Neil Ramirez called up on April 25).  Let’s have a look when some of these guys made their debuts.

Tyoshi Wada, P:  July 8

Arismendy Alcantara, IF/OF:  July 9

Kyle Hendricks, P:  July 10          

Javier Baez, IF:  August 5

Matt Szczur, OF:  August 17

Jorge Soler, OF:  August 27

Rafael Lopez, C:  September 2

Eric Jokisch, P:  September 7

I’m going to focus on the guys called up in July and August (quick note first though, with the exception of late, Ramirez has been a stud in the bullpen). Jokisch and Lopez appeared late in the season but looked pretty good but I didn’t see enough of them to include in this post. OK, Wada and Hendricks have been fantastic on the mound posting records of 4-4 and 7-2 respectively.  Hendricks has been especially fantastic with a 2.46 ERA.  Also, in Hendricks defense, one of those losses was a 1-0 defeat to the Cards off a Matt Holiday solo shot in the top of the first in what became a duel between Hendricks and Wainwright.  I had the chance to watch Hendricks pitch here in Colorado when the Cubs were in town and he just seemed so cool on the mound.  I think this kid has a real bright future especially if he keeps hitting the corners like he did all season.  Wada finished with a 3.25 ERA and wasn’t as sharp as Hendricks but he too had some close losses as a result of no offense (the last being a 2-1 loss), all in all, not bad for a 33 year old.  Rumors are that we might not see Wada next year but barring some moves in the offseason I think he’s still a big asset for the rotation.  Alright, time to move on to the position players.

 I’ll start at the beginning of the list and work my way down.  Before I begin though I would like to point out that, despite late season injuries, Starlin Castro and Anthony Rizzo led the team in at bats and batting average (0.292 and 0.286 respectively).  Rizzo also hit 30 HRs this season placing him second behind slugger Giancarlo Stanton by 5 HRs, a nice highlight to a mostly lackluster season.  OK, first up, Arismendy Alcantara (say that three times fast).  For people who are curious it’s pronounced Aris-mendy Al-cant-ara (or at least that’s what the announcers said.  Anybody want to take a stab at what Harry Caray might have called him?  Anyways, Alcantara came up swinging and jumped out to a pretty hot streak.  He would struggle later in the season though and finish just north of the Mendoza line at 0.205 in 278 AB.  He has some surprising pop for a small guy and definitely has wheels on the bases.  His speed is also a bonus out in the outfield. 

Alright, next up:  Javier Baez.  The long awaited arrival of the power hitting middle infielder.  I should point out that by power hitting I mean his home run balls come down damaged.  This kid can hit the leather off the ball.  The unfortunate side affect to swinging for power and the fences is that he struck out a lot…seriously, a lot.  Baez, although starting pretty hot in Colorado (1-6 with a game winning HR in his debut) finished the season well south of the Mendoza line at 0.169 in 225 AB.  He hit 9 HR and drove in 20 but he also finished the season with 95 SO.  I can’t say that I’m too surprised.  He’s young, and the reports on him were pretty accurate:  he swings big and is going to probably miss more often than not.  It was funny, the day Baez was set to make his debut, a Cubs blogger I read said that he wouldn’t be surprised if he went 3-4 with 3 bombs or 0-4 with 4Ks, he was pretty close.  He went 1-6 with 1 HR and 3Ks.  Hopefully this is a problem that can be remedied in the future because he is extremely talented both at the plate and in the field.  He played second base after Darwin Barney was traded to the Dodgers and then moved to short after Castro got hurt late in the season.  All in all, I think he’s a smart baseball player who will get the SO thing figured out as he sees more playing time in the big league.  Check out the videos below for some of his highlights.  One thing I couldn’t find a video of was how quickly he can apply a tag on a runner attempting to steal second, but suffice to say he helped the catchers get a couple “caught stealing” by how fast he was able to apply the tag.  

Matt Szczur (pronounced Caesar like the Roman emperor/salad), a name I’ve heard for a while now whenever people talk about AAA Iowa.  He’s a decent hitter and a solid outfielder and I expect to see him again next season.  Maybe not right away but at some point.  He finished with a 0.226 in 62 AB with a pair of HR and a handful of RBIs.  Reports are that he’s an all around solid baseball player, maybe not the best, but solid with a great deal of potential.  I think his most memorable part of his time up with the Cubs was this attempt in the video below.  I love the effort especially given the circumstance, but remember Matt; the wall at Wrigley isn’t soft.

Finally, Jorge Soler.  Like Baez, if not more so, Soler was highly touted as he tore his way through the farm system and he didn’t disappoint.  He finished the season with 89 AB and a 0.292 BA.  He also clubbed 5 HR and knocked in 20.  He’s a definite stick with power at the plate and speed and a strong arm in the field.  I fully expect Soler to start the season on the north side.  I’m just hoping he doesn’t flop next year like Junior Lake did this year.  I’ve included highlights of him at the plate and in the field below.  

OK.  I’m just about out of energy and this has gone on for a while but moral of the story:  for the first time in forever, the future is bright on the north side of Chicago.  It’s been a rough couple of seasons but Theo’s trades and restocking of the farm finally seems to be paying dividends and for the first time in a long time I actually have hope for “next year,”  Theo thinks so as earlier this week he predicted the Cubs to contend for the NL Central title in 2015.  I’m usually not one for predictions (again how’d that 90 win season turn out Monfort?) but with the way this team played down the stretch makes me think anything is possible.  So Cubs fans, here’s to “next year” finally beginning to showing up.

Thanks for hanging with us readers as we adjust to new and busier schedules.  I know we all have been more or less on hiatus for a while but new jobs/schedules will do that.  As for me, double digit hour workdays and 8:30 am group meetings on Friday mornings have really put a damper on my ability to write posts Thursday after work.  Regardless, thank you all so much for reading!      

--The Briefing       

Happy Monday everyone!  In case you forgot I am the Marris Minute and I write on Monday's!  I have been absent from the blog for a few weeks and am getting back into the swing of things.  I apologize for my absence - a new job and big life changes took priority but I just got back from a vacation and will be blogging on  a regular basis again!  I am going to start off simple and talk about what everyone has been talking about - Derek, the captain, Jeter.  The Captain is retiring this year after a Hall of Fame career that included five world championship rings. 

Derek Jeter's professional career can be broken down by the numbers:

3,465 - career hits
1,311 - career runs batted in
260 - career home runs
40 - years old when he retired
20 - seasons with the New York Yankees
14 - time All-Star
11 - years being the Yankees Captain
5 - World Series Championships
5 - time Gold Glove Award Winner
5 - time Silver Slugger Award Winner
2- number throughout his career, 
2 - time AL Hank Aaron Award Winner
1 - time World Series MVP
1 - time AL Rookie of the Year
1 - time Roberto Clemente Award Winner
1 - In all Yankee fan heart
0.310 - Career batting average

I am sure there are many more numbers I could easily pull out but more important then his stats is his character. He is one of the rare individuals that not only was an extremely talented baseball player but also had a hard work ethic and was a true role model for all - including myself.  Jeter entered baseball towards the beginning of the steroid era and not once was found using steroids.  Derek lived the lifestyle of the rich and the famous but never once got himself in trouble or led people to question his work ethic and more importantly his character or moral compass.  Thank Derek Jeter for being an inspiration to millions and a class act the entire time.

As I conclude I have to ask you what is your favorite memory of Derek Jeter?  I have my favorite memory that I will post in the comments next week but I want you to kick us off.  Please comment with your favorite memory of Derek Jeter and his Hall of Fame career!  Live, love and play like there is no tomorrow - thanks for reading!

Sincerely,
The Marris Minute

With one weekend of the NFL season underway, I hope you fantasy teams are all flourishing and you are enjoying the return of professional football to your lives.  While the NFL is just getting underway, I want to spend a little time this week, I want to talk about about the college football season... which for some teams... their hopes of a title may be all but gone.

Being a lifelong Indiana native, I was brought up correctly and know that the only sports conference worth following is the Big Ten (or 14 but whose counting?).  And Saturday may be one of the worst for the Big 10 in recent memory.  Despite 8 of the 15 teams getting wins, the conference looked awful as a whole.  Penn State had convincing wins over Akron and Western Illinois respectively, but Maryland, Illinois, Nebraska and Iowa all won by single digits, and the only semi-impressive opponents of the 4 were South Florida and Ball State for Maryland and Iowa, but the fact that Nebraska only squeaked by McNeese State (Mind you who plays in a lower NCAA level than Nebraska) is not a real convincing win and Illinois had to come back against Western Kentucky (again, another real quality opponent here).  But 8 wins on the week wouldn't be as troubling or as harmful as the 5 losses.  Northwestern and Purdue both lost to MAC teams.  While we all knew Purdue was going to be... well... not good, Northwestern falling to Northern Illinois and dropping to 0-2 is a bit troubling.   The only 3 teams from the Big Ten that played power schools this week all lost as well.  Michigan State appeared to have Oregon on the ropes at one point in Eugene, only to leave with a very damaging 19 point loss.  Michigan was absolutely demolished in south bend, and Ohio State choked one away to an unranked Virginia Tech.  

While these last 3 losses are all to quality opponents which is some ways makes them less painful, when we look at the broader scope of the whole season, they become very damaging.  The Big Ten, like most power conferences, usually schedule a lot of midmajors or lower division teams in the opening weeks of the season to pad their stats and get the team off to a good start before they hit conference play.  While that makes perfect sense in some regards, it also hurts them when they lose the few power conference games that they play.  We are no longer in the BCS era where a computer decides who plays for the national championship.  A committee will sit down and discuss the rankings every week, and who you play and who your opponents play will really matter.  The Big Ten has very few quality opponents on the schedule (other than conference play) and it is very very real possibility that Nebraska's poor showing and the 3 losses by MSU, Michigan, and OSU has essentially removed the Big Ten entirely from the final four playoff this year.  Now, is this the end of the world? No. Is there still a chance that the Big Ten gets a team in the playoff? Yes.  But they have created a pretty big mountain for themselves to get over the rest of the season, and they will no doubt need a lot of help from the other conferences to get a team in one of the Big games.  Only time will tell what happens, but if the Big Ten is missing from the playoff, you can look back to this past saturday as a big reason why.

Thanks for reading,
T.O. signing out.   

Hello all, I must start this with an apology.  I feel like I haven't written in ages, and that's probably because it has been quite a while.  A new job unfortunately can do that to you.  But today, I come to you with some thoughts on the international competitions. 

Over the past year, we have been graced with the opportunity to watch some of the top athletes in the world come together and compete in their respective sports.  We started out the year with the Olympics in Russia.  While it doesn't draw the hype of the summer Olympics, a number of us got to get our Curling fix for the next 4 years and we got to watch some fantastic hockey and other exciting winter sports.   This summer, we saw the arguably the best single sport international competition, the World Cup which, all in all didn't disappoint.  But now the FIBA "world cup" is rolling around and all I can say is... well I am a little disappointed.  The Olympics is always exciting because while certain countries may bring home more medals than others (lets face it, the USA always does pretty well), a lot of countries will see the podium in some event.  This adds to the excitement in some regards because in the end any country can win any event, and there are actually some events where the USA has never won a medal, so we can see someone we have never heard of come in and dominate the world (literally).  The world cup, on the other hand, is exciting because we get to come in and watch some of the best athletes in their field come in and compete against one another, but they are usually on opposing sides of the ball.  The field of championship competitors, while usually limited to 2 continents, are often deep compared to other international competitions with anywhere from 5-7 teams with respectable odds to bring home the proverbial gold.  Similarly, the chances of a "world power" going home early in the tourney are not only high, but also, in recent world cups in particular, the norm. 

The problem with events like the FIBA world cup and the Baseball World Cup are many.  so I will start with basketball, as it is going on currently.  The basketball world cup is almost the antithesis of the soccer world cup.  The USA is able to send in a legimate B-team to its latest Olympics roster and win games by scores of 40 or more.  Basketball isn't big in most countries and while some European and south american nations have a few NBA players to draw from, they have nowhere near the talent or the fan base of the USA,  And while the USA did choke in the olympics 10 years ago and has had a slip up now and then, anyone with half a brain expects them to win this thing going away.  There is no fear in anyone's minds that they might bow out in the group stage like Spain in soccer.  There is no fear of 1 player being hurt or ineligible for a game that the system will fall apart.  Especially with coach K at the helm... its smooth sailing if the US comes ready to play.  

Now lets flip things over to the World Cup of baseball that has started since it was eliminated from the olympics.  This at least is a far more open field than its basketball counterpart.  And the US is not the Big Fish in a small pond like FIBA's rendition, the problem with this tourney is that it takes place during the preseason for baseball and is therefore not the smoothest of competitions to watch.  Part of the beauty of the FIFA World Cup is the best players run out there and play the whole time.  Often when we watch baseball's version of the world cup, we only see the star pitchers for a couple of innings and many of the hitters aren't in their mid season form.   Similarly, some players will decline to save their bodies for the wear and tear of a 162 + game season that is upcoming.  It often lacks the excitement that you would come to expect from a international competition of some of the best athletes in the world.

Now I know I rag on both of these competitions, but I do enjoy watching them.  The problem is, for these competitions to grow to the level of the Olympics or the FIFA World Cup, there need to be some adjustments made, because the current competition is lacking in one way or another.

Thanks for Reading,
-T.O. Signing out

WARNING:  IF YOU ARE A SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS FAN TURN BACK NOW.  YOU WON’T LIKE WHAT YOU’RE ABOUT TO READ AND QUITE FRANKLY I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY.  YOU’VE BEEN WARNED.

OK, now that that’s out of the way here we go.  If you couldn’t tell, I’m mad, real mad.  MLB has thrown out the rule book and decided to cater to a team in the hunt for the playoffs.  Why?  Well, because, well I don’t know why.  So let’s start at the beginning, last night’s [Tuesday] Giants-Cubs game at Wrigley Field. 

The Cubs jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first off an absolute blast of a HR by Anthony Rizzo.  It easily left Wrigley Field and then some finding a new home out on Sheffield Ave. beyond the right field wall.  It’s measured distance… 466 ft.  Goodbye baseball.  See the video below.  Also, not the way a team in the hunt should start a game against a team who was out of playoff contention two months ago.  

OK that homerun was awesome.  Anyways, moving on, the Cubs continued to keep the Giants off the scoreboard for five innings.  Around the fourth or top of the fifth a light mist moved into Wrigley Field, nothing out of the ordinary for most baseball stadiums this time of the year.  However, as the top of the fifth concluded, things got interesting.  Out of nowhere a freak deluge appeared over Wrigley and began dumping gallons of water onto the field.  Crew Chief Hunter Wendelstedt appeared hesitant to bring on the tarp waiting on a radar report from the grounds crew chief.  Finally, he waves for the tarp and that’s when it gets really interesting.  Apparently the tarp had not been properly rolled up after the last use and the grounds crew struggled mightily to cover the infield all the while the rain continued to pour and absolutely drench the infield. What was a 15 minute downpour then led to a 4 hour and 34 minute delay as the grounds crew tried tirelessly to dry the infield and get the field back to playing condition.  Alas, they could not and when both coaches agreed that it would be dangerous to continue play, the game was called at 1:16 am CDT.  See the video below

OK.  It’s a really crappy way to end a game, I’ll admit that.  The fans paid good money to watch nine innings of baseball and only got 4 ½.  Both franchises agreed last night that they’d prefer the game to be suspended but the rules were clear (or so we thought) that since it was an official game (as the Cubs were in the lead and it was through the top of the 5th) and nothing mechanical had failed, the game could not be suspended and was thus ended granting the Cubs the 2-0 victory in 5 innings.  Simple, this happens more than once a year due to weather so move on beat up on Edwin Jackson tomorrow [Wednesday] (they are…Jackson lasted 3 inning allowing 7 runs…can we please send him down to AAA Iowa?).  Well then the Giants protested the result on Wednesday morning and for the first time since 1986 and only the 15th time in history the protest was upheld (somewhere Braves fans are like what about us?).  Here’s what Joe Torre, Executive Vice President for Baseball Operations, had to say.

Alright, fine, Giants whine, get their way, and sure it seems like some justice is done.  There is no doubt that something really wrong happened with tarp and that the crew struggled mightily to get it on and so sure let’s play 4 ½ more innings on Thursday before the series finale that night.  I have three major problems with this though; I’ll start at the last paragraph of the quote.  To me this reads that the Giants were pursuing Rule 4.16 and attempting to have the Cubs forfeit the game and to that I say [email protected]#$%$#@#$%.  Man up and play baseball.  Maybe don’t give up moon shots to a bad team.  I don’t know maybe score some runs instead of being owned by a rookie pitcher who debuted halfway through the season.  I hope you lose every game from here on out and that your stadium collapses into that smug-polluted bay that Asterisk Bonds [Hank Aaron still holds the record in my book] liked to hit home runs into.  Man that felt good.  I guess I am turning into a Rockies fan (a fact that makes my girlfriend feel very accomplished and proud).

OK now to the second part with which I have a problem.  The rule clearly states that “mechanical issue” must have occurred to lead to suspension of a game instead of a weather-shortened game end.  Let’s have a look at the actual rule:

Last time I checked the tarp that that poor grounds crew had to haul out onto the rain soaked field was not a mechanical device (it sure isn’t an “automatic tarpaulin”).  So to me, it appears that MLB is reinterpreting this rule.  Also, do they have video that shows it being improperly rerolled after last use?  Clearly, something was horribly wrong with the tarp because that grounds crew prides itself by being able to deal with the awful weather in Chicago.  However, the wording seems pretty clear to me, and so it definitely appears that MLB has applied a new interpretation to the rule.  You know I guess the seasons almost over so why not just start changing things now.  It’s not like the Cubs are title contenders anyways (lot’s of sarcasm here).

Finally my third issue with upholding the protest. Back on July 23 The Yankees beat the Rangers 2-1 in a 5 inning rain shortened game after the grounds crew failed to cover the infield due to heavy rain and winds.  Yankees won, nobody questioned it.  Teams moved on.  So why change course now?  Is it because the prevailing team is a basement dweller instead of a contender (the Yanks are hanging on by a thread and the Rangers are and were the worst team in baseball at the time in the video below).  The Giants are in the hunt; that fact was said last night and was brought up again today.  I'd like to point out that one of the best parts of being a fan of a team out of the hunt, is watching your team play the spoiler. My point, though, is that this happens, rainstorms like this happen and if you let it go a bit (like Wendelstedt did) before signaling for the tarp the field is going to get really wet, the tarp isn’t going to be easy to drag and more and more water is going to pile up on top of it and God forbid they make a mistake while trying to hurry to get it on the field because the umpire waited so long.  I think MLB has now set a dangerous precedent and will almost certainly have to update this rule in the future because this has now happened twice and each time has had a different outcome.  While I think it’s good that the game will be resumed, I’m not convinced that the reasoning for it is sound.

One last final comment to the San Francisco commentators, have you ever been on a grounds crew and had to haul a heavy tarp while getting dumped on?  I highly doubt it.  So there’s no need to be _________ (insert synonym for jerks here).  To all future commentators reading this, there’s never a need to be a pompous ­­­­­_________ (same synonym or new one your pick) when on the air (or really ever).  When you are everybody except your small population of fans hates you. It’s OK to love your team with all your heart but you don’t need to be an arrogant ­­­­­­­________  (woohoo Mad Libs with Those Sports Guys) in doing so, especially if you’re not the one getting completely drenched.  For an example of being a bad commentator see the Reds commentators on FS Ohio/FS Indiana.  Brian and Taylor will agree with me on this point.

Just to summarize, I'm not so mad that the game is being replayed because it sucks that a game had to end like that.  I'll be a little more mad if the Cubs end up losing tomorrow.  What irks me the most is that MLB bent the rule.  

Alright, I’m done ranting. Thanks for stopping by on this Thursday.  We haven’t publicized it much this week or at all for that matter, but last week Those Sports Guys turned 2!  I would like to thank every one of our readers who stop by every day, each week, or even just from time to time.  We enjoy expressing our opinions about the sports we love and really hope you guys enjoy our opinions, ramblings and rantings.  Have a great Thursday and great rest of the week.  If I’m able, I’ll have another post up on Friday so come back for another round.  Also, if you haven’t followed us on Twitter or Facebook then you should (click the links, do it, I triple dog dare you).  We’ll post a lot of our pictures from our different sporting events and travels on these sites.  For those of you that do…I apologize for going crazy on Instagram on Sunday.  Not really.  Have a great one! 

-The Briefing  

Good afternoon folks!  I hope you all are gearing up for a great weekend.  Due to spending all of my waking hours (and there have been a lot this week) working, watching the Cubs vs Rockies (seriously 3 of 7 went to extras?!?!?), and packing up my entire apartment, I didn't have time to get my post about the 2022 World Cup completed.  In lieu of that I've decided to put together a compilation of some Cubs-Rox highlights and two funny videos to send you on your way into the weekend.

So to get things going, the game between the Rockies and Cubs on Tuesday of last week, set a bunch of records.  The game went to 16 innings and was 6 hours and 27 minutes long, making it the longest game in terms of time for either franchise and Wrigley Field.  Also, this game was the first time that a Chicago Cubs position player pitched and got the win.  Have a look below.     

Charlie Blackmon had Wellington Castillo's number all night long.  Talk about a game saving grab in the tenth.  Also, Bonifacio who hit the game tying homerun is now a Brave...#TradeDeadline.  Oh and the game the next night would go the Rockies way in the 10th...just end one in nine already.

After the Cubs took 3 of 4 from the Rox at Wrigley and 2 of 3 from the Dodgers in LA, they rolled into Denver looking to keep rolling.  To do that, the Cubs called up top AAA prospect Javier Baez to much fanfare.  And this guy got to go see his debut.  While the first 5 at bats didn't go so well for Baez, the sixth one did and boy was it big.  Have a look.
    

In case you were wondering I was going nuts!  You would have seen it if I'd been in my actual seat (I had first row in one of those sections above the bullpen), but I was up on the rooftop watching the game with friends.  While he went 1-6 with 3 Ks a ground out and a fly out, that 1 was the only one that mattered as the Cubs bullpen would keep the Rockies off the board in the bottom of the 12th (seriously does anyone want to not play extras?!?!?) and the Cubs would win 6-5.  Thank goodness it ended because by the time I got home that night and end to bed I'd been up for 41 straight hours (I don't recommend it). 

Well the next night the Rox would avenge the previous nights loss by down right shelling the Cubs starter Jake Arrieta who took his first loss; he's now 6-1.  Final score 13-4 yikes.  Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez hit a no-doubter which was an ominous sign to things about to fall off the Arrieta bus. 

That bat drop says it all.  

Well, the Cubs weren't to be out done especially after a trouncing and would you believe it...this Baez kid can hit.

I would also like to point out that Starlin Castro went back-to-back after Baez's first blast and almost to the same spot. The Cubs would take this one 6-2 and I got to go home happy!  Favorite fan quote of the day:  "Iowa [Cubs AAA affiliate] are winning this game."  All but one of the runs were driven in by recent call ups and Kyle Hendricks held the Rockies to 2 runs and posted 6 H 2 R 2 ER 1BB and 4 Ks in 8.0 inning pitched.  Cubs take 5 of 7 from the Rockies on the season and I might be owing $5 at the end of the season.

To add, here's a piece of Cubs history.  On this day (August 8th) in 1988 the Cubs faced the Phillies beneath the lights of Wrigley Field, the first night game in the history of the stadium.  Although it would be cancelled in the fourth due to rain, the first official night game was recorded the next night, a 6-4 win over the Mets.  I was a day shy of 7 months old.  

Finally, to thank all of you were being awesome and send you into the weekend with some humor:  Ted Lasso returns to NBC sports and might just be funnier than the first time.  Both videos are shown below.  Have a great weekend everyone!

--The Briefing

Part 1:

Part 2:

Here at Those sports guys, we like to dream a bit.  So for today's version of The sports bloggers we will be telling you what we would change about professional sports in america if we were given free rein of the major leagues for a day.  

Question 1:  If you were commissioner for a day, what would be the 1 thing would you change about the MLB?


T.O.: I would make the All-Star game not count any more.  It is supposed to be for the fans and the players to enjoy.  Some of the greatest all star moments have been moments where a legend got one final nod like Ripken getting moved from 3rd to short by A-rod in his final game or Jeter getting 2 final hits and leading off for the AL or even farther back players "picking their spot" for a pitcher to throw them a pitch in their final All Star AB.  I understand the tie several years back was embarrassing and a travesty, BUT find a better way to make guys play hard in the game versus having guys who have no chance of making the world series (guys on teams that are in the cellar) having an impact on the teams that do.  And yes, I realize the Cardinals are to blame for this years NL loss.

B:  As MLB commissioner for a day, I would make the PED policy more strict.  Instead of a 50 game suspension for the first offense, I'd make it 100 and the second offense would be a life time ban.  Of course I'd allow players to appeal and make sure that the science was accurate and that their was substantial evidence against the player before handing out the discipline, however, the suspension/ban would start right away even if the player was appealing.  PEDs have no place in baseball and with players still being suspended for PED use, it is evident that the current policy is not strong enough.  For the Ryan Braun fans out there who still maintain his innocence, you know where you get stick your thoughts.  I'd also try to oust the idiot owners of the Rockies but that's a different post for a different day.

M.M.: If I could be the commissioner of Major League Baseball I would eliminate the DH.  Being a recent AL to NL convert has made me appreciate strategic moves like the double switch that don't happen when a DH is used.  I like that the DH can help extend a players career but it dilutes the game too much.  

Question 2: Next sport: NBA, what would you change?


T.O.: I am not sure, exactly, how this could be enforced, but I really can't stand the teams that have 3+ superstars on one team.  What the Heat, Celtics, and others have done is really bad for the game.  It creates a league that is very divided, and it makes it hard for mid to small market teams to compete.  The Pacers are doing it now, but it took several years of building, not one man opening up his check book.  The easiest way would be to create a "Hard Cap" rather than the current salary cap situation.  Even with the luxury tax as high as its ever been, large market teams have no qualms about dipping into their revenue to load up a team.  They have added exceptions to help teams not go over the "salary cap" and force themselves to pay the luxury tax, but taking advantage of these exceptions forces teams into a hard cap via the rules, limiting what they are able to do during a season, where teams with the money to go into the cap have no limit to what they are allowed to spend.

B:  Hard salary cap end of story.

M.M.: I would eliminate the All-Star game and just have an All-Star break in which we could watch the slam dunk and three point contest.  The game is useless.  Unlike MLB, in which the game actually means something, the NBA all-star game boring, even if they score close to 500 points.

Question 3:  NFL Commish for a day... What are you going with?

T.O.: I am going to say fix the regular season overtime.  The players don't even know the rules (as noted by many interviews after 2 teams tie).  I don't mind the tie AT ALL.  But the current system where its sudden death, unless you kick a FG, but that is only the case if you had the ball first, and its 15 minutes, maybe.  It is just a confusing mess and I think that someone could come up with a better system.  Whether it is a FG shootout from increasing distance (homage to FIFA with a twist) or you just call it a tie at the end of regulation, or you play it out until there is a winner, or whatever else you can think of, the current system is leaving us all wanting. 

B:  I agree with TO that OT needs changed.  I also think ticket prices are absurdly high, especially for a sport that only plays 16 games in the regular season.  Some where my econ teacher is going on about supply and demand...still absurd.  However, if I had just one day, I think I would make the play clock so much shorter.  I know there are some really, really big dudes out there but they're supposed to be athletes right?  I mean if they're only playing every other snap, then I think they can hurry up and get on and off the field faster.  It just seems like there is so much down time between plays.  They have 40 seconds from the time the referee winds the clock and it just seems like so much standing around.  Let's make it a little more exciting.  Also, this would stop the victory formation from coming out so soon which I've always thought was the most anti-climatic way to end a game.  Let's make it 20-30 seconds.      

M.M.: I would review all of the rules and set clear expectations, like the MLB, on what actions result in what consequences.  I am sick of this case by case crap.  Robert Mathis is out for four games because he took a drug to help get his wife pregnant.  Ray Rice is out for two games because he physically assaulted his wife.  I personally would lay out very clear rules.  First time PED charge gets 6 games, second time gets full season, third time is lifetime ban.  First time drug abuse is a full season, second offense is life-time ban.  Same goes for assault, battery or any other attack.  I would continue with this list until everything was covered and if something was left out then I would hope the next commissioner, after my day is complete, would fill in the gaps.

Question 4: Professional Soccer... What would you like to see changed?

T.O.: I am going to pick two things here (cop out I know).  The first is I really want to see some sort of measure taken to deal with the growing number of concussions that go unattended to in professional soccer.  I would like to see the addition of a "concussion sub" that allows a player to come off for a few minutes (maybe cap it at 10) to undergo concussion testing.  Players and teams don't want to have to play a man down while a player is assessed and I get that, but, as with Taylor Twellman, a players career can be greatly affected by concussions and, as a result, can end a career too soon.

Secondly,  I want to see some sort of promotion and relegation system put in place in the MLS and lower leagues. This would create more incentive for not having a down year and would give more incentive to finishing near the top in the lower leagues.  I know american sports aren't used to this system, but the MLS would be better for it I think.  

B:  TO nailed this one.  I would love a relegation system between the lower leagues and MLS.  I think this is really the only sport here in the US and Canada where it would work.  I think it would be good for MLS, the lower leagues, and soccer in the US as a whole.  With that said, I would immediately stop trying to grow MLS and develop a body similar to the FA (Football Association) in England, that would bring all three leagues (MLS, NASL, USL) together and begin setting up the promotion and relegation system.   

M.M.: Since Taylor and Benton took care of the relegation system I will tackle something else here.  Assuming my TSG team mates can complete their tasks, which I have all of the confidence in the world, I would help get this sport on the map.  I would sign a 5 year deal, that is favorable to a large T.V. channel (I mean ABC, NBC or FOX) to get the MLS on prime time at least once a week during the season.  Give the channel a good deal with all related televised commercials, including the idea to run a commercial at the bottom of the screen every 15 minutes to give some additional revenue.  Then I would make sure I had sponsors all over the field and jersey's and start shoving this league down peoples throats.  I hear about the NFL non-stop...time to at least see the MLS.

Question 5: NHL Hockey could use a change, what would yours be?

T.O.:  Shootouts need to go. Moving on. 

B:  I'm going to disagree with TO because I tying sucks.  To quote a number of people, "tying is like kissing your sister," however, you still get a winner with the shoot out in the regular season and don't have to sit through multiple OTs several weeks a season.  I'm glad that playoff games go until some one scores which could be 10 OT but you don't have a shoot out which is how I think the World Cup should operate...I digress.  So what would I change?  It's related to the tie/shoot out.  I would change the points system.  An outright winner in regulation or the 5 minute OT would earn 3 points.  Both teams would receive 1 point for the tie (ala soccer), however, the winner of the shoot out would garner an extra point for a total of 2 points.  An outright loss as it should and does, earns zero points.  I think this system is better than the current because it makes a regulation/OT win worth more than the shoot out.       

M.M. I would establish a line going west to east and any team south of  about 37 degrees north would be moved to a city in Canada.  Tampa Bay and Phoenix should not have a hockey team.  When was the last time they saw ice in it's natural habitat?  I will give you a clue - the ice age.

Question 6:  I know this one could take a while to answer, but how about the NCAA what needs changed?

T.O.:  This one is tricky, because the NCAA is a mess.  If I could only change one thing, I think I would push for an expanded playoff system in college football.  I would set it up much like the DII sports do their NCAA tourneys (similar to NCAA DI baseball) where teams are assigned to a region and the winner of the region moves on to national quarters, semis or finals.  For example, the Big 10 and MAC may fall into the Midwest region where 4/6/8 teams have a mini playoff that feeds into an elite 8 or final 4 with the winners of the other regions.  The 2 best teams may not play for the national championship, but March Madness rarely gets that, but people love it anyway.  I think it would be a positive change for the NCAA football world.  

B:  Everything TO just said especially about the NCAA being a mess.  I'm hoping the new DI playoff system gives them a good start and foundation on which to build for the future.  

M.M.: I would squash this "NCAA players should get paid" bug.  If an NCAA player is good enough they get paid through a scholarship.  Players should be able to hold other jobs if needed but would not be able to take bribes.  Jersey can sell with numbers but not names.  End of story. 

Question 7: What would you change about sports, in general, in America?

T.O.: One thing that astounded me in this past world cup was the number of Americans, particularly in the national media, that were chastising fans for celebrating a Tie or, heaven forbid, a close loss (to the eventual champions I might add).  The USA had a strong showing in the World Cup and we as Americans should be proud of that.  Celebrating close losses and ties to better opposition isn't a sin.  It isn't ruining the moral fiber of America.  It is seeing things for how they are.  So back to the initial question:  I think we need to put less emphasis on winning at the lower levels.  6 year old kids shouldn't care about wins, losses and ties.  They should worry about playing hard, developing skills, and enjoying the game.  Wins are GREAT, regardless of your age, but, teaching a kid that the only way to be a success is to win... telling them that they can't appreciate losing a close game in which they played hard and represented themselves and their team well against a team that is just flat out more talented than them... that's ruining Americans, not the other way around. 

B:   I would continue to raise support, found, help fund, and develop programs that allow anyone regardless of financial status to play sports.  No one should not be able to play in a league, especially kids, just because they can't afford it.  

M.M.: I would continue to crack down and make the drug policies tougher and tougher.  As competition increases so does the pressure to find ways to compete.  There are two many examples of players getting into PED's and in some cases drugs or hard drugs and destroying lives.  I would also like to see someone start to tackle the issue of concussions.  The number of concussions happening in youth sports, and professional sports, is on the raise.  These injuries are serious and have a serious long term impact on people's livelihood.  

This tweet sums up a night of terror for basketball players and fans across the  world.  This tweet hits hardest in Paul George's NBA home, Indianapolis, Indiana.  On Friday night, during an USA white versus blue scrimmage game in Las Vegas, Paul George was attempting to make a hustle play when his leg landed into the back of the goal post - suffering a compound fracture.  In a matter of seconds what Indianapolis affectionately calls the big 5 has been cut down to 3.  The G2 zone which once had two flagship players is cut down to one.

The compound fracture is going to end Paul George's run with team USA.  It will end his run with the Indiana Pacers for the 2014-2015 season.  It will change the complexion of the East Conference for the upcoming season and put the Pacers from contenders to battling for a six, seven and eight seed.  Luckily for Paul George, no matter the pain and how gruesome the injury maybe, he is still in good health and high spirits.  George is a young player, with no injury history and hopefully a long career in front of him.  This is a minor set back in his path to pursue greatness.  

Clearly George is beloved by not only the city of Indianapolis, which he has helped put back on the basketball map, but the entire basketball community.  Love and support poured out throughout Friday night into the day Saturday.  This paired with visits from a variety of celebrities has put George in a good hand space to start making his comeback.  There is no guarantee that George will ever make it back to playing basketball 100%, let alone at all, but all indicators show that he should be able to make a full recovery and rejoin the Blue and Gold in a year.

In the meantime, team USA must pick up the pieces and get back to work.  The Pacers need to determine how they are going to fill the PG gap for a year and George needs to spend his time concentrating on recovering.  The Pacer community needs to come out and support this team more then ever as the Eastern Conference has gotten tougher and the the Pacers are down some critical members.  

This won't be an easy path back but Derek Rose should be an inspiration for George as he has come back from two serious injuries to look better then ever.  George will always be a Pacer and the G2 zone, although down a man, will always be the G2 zone.  Live, love and play like there is no tomorrow because as you can see you never know when something crazy might happen and you can't anymore - thanks for reading!!

Sincerely,
The Marris Minute