April 30, 2012

Stat Line of the Day

Ryan Braun's line vs the Padres

Insanity.  In a season dominated by the Matt Kemp HR show Ryan Braun made sure that no one's forgotten who won the NL MVP last season.  Even more impressive is that this was done in the gargantuan Petco Park, home of the Padres.  It's the first 3 HR game in stadium history.  Another interesting note, Braun has hit 3 HRs in Petco this season, the entire Padres team has hit 6.  Enough said.

April 29, 2012

NFL Draft Roundup

(Team by Team Breakdown)

Team, 1st Round Pick, Notable Others, Grade

Arizona: Michael Floyd-WR, Jamell Fleming-CB, B-

  Failed to address concerns in the linebackers or safeties, but did well adding Floyd as another weapon as well as shoring up the offensive line.

Atlanta: None, Peter Konz-C, Bradie Ewing-FB, C-

  The lack of a 1st rounder left them with a very unremarkable draft.  Konz will be a rock on the line for years, but nothing else stands out.

Baltimore: None, Courtney Upshaw-LB, Bernard Pierce-RB, B-

  Upshaw could prove to be a beast and will look to start from day 1.  The addition of Pierce provides good depth after Ray Rice, which is needed after the retirement of Ricky Williams.

Buffalo: Stephon Gilmore-CB, Cordy Glenn-OT, B

  Gilmore will start day 1 and could energize a secondary lacking any star power.  Cordy Glenn was a great pick in the 2nd round and will be a force on the line.  

Carolina: Luke Kuechly-LB, Joe Adams-WR, C+

  The Kuechly pick was slightly puzzling as they have a dearth of productive LBs already, not taking anything away from him though, if he gets the downs, he'll be a uber-productive LB in the NFL.  

Chicago: Shea McLellin-DE, Alshon Jeffery-WR, C+

  LOVE the McLellin pick, he's a high motor DE who can stand up as well and will look to become a building block of the next generation Bears defense.  Jeffery could also be a steal, if he is willing to work.

Cincinnati: Dre Kirkpatrick-CB, Kevin Zeitler-OT, Devon Still-DT, A-

  Their top 4 picks should all prove to be very successful and will look to start very soon.  Kirkpatrick gives stability to the secondary and Still could wreak havoc in the interior.  

Cleveland: Trent Richardson-RB, Brandon Weeden-QB, B

  The Browns think they have two offensive cornerstones with their 2 first round picks.  Richardson should be a workhorse even in season 1 and Weeden will be starting right away as the Colt McCoy era comes to an end.

Dallas: Morris Claiborne-CB, Tyrone Crawford-DE, C+

  Trading up for Claiborne was a bold and good move.  He instantly solidifies the secondary and could be elite within a few years.  Other than that, nothing special.  

Denver: None, Brock Osweiler-QB, Ronnie Hillman-RB, C+

  Osweiler will be in the favorable position of being Peyton Manning's understudy for a few seasons, and it could pay off big time.  Hillman adds more depth to a solid running back stable.  

Detroit: Riley Reiff-OT, Ryan Broyles-WR, Ronnell Lewis-LB, B-

  Reiff will be a cornerstone for years, and should help a porous o-line.  Broyles is definitely the biggest boom-or-bust pick they made, and doesn't really make sense unless another WR is let go.  

Green Bay: Nick Perry-DE, Jerel Worthy-DT, Casey Hayward-CB, B+

  The Pack made defense a priority, and stuck to it.  Of their 8 picks, 6 were defensive.  Perry and Worthy could make instant impacts and will push for playing time immediately.  Productive draft overall.

Houston: Whitney Mercilus-DE, DeVier Posey-WR, Jared Crick-DE, B+

  Made sure to fill their gaps, and added two DEs who could be forces for years to come.  Posey will most likely play #3 WR out of the gate, and makes Jacoby Jones expendable.  

Indianapolis: Andrew Luck-QB, Coby Fleener-TE, T.Y. Hilton-WR, B+

  The Luck era begins in Indianapolis and they made it a priority to give the young QB plenty of weapons.  Drafting Coby Fleener was a great move and they now have the chance to develop together into a lethal duo.

Jacksonville: Justin Blackmon-WR, Andre Branch-DE, B

  Drafting a punter in the 3rd round is a head-scratcher, but the Blackmon pick should make up for it.  He's a legitimate franchise receiver and finally give Blaine Gabbert a reliable weapon.

Kansas City: Dontari Poe-DT, Jeff Allen-OT, B-

  They made both lines a priority and acquired some quality talents.  Poe could either be very good, or very bad and has the potential to be a line wrecker.  

Miami: Ryan Tannehill-QB, Jonathon Martin-OT, B-

  HATE the Tannehill pick, at least this early anyway.  He has a small window to become a starter and could leave the Dolphins no better in their QB situation.  Jonathon Martin is a stud and will give whoever plays QB a bit more time.

Minnesota: Matt Kalil-OT, Harrison Smith-S, B

  Scored on their two first round picks and look to have found two starters for years to come.  Kalil is all-pro caliber and will definitely give young Christian Ponder some help.

New England: Chandler Jones-DE, Dont'a Hightower-LB, Alfonzo Dennard-S, B+

  A marvelous draft by the Pats as they addressed some big areas of need and added at least a few starters for the next few years.  Dennard could prove to be steal of the entire draft.

New Orleans: None, Akeem Nicks-DE, Nick Toon-WR, C-

  The lack of picks definitely hurt them.  Not much to say other than they increased depth at a few positions.  

New York Giants: Davis Wilson-RB, Rueben Randle-WR, C+

  The Wilson pick was a little surprising,  Randle provides Eli Manning with another big target as the Giants add offensive weapons.

New York Jets: Quinton Coples-DE, Stephen Hill-WR, B-

  Coples adds another weapon to an already stout defense.  Hill could be the burner that Mark Sanchez has needed and adds a whole new dimension to their anemic offense.

Oakland: None, Tony Bergstrom-OT, Miles Burris-LB, D+

  Once again, lack of picks damages the value of the end product.  No real gems or impact players seem to be among their crop.

Philadelphia: Fletcher Cox-DT, Vinny Curry-DE, B

  The Eagles worked to shore up their defense, and made some good picks at the top.  Fletcher Cox could emerge as elite within the next few seasons and could be a force on the inside.

Pittsburgh: David DeCastro-OG, Mike Adams-OT, Sean Spence-LB, B+

  Definitely improved their offensive line after selecting two day 1 starters.  Spence could prove to be yet another dominant Steelers LB as well.  Solid, productive draft yet again.

San Diego: Melvin Ingram-DE, Kendall Reyes-DT, B-

  Worked on solidifying the defensive front and acquired two big players that can impact immediately.  Should've worked harder to add another WR and goes into the season with questions there.

San Francisco: AJ Jenkins-WR, LaMichael James-RB, C

  AJ Jenkins has potential to be good and adds depth to a untested receiving core.  The James pick makes no sense and hurts the value of their draft.  He'll struggle to make an impact in a crowded backfield.

Seattle: Bruce Irvin-DE, Bobby Wagner-LB, C

  Irvin is a solid pick, but probably made a round too early.  Other than that, not much other than depth players added in an unspectacular draft.  

St. Louis: Michael Brockers-DT, Brian Quick-WR, Janoris Jenkins-CB, B+

  Trading down was a smart move for the Rams and they still got a big impact player in Brockers.  Quick adds to a deep but unskilled receiving unit and could emerge as a starter right away.  If Jenkins can avoid the problems that hurt him in college, he could be a superstar.

Tampa Bay: Mark Barron-S, Doug Martin-RB, Lavonte David-LB, B+

  A strong early draft gives the Bucs a solid group to build on for the future.  Martin could challenge for the starting job immediately as he's LeGarrette Blount's superior already in blocking.

Tennessee: Kendall Wright-WR, Zach Brown-LB, B

  Kendall Wright should start right off the bat and will give Jake Locker a young weapon to grow up with.  Brown is a solid LB and should anchor the middle for years. 

Washington: Robert Griffin III-QB, Kirk Cousins-QB, B-

  Griffin buoys the rest of this puzzling draft.  Cousins makes absolutely no sense and could cause a QB controversy to start with if he puts things together faster than Griffin.  In the end, the Redskins finally have their franchise QB.  

Stat Line of the Day

Matt Garza's line vs the Phillies

Matt Garza proved once again that he is indeed an ace, albeit one trapped on a terrible team.  Games like this are more impressive when the offense scores few runs and this line is necessary to even get the win.  If the Cubs can build the rotation behind him and add some more solid bats, they could have a decent team on their hands.

April 28, 2012

Today was the Spring Squash classic at the U of M.  I've been playing squash for about 3 months now and was competing in the 2.5 division.  My first match I won in games 3-0 and didn't really have a lot of trouble.  My semi-final match I won 3-1.  I finally ran out of gas in the championship as I was beaten 1-3. It was really a fun game though as it was one of my best friends from squash class, so it was an enjoyable game nonetheless.  My big scorer today was my lob serve, which is really top notch.  Against bigger opponents it'd not quite as effective, and that may have been my issue in the championship.  Either way, I'm satisfied with a silver medal in my first tournament, though I know I definitely have room for improvement.  Tomorrow I'll be looking at each NFL teams draft.

April 26, 2012

STOP EVERYTHING!! The NFL Draft kicked off tonight and there is nothing else that matters in sports.  Just kidding, but the draft will dominate what has been otherwise a bland sports week.  Here's the 1st round recap and my grades for each pick.

1. IND- Andrew Luck, QB, A
2. WAS- Robert Griffin III, QB, A
3. CLE- Trent Richardson, RB, A+
4. MIN- Matt Kalil, OT, A
5. JAX- Justin Blackmon-WR, A+
6. DAL- Morris Claiborne-CB, A-
7. TB- Mark Barron-S, A-
8. MIA- Ryan Tannehill-QB, C+
9. CAR- Luke Kuechly-LB, B+
10. BUF- Stephon Gilmore-CB, A-
11. KC- Dontari Poe-DT, B-
12. PHI- Fletcher Cox-DT, B+
13. ARI- Michael Floyd-WR, B+
14. STL- Michael Brockers-DT, B
15. SEA- Bruce Irvin-DE, C-
16. NYJ- Quinton Coples-DE, B+
17. CIN- Dre Kirkpatrick-CB, B+
18. SD- Melvin Ingram-DE, B
19. CHI- Shea McLellin-DE, A-
20. TEN- Kendall Wright-WR, B+
21. NE- Chandler Jones-DE, B
22. CLE- Brandon Weeden-QB, B
23. DET- Riley Reiff-OT, B
24. PIT- David DeCastro-OG, B-
25. NE- Dont'a Hightower-LB, B+
26. HOU- Whitney Mercilus-DE, B-
27. CIN- Kevin Zeitler-OG, B-
28. GB- Nick Perry-DE, B+
29. MIN- Harrison Smith-S, B
30. SF- AJ Jenkins-WR, C+
31. TB- Doug Martin-RB, B-
32. NYG- David Wilson-RB, C+

Day 1 of the draft was dominated by the flurry of trades that were made.  The winner of the worst pick of the round goes to Seattle, who picked DE Bruce Irvin at 15, about 2 rounds ahead of where he should've been taken.  Miami also continued their streak of great picks by taking Tannehill at #8.  A much better play would've been to trade down from that pick and address more issues, instead of taking a project QB that has a limited window to become a NFL starter.  My Packers took Nick Perry, a pick that I really do like.  He's a bit of an undersized DE and so will probably be employed similarly to Clay Matthews as a standup linebacker.

Stat Line of the Day

Jarrod Saltalamacchia's line vs the White Sox

Philip Humber wasn't nearly perfect in his start tonight, and Salty was a big reason why.  The Red Sox rocked Humber and Salty cranked 2 HRs in the game and drove in 3 runs.  As the Red Sox offense tries to kick back into gear, Saltalamacchia will be counted on to provide boosts every so often, and an outburst like this shows that he has the offensive ability to be a top notch hitting catcher.  

April 25, 2012

Stat Line of the Day

Cole Hamels' line vs the Diamondbacks

Yet another gem from Cole Hamels against the D'Backs tonight.  108 pitches through 8 innings shows good efficiency and he was hitting his strikes at a high percentage.  While Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee get plenty of attention as the front 2 of the Big 3, Cole Hamels has become arguably as valuable as either of them.  His growth has been marked since his major league debut and when he hits free agency next year, barring an unexpected contract signing still this season.  He is a legitimate ace, and if he weren't buried 3 deep on the Phillies he would get a lot more press.  I also have a special affinity for him as he's been on my keeper fantasy team for 2 years now.  If I had posted this later, I may have instead chose to comment on Matt Kemp hitting his 10th HR, already!!  

April 23, 2012

Stat Line of the Day

Tim Lincecum's line vs the Mets

It has truly been a start to forget for Tim Lincecum so far, but this could be the turning point in his season, even if it doesn't really look that good.  Speculation has always swirled that his career could be shortened because of his insane delivery, but I don't think that time is now.  Lincecum has gone through stretches similar to this at other point through his career, albeit maybe not to this extreme.  It was only the Mets, but this could be a springboard into another elite season from the ace.  His control is a little worrying, as he's averaging 2.3 walks per start, a number that must come down if he is to return to Cy Young form.  An encouraging sign is that he has a strikeout rate of 11.6 / 9 IP, a great number, and one that indicates that he's only a bit away from the star that he is, just be patient.  

April 22, 2012

Sorry readers, I finally return from my two day weekend break.  Here at the U of Minnesota we had our annual Spring Jam so I was pretty preoccupied most of the weekend.  I will say that the Cataracs were very good, while the New Boyz were very repetitive and weren't nearly as good.

Even though the Sunday night baseball game between the Red Sox and the Yankees was rained out, I'll still take time to reflect on the best rivalries in sports, which of course the the Sox and Yankees are.  Here's my list of the top 5 rivalries in sports:

1. Green Bay Packers vs Chicago Bears (NFL)  There is no better atmosphere for a game than between these two ancient rivals, who have now met over 180 times, the most in NFL history.  Be it Lambeau or Soldier, the game is always electric and has played host to some of the best players in NFL history, with numerous hall of famers taking part in this storied rivalry.  Both teams come to play, no matter the records, and this season shall feature two more exciting games, as the Bears are a team on the rise and the Pack is still one of the teams to beat in the NFC.
2. Boston Red Sox vs New York Yankees (MLB)  This rivalry features the two most storied franchises in MLB, and always has its shares of fireworks, be it brawls or slugfests, this rivalry is always worth tuning in to.  Fenway and Yankee Stadium have also been venerable venues to house this fiery rivalry, and hopefully will for many years to come.  
3. Ohio State Buckeyes vs Michigan Wolverines (NCAAF)  "The Game" as its come to be called, is surely that, and much more.  This rivalry has bred hatred for the other school, as well as their entire state.  Both programs are very successful and have routinely battled for Big 10 and national supremacy.  The last few contests have failed to live up to the billing, but the next few seasons should have great contests as both teams begin to rise again.
4. Barcelona vs. Real Madrid (Spanish Soccer)  Though the rivalry has always been hotly contested, the last few seasons have really taken this game to a whole new level.  Both teams are wildly successful and have spent vast sums to make this a game featuring in my opinion the two best teams on the planet.  The recent editions also feature additional storylines such as the battle for best player on the planet between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.  This rivalry could boil over at any time and physical confrontations are not uncommon.
5. Baltimore Ravens vs Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL)  This AFC North battle has intensified in the past few seasons, and is now one of the premier rivalry games in the sporting world.  Each edition is must see TV, and the past few have been close and hotly contested as both teams are AFC superpowers.  A physical and defensive battle is assured when these teams meet, and tempers have flared on numerous occasions.  The fans also know how important this game is, and add their own energy to the game as well. 

Stat Line of the Day (Weekend)

Philip Humber's line vs the Mariners

Today's stat line I actually pull from this weekend, when on Saturday Philip Humber threw MLB's 21st perfect game, utterly confounding the Mariners lineup en route to the feat.  Though he got a small scare in the 9th from a 3-0 count and also a questionable check swing call, Humber was able to survive and write his name into baseball's record books.  Unquestionably, it was a great performance, and also completely unexpected.  It will be interesting to see how Humber continues this season and if he may finally be putting things together to become a complete pitcher as he was once projected.    

April 19, 2012

Stat Line of the Day

Lebron James' line vs the Bulls

LeBron continues to put up MVP numbers, and tonight against the Bulls was no different.  Even against the Rose-less Bulls LeBron was still putting up his normal monster numbers.  There is no doubt in my mind that LeBron is the MVP this season and that the Heat will in the end win the NBA Championship.  They'll probably have to go through the Bulls at some point to do it, so this was a prime springboard game for the playoffs.  

April 18, 2012

Stat Line of the Day

Cliff Lee's line vs the Giants

If not for the name listed with this incredible stat line one would think this came from somewhere in the first half of the 1900s, where pitchers routinely were called upon to pitch complete games, including extra innings.  That Cliff Lee went 10 innings tonight, in this age of modern baseball, is incredible and a testament to his incredible endurance and accuracy, as you'll note he threw 81 strikes, out of 102 pitches!!!  What's sad is that he didn't factor into the decision, as Antonio Bastardo took the loss in the bottom of the 11th, but it does not dim the brilliant display by Cliff Lee.  He is one of maybe 3 pitchers that could still do this.  Incredible. 

April 16, 2012

Stat Line of the Day

Al Jefferson's line against the Mavs

You won't often see freak stat lines like this one, but they are as impressive as they are rare.  Al Jefferson went off against the Mavs and helped the Jazz keep their playoff hopes alive.  The game went to OT so this does contribute a bit to the line, but nonetheless it is an impressive game.  The Jazz are a team on the rise, and well they may not make the playoffs this year, look for them to be contenders in the coming seasons.  The emergence of Gordon Hayward and Paul Millsap give the Jazz a solid base to build from.  

April 15, 2012

Stat Line of the Day

Matt Kemp's line against the Padres

Matt Kemp continued his assault on pitching with yet another home run today against the Padres.  He's now homered in 3 straight games and already has 6 for the season.  Before the season started Kemp predicted he would go 50-50 (HRs and SBs) and he's definitely backing up his bold prediction.  He's carrying a so-so Dodgers lineup and if he can continue his record setting pace, he will be the MVP.

April 14, 2012

Josh Willingham comes to bat against the Rangers.

Today I hit my first Twins game of the season, and the game / day didn't disappoint.  Temperatures remained in the 70s throughout the game and the sky was cloudless as the Twins fell to the Rangers, 6-2.  Yu Darvish wasn't that sharp, allowing 9 hits and 4 walks in 5.2 innings.  Against the stuggling Twins, this was definitely not that impressive.  Luckily for him, the Rangers offense was able to pull out the win, with Josh Hamilton hitting an absolute mammoth home run and Adrian Beltre driving in 2 more runs.  Once again, one of the bright spots for the Twins was Josh Willingham (The Hammer), who went 2 for 3 with 2 walks.  Twice the Twins had bases loaded with 2 outs, and both times the hitter struck out, unacceptable for a team desperate to generate offense.

Stat Line of the Day

Josh Hamilton's line against the Twins

Once again, Josh Hamilton showed flash that won him an MVP award a few years ago.  His 3rd inning home run came on the first pitch of the at bat, and it was an absolute shot, clearing the right field bleachers.  He had the look of a player in top form, and was rock solid amidst some of the other Rangers hitters that are struggling to open the year, such as Nelson Cruz.  

April 12, 2012

Stat Line of the Day

Derek Holland's line vs the Mariners

Though it was against the weak hitting Mariners, Derek Holland is once again showing evidence that he's emerging into a staff ace, something that Texas has desperately needed with the departure of CJ Wilson this season.  If Holland can continue to pitch like this, he could be in store for a great season.  

April 11, 2012

Monta Ellis goes up for a reverse layup

Wednesday was a fairly standard day in sports, and I took the time to watch parts of two games.  The first was the Phillies offensive outburst against Josh Johnson and the Marlins.  Hopefully this game will put to rest some of the doubts about the Phillies putrid offense, as they roughed up the Marlins ace, Josh Johnson.  Hunter Pence looks to be developing into a legitimate slugger and once Ryan Howard returns, they may have a solid 1-2 punch.  The other game that I'll comment on was the Knicks crucial win over the Bucks.  Early on the Bucks looked listless and were playing absolutely horrendous defense, something unacceptable in a game of such magnitude for them.  Also, Scott Skiles should be ashamed in his teams lackluster defense, when his very coaching style is ultra defense and a very conservative offense, which may have been changed a bit with the addition of Monta Ellis, which I love by the way.  In the end, the Bucks hung with the Knicks all game, only succumbing late after missing a few late buckets.  While they played a great game, they're playoff hopes are in real danger being 2 games out with only a handful left.

Stat Line of the Day

Carmelo Anthony stat line vs the Bucks

Though I I'm not a big Melo fan (I think he's a ridiculous ball-hog) I can't help but admire how he's stepped up recently when the Knicks have needed him to secure they're playoff hopes, and that's just what he did today against the Bucks.  He's going to be counted on even more if the Knicks are to have any hope going into the playoffs, if they make it there.

April 10, 2012

Anyone remember Vladamir Guerrero? Well, I still do and today's news out of the Dominican Republic was kinda funny to say the least.  It sounds like Vlad the Impaler had a little too much fun and ended up getting into a fight with police at a disco club, classy.  No charges have been filed, but the story is an interesting fall from grace for the once great slugger.  "At no time did I attack anyone, nor was I fleeing," said Vlad.  Right, right, and professional baseball players have never thought that laws don't apply to them.  Here's the ESPN link http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/7795766/vladimir-guerrero-turns-self-disco-incident  Let's just file this along with the Manny Ramirez event, and call it good.  In other scandal news, Arkansas head football coach Bobby Petrino was fired today after failing to notify university authorities that a female faculty member was also with Petrino when he crashed his motorcycle.  An abrupt, and slightly surprising end to what was turning into a great program at Arkansas.  Oh, and of course I forgot Ozzie Guillen's Fidel Castro scandal, and he's since been suspended 5 days.  Ozzie has a history of being an idiot, so this is nothing new, but this is once again a case of reporters blowing up something that really doesn't matter.  It's not like Ozzie's going to call up his buddy Fidel, and have him take over America.  While a suspension is probably warranted, I'm pretty sure this is a non-story and shouldn't even have been deemed worthy of making ESPN, but that's the ESPN style on days when Peyton Manning isn't signing with a new team or Kentucky is winning the NCAA basketball tournament.  

Stat Line of the Day

Blue Jays 1-6 Hitters

Here's the stat line of the day, and it comes to you courtesy of the Toronto Blue Jays, who defeated the Red Sox 7-3.  Note the 0-4 from Jose Bautista.  Save Kelly Johnson, everyone around him had 2 hits.  If the Jays offense plays like this consistently, they will be in quite a few more games even when Joey Bats is having an off day.  Gone are the days of Bautista carrying the offense by himself; the Jays are turning a corner and we may be witnessing the birth of a new dynasty, if they can add some pitching to this young and talented lineup.  

April 9, 2012

Warmups at the Target Center

Well everybody, here's my first post!!!!  The BW is up and running and hopefully I'll be able to provide some exciting and useful point of views on the sports occurring all around us.  Anyway, for tonight I hit up the T-Wolves game at the Target Center in Minneapolis, disappointing game as they lost 114-90.  The Suns played reserves for a lot of the game so it was really a miserable performance by the Wolves.  On Kevin Love's MVP awareness night he scored 25 and pulled down 13 rebounds, yet another K-Love classic performance.  Michael Redd also looked great for Phoenix, seemingly knocking down every three he took, which I would imagine was around 5 or 6.

I'm a stats man, and so this next feature that the blog will have is really near and dear to me, the Stat Line of the Day!!  Each day I'll try to collect a stat line from any sporting event, be it MLB, NBA, or really anything, that I found interesting or noteworthy and bring it to your attention.

Stat Line of the Day 

This is Kenneth Faried's stat line from the Nuggets massive win over the Warriors.  It really was a career best game for the promising rookie as he was taking great percentage shots and also dominating the glass. This could be a sign of good things for the Nuggets young forward.