Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 273 of 1503)

      Giants decide on Lincecum for Game 1, Cain for Game 2

      October 26, 2010 /
      July 30, 2010 - San Francisco, CA, United States of America - 30 July 2010; San Francisco, CA: San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Tim Lincecum.

      It’s official: the Giants will send Tim Lincecum to the mound in Game 1 of the World Series on Wednesday night.

      After “The Freak” threw 16 pitches in Game 6 against the Phillies last Saturday, there had been some debate as to whether or not he should start Game 1 against the Rangers. But in the end, there wasn’t really any debate at all – at least not to Giants’ manager Bruce Bochy.

      Teams want to throw their ace Game 1 so that if they need them in Game 4 or Game 7 to stave off elimination or to win the series, they’re available to throw again. If the Giants had pushed Lincecum’s start back (even just one game), then he probably wouldn’t have been available to throw on short rest later in the series when San Fran truly needed him. Besides, he only threw 16 pitches on Saturday night and this is for the whole shebang. Players have all winter to rest.

      While the Rangers have yet to officially announce their starting rotation, it’s presumed that Cliff Lee will face Lincecum in Game 1. Again, teams want to throw their ace first so that they’ll be available later on and there’s no doubt that the Rangers want Lee available as much as possible. For the Giants, Matt Cain will start Game 2 and then I would imagine Jonathan Sanchez would pitch Game 3.

      Much like Lincecum vs. Roy Halladay in the NLCS, the Lincecum-Lee matchup will be one for the ages. Lee has proven to be one of the best postseason pitchers the game has ever seen and with another dominating performance or two, we’ll be able to drop the “one of the best” from that sentence. Lincecum, on the other hand, already has two Cy Young awards and won in each of his first two postseason outings (once against the Braves in the NLDS and then once more against the Phillies in Game 1 of the NLCS).

      External Sports, MLB

      Roy Williams says Jon Kitna just as good as Tony Romo

      October 26, 2010 /
      ARLINGTON, TX - OCTOBER 25: Quarterback Jon Kitna of the Dallas Cowboys drops back to pass against the New York Giants in the second quarter at Cowboys Stadium on October 25, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

      It’s hard to fault Roy Williams for trying to put a positive spin on a bleak situation. His team fell to 1-5 with their embarrassing loss to the Giants on Monday night and he watched as starting quarterback Tony Romo went down with a serious shoulder injury.

      The latest on Romo is that he’ll miss 6-8 weeks, although he won’t need surgery. That means backup Jon Kitna will start for Dallas and according to Williams, the 38-year-old journeyman is just as good as Romo.

      From the Detroit Free Press:

      “Tony is our starter, but Jon is just as good,” Williams told the Dallas Morning News. “We are going to work this week in practice so we can get the timing down with the receivers. But I have complete faith in him. I have played with him for three years and I know how good he is.”

      Although he hasn’t played in over a year, Kitna can be a serviceable starter. He’s a true leader and he demands the best from those around him. He’s not a quiet leader; he wears his emotions on his sleeve and he won’t go down without a fight.

      That said, he’s very limited and while Williams was just trying to be positive, Kitna isn’t Romo. He has zero mobility, he folds under pressure and his decision-making during close games comes into question more times than not. This isn’t a guy you want at the helm when you need a big throw late in games and considering how bad the Cowboys’ defense has played the past couple of weeks, this will probably be a team that is trailing more times than not from here on out.

      If Wade Phillips’ defense was playing at the top of its game, then the Cowboys might be able to get by with Kitna. But they’ve already put themselves in a 1-5 hole so a rebound at this point appears to be out of the question.

      The Cowboys have a huge mess on their hands.

      External Sports, NFL

      Did Yankee fans cost their club Cliff Lee?

      October 26, 2010 /
      Texas Rangers' Cliff Lee (R) celebrates with fans after defeating the New York Yankees in Major League Baseball's ALCS playoff series in Arlington, Texas, October 22, 2010. REUTERS/Hans Deryk (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

      When Rangers’ ace Cliff Lee becomes a free agent this winter, several teams will be bidding on his services.

      One of those teams will be the New York Yankees, although if Lee’s wife Kristen has anything to say on the matter, her husband won’t be heading to the Bronx in 2011.

      From the USA Today:

      Perhaps the Rangers’ greatest sales pitch simply was having Kristen sit in the visiting family section at Yankee Stadium during the playoffs. She says there were ugly taunts. Obscenities. Cups of beer thrown. Even fans spitting from the section above.

      “The fans did not do good things in my heart,” Kristen says.

      “When people are staring at you, and saying horrible things, it’s hard not to take it personal.”

      It won’t be long before someone in the comments section mentions money when it comes to Lee’s decision about the Yankees. “We’ll see if his wife cares about the cups of beer and obscenities when there’s $200 million on the table,” they’ll say. But these types of things stay with people and money isn’t everything to everyone. (It’s not as if the Lee’s don’t have money either.)

      As I’ve written before on this site, there are idiot fans everywhere. There are idiots in New York, idiots in Boston, idiots in Chicago and idiots in Philadelphia. Some people toss dignity, respect and humility out the window as soon as they enter a ballpark, which is rather sad.

      With that in mind, it would be rather humorous if Lee decided to stay with the Rangers or spurn the Yankees’ advances because of the way his wife was treated in New York. One would have thought that the fans in the Bronx would have rolled out the red carpet for Lee and his family, but an idiot is an idiot. People don’t think how their actions will affect their lives at a future date. (Maybe those fans didn’t know it was Lee’s wife, although to that I say: Why not act like a human being regardless?)

      First things first though – Lee and his Rangers have to worry about the task at hand, which is the San Francisco Giants. Free agency can wait – it’s certainly not going anywhere. People’s minds change, too.

      External Sports, MLB

      2010 NFL Week 8 Power Rankings

      October 26, 2010 /
      New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning talks to his offense in the fourth quarter against the Chicago Bears at New Meadowlands Stadium in week 4 of the NFL in East Rutherford, New Jersey on October 3, 2010. The Giants defeated the Bears 17-3. UPI /John Angelillo Photo via Newscom

      Thanks to a controversial finish in Miami, the Steelers retain their spot at the top for one week. After that, however, it’s pure, unadulterated chaos, as usual.

      Let’s get nasty, Ricky.


      Check out Week 7’s Power Rankings

      1. Pittsburgh Steelers
      Previous Ranking: 1
      The NFL says that the officials in the Pittsburgh-Miami game got the call right on Big Ben’s fumble at the goal line. I think that’s crap, but it doesn’t change my opinion that this is currently the best team in the league. That may change with a loss to the Saints this Sunday though.

      2. Indianapolis Colts
      Previous Week: 2
      We’ll see how the Dallas Clark and Austin Collie injuries play out before moving the Colts from this spot. With the Texans coming to town on Monday night, we’re about to learn a lot about this Indy team.

      3. New York Jets
      Previous Week: 2
      The Jets are fortunate to get a banged up Packers team at home while coming off a bye this Sunday. Now they have to take advantage of it and keep pushing forward.

      4. New England Patriots
      Previous Week: 4
      Not a very dominating performance out in San Diego last week, but wins are the only thing that matter. Good teams take advantage of the gifts that opponents give them, which is exactly what the Pats did last Sunday. That said, they’re fortunate not to have blown a double-digit fourth quarter lead.

      5. New York Giants
      Previous Week: 7
      There’s no doubt the Giants need to cut down on the turnovers (they’re averaging about 34 a game right now), but they’re dominating teams right now. Romo or no Romo, after the two early interceptions on Monday night, the Giants were in complete control. This is your favorite in the NFC East from here on out.

      6. Baltimore Ravens
      Previous Week: 5
      It looked like the Ravens had already gone into their bye last week against the Bills. There’s no excuse to give up 34 points to Buffalo at home, but John Harbaugh and Co. will get things straightened out this week.

      7. Tennessee Titans
      Previous Week: 11
      If Kenny Britt can stay out of Jeff Fisher’s doghouse long enough to stay on the field, then he gives the Titans what they’ve been desperately searching for in terms of a deep threat. This team is starting to play with a little more consistency from week to week and is now an under-the-radar contender in the AFC.

      8. Philadelphia Eagles
      Previous Week: 8
      It’ll be interesting to see how Michael Vick performs coming off his injury. Kevin Kolb did his job to keep the Eagles afloat while Vick was out, but now it’s time to turn it up a notch because the Giants are rolling. I didn’t move the Eagles down this week after a bad second half in Tennessee because this is still the same team that absolutely dominated the Falcons two weeks ago.

      9. Atlanta Falcons
      Previous Week: 9
      Although they let the Bengals back into the game after building a 24-3 lead, it was impressive to watch the Falcons reinsert their foot on Cincinnati’s throat in the fourth quarter. Their offense also found the vertical passing game for one of the first times all year and Michael Turner bounced back after a poor outing in Philadelphia two weeks ago. The bye week comes at a great time for this team, as injuries are starting to mount.

      10. Green Bay Packers
      Previous Week: 10
      The Packers hold onto their top-10 ranking after beating the Vikings, although they have another tough outing this week in East Rutherford. The Jets will be coming off their bye and it’s scary to think about what Rex Ryan will drum up in terms of a pass rush while game planning to face Aaron Rodgers.

      Continue reading »

      External Sports, NFL

      49ers owner John York commits to Mike Singletary for rest of season

      October 26, 2010 /
      CHARLOTTE, NC - OCTOBER 24: Head coach Mike Singletary of the San Francisco 49ers watches on against the Carolina Panthers during their game at Bank of America Stadium on October 24, 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

      Fans that were hoping Mike Singletary would get the boot during the season won’t have their prayers (for lack of a better word) answered anytime soon.

      49ers owner John York says that he’s committed to Singletary through the duration of the season despite the team’s 1-6 start. The Niners were the preseason favorites to win the NFC West but despite all their talent they can’t get it together on Sundays.

      Barring a miracle second half, Singletary is likely out at the end of the year. His rah-rah style was great when the Niners showed steady improvements but it has obviously started to wear on players. And if the players don’t want to fight for their head coach in good or bad times, then there’s no sense keeping him employed.

      What’s really interesting is the idea that Singletary may not get another head coaching job after bombing so badly in San Francisco. That might be premature of me to write, but he’s shown an inability to make in-game adjustments and is turning into a P.R. nightmare. This isn’t a movie – you can’t give the “halftime speech” every week and then get your ass handed to you on the field. Winning is the only thing that matters in the NFL.

      Even if he’s fired by the 49ers, Singletary needs to use these last nine games as an audition for other teams. Because unless he wants to go back to being a linebackers coach, he needs to prove that he can outmatch other coaches in the league.

      External Sports, NFL

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