Tuesday, September 2, 2014

If this is Tuesday, then this must be either Belgium or the blog.

Keep reading for my four top college football teams of this week and the Bottom 25, according to CBS SPORTS.

Here we go . . . .

The Marlins lost two out of three this past weekend against the Atlanta Braves, and on Monday, started a series at home against the New York Metropolitans.  Giancarlo Stanton got things started in the first inning with his 34th homer of the season, and the Fish came back to beat the Mets 9-6.  Bad news for the Fish, as starting pitcher Henderson Alvarez had to come out of the game with an oblique strain, and his future availability is in doubt.

The series with the Mets continues tonight and Wednesday, and then after a day off on Thursday, the Braves invade Marlins Park for a weekend series.  Here are the pitching match-ups for the rest of the series against the Metropolitans:  

Tue           7:10 pm       Jon Niese vs Brad Penny
Wed         7:10 pm Jacob deGrom vs Tom Koehler

For the latest Marlins news and stories, follow make sure you follow my good friend Larry Walansky on nbcmiami.com. 


The Yankees’ blog is here, thanks to Mark Feinsand of the NY Daily News:


Click below for yesterday’s recaps and results in the major leagues:



Here are the standings in MLB:


Here are the individual leaders in the majors:


TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION:  The Philadelphia Phillies no-hit the Braves on Monday, a combined effort by four pitchers - Cole Hamels, Jake Diekman, Ken Giles, and Jonathan Papelbon.  When was the last time a National League team threw a combined no-hitter?  The answer comes later, alligator.

In other baseball news, 

The Houston Astros fired manager Bo Porter on Monday, replacing him with Tom Lawless, who will carry the interim manager title the rest of the year.  According to reports out of Houston, a lot of turmoil within the Astros clubhouse and other internal issues led to the dismissal, including a total disconnect between the General Manager and Porter.  There is a lesson to be learned here.  The GM will only have this one chance to fire his manager.  If the Astros don't improve significantly next season, the GM will probably be the next to go.

The Astros have more problems than just the manager, including the fact that they cannot even get their games broadcast on TV on almost 60% of the homes in Houston.  How does that happen?  Hell, they couldn't even sign the first pick in the draft.  Their management and ownership leave a lot to be desired.

Here’s a surprising fact:  The six teams in first place in their respective divisions on July 1 - Atlanta, Milwaukee, and San Francisco in the National League, and Toronto, Detroit, and Oakland, were not in first place on September 1.

Cubs outfielder Jorge Soler has made quite an impression since being called up to the big leagues, batting .526 (10-19) including a homer in his first major league at bat.  The Cubs look like a powerhouse in the making.  Now, if they can only get (and keep) some pitching . . . . . 

Here’s the scary reality of the Cubs’ success recently with their young prospects (Soler, Javier Baez, and Kris Bryant) at the AAA level are due to the positive influence of Manny Ramirez.  If that doesn't blow your minds, nothing will.

We will soon get to see another young Cuban outfielder in the big leagues, as Rusney Castillo has made his professional debut in class A, is now at AA, and will soon be patrolling the outfield at Fenway Park.  

Regardless of what happens the rest of the season, a LOT of teams are going to be “salary dumping”.  My top five every-day players that will be dumped and cost their present teams some money for them not to play for them?  Atlanta (BJ Upton), Cleveland (Nick Swisher), Cincinnati (Brandon Phillips), Philadelphia (Ryan Howard), and the LA Dodgers (Carl Crawford). 



THE ANSWER TO TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION:  The Philadelphia Phillies no-hit the Braves on Monday, a combined effort by four pitchers - Cole Hamels, Jake Diekman, Ken Giles, and Jonathan Papelbon.  When was the last time a National League team threw a combined no-hitter?     

The Houston Astros no-hit the New York Yankees on June 11, 2003.  They used SIX pitchers that day - Roy Oswalt, Peter Munro, Kirk Saarlos, Brad Lidge, Octavio Dotel, and Billy Wagner.  The sextet combined for 13 strikeouts.  

Let’s go to the hardwood, and here is Ira Winderman reporting on the Heat and the NBA in the South Florida Sun Sentinel:
In case you missed it, the Heat have parted ways with assistant coaches Ron Rothstein and Bob McAdoo, although both have been offered the opportunity to remain with the team in other capacities.  Here’s the full story, as well as Winderman’s blog:



The preseason (exhibition) season is over in the NFL, and now they kick it off for real.  By the way, it is time for the league and the players to get together and figure out a way to eliminate two exhibition games, increase the regular season games, and maybe add a playoff team (or two) to the mix.  JUST DO IT!

Opening night is Thursday as the Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks open up against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.  

Bonus trivia question:  When was the last time a team won consecutive Super Bowls?  The answer comes later, alligator. 

The Fins kick it off on Sunday against the New England Patriots at the Seven Names Stadium.  Game time is 1:00 pm.  The first opportunity to see the “new and improved” offense with all the wrinkles and formations fully operational.  A battle of wits between head coaches Bill Bellichick and Joe Philbin.  By the way, in a recent poll, Bellichick was named the #1 coach in the NFL, Philbin #29. Enough said.    







Here we go.  This week’s NFL schedule and point spreads:

Thursday, September 4th

Packers @ Seahawks -5 8:30 pm NFL Network & CBS

Sunday, September 7th

Patriots @ Dolphins +5 1:00 pm CBS
Titans @ Chiefs -3 ½ 1:00 pm CBS
Jaguars @ Eagles -11 1:00 pm CBS
Raiders @ Jets -5 ½ 1:00 pm CBS
Bengals @ Ravens -2 1:00 pm CBS
Browns @ Steelers -7 1:00 pm CBS
Bills @ Bears -7 1:00 pm FOX
Saints @ Falcons +3 1:00 pm FOX
Vikings @ Rams -3 ½  1:00 pm FOX
Redskins @ Texans -2 ½ 1:00 pm FOX

Panthers @ Buccaneers -2 4:25 pm FOX
49ers @ Cowboys +4 ½ 4:25 pm FOX

Colts @ Broncos -7 ½ 8:30 pm NBC

Monday, September 8th

Giants @ Lions -5 ½ 7:10 pm ESPN
Chargers @ Cardinals -3 10:20 pm ESPN

I will have my weekly picks on Thursday.  Don't you dare miss the blog.

What else are the Dolphins up to?

Miami Dolphins blog from Armando Salguero:


Chris Perkins and Omar Kelly bring us their Dolphin blog:


2014 MIAMI DOLPHINS Regular Season schedule:

Sep. 7         New England Patriots                    1:00 pm
Sep. 14       at Buffalo Bills                              1:00 pm
Sep. 21       Kansas City Chiefs                         4:25 pm
Sep. 28       at Oakland Raiders  (London)         6:00 pm
Oct. 5         BYE
Oct. 12       Green Bay Packers                         1:00 pm
Oct. 19       at Chicago Bears                            1:00 pm
Oct. 26       at Jacksonville Jaguars                  1:00 pm
Nov. 2        San Diego Chargers                         1:00 pm
Nov. 9        at Detroit Lions                              1:00 pm
Nov. 13      Buffalo Bills              (Thu)              8:25 pm
Nov. 23      at Denver Broncos                           4:25 pm
Dec. 1        at New York Jets      (Mon)              8:30 pm
Dec. 7        Baltimore Ravens                           1:00 pm
Dec. 14      at New England Patriots                  1:00 pm
Dec. 21      Minnesota Vikings                           1:00 pm
Dec. 28      New York Jets                                 1:00 pm

For more news from around the NFL, here is NFL NATION:


Of course, we can all continue to sleep at night, knowing full well that Aaron Hernandez remains in jail, where he belongs. 

The answer to today’s bonus trivia question:  When was the last time a team won consecutive Super Bowls? 

The New England Patriots won Super Bowls 38 and 39 in 2004 and 2005, beating the Carolina Panthers and the Philadelphia Eagles.  The complete list of back-to-back champions:

Green Bay Packers Super Bowls 1 and 2
Miami Dolphins Super Bowls 6 and 7
Pittsburgh Steelers          Super Bowls 9 and 10
Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowls 13 and 14
San Francisco 49ers Super Bowls 23 and 24
Dallas Cowboys               Super Bowls 27 and 28
Denver Broncos               Super Bowls 32 and 33
New England Patriots       Super Bowls 38 and 39

It isn’t automatic that Super Bowl winners even make the playoffs the following season.  15 out of the past 47 Super Bowl Champs have not reached the postseason the year after winning the “Big Game”.  

On a related note, can you believe that the last time the Dolphins played in a Super Bowl was 1985?  

In college football, we start it off with the state universities, as Florida State got by Oklahoma State in a close one, 37-31.  The University of Florida’s game against Idaho was cancelled do to lightning and unplayable conditions at the Swamp.  Both teams are still working on whether or not to play the game later on in the season.  They both have an open date on October 25th, so it should be relatively easy to reschedule, if they so desire.  Central Florida lost to Penn State on a last-second field goal, and the University of Westchester, FIU, lost once again to Division 2 Bethune Cookman, 14-12.  FIU is trying to hold on to the distinction of being the worst team in NCAA Division I.  They get another chance this coming Saturday, as they take on another Division 2 team, Wagner.

On Monday night, the University of Miami went to Louisville to take on the Cardinals, and after a relatively close two-and-a-half quarters, fell to Louisville, 31-13.  Lucky for them, they scheduled a breather for their next game, as they take on Division 2 Florida A&M on Saturday at the Seven Names Stadium.  

MY TAKE:  The freshman QB, Brad Kayaa, was in the unenviable situation of playing his first college game ever on the road, in a hostile environment, against a very good Louisville team.  He did reasonably well, as the Canes were in the game in the third quarter, losing only 14-13.  If I am going to lay blame on anyone for this loss, it has to fall on the shoulders of head coach Al Golden, he of the orange tie.  The play calling was way too conservative, as the Canes were looking for ways to over-protect the 18-year-old freshman QB.  Louisville’s defense was lining up everyone close to the line of scrimmage, daring the Canes to throw the football downfield.  They didn’t throw, for the most part, and the results showed it.  Duke Johnson carried the ball 20 times for 90 yards, not Duke-like numbers.  Just let the kid play.  

Here are the game stories from the local newspapers:

From the Miami Herald:



From the Sun Sentinel:



From the Palm Beach Post:


More from around the universities,

Manny Navarro and Susan Miller Degnan have all the latest news from the University of Miami.


From FIU, David J. Neal of the Herald, who is not allowed a credential to see FIU play or practice, has the latest in his blog.  How long will this go on? 


MY TAKE:

First, a possible disclaimer.  I have been friends with FIU and their staff for many years, having broadcast their games, both in Spanish and in English over their short history since the program began.  Even though I am no longer involved with them in any capacity, the positive relationship still exists with both people in their athletic department as well as folks in the administration, including FIU President Mark Rosenberg.  

All that being said, however, I cannot condone their behavior or agree with their actions in this situation.  The FIU athletic department and the powers that be are 100% wrong in their stance.  It is not up to them to dictate to the local newspaper who they can send or not send to cover the team.  

I, for one, do not see where or how the university benefits by keeping David Neal and the Herald from covering the team.  I got to know David Neal over the last couple of years, and his coverage has been accurate and truthful since he became the beat writer covering the team.  He is nothing less than a totally professional journalist and with 100% integrity.  

What does FIU expect?  A journalist is going to have some negative things to report on during and after a 1-11 season and covering a team that is considered by experts around the country as the worst team among the 128 teams in Division 1 in NCAA Football.  

I totally agree with David Hyde of the Sun Sentinel and his opinion.  (SEE BELOW).  Some people need to put on their “big boy” pants and start behaving accordingly.  It is not OK to just take the ball and go home if you're not getting your way.  


I will give FIU this . . . they have somehow managed to unite the community in support of the Miami Herald, as over 80% of respondents in the local media indicated when polled on the matter.  This is the first time I can ever remember the Herald getting this type of overwhelming support for anything.

Here’s the latest from Tallahassee and the Seminoles:


From Gainesville and the University of Florida:


The Central Florida Knights are in the house:


Every week, celebrating the fact that we will now have a four-team playoff to determine the national championship, I will bring you my TOP FOUR teams in college football.  This list will probably change every week.  Here we go:

1. Florida State Seminoles
2. Alabama Crimson Tide
3. Oregon Ducks
4. Georgia Bulldogs

To close, let no one tell you that I am a front runner.  Here is the weekly "Bottom 25" list from CBS Sports.  LOOK WHO'S NUMBER 1 from the bottom up according to them . . . . . 

AND THE NUMBER ONE TEAM (FROM THE BOTTOM UP) IS - - -

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Behave yourselves, and always remember that tomorrow will bring us a brand new day.

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