Friday, August 29, 2014

A little change of format as we arrive at Labor Day weekend and the college football season kicks off:

Here are my picks for the college football games involving State of Florida College teams.

Florida State (-17) vs Oklahoma State

Some people are looking at this like a good test.  I’m not.  The Seminoles are loaded.  Florida State in a romp.  

Miami @ Louisville (-4)

True freshman QB Brad Kaaya is in charge of the offense, which revolves around RB Duke Johnson and a group of very talented receivers, including Philip Dorsett.  The question here is whether Miami’s defense is good enough to stop Louisville’s offensive attack, even with a new QB.  I’m thinking the Canes can and will outscore them.  I’ll take Miami plus the points.  

Idaho @ Florida (-34 ½ )

The spread for this game should be a dead giveaway.  I don’t normally even consider games with a huge spread like this, but Florida will romp in this “tuneup” game.

Central Florida (-1 ½ ) vs Penn State (in Ireland)

Central Florida lost Blake Bortles to the NFL, but their defense is  very strong, with eight returning starters on a unit that was 17th ranked in the country.  The Knights will have freshman QB Pete DiNovo running the offense, so that is a question mark.  Penn State has their star QB Christian Hackenberg back, but depth will be a problem once again this season for the Nittany Lions due to loss of scholarships due to sanctions.  UCF won last year 34-31.  I’m leaning towards Central Florida in this one, giving the points.

FAU @ Nebraska (-21)

The Cornhuskers are a three-touchdown favorite at home.  I’m wondering why the spread isn’t bigger.  I will take Nebraska minus the points.

Bethune Cookman (-3) @ FIU


FIU is ranked #127 of 128 Division One schools.  Bethune Cookman is not a Division One program.  Bethune Cookman is favored by 3 over FIU.  Last year, Bethune Cookman beat FIU 34-13.  What is wrong with this picture?  Is FIU this bad? Are they improved?  I will take Bethune Cookman minus the 3 points, knowing full well that the Panthers have earned the #127 ranking.

Monday, August 25, 2014

If this is Monday, then this must be the blog.

Later in this blog, I will bring you an in-depth look at the state of Florida teams. College football begins this week.  To paraphrase the song, “It’s the most wonderful time, of the year”.  

Later this week, I will bring you my stone-cold, drop-dead, take-them-to-the-bank NFL picks.

Here we go . . . .

The Marlins lost two out of three this past weekend against the last-place Colorado Rockies.  It gets a lot tougher this week, as the Fish are now in Anaheim to take on the team with the best record and the longest name in baseball, The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  Good matchup to watch, as the two top candidates for their respective league’s MVP award meet for the first time in a regular season - - - Giancarlo Stanton and Mike Trout.  If only the Marlins would get off their asses and sign Stanton to a long-term deal.  This team is on the cusp of being a playoff contender, but that will only become a reality if Stanton is part of the long-term future.  Period.  End of story.

Here are the starters for the series with the Angels:

Mon          10:05 pm       Jarred Cosart vs Wade LeBlanc
Tue           10:05 pm       Nathan Eovaldi vs Matt Shoemaker
Wed         10:05 pm Henderson Alvarez vs Hector Santiago

After a travel day on Thursday, the Marlins will be in Atlanta for a three-game weekend series against the Braves.  They will then return home to open the month of September against the New York Metropolitans at Marlins Park.

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:


Even though the trade deadline has come and gone, the waiver trade period is upon us.  Here are the rumors around baseball, up to the minute.



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 Yankees retired Joe Torre’s number 6 this past weekend, adding to the longest list of retired numbers for any team.  There is only one number that the Yankees retired honoring two different players.  What is that number and who are the players?  The answer comes later, alligator.

In other baseball news, 

I, for one, am shocked at how well the Seattle Mariners are doing.  They have now won 14 of their last 18 games, and even though everyone is paying attention to the Angels and the A’s, the Mariners are not out of the running for the division title in the AL West.  The M’s are only 5 games behind the Oakland A’s, who are one game behind the Angels.  Seattle’s pitching has been incredible, and in the month of August, they are the highest scoring team in their division, averaging just under five runs per game.  The A’s and Angels are going through some injury issues, so look out.

Speaking of shock, the Royals and the Brewers are still leading their respective divisions.  KC has a two-game lead over the Detroit Tigers in the AL Central, while the Brew Crew leads the Cardinals by 1 ½ games.  Those races are obviously not over, but I didn’t expect the Royals or the Brewers to be leading their divisions as we get ready to enter the month of September.  
The Yankees aren’t totally out of the playoff race either, after sweeping the White Sox this weekend, while the Cubs were sweeping the Orioles.  Brian McCann closed out the Yankee win on Sunday with a three-run homer in the bottom of the tenth inning.

In another fiasco involving instant replay, the Tampa Bay Rays protested their game on Saturday, after the umpires allowed the Toronto Blue Jays to use replay after the next at bat had started.  The umpires reversed a pickoff call, calling Wil Myers out on the play after an initial safe call.  Rays manager Joe Madden said that the rule is crystal clear - there can be no challenges once the pitcher is on the pitching rubber and the next batter is in the batter’s box.  Protests are not allowed on replays, but this protest is valid, since the Rays are arguing that the use of replay came too late, not the actual replay.  

Astros’ second baseman Jose Altuve is rapidly becoming one of my favorite players.  Altuve is trying to win the AL batting crown, and he leads the league with a .334 average, percentage points ahead of DH Victor Martinez of the Tigers.

Let’s go to the hardwood, and here is Ira Winderman reporting on the Heat and the NBA in the South Florida Sun Sentinel:


Let’s go check out the Dolphins and the NFL.

This past Saturday, the Dolphins mounted a fourth-quarter comeback to defeat the Dallas Cowboys 25-20.  Led by backup QB Matt Moore, the Fins scored two touchdowns in the final quarter to improve to 2-1 in the preseason.  The Fins conclude their preseason on Thursday, again at the Seven Names Stadium, against the St. Louis Rams.  The Rams just got word that starting QB Sam Bradford will be out for the entire season after suffering a torn ACL in his left knee.  Shaun Hill is now the starter, but don't expect head coach Jeff Fisher to stay put.  Could ex-Jet Mark Sanchez be on Fisher’s mind?  Sanchez is more than familiar with Rams offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, who was the OC with the NY Jets while Sanchez was there.  Game time on Thursday is at 7:00 pm, and all of the Dolphins preseason games will be broadcast on Channel 4, CBS in Miami.  The regular season opens on Sunday, September 7th at the Seven Names Stadium against the New England Patriots.   

QB Ryan Tannehill has looked good in running the offense so far in the preseason, and did some good things against the Cowboys.   More importantly, the offensive line was able to open some holes in the running game last week, as the Fins ran for over 200 yards.  Very impressive debut for Knowshown Moreno, who looks more and more like the starting RB for this team.  I don’t expect to see a lot of Tannehill in the finale against the Rams, nor do I expect to see any of the starters getting considerable playing time.  The team has been very careful not to show all their cards as they prepare to play the Patriots in the season opener.  They have not fully implemented Bill Lazor’s new offense in a game yet.   

In other Dolphin news, it is now official - - - Dan Marino is back with the team as a special adviser to owner Stephen Ross.  I truly hope that this is more than just a token title and job.  I also hope that he also spends a lot of quality time with Ryan Tannehill.   

Here is the schedule for the final preseason games this week, all of them on Thursday, August 28:

Falcons @ Jaguars 6:00 pm
Lions @ Bills 7:00 pm     
Colts @ Bengals                7:00 pm
Chiefs @ Packers 7:00 pm
Jets @ Eagles 7:00 pm NFL Network
Rams @ DOLPHINS 7:00 pm CBS 4
Patriots @ Giants 7:30 pm
Redskins @ Buccaneers 7:30 pm
Panthers @ Steelers 7:30 pm
Bears @ Browns                 8:00 pm
Broncos @ Cowboys 8:00 pm
Ravens @ Saints                 8:00 pm
Vikings @ Titans                 8:00 pm
Cardinals @ Chargers         10:00 pm
Seahawks @ Raiders 10:00 pm       NFL Network

Check your local listings (depending on where you are), and remember that the NFL Network carries all the preseason games on a delayed basis as well.

What else are the Dolphins up to?


Miami Dolphins blog from The Herald's Armando Salguero:


Chris Perkins and Omar Kelly bring us their Dolphin blog:


Here are both the Preseason and Regular Season schedules:

2014 MIAMI DOLPHINS Preseason schedule: 

Aug. 8         at Atlanta Falcons            L, 10-16
Aug. 16       at Tampa Bay Bucs           W, 20-14
Aug. 23       Dallas Cowboys                W, 25-20
Aug. 28       St. Louis Rams                 (Thu)    7:00 pm

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. 

As promised, here are my closer looks at the state universities:

The U

This is the first season that UM head coach Al Golden will not have the albatross known as the NCAA around his neck.  They will be starting a freshman QB, Brad Kayaa.  I wish he would have worn number 8, as we could then refer to him as “KAYAA OCHO”.  (BTW, he wears #15) Will Kayaa be the second coming of Bernie Kosar or Jacory Harris, two QB’s that started as freshmen for Miami.  He has an advantage, knowing that he has Duke Johnson in the backfield, with Joe Yearby and Gus Edwards behind him.  Look for Edwards, especially, to get opportunities to contribute.  The Duke is not the only offensive talent available to him, however.  Look for WR Stacy Coley to continue to get better, along with his cohorts, starters Phillip Dorsett and Malcolm Lewis.  They need to find a way to get Coley on the field and get him the ball.  On defense, LB Denzel Perryman has the potential to become the next NFL first-rounder for Miami.  Safety Dallas Crawford, who converted from running back, has been very impressive so far.  The Canes open their season on Monday, September 1, in a rematch against the Louisville Cardinals, who beat the living tar out of them in the Russell Athletic Bowl.  ESPN will broadcast the game nationally, starting at 8:00 pm.

FSU

The defending national champions are the odds-on favorites to repeat.  However, this is the start of the new NCAA playoff era.  It may be a little more difficult for the Noles.  They also have a lot of seniors to replace.  Returning Heisman winner “Famous” Jameis Winston is back, but this year he not only needs to play as well, but he needs to eliminate all the distractions and become a true leader both on and off the field.  WR Rashad Green will be counted upon to lead a very young and inexperienced receiving corps, and RB Karlos Williams has the potential to become a superstar.  They have a lot of holes to plug on defense, but head coach Jimbo Fisher will find a way.  This team is loaded.  The Seminoles kick off their season on Saturday, August 30th at Arlington, Texas against Oklahoma State.  Watch it on ABC, starting at 8:00 pm.

UF

If you look up the phrase “Coach on the Hot Seat” in the dictionary, you will find a photo of Florida head coach Will Muschamp.  After a 4-8 record in 2013, this edition of the Gators is probably the most talented group in Gainesville since Muschamp got there.  QB Jeff Driskell has a lot of talent, but needs to avoid turnovers that have plagued him in the past.  He has a new weapon in TE Jake McGee, who transferred from the University of Virginia.  Last year, Gator tight ends caught four passes the entire season.  McGee will exceed that number in the first half of the first game of the season against Idaho. The Gators’ offensive line is very good, but there are depth questions.  RB Kelvin Taylor got a lot of experience in his first season.  On defense, DE Dante Fowler and CB Vernon Hargreaves will be the on-field leaders.  They still need to replace kicker Caleb Sturgis, now with the Dolphins.  Last season was a nightmare for their kickers.  The first game against Idaho will be televised on ESPN-U, starting at 7:00 pm, on Saturday, August 30.

Central Florida

No Blake Bortles this year.  Tough hole to fill.  After a 12-1 season in 2013, coach George O’Leary has to find a way to replace the first-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars.  The Knights will again have a quality offensive line, and they will need to protect new QB Pete DiNovo.  He will have a very good group of WR’s to work with, led by Rannell Hall.  However, look for the Knights to take advantage of the talented tight ends on their roster - Justin Tukes, Kevin Miller, and Jordan Akins, who is also listed as a WR.  You will probably see a lot of two tight-end formations.  Another hole they need to fill is at running back to replace Storm Johnson.  Will Stanback will be the starter, and Dontravius Wilson will undoubtedly get some chances as well.  On the defensive side of the ball, the Knights have nine starters returning, including the entire defensive backfield.  Central Florida opens their season in Ireland on Saturday, August 30th.  They will face Penn State, who is looking to avenge a 34-31 loss to UCF last season.  Game time on Saturday is 8:30 AM.  That’s right, 8:30 AM.  Catch it bright and early on ESPN-2.  

South Florida

A nightmare 2-13 season in 2013 for head coach Willie Taggart.  Taggart needs to build a true team environment in 2014.  A good battle at the QB position, with Mike White slightly ahead of Steven Bench.  Wouldn’t shock anyone to see a revolving door at that position this year.  Their strongest position is probably at kicker, where Marvin Kloss was one of the nation’s best.  Kloss scored almost half of South Florida’s points last season.  The Bulls open their season against Western Carolina, a much lesser opponent.  A loss would spell disaster for the Bulls.  Game time is 7:00 pm, and you can watch it on your computer or smartphone on ESPN-3.

FAU

New head coach Charlie Partridge will lead the University of Boca Raton this season, as they get ready to play at Howard Schnellenberger Field this season.  Good move by FAU in honoring their former coach and architect of their program.  Their defense was quite good last season, and they expect more of the same this year.  Standout players on defense include DT Brandin Bryant, LB Andrae Kirk, SS Damian Parms, and CB D’Joun Smith, who had seven interceptions in 2013.  When the Owls have the ball, it will be QB Jaquez Johnson leading the team.  Running back Tony Moore and a receiving corps of TE Alex DeLeon, Jenson Stoshak, William Dukes, and Lucky Whitehead (quite possibly the best name among the colleges in Florida) will try and keep up with the very talented offenses in Conference USA.  Their first game of the year will not be pretty, as the Owls travel to Lincoln, Nebraska to take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers.  Game time is Saturday, August 30th, at 3:30 pm.  It will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network, on your cable or satellite system. 

FIU

This program has been going downhill really fast.  After two consecutive winning seasons and bowl appearances in 2010 and 2011, including a win over Teddy Bridgewater and Louisville in 2011, they fired head coach Mario Cristobal after a 3-9 season in 2012, and replaced him with Ron Turner.  Turner came to FIU with a reputation of being an offensive guru.  Last year, however, the FIU offense was last in the nation in total offense, with a meager 219 yards per game.  On defense, they weren't any better, ranking #94 in the country, allowing almost double the yards they gained, 430.  QB E.J. Hilliard returns to lead the offense, with freshman Alex McGough backing him up.  Running backs Lamarq Caldwell and Alex Gardner are at the top of the FIU depth chart, and there is some potential talent at the wide receiver position, with Dominique Rhymes, Glen Coleman, Dennis Turner, T.J. Lowder, Clinton Taylor, Fred Porter, Richard Burrows, and Shug Oyegunle.  Tight ends Jonnu Smith, Yakeem Griner, and Aki Dan-Fodio are also poised to catch a lot of passes this season.  The offensive line returns all five starters from last year.  I’m not sure just yet if that is a positive or a negative, based solely on last year’s woeful results on offense.  On defense, look for a lot of rotating at all positions.  That’s what happens when you don't have standout players at any position.  Michael Wakefield has impressed with his play at DE, and Luis Rosado has climbed past Treyvon Williams at middle linebacker.  Richard Leonard is the most talented defensive back, along with Randy Harvey and Jeremiah McKinnon.  Justin Halley, Jordan Davis, and Demarkus Perkins will rotate at safety, along with freshman players Vontarius West and Niko Gonzalez.  FIU’s first game of the season is against Bethune Cookman, a home game starting at 7:00 pm.  Avenging a devastating loss against the Division 2 Wildcats would get this season off to a good start.  Television coverage by American Sports Network, whose games will air over affiliates of THE CW and MY NETWORK TV.  Your best bet is to check your local listings. 

In more news 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 has the latest in his blog. 


Here’s the latest from Tallahassee and the Seminoles:


From Gainesville and the University of Florida:


The Central Florida Knights are in the house:


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

THE ANSWER TO TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION:  The Yankees retired Joe Torre’s number 6 this past weekend, adding to the longest list of retired numbers for any team.  There is only one number that the Yankees retired honoring two different players.  What is that number and who are the players?     

Number 8 was retired for two Yankee catching greats, both members of the Hall of Fame - Bill Dickey and Yogi Berra.

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


Friday, August 22, 2014

Regardless of what day it is, I always have Friday on my mind.  TGIF.  Here’s the blog.

Later in this blog, I will bring you my top ten teams in NCAA football this season.  Next week, as the college football season kicks off, I will bring you an in-depth look at the state of Florida teams.

Here we go . . . .

After splitting a pair of games with the Rangers, sandwiched in between two days off, the Marlins are in Denver for a three game series this weekend against the Colorado Rockies.  A .500 record (63-63) at this stage of the season is nothing to sneeze at, especially when we realize that they have already exceeded last season’s victory total (62) with 36 games left to play.  They are still in the hunt for a playoff slot, although, realistically, I don't see them as a true playoff team.  But, this is baseball, and you never know.  

Here are the starters for the series with the Rangers:

Fri            8:40 pm       Henderson Alvarez vs Franklin Morales
Sat           8:10 pm       Tom Koehler vs Jordan Lyles
Sun         4:10 pm Brad Hand vs Christian Bergman

The Fish will continue the road trip in Anaheim, as they face Albert Pujols, Mike Trout, and the rest of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  That three-game series starts on Monday.  The Marlins will again have this Thursday off, as they travel back east to Atlanta, to play the Braves in a weekend series.  They will open the month of September in Miami, with two three-game series, first against the Metropolitans and then the  Braves will invade Marlins Park. 

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:


The waiver trade period ends on August 31st.  Here are the rumors around baseball, up to the minute.



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:  You might as well put Clayton Kershaw’s name on the Cy Young award this season.  The Dodger lefty continues to rule the world, and is sporting a nifty 15-3 record, with a microscopic 1.82 ERA so far this season.  Since 2011, Kershaw leads the major leagues with eight shutouts.  Who is second in that time frame, with six?  The answer comes later, alligator.  (HINT:  The answer will shock you!)

In news around baseball, the Boston Red Sox opened their wallets once again, signing Cuban outfielder Rusney Castillo to a seven-year, $72.5 million contract.  Castillo, 27, is 5’9” and weighs 185 pounds.  He has been compared to Andrew McCutchen and Yasiel Puig, with his combination of power and speed.  Only time will tell, buy look for Castillo to join the Red Sox quickly and get immediate playing time at the big league level.  It's hard to do, going from last place to first place and back to last place in three consecutive seasons.

Angels’ pitcher Garrett Richards tore the patella tendon in his knee, and will be out from six to nine months, a HUGE loss for the Angels.  The team said yesterday that Richards should be at 100% for 2015. After sweeping the lowly Red Sox in a four-game series this week, the Angels find themselves in first place in the AL west, two games ahead of the Oakland A’s.  The Angels and the A’s will play each other ten more times this season, starting with this weekend’s three-game series in Oakland.

What has happened to the A’s?  In case you're wondering, they’re 8-11 since trading Yoenis Cespedes for Jon Lester.  

How about the Detroit Tigers?  They're 10-10 since their trade deadline deal to get David Price.  Goes to show you that midseason trades don’t always work out immediately.

By the way, David Price was brilliant last night in his return to Tampa Bay to face his former team for the first time.  Price gave up an unearned run in the first inning, allowing only one hit.  Finished the game with a one-hitter, but lost 1-0.  Not very often that a pitcher throws a one-hitter, gives up only one unearned run, and loses.  Baseball is a funny game.

Will the Washington Nationals ever lose again?  The Nats have stretched out their lead in the NL East to seven games over the Braves, after winning 10 games in a row.  Five of their last six wins have been walk-off wins.  They are definitely clicking on all cylinders.

The Angels pulled of a trade with the Chicago White Sox, obtaining second baseman Gordon Beckham for a player to be named later.

Let’s go to the hardwood, and here is Ira Winderman reporting on the Heat and the NBA in the South Florida Sun Sentinel:


Let’s go check out the Dolphins and the NFL.

The Dolphins continue their pre-season slate of games on Saturday, as they take on the Dallas Cowboys at the Seven Names Stadium.  Game time is at 7pm, and all of the Dolphins preseason games will be broadcast on Channel 4, CBS in Miami.  

QB Ryan Tannehill has looked good in running the new offensive scheme brought in by new offensive coordinator Bill Lazor.  Look for Tannehill to try and hook up with WR Mike Wallace on Saturday.  The third preseason game is usually the last dress rehearsal for the regular season, and I don’t expect to see a lot of Tannehill in the preseason finale next Thursday.  In fact, I don’t really expect to see him against the St. Louis Rams at all.  We should also keep our eyes on the offensive line as the team tries and figure out who will be starting when the regular season opens against New England.  

Here is next weekend’s complete NFL schedule:

Thu   Aug 21    Eagles 31 Steelers 21

Fri    Aug 22    Jaguars @ Lions             7:30 pm     
Fri    Aug 22    Panthers @ Patriots       7:30 pm 
Fri    Aug 22     Giants @ Jets               7:30 pm
Fri    Aug 22     Raiders @ Packers         8:00 pm      CBS
Fri    Aug 22     Bears @ Seahawks       10:00 pm      NFL Network

Sat   Aug 23     Buccaneers @ Bills         4:30 pm      NFL Network
Sat   Aug 23     Titans @ Falcons             7:00 pm
Sat   Aug 23     DOLPHINS @ COWBOYS    7:00 pm     CBS 4 (Miami)
Sat   Aug 23     Redskins @ Ravens           7:30 pm
Sat   Aug 23     Rams @ Browns                8:00 pm
Sat   Aug 23     Saints @ Colts                  8:00 pm     CBS 
Sat   Aug 23     Vikings @ Chiefs               8:00 pm
Sat   Aug 23     Texans @ Broncos             9:00 pm
Sun   Aug 24     Chargers @ 49ers             4:00 pm      FOX
Sun   Aug 24     Bengals @ Cardinals         8:00 pm      NBC

Remember that the NFL Network carries all the games on a delayed basis as well.

What are the Dolphins up to?


Miami Dolphins blog from Armando Salguero:


Chris Perkins and Omar Kelly bring us their Dolphin blog:


Here are both the Preseason and Regular Season schedules:

2014 MIAMI DOLPHINS Preseason schedule: 

Aug. 8         at Atlanta Falcons            L, 10-16
Aug. 16       at Tampa Bay Bucs           W, 20-14
Aug. 23       Dallas Cowboys                (Sat)     7:00 pm
Aug. 28       St. Louis Rams                 (Thu)    7:00 pm

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. 

As promised, here are my picks for College Football this season.  This is what the top ten will look like after the season is over (before the Bowl games, etc.)

1.   FLORIDA STATE        
      Too much talent to overlook, but there could be some   
      hurdles along the way.

2.   ALABAMA
      Best program and best coach in college football.

3.   OREGON
      Meet 2014 Heisman Trophy winner - QB Marcus Mariota. 
      They will be tested early, as they take on Michigan 
      State on Sept. 6

4.   OKLAHOMA
      Bob Stoops has the Sooners back in contention

5.   UCLA
      Lots of talent here, but they have a very tough 
      schedule.  Watch out.

6.   SOUTH CAROLINA
      The old ball coach will have the Gamecocks ready for 
      the new playoff system

7.   STANFORD
      The Pac-12 will be considered the best conference in   
      college football within the next two years.  Best 
      conference game - Stanford vs Oregon.  Should be a lot 
      of fun to watch.

8.   WASHINGTON
      New head coach Chris Petersen will make a difference 
      and will surprise some people

9.   GEORGIA
      Coach Mark Richt and the Bulldogs are flying under the   
      radar and have the potential to surprise. 

10. MARSHALL
      There is always that one team from a "minor" 
      conference who will crash the party.  The Herd could 
      end the regular season unbeaten, so they should be the 
      surprise top-ten entry this year. 

Could sneak in to the top ten:  Michigan State, Iowa, and USC, although the Trojans may be a year away.

Next week, I will bring you in-depth analysis of the Florida teams.

From around the Florida 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 has the latest in his blog. 


Here’s the latest from Tallahassee and the Seminoles:


From Gainesville and the University of Florida:


The Central Florida Knights are in the house:


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

THE ANSWER TO TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION:  You might as well put Clayton Kershaw’s name on the Cy Young award this season.  The Dodger lefty continues to rule the world, and is sporting a nifty 15-3 record, with a microscopic 1.82 ERA so far this season.  Since 2011, Kershaw leads the major leagues with eight shutouts.  Who is second in that time frame, with six?    

The answer will definitely surprise you.  Former Marlin Jason Vargas is second behind Kershaw with six shutouts since 2011.


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

Monday, August 18, 2014

Monday, Monday.  So good to me.  Let’s get ready to rumble.

Later this week, I will bring you my top ten teams in NCAA football this season, as well as an in-depth look at the state of Florida teams.

The Dolphins continue their pre-season slate of games this weekend, as they travel to AT&T Stadium just outside of Dallas to take on the Dallas Cowboys.  Game time on Saturday is at 7pm, and all of the Dolphins preseason games will be broadcast on Channel 4, CBS in Miami.  More on the Dolphins and the rest of the NFL later in the blog. 

Let’s go to the diamonds first.

The Marlins have been playing very good baseball, and they are back at the .500 mark at 62-62, after taking two out of three against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Marlins Park over the weekend.  The 62-62 record for the Fish is significant, as the team finished 62-100 last season.  That, folks, is quite an improvement.  Kudos to the players, manager Mike Redmond and his coaching staff, who are doing more than most people were expecting.

We know that Giancarlo Stanton is having a MVP-type season.  After Jose Fernandez went down with the season-ending elbow injury and Tommy John surgery, it has been The Entertainer, Henderson Alvarez, who has kept the Marlins’ pitching staff afloat.  Since May 22, Alvarez has a 1.70 ERA.  Only Clayton Kershaw (1.39) has a better ERA than Alvarez during that span.  Alvarez has gone seven or more innings ten times, and leads MLB with three shutouts this season.

This week, the team will enjoy a day off on Monday, before taking on the Texas Rangers in a brief two-game interleague series.  On a side note, the Rangers will have Belen High School product Nick Martinez on the mound on Wednesday afternoon in a 12:40 pm encounter.  They will then also have an off-day on Thursday, as they head out to Denver for a weekend series against the Colorado Rockies.

Here are the starters for the series with the Rangers:

Tue            7:10 pm      Miles Mikolas   vs   Jarred Cosart
Wed 12:40 pm Nick Martinez  vs   Nathan Eovaldi

The Fish will continue the road trip in Anahaim, as they face Albert Pujols, Mike Trout, and the rest of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  The Marlins will again have that Thursday off, as they will travel back east to Atlanta, to play the Braves in a weekend series.  They will open the month in Miami, with two three-game series against the Metropolitans and the Braves. 

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:


Even though the trade deadline has come and gone, the waiver trade period is upon us.  Here are the rumors around baseball, up to the minute.



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:


Things I’m watching and following in MLB:

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention other teams that have shown dramatic improvement over last season.  The Houston Astros won their 52nd game of the season on Sunday, surpassing last year’s win total.  The last time the Astros won more than 56 games was 2010.  The Milwaukee Brewers won 74 games all of last season, and this year they have already won 70.  The Seattle Mariners own 71 games last year, they have won 67 so far in 2014.

Nolan Arenado of the Colorado Rockies is quietly becoming the best defensive third baseman in the National League, if not in all of baseball.  I sincerely hope that the people that vote for Gold Gloves include his name on this year’s ballot.  Make sure you don’t miss this guy when the Fish take on the Rockies next weekend.

TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION:  Staying with the Colorado Rockies theme, OF Michael Cuddyer returned to action after a 2 ½ month stint on the DL with a fractured shoulder.  Cuddyer came back with a vengeance, and became the first player this season to hit for the cycle.  In doing so, he is now only the third player in major league history to hit for the cycle in both leagues.  Who are the other two players on this elite list?  The answer comes later, alligator.

I told you last week about Cubs prospect Javier Baez.  He got off to a rousing start after being called up to the major league team, blasting three homers in his first two games.  He still has a lot to learn, but this young man has the potential to be a great one.  His swing does remind me a little bit of Gary Sheffield’s stroke.  It will take some time, but the Cubbies are going to be very good in the the not to distant future.  

Another young stud to look at in Chicago is White Sox outfielder Avisail Garcia.  Garcia, who came over to the Sox in the three-team trade that also saw pitcher Jake Peavy go to the Red Sox and SS Jose Iglesias go to Detroit, has missed the entire 2014 season so far after having surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder in April.  Garcia returned way ahead of schedule, and after hitting .340 in 50 at bats during his minor-league rehab stint in AAA Charlotte, joined the White Sox this weekend and went 3 for 7 with two doubles in his first two games.  

Former White Sox great Orestes “Minnie” Miñoso was hospitalized this past weekend after falling off his boat on Friday.  The 88-year old known as "The Cuban Comet" during his playing days, was pulled from the water and rushed to an area hospital in Chicago.  Thank God, he is reportedly doing fine.  The nine-time all-star made his major league debut in 1951, and played in his final game in 1980.  Tell me again why Miñoso is not in the Baseball Hall of Fame.  

Yankee pitcher Masahiro Tanaka continues to rehab his torn elbow ligament.  He threw 25 pitches off a mound, all fastballs, on Saturday.  He felt no pain or discomfort afterwards, and will do it again this week, while incorporating some breaking pitches in his session.  

Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman continues to be one of the NL’s premier players, and the two-time all-star is hitting .292 so far this season, and hitting .368 so far in the month of August.  The incredible stats to look at are his numbers this year against the Marlins.  Freeman has only three hits in 51 AB’s against the Fish so far this season, a .059 batting average.  Freeman is hitting .320 against the rest of MLB in 2014.

At the beginning of the year, I thought that the Detroit Tigers would be the runaway winners of the AL Central, and I did’t think that the KC Royals were going to be able to improve on last season’s 86-76 record.  I still think that the Tigers will end up winning the division, but hats off to the Royals for their performance so far this season.  They lead the division by 1 ½ games over the Tigers, and by 6 games over the Cleveland Indians, who have struggled to play better than .500 baseball so far this season.  

Another surprising team this season . . . the Baltimore Orioles . . . . continue to lead the AL East, and by a whopping 7 games over the depleted NY Yankees.  Great job by O’s manager Buck Showalter.  Consistency at the top usually ends up bringing positive results in the long term.  The Blue Jays are just a half-game behind the Yankees, and the surging Tampa Bay Rays are now just three games out of second place in the division, two games under .500.  The Red Sox being in last place in the AL East  is surprising to a lot of people, but it doesn’t really shock me. However, has there ever been a team in MLB that went from last to first to last in three consecutive years?  Methinks not.

Out west, I knew that the Angels would bounce back and compete after a horrible 2013 season, but all the teams in the AL West have surprised this year . . . the A’s have been in first place pretty much the entire season, although after a four-game losing streak, they now find themselves in a virtual tie with the Angles.  The Seattle Mariners, who are only 5 ½ games off the pace, and lead the race for the second wild card team.  Their starting pitching has been incredible, with a team ERA around 2.95.  The Texas Rangers, who occupy the cellar, even behind the Houston Astros, have been the negative surprise this season. 

Not that many surprises so far in the NL.  In the East, I figured it would be a two-team race between the Braves and the Nats, with the Marlins improving to around the .500 mark.  So far, so good for those predictions.  In the Central, I thought it would take a dramatic improvement in their pitching for the Brewers to overtake the St. Louis Cardinals, and, so far, it has, as the Brew Crew holds a three-game lead over the Cards.  Out west, I saw a two-team race between the Dodgers and the Giants, and that is what we have seen in 2014.  

My pick for NL MVP at the beginning of the season was Giancarlo Stanton, and he has held up his end of the deal quite nicely, leading the NL in homers with 32, and in RBI with 88 so far this season.  The Marlins are going to have to continue to play reasonably well and stay in the running for the post season in order for the Man-Child to win the award.  My pick in the AL was Miguel Cabrera, with his biggest competition coming from Mike Trout.  Can’t go wrong with either one.  

Speaking of surprises . . . . . the leading hitter in the American League is Jose Altuve, the Houston Astros’ 5’4” second baseman.  In the National League, former AL MVP and now Colorado Rockies first baseman Justin Morneau is leading the way.  Did anyone out there see that coming?

If someone other than Jose Abreu wins the American League Rookie of the Year . . . in fact, if the vote is not unanimous, I am going to demand that MLB launch an immediate investigation.  Abreu’s stats line so far this season:  in 109 games (426 at-bats), the Cuban rookie has a batting average of .305, 31 home runs and 869 RBI, a slugging percentage of .596, and an OPS of .958.  By the way, Abreu was named the AL player of the month AND the AL Rookie of the month in both April and July, the first rookie to receive the player of the month award twice in the same season.

In the rookie award in the National League, Braves second baseman leads an undistinguished list of first year players.  La Stella came out of nowhere to replace the released Dan Uggla and is hitting .273 in 70 games (249 AB’s) and has been playing a terrific second base.  The 25-year-old has struggled so far in the month of August, hitting only .182, dropping his batting average from .296 at the end of July.

Let’s go to the hardwood, and here is Ira Winderman reporting on the Heat and the NBA in the South Florida Sun Sentinel:


Back to the Dolphins and the NFL.

What have I seen so far for the Dolphins this preseason?  QB Ryan Tannehill has looked good in running the new offensive scheme brought in by new offensive coordinator Bill Lazor.  If there was any question as to who the Fins’ backup QB would be, the ever-present Matt Moore answered that question against the Buccaneers this past weekend.  Believe me when I tell you that a quality second-string QB is much more than just a nice commodity in today’s NFL.  Although connections with WR Mike Wallace have been few and far-between, WR Rishard Matthews continues to look good in the offense.  Rookie wideout Jarvis Landry has impressed me a lot, as well.  The offensive line continues to be a work in progress, and they need to figure out what is going to happen at the center position and at right guard, where Dallas Thomas has been less than under-whelming.  He got physically abused by the Bucs’ first and second team D-Line.  Rookie third-round pick Billy Turner will probably get a chance to start.  Turner has shown he is a very good run-blocker, but needs to continue to improve in pass protection.  Another area of concern has to be who will hold down the center position until Mike Pouncey returns from his hip injury.  The signing of Samson Satele is nothing more than a stop-gap, so the Fins are counting on Pouncey to return before expected.  Pouncey is almost ready to resume practices.  On the defensive side of the ball, I know it is preseason, but the D-Line has looked very good against the run so far, a problem area last season.  Linebackers Dannell Ellerbe, Koa Misi, and Phillip Wheeler all showed signs of life.  Cornerbacks Brent Grimes, Cortland Finnegan, Will Davis, and Jamar Taylor have to step it up a bit, as do safeties Jimmy Wilson and Louis Delmas, especially due to the fact that Rashad Jones will be out the first four games of the regular season because of his suspension for use of PED’s. 

In the NFL, in today’s edition of Monday Night Football on ESPN, we’ll get the opportunity to watch Johnny Manziel and the Cleveland Browns take on Robert Griffin III and the Washington Redskins.  Game time is 8:00 pm.

Here is next weekend’s complete NFL schedule:

Thu   Aug 21    Steelers @ Eagles          7:30 pm      NFL Network
Fri    Aug 22    Jaguars @ Lions             7:30 pm     
Fri    Aug 22    Panthers @ Patriots       7:30 pm 
Fri    Aug 22     Giants @ Jets               7:30 pm
Fri    Aug 22     Raiders @ Packers         8:00 pm      CBS
Fri    Aug 22     Bears @ Seahawks       10:00 pm      NFL Network

Sat   Aug 23     Buccaneers @ Bills         4:30 pm      NFL Network
Sat   Aug 23     Titans @ Falcons             7:00 pm
Sat   Aug 23     DOLPHINS @ COWBOYS    7:00 pm     CBS 4 (Miami)
Sat   Aug 23     Redskins @ Ravens           7:30 pm
Sat   Aug 23     Rams @ Browns                8:00 pm
Sat   Aug 23     Saints @ Colts                  8:00 pm     CBS 
Sat   Aug 23     Vikings @ Chiefs               8:00 pm
Sat   Aug 23     Texans @ Broncos             9:00 pm
Sun   Aug 24     Chargers @ 49ers             4:00 pm      FOX
Sun   Aug 24     Bengals @ Cardinals         8:00 pm      NBC

Remember that the NFL Network carries all the games on a delayed basis as well.

What are the Dolphins up to?


Miami Dolphins blog from Armando Salguero:


Chris Perkins and Omar Kelly bring us their Dolphin blog:


Here are both the Preseason and Regular Season schedules:

2014 MIAMI DOLPHINS Preseason schedule: 

Aug. 8         at Atlanta Falcons            L, 10-16
Aug. 16       at Tampa Bay Bucs           W, 20-14
Aug. 23       Dallas Cowboys                (Sat)     7:00 pm
Aug. 28       St. Louis Rams                 (Thu)    7:00 pm

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:


The NFL’s experiment with moving back the extra point attempts back to the fifteen-yard line is over for now.  They’ll probably re-visit it next season.  Obviously, they wanted to make it less of a “freebie” than what it has been.  Last season, the conversion rate was 99.6%, this preason, the success rate was 93.7.  If what they’re trying to do is get coaches to try two-point conversions from the 2-yard line instead of kicking from the 15, it hasn't shown up as the reason this year.  Most of the two-point attempts these past two weeks were to avoid ties or build or cut a lead to three points.  Time will tell, and I can probably guarantee that they will try it again.

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

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 has the latest in his blog. 


Here’s the latest from Tallahassee and the Seminoles:


From Gainesville and the University of Florida:


The Central Florida Knights are in the house:


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

THE ANSWER TO TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION:  Colorado Rockies OF Michael Cuddyer returned to action after a 2 ½ month stint on the DL with a fractured shoulder.  Cuddyer came back with a vengeance, and became the first player this season to hit for the cycle.  In doing so, he is now only the third player in major league history to hit for the cycle in both leagues.  Who are the other two players on this elite list?    

Bob Watson did it with the Houston Astros in 1977, and then again with the Boston Red Sox in 1979.  John Olerud hit for the cycle with the New York Mets in 1997, and again while playing for the Seattle Mariners in 2001.  Cuddyer had previously hit for the cycle in Minnesota in 2009 while with the Twins.


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