Every Tuesday going forward on the Blog, I will be bringing you a new section, “Things that could drive me crazy if I were to let them”.  It is more of a collection of random thoughts and ideas, but I couldn’t come up with a better name for this, so your ideas and suggestions are welcome.  Here goes:

The Detroit Lions are the most overrated and most undisciplined team in the NFL.  They cannot see the second place team in their rearview mirror.  After starting last season 5-0, they are 6-9 since then, including a 1-3 start this season.  Lot of talent, but a lot of undisciplined players, both on and off the field.

The Dallas Cowboys need to establish some sort of running game if they are going to compete this season.  Too many peaks and valleys for this team.  BTW, the Cowboys record at their new stadium?  14-12.  Not good.

Is it just me, or are we seeing a light at the end of the tunnel for the Miami Dolphins?  It is probably too soon to tell, but I’m beginning to think that the light I’m seeing is not an oncoming train.

Love what the U has done the past couple of weeks, but I’m still not seeing a complete team on the field.  The victories over Georgia Tech and North Carolina State were great, but these two teams are not necessarily top-notch.  Middle Tennessee went and beat up on Tech in Atlanta this past week, and NC State hasn’t been able to beat anyone of any consequence.  

The Boston Red Sox ditched manager Terry Francona after last season’s collapse, and made a pact with the devil, who obviously coerced them into signing Bobby Valentine.  Why is it that some teams insist that a change in manager, especially one that is 180 degrees in the opposite direction, a good thing?  How did that work out, Boston?  How did that work out, Marlins?

Did anyone really expect the Baltimore Orioles and the Washington Nationals were going to be playing meaningful games in October?  

Did anyone really think that the SF Giants were going to survive after Melky Cabrera got suspended and the Dodgers added Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, and Hanley Ramirez?   Of course, everyone knew that Marco Scutaro would hit over .400 over the month of September and that Barry Zito would rediscover the ability to pitch.

I’ll go over all my picks from the beginning of the year before the playoffs start, but I at least want to repeat this one now:  The Braves and the Yankees in the World Series.  It is great to see Fredi Gonzalez and Joe Girardi, both of them unceremoniously fired by the Marlins, make it to the playoffs.  It would be even greater to see them square off in the World Series and next year’s All-Star game.

Note to the Marlins:  As much as I am not enamored of Ozzie Guillen, he probably deserves the opportunity to manage the Fish next season.  Trust me, nobody of significance would want the Marlins managerial job anyway, should it become available after this season.  

The Marlins beat the Mets last night, 3-2, only their second win in the last 11 games.  Giancarlo Stanton hit his 37th homer of the season and rookie catcher Rob Brantly had the key hit, a run-scoring double in the eighth inning to break a 2-2 tie.  Alert the media:  Heath Bell pitched a scoreless eight inning to get credit for the win, Steve Chisek closed it out in the ninth and registered his 15th save.  Josh Johnson was scratched from the start yesterday due to a tight hamstring, and will be shutdown the rest of the season.  Jacob Turner takes the mound tonight for the Fish, and he will be facing Cy Young candidate RA Dickey.  Dickey is second in the NL with 20 wins, behind Gio Gonzalez, and is also second in ERA at 2.69, behind Clayton Kershaw’s 2.58.  Dickey is 5-0 against the Marlins this season.  Plenty of good seats available. 

The Yankees hit four home runs in the second inning last night, pummeling the Boston Red Sox 10-2.  The Orioles fell to the Tampa Bay Rays, 5-3, and fell one game behind the Yankees in the AL East with two games to play.  The Detroit Tigers clinched the AL Central last night, and the Oakland A’s reached the playoffs for the first time since 2006.  The A’s are 1 game behind Texas in the AL west, and they meet again tonight and tomorrow.  Over in the NL, the Washington Nationals clinched the NL East while the LA Dodgers stayed alive, if just barely, in the race for the second wild card.  They are two games behind St. Louis with two games to play.    

Tracking Miguel Cabrera’s quest for the Triple Crown, Miggy went 4-5 last night with a homer and is in great position to capture the triple crown.  Cabrera still leads the AL with a .329 batting average, Mike Trout also went 4-5 last night, and is now second with a .325 average, Joe Mauer is third, at .322.  Cabrera’s home run last night puts him in the lead with 44, one more than Josh Hamilton, and his 137 RBI lead Hamilton by 10.   

TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION:  Mike Trout and Miguel Cabrera are battling it out for the MVP award this year, Trout will be the unanimous choice for Rookie of the Year in the AL, and Cabrera is looking to capture the first triple crown in the majors since 1967.  Carl Yastrzemski won it that year, one year after Frank Robinson won it with the Orioles.  Rogers Hornsby captured the triple crown twice, in 1922 and 1925 and one other player also won the triple crown twice.  That player, interestingly enough, did not win the MVP award either one of his triple crown years.  Who is this all-time great? Tell you later, alligator.  

In college football this weekend, the FIU Panthers return to the field on Thursday, here at home, against the Arkansas State Red Wolves.  Game time is 7:30 pm.  The University of Miami will be in action again on saturday, when they take on the #9 team in the country, the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame, at Soldier Field in Chicago.  Game time for Miami - Notre Dame is 7:30 pm, and you can watch it on Channel 6, NBC in South Florida.  Some other games with possible national championship implications this Saturday include #3 LSU @ #10 Florida; #8 West Virginia @ #11 Texas; #5 Georgia @ #6 South Carolina, #3 Florida State @ NC State, and #23 Washington @ #2 Oregon.  The #1 team in the nation, Alabama, is off this week. 

Jumping to the NFL, the Chicago Bears intercepted Tony Romo five times last night, as they easily defeated the Dallas Cowboys 34-18.  The Cowboys are one of the most, if not the most, inconsistent team in the NFL.  You never know one week to the next what you’re going to see on the field.  Their stadium is really nice, though.

A sad story coming out of Indianapolis.  Colts head coach Chuck Pagano was diagnosed this week with leukemia, and will be hospitalized for six to eight weeks as he undergoes treatment.  I had the opportunity to get to know Coach Pagano when he was an assistant coach here at the University of Miami, and he is one of the good people in the game.  Godspeed for a quick and total recovery. 

After another heart-breaking overtime loss on Sunday, the Miami Dolphins are looking ahead and preparing for their game this week in Cincinnati against the much-improved Bengals.  Rookie QB Ryan Tannehill and WR Brian Hartline teamed up to rewrite parts of the Dolphin record book last week, and they need to continue this week.  Game time is 1:00 pm and the game will be televised by CBS, Channel 4 in Miami.  

Reviewing the complete schedule this week in the NFL, 

THURSDAY

Arizona Cardinals @ St. Louis Rams StL +1 8:20 pm   NFL Network

SUNDAY

Miami Dolphins @ Cincinnati Bengals CIN -4.5 1:00 pm   CBS Channel 4

Green Bay Packers @ Indianapolis Colts IND +7 1:00 pm

Baltimore Ravens @ Kansas City Chiefs KC +4.5 1:00 pm

Cleveland Browns @ NY Giants NY -10 1:00 pm

Philadelphia Eagles @ Pittsburgh Steelers PIT -3.5 1:00 pm

Atlanta Falcons @ Washington Redskins WAS +3 1:00 pm

Seattle Seahawks @ Carolina Panthers CAR -3 4:05 pm

Chicago Bears @ Jacksonville Jaguars JAX +4 4:05 pm

Tennessee Titans @ Minnesota Vikings MIN -5.5 4:25 pm

Denver Broncos @ New England Patriots NE -7 4:25 pm

Buffalo Bills @ San Francisco 49ers SF -9 4:25 pm

San Diego Chargers @ New Orleans Saints NO -3.5 8:20 pm    NBC Channel 6

MONDAY

Houston Texans @ New York Jets NY +9 8:30 pm    ESPN

Bye week for the Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, Oakland Raiders, Tampa Bay Bucs

THE ANSWER TO TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION:  Mike Trout and Miguel Cabrera are battling it out for the MVP award this year, Trout will be the unanimous choice for Rookie of the Year in the AL, and Cabrera is looking to capture the first triple crown in the majors since 1967.  Carl Yastrzemski won it that year, one year after Frank Robinson won it with the Orioles.  Rogers Hornsby captured the triple crown twice, in 1922 and 1925 and one other player also won the triple crown twice.  That player, interestingly enough, did not win the MVP award either one of his triple crown years.  Who is this all-time great?  Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox won the triple crown in 1942 and 1947, yet did not capture the MVP award in either one of those seasons.  In 1942, Joe Gordon of the New York Yankees beat him out, and in 47, it was Joe DiMaggio who won the award.  Williams was also the last player to hit over .400 when he ended the 1941 campaign with a .406 average.  That year, he lost the MVP to DiMaggio.  Williams did win two MVP awards during his illustrious career, in 1947 and 1949.  Just imagine what his career numbers would have been if not for missing five years of his career while serving in World War II and in the Korean War.   

The NBA Champions, the Miami Heat, open their exhibition season against the Atlanta Hawks this Sunday in Atlanta.  Don’t look for either LeBron James or Dwayne Wade against the Hawks.  They head out to China for a couple of games after that.

Don’t miss my two “Descarga Deportiva” segments (for the Spanish-challenged, “Sports Jam Session”) every day, Monday through Friday, at 9:25 am and 12:15 pm on Radio Esperanza, 1550 AM or on the internet on www.miradioesperanza.com.  On my NFL picks this week, I went 1-4, my worst week EVER.  On the other hand, my guest picker, Joe Cardona, cleaned up, going 4-1.  I think I'll bring him back this week.   

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