The Post Mortem

The most telling part of the Angels weekend happened during the seventh inning on Sunday's 1-0 Halos victory. John Lackey went to bat, with a runner on third, and the team clinging to its one-run lead. Obviously, Mike Scioscia didn't want to take out his starter. But it's just as likely that he looked at the rest of the "Punching Judys" on the Angels bench and said "Hell no."

So when your hitless pitcher is a better option than Garret Anderson, that's saying something.

The Angels scored one run in three games, yet still earned one win. The embarrassment of throwing an eight-inning no-no and losing was buoyed by the thought that at least a handful of Dodgers fans went home on Saturday night thinking that their team had lost. Come on, you know that's true.

Is it better to lose after an eight-inning no-no, or win without getting a hit? Winning without getting a hit must be like having a child without having sex.

And Tom Cruise is a Dodgers fan ...

(Still with us?) This is the time of year when yours truly begs for the team to make a move. Gary Matthews is a waste. Torii Hunter isn't the offensive player that most thought. We need some Asian kid to rear-end him again.

But hell, if you listened to me, the team would have traded Ervin Santana and Joe Saunders in recent offseasons. So what do I know? But this looks like another typical Angels season where the team wins the division, but doesn't have the punch to win the close games in October.

• John Lackey is clearly the best pitcher in baseball right now as a THN reader pointed out, and you have to wonder what kind of lathering he would be getting if he pitched on an ESPN-approved team. Or what about the season K-Rod is having right now? As one of the shortest guys -- with worst attitude -- I know put it, if Jonathan Papleboner was putting up K-Rod's numbers, we would be treated to 24-hour video coverage of that a-hole. Too bad Disney doesn't still own the Angels (well, not really), who knows what kind of glowing coverage this team would get.

• When was the last time Joe Torre actually took a series from the Angels? This has to go back years, right? Or it at least seems that way.

• BTW, Roger Goodell is advocating a limit on rookie salaries? Don't do it NFL Players, it's a trap. There is no way that Goodell has good intentions. This is just another way for Jerry Jones and Robert Kraft to screw the NFL. Don't buy into it! Seriously, it seems like a good idea, but Goodell is too shady to believe that he doesn't have ulterior motives.
  

• Spoiler alert: Spain has won the Euro 2008. We have to mention that because THN's resident soccer expert (Lil' Hater) might not have watched the tape of the game yet. The tournament itself was pretty good, but the final matchup with German and Spain was a little less than inspired. Nobody really to root for or against. That was like watching Seahawks vs. the Titans in the Super Bowl or something. Or maybe we didn't try hard enough. Besides, if Russia had won, THN could have busted out some vintage Nikolai Volkov videos.
  

• Paula Creamer has to be pretty happy that Michelle Wie is playing so terribly, that it's taking some of the heat off of her choking. Well, as much heat that women's golf attracts. But seriously, when it comes to the majors, Creamer is like Phil Mickelson with a smaller rack.
  

• How long before Kevin McHale sends Kevin Love and Mike Miller to Boston? And was that douche nozzle McHale riding in the Cellbitch victory parade?
  

• Javon Walker was evidentially going to Drai's at the Barbary Coast (now Bill's Gambling Hall and Saloon) when he was beaten up by members of Al Qaeda. The big question though, why the hell was he taking a car from the Bellagio to Bill's? Are you that freaking lazy?
  

AND FINALLY
Yahoo! Sports once again tried to make up a story claiming that Al Davis was considering retirement because he can no longer evaluate talent.

Uh, yeah right.

Jason Cole is certainly no Adam Schefter when it comes to false rumor mongering. But when you are going to make up lies, at least make them believable. Is there anybody in the world who believes that Al Davis would have show such humbility and self-realization that he would retire? He'd like rather die -- and he's afraid of death. People who actually believe this likely also believe that Con Air was based on a true story.

This kind of thing gives us legitimate Raiders Haters a bad name. Step up, Yahoo!

Read The Full Article:
http://thehaternation.blogspot.com/2008/06/post-mortem_29.html

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49ers All-Time Center: Jesse Sapolu

We're calling the #2 defensive end position relatively early as Cedrick Hardman was running away with 71% of the vote.  Now that we've got a defensive line, I thought I would move over to the offensive line.  We'll start with the anchor in the middle, the center.  We all have ideas of who we consider the best center in 49ers history.  The interesting thing with the offensive line is the lack of statistics for measuring "greatness."  While there are statistics like pancakes, for the most part the only stats we might normally look at the production of the rushing game and how little (or often) the quarterback was sacked.  Other than that, we just thing a guy is great because of what we saw.

One quick note: I was originally going to include Randy Cross here, but he actually spent more time as a guard.  On those first couple of Super Bowl teams he was the starting right guard and his 3 Pro Bowl appearances came as a guard.

Jesse Sapolu (1983-1997): For those of us who came of age in the 80s and 90s, Jesse Sapolu was a rock on the 49ers offensive line.  Sapolu spent 13 seasons with the 49ers and is one of six 49ers to win four Super Bowl rings.  He earned two trips to the Pro Bowl late in his career in 1993 and 1994.  Personally, I can't think of any 49ers who were quietly as popular as Sapolu.  During the 49ers 80s/90s dynasty, the offensive line play was a key factor in the continued success.  Having an anchor like Jesse Sapolu was essential for a quality offensive line.

Forrest Blue (1968-1974): A first round pick of the 49ers in 1968, Blue was named to 4 consecutive Pro Bowls from 1971-1974, as well as first team All-Pro in 1971 and 1972.  Blue was just the second offensive lineman to be drafted by the 49ers in the first round.

Bruce Bosley (1956-1968): Bosley was originally drafted as a defensive end in the second round out of West Virginia.  After being moved to left guard, he settled in at center in 1962, where he produced 3 Pro Bowl appearances and 1 All-Pro selection.  Bosley was referred to as one of the most underrated centers of the '60s and was well respected around the league.

Jeremy Newberry (1999-2005): I've included Newberry based on a combination of his production and potential.  Newberry was a 2-time Pro Bowler before micro-fracture surgery more or less ended his career with the 49ers.  Newberry was always one of my favorite 49ers and if he had remained healthy, I think he would have legitimately challenged Sapolu and Blue as the best center in 49ers history.

Poll

Who should be our All-Time Center?

• Jesse Sapolu
• Forrest Blue
• Bruce Bosley
• Jeremy Newberry

  1 votes | Results

Read The Full Article:
http://www.ninersnation.com/2008/6/29/561273/49ers-all-time-center-jess

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Tennessee all-time team: Middle linebacker

The man in the middle. He’s in the middle of the field and middle of the defense. Seven different players have been the primary starter at middle linebacker since the franchise arrived in Tennessee eleven years ago.Three of them started for multiple years and should deserve the most consideration as the MLB on our all-time [...]

Read The Full Article:
http://mvn.com/nfl-titans/2008/06/29/tennessee-all-time-team-middle-linebacker/

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My coulda-been-Colts team

QB Peyton Manning, 1998 R1

QB Tom Brady 2000 R2

RB Edgerrin James, 1999 R1

RB Dominic Rhodes 2001 R7

FB Jim Finn 1999 R7(2)

WR T.J. Housmandzadeh 2001 R6

WR Donald Driver 1999 R7(1)

WR Tim Dwight 1998 R3

TE Desmond Clark 1999 R5

LT Chad Clifton 2000 R1

G Edwin Mulitalo 1999 R4

C Jeff Saturday 1998 R7(2)

G Matt Birk 1998 R5

RT Ryan Diem 2001 R4

OT Epraim Salaam 1998 R7(1)

 

DT Brian Young 2000 R5

DT Shaun Rodgers 2001 R2

DT Alfonso Boone 2000 R7(1)

DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila 2000 R4

DE Mike Rucker 1999 R2

LB Rosevelt Colvin 1999 R3

LB Adalius Thomas 2000 R3

LB Danny Clark 2000 R7(2)

CB Patrick Surtain 1998 R2

CB Anthony Henry 2001 R3

CB Deshea Townsend 1998 R4

S Adrian Wilson 2001 R1

S Marlon McCree 2001 R6

KR/PR Dwight

Some real tough decisions on that. It really hurts not to get Wayne, but Adrian Wilson is a must have and the only good late round DTs came in the ridiculously stacked 2000 draft. There weren't any top tier TEs drafted in that four year span. Desmond Clark is the top TE from those classes.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.stampedeblue.com/2008/6/29/561012/my-coulda-been-colts-team

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Gonzo's Summer Reading List: Cold Wars

In the relatively short time the Minnesota Vikings have been a part of the National Football League, their biggest rival has, without a doubt, been the Green Bay Packers.  While each team has had their periods of time where they've been dominant over the other, the all-time series has never really been more than a couple of games in favor of either side.

As you can probably imagine, there are a lot of good stories to have come out of this rivalry.  That's where Todd Mishler comes in.  His book, Cold Wars:  40+ Years of Packer-Viking Rivalry, breaks down the rivalry between these two teams decade-by-decade.  The last update of the book runs through the 2003 season. . .so, we get a complete rundown of the last weekend of the 2003 season, but nothing (unfortunately) about the Vikings destroying the Packers in the only post-season contest between the two teams.  Maybe Mr. Mishler will do another update of his book in the future to include that glorious event.

In addition to going though every game in the history of the Viking-Packer rivalry, Mishler also gives us his list of the Top 10 Viking-Packer games.  You can probably guess a few of the matchups that are listed, but to hear the stories re-told is a pretty enjoyable experience.  There's also a chapter about the fans of both teams, as well as the stadiums that both teams call home.  To conclude the book, there's a chapter full of a lot of obscure facts about many of the players that have played for the Vikings and Packers over the years.  For example, did you know that former Vikings kicker Fred Cox was responsible for the invention of the Nerf football?  I certainly didn't, until this book told me that he was.

Overall, this is a highly entertaining read.  Todd Mishler presents this rivalry in a manner that captures all of the excitement and passion that each game has to offer.  He also manages to present it in an even-handed manner, never really favoring one side over the other as he tells his stories despite the fact that his bio states he grew up in Wisconsin and grew up watching the Packers.  He's gotten many quotes from players on both sides, which add depth to many of the stories.

One thing I do have to caution you on when searching for this book.  There are two different versions, one that was published in 2002, and one that was published in 2004.  The picture to the left there is of the 2004 version, which can be distinguished by the little "REVISED" strip in the upper-right corner.  The updated version simply includes a few more seasons of Viking-Packer game recaps.

There are many places that you can order Cold Wars from, but I'd recommend going to the site of the author himself.  There, you can not only order the book (for which you'll pay through PayPal), but Mr. Mishler will also customize the book for you.  The cover price of the book is $18.95, but the $21.00 price on Todd Mishler's website includes the personalization and the shipping fee.  If you're a Big Ten fan, he's also written a book about Big Ten football rivalries called Blood, Sweat, and Cheers.  He's also written an informational pamphlet called Great Moments in Wisconsin Sports.

Cold Wars:  40+ Years of Packer-Viking Rivalry is definitely a book that Viking fans AND Packer fans. . .the ones that can read, anyway. . .should seek out.  Informative and entertaining, it will be a welcome addition to the library of fans of either team

Read The Full Article:
http://www.dailynorseman.com/2008/6/29/561229/gonzo-s-summer-reading-lis

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Madden 09 ratings released

IGN has the player attribute rankings for every player in Madden 09. Here they are for the Colts.

My comments so far:

    The D is crazy fast. Just the way I like it. Big Ed Johnson is the only starter with less than 75 speed (66, still fast for a NT). Raheem Brock comes in at 76.  The other 9 are all above 80. Gary Brackett is a touch low at 80, but his DB like 85 ZONE COVERAGE rating will do a lot to cover for it. He doesn't look fast, but when he has to get somewhere he:

"Flies like a rolly-polly bat out of hell" -one of the zombie brothers on an 18 plays podcast last year. Describing his INT return vs the Patriots.

Keiaho and Hagler are both a speedy 86. Mathis, Freeney and Marlin Jackson hit 88. Both safeties and Kelvin Hayden make 90, with Bethea at 90, Hayden at 92 and Sanders as the fastest of the starters at 93. TJ Rushing (94), Tim Jennings (96 fastest on the team, if only he knew what to do with that speed), Marucs Howard (87), Phillip Wheeler (84) and finally fast Matt Giordano (94) are all fast off the bench. I'm excited to use this D.

    Giordano got his much derserved 10 point bump in speed, but they shorted another Colt. Darrell "I'm on the kickoff team" Reid is a glacially slow 64.

Kenton Keith receives a generous 73 in catching.

I now expect great things from Pierre Garcon since the experts at EA sports have determined he is on the level of Bob Sanders in CELEBRATION (95), tops on the team. I need to review the SB XLI tape, because there may be a bizarre sight hiding in there. Ryan Diem and Dwight Freeney are physically incapable of CELEBRATION (0).

For some reason Charlie Johnson is a better pass blocker than run blocker (though neither are good). His somewhat decent ranking in PASS BLOCK STRENGTH might make sense. He struggled with speed rushers, maybe he could handle guys straight on. Anyone see him get bull rushed? There aren't any times that I remember so I don't know.

I'll comment some more on if I see them.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.stampedeblue.com/2008/6/29/561037/madden-09-ratings-released

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