My Weekly Rant!

It's been a while and I did begin to cover the post division series fall out before my coaching duties had begun to pull me away. I have added that and my most recent rants on this edition of...My Weekly Rant!

Let me start with the baseball post season as both the NLDS and ALDS series have concluded, and the race for the pennant really begins this weekend. The New York Yankees exercised there Jedi mind tricks once again against the Minnesota Twins in easily dispatching of Joe Maurer and company. With CC Sabbathia, Andy Pettitte and Phil Hughes pitching gems and Mariano Rivera continuing his post season dominance the Twins could not conger up any fight and were once again bounced by the Yankees in 5 games. Personally I thought the Twins would think outside the box and challenge the Bombers the way the Texas Rangers attacked the Tampa Bay Rays in their series. The Rangers changed up their game plan by running more and putting pressure on Tampa’s pitching staff. Couple that with timely hitting and a little Cliff Lee, the Rangers constantly kept the Rays of balance, and despite having to win a decisive game 5 to finish off the favored Rays, Texas never looked tight and played free. The Twins needed to treat their series with the Yankees in the same manner; instead they tried New York straight up and got handled.

The Philadelphia Phillies dispatched of the over hyped Cincinnati Reds led by a no-hitter in game 1 by Doc Halladay that set the tone for the series. Pitching was the theme in this one as Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt did their best to keep up with Hallady’s momentous performance. The Reds Joey Votto never really got going in the series and the rest of the Cincinnati line up followed suit. While the Phillies were out making quick work of the Reds, the San Francisco Giants ousted the Atlanta Braves and their future hall of fame manager Bobby Cox’s last run at a World Series in a 3-1 series victory. The Giants Tim Lincecum also provided proof along with Hallady, Sabathia and Lee that this season is indeed the year of the pitcher with his 14 strikeout, two hit shutout in game one. Intriguing match ups are now set to follow as the Giants and Phillies will match ace against ace in what could prove to be a low scoring pitchers dual between two of the best staffs in the National League. The Yankees won’t have to face their nemesis Cliff Lee until game three and could face him with the possibilities of being up 2-0 when they do.
My prediction, Yanks in 5 over the Rangers and the Giants in 6 over the Phillies. Book it Vegas!

Now on to the NFL where the biggest story isn’t what’s happening on the field of play, but what supposedly happened off it. Vikings signal caller Brett Favre is alleged to have sent pictures of his gentiles along with racy text messages to a former New York Jets female employee while Favre played for the Jets in 2008. Favre has neither confirmed nor denied the reports but the NFL is investigating in hopes of getting all the facts, and act swiftly in its response. I love the NFL, watch it every weekend and even ordered the Red Zone channel to see all the action, but to think that the poster child for what football stands for in effort, toughness and shear joy for the game possibly going down a path better suited for Ben Roethlisberger, is disturbing. If this proves to be true,(and I believe it is), Favre will go down to depths that only Tiger Woods could truly understand.

Well that was a quick summary of where my mind was a couple of weeks back, and needless to say my baseball picks went down the drain. The Texas Rangers meeting the San Francisco Giants in the World Series is a big reason why I stay away from Vegas and Atlantic City altogether. The Texas Rangers absolutely dominated my New York Yankees in six games and clinched the pennant for the first time in franchise history. There is no doubt that this season has been full of firsts for the Rangers. First they out smarted the Yankees in acquiring ace pitcher Cliff Lee. Then they win their first ever playoff series by knocking off the Tampa Bay Rays in the divisional round, and then use that momentum coupled with Lee’s pitching dominance to reach the fall classic. Speaking of firsts, the San Francisco Giants are looking to win their first World Series since moving from New York to the bay area. This isn’t the series that everyone was predicting, but I must say, my Yankees loosing aside, that this match up is intriguing. My heart wants the Rangers to loose so that Cliff Lee signs with the Yankees this offseason, however my mind tells me that Texas’s line up is far more intimidating than that of the Giants. I give top to bottom pitching edge to the Giants who will roll out two time Cy Young award winner Tim Lincecum, lefty Jonathan Sanchez, work horse Matt Cain, young gun Madison Bumgardner and eccentric closer Brain Wilson to tame the bats of the Rangers. But as I stated earlier, the offense is in abundance in Texas, with Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz, Vlad Guerrero, Ian Kinsler and Michael Young just name a few. But that is my intrigue, is the old adage, great pitching always beats great hitting. We will find out over the next 4 to 7 games.

Quick NFL hits on some of the more talked about topics currently being utilized for water cooler talk. I like the new rule being implemented for the safety of players. I do question the true motives though, as the NFL has been pursuing an 18 game regular season schedule. Could this be their way of selling the public and the players union on the increase of games? Or does the NFL care so much about their players that they drew up these new rules for their own betterment? If so NFL, why not start the balls rolling on increased benefits for retired players who need medical coverage and financial assistance? Those players in need are a big reason why your league is where it is today, entrenched as the most popular sport in North America.

The Brett Favre soap dish is still on going, although we have since learned that Favre has admitted to texting Jen Sterger but not sending lewd photos. Well that makes it all alright then doesn’t it Brett. I wonder if Mrs. Favre was present during you sexting session or did you just confuse Sterger digits with that of your wife’s? I hate to say that I was right, (Not really) but the New York Giants are a top the NFC east and the over hyped Dallas Cowboys are on the brink, as cellar dwellers. I have also been on point about the New England Patriots and their impressive 5-1 start. However, I am much more on the wrong than the right with regard to picks this season. The New Orleans Saints are reeling, The San Francisco 49ers is all but out of it and Mark Sanchez looking likes old reliable for the New York Jets. Listen folks, it’s not even mid season so cut me some slack will you!

Brock Lesnar, to the delight of my brother Ron, was whooped by Cain Velasquez in such a way that it was later confirmed by UFC president Dana White, that Brock could be heard squeamishly yelling “stop it”, “stop it” to referee Herb Dean as Cain pummeled him. You just can’t make that stuff up, when you got a guy 6’4 280 getting pounced on and beat in to a screaming inch of crying and telling his mommy. It was epic, but what wasn’t epic, was the UFC debut of Jake Shields. Shields has been scratching and clawing his way toward a UFC career for years and when finally presented with the stage, wait for it…waits for it…yes that is what it resembled. Holding your breath for the moment only to let out sighs of disappointment sums up Shields performance. Jake Shields looked weight drained, lethargic and uninspired, and any hopes of an immediate title shot against the Koschek/GSP winner sank along with all of sighs. Shields will have to adapt to welter weight much smoother in his next fight or face the possibility of trying to dethrone Anderson Silva at middle weight rather than GSP, happy hunting Jake.

As you've noticed I have not covered and NBA talk in this one. I'll get to it when the baseball post season has concluded. Well sports fans that is all I have, sorry for the short hiatus but both my sons are in the midst of playoff runs and have to stay close so when they make it big I can bag ten percent!

By Ephraim Vega
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