One Week Later, Does Anyone Care?

It was one week ago today that the Yankees defeated the Phillies 7-3 for their 27th world championship.

It was a fitting end for the postseason it was in: lots of hype, a bad baseball game, and then talk about that city's respective NFL team.

Who could be excited/worked up at all about this outcome? Yankee fans? "Woo hoo, we won our 27th title, and the 5th since I've been alive." I mean I'm sure it was good for a "27th heaven" facebook status, but most I talked to spent the next day complaining about how bad the Giants' defense was.

What about Philly fans? Is there some inescapable grief? No, because they won it last year and were all still too giddy about that. Philadelphians (not a word; go with it anyway) love the Phillies more than any other team. They're deservedly proud of their squad and were okay with losing in the grand finale to the best team in baseball.

... Which leads me to why nobody else was excited about this series. Besides the rest of the country having both rational and irrational hatreds toward everything sports-related in the cities of New York and Philadelphia, this series was the best team in baseball against the second best team in baseball. I know NOTHING when it comes to predicting the MLB. I'm the guy who predicted at the beginning of September that the Angels wouldn't make the playoffs. I'm pretty sure I predicted the Indians to go to the playoffs at the beginning of the season. Yet I said before the first pitch of the 2009 MLB postseason was thrown that it would come down to the Yankees beating the Phillies in 6. If I could predict it, surely most people at least could see there was a real possibility of it happening.

Last point: You can ask, "Isn't that what it's supposed to be all about? The two best teams in baseball squaring off?" The answer: sure, if you want to decide who the best team in baseball between those two is. The problem: that wasn't the case here. Every person who followed a lick of baseball the entire season knew the Yankees were the best team in baseball. They bought their way to the top better than anyone else did but still managed to play like a team. This outcome was predetermined. Throw that in with a World Series that featured a total of zero 1-run games and you're left with a city that stopped celebrating a World Championship hours after it happened and sports media that would rather talk about Eli Manning's plantar fasciitis than Hideki Matsui's clutchness.

As Much As We All Complain, This Series Should Be Good

Let's face it. If you don't love the Yankees, you hate the Yankees. You hate them because of all the money they spend. You hate them because their fans wet themselves whenever they get a two out single already up 8-1 in the 8th inning. You hate them because Derek Jeter (pictured right) is just so freaking good. You hate them because their best player is a cheater you would want on your team every day. You hate them because they represent everything wrong with baseball. You hate them because Joe Girardi is younger than some of his players. The list goes on.

Let's face it. If you don't love the Phillies, you hate them because - after all, they're from Philly. These are the worst fans in the world. THEY BOOED SANTA CLAUS, THOSE JERKS! THEY CHEERED WHEN MICHAEL IRVIN LITERALLY DIED! And even though you think the Phillies are a pretty cool team, you still have to hate them, because, after all, they are from Philadelphia.

All that aside ... if you actually call yourself a baseball fan (and even if you don't), this should be a great series. Think of the pitching match-ups. Sabbathia vs. Lee in an Indian rematch? Hamels vs. Burnett featuring the best number two pitchers in baseball? Pedro vs. Pettitte in a "I swear I'm not too old" game 3? It's great stuff. And who has the closer advantage? Seemingly Rivera, the best closer of all time, but postseason 2009 Brad Lidge is looking a lot like 2008 Brad Lidge.

Then you look at their lineups. Who do you want batting cleanup for you: A-Rod or Howard? You don't know? Yeah, me neither. I see your Teixeira over Utley batting third and raise you a Werth over Posada batting 5th.

Bottom line: I'm sticking to what I said before the postseason started: Yankees in 6. That being said, I would not be surprised for a second if this went 7, and I have the feeling this will be a MUCH better matchup than Phils-Rays last year.

3 out of 4 Division Series Wrapped Up

We thought the crazy Twins-Tigers game was going to be an omen for a great opening round of baseball playoffs.

Well, at least it's been great for the favorites' fans.

The only series that hasn't ended in a sweep is the Phillies-Rockies, who play tonight in the freezing cold of Colorado. Other than that, it's been a lot of brooms.

A lot of people thought the Cardinals were a better team than the Dodgers coming in; the Dodgers put that to rest in 3.

The Red Sox were supposed to have the Angels number, right? Surely this was going to be a great series. If anything, it was going to be a Red Sox sweep. Oops.

The only thing that's gone according to plan is the Yankees crushing the spirits - one A-Rod homer at a time - of the Twins.

Don't get me wrong, there's been at least one good game on every day of the postseason thus far. On Thursday, the Dodgers beat the Cardinals 5-3. Thursday saw the Rockies pulling off the upset in Philadelphia 5-4 and the most memorable play of the postseason so far in Matt Holliday's error (brutal still image sequence here). The play extended the game and gave the Dodgers the opportunity to go up 2 games to 0. Friday had the first extra inning game of the series, culminated by Mark Teixeira's walk-off (pictured right) for the Bombers. Saturday we all watched in disbelief as the Dodgers just pounded the Cardinals in St. Louis to complete the sweep. And, finally, the Yanks were just better than Minnesota in their quest to sweep the Twins at the Metrodome.

So while there have been good games, there's only been one (and we don't know how that will end up) good series. One has to assume the championship series will be different. Yanks-Angels especially should be great drama.

Most MLB Division Races Long Over

Saturday night gave me far too big of a headache to write about college football, so here's your "baseball still matters" post of the month. I recognize that this week is the commencement of the NFL season, and my wonderful power rankings will debut sometime before the Titans-Steelers game on Thursday night. That being said, any other thing I could write about the NFL will undoubtedly be covered during the first TNT broadcast of the semester on Wednesday. So, for now, baseball.

Except there's really not a lot to talk about.

The Yankees' huge signings in the offseason? They worked out. CC Sabathia? He may be the favorite for the AL Cy Young. AJ Burnett? (pictured right) Not brilliant, but 4.29 and 10-8 ain't exactly bad. Mark Teixeira? He could hit 40 home runs this year. Remember way back when when everyone was up in a tizzy because the Orioles took 2 of 3 from them to lead off the season? That was a long time ago.

The Tigers are starting to play exactly like everyone thought the Tigers would play last year. They've won six in a row and eight of their last ten. The Twins are slightly above average and won't play any better than slightly above average. They're out of it.

The Phillies won the World Series last year because of their great lineup, top to bottom. They still have a great lineup, except now they have an even better rotation. Cliff Lee is the umpteenth pitcher to make NL hitters look like AAA hitters compared to AL hitters (although he has fallen off in his past two starts).

The Cardinals? Only 11.5 games ahead in the central. Not bad. Fun fact: They have 39 road wins this season. The Pirates have less than half of that, at 18.

So that leads us to the Wild Cards and the West. You've lost your attention by now, so look for it tomorrow.

Image Source: http://blog.nj.com/yankees_main/2009/03/large_aj-burnett303.jpg

Thoughts on the First Few Days of the New Season

The first few days of the 2009 MLB season is in the books, and it's been an interesting few days indeed. A lot has already happened, but, obviously, it's hard to tell much of anything when most teams have still only played one game. You wouldn't judge a football team for the season six minutes into the first quarter, would you? Didn't think so. But still ...

I don't understand what the big deal about booing Mark Teixeira is. Peter Gammons was all sorts of upset about it on ESPN Monday night, and it was the subject of multiple articles in newspapers around the country (Two are here and here. Read the comments on the first if you like to hate on either Yankees or Orioles fans.). "Scum!" "Sellout!" "Corporate whore!" yell angry Baltimore fans. "I like money" whimpers a defeated Teixeira back. Look, I understand Teixeira's decision. To sign with the Orioles, he was going to give up playing for a bona fide contender, as well as sacrificing over $4 mil a year for seven years. 

But that being said, if you're not an Oriole fan, put yourself in one's shoes. The team you support has a proud history, but for the past ten years, has been on Royals-Pirates level. Every year you have to play the Yankees for 19 games, and every year you lose most of them. When you play the Yankees in Baltimore, there's usually about 75% Yankees fans in the crowd. But it's opening day. You saw the Rays go from last to first last year, why not you this year? There's a renewed interest in the team from the exciting young hitters they have, and the exciting young pitchers that probably won't appear until August or September. There's reason - albeit very little - for optimism. And up first is the hometown guy who spurned your team's offer to play for the most hated of all teams. If I were there, I would have booed him until I was hoarse, too. ESPN needs to get over itself. 

Now that that rant is over ... Johan Santana (pictured, right) is going to win a lot of games this year. Not that that's unusual, but when I say a lot, I mean 20+. If he gets decent run support and is throwing his stuff at an average level for him, the Mets are going to be virtually unbeatable. Putz in the 8th and K-Rod in the 9th is an absolutely nasty back end. It won't matter unless starts 2-5 of the Mets rotation step up, but you can virtually pencil in a "W" every time Santana takes the mound. 

Keeping it in the NL East, the Braves should take a lot more out of beating the Phillies 8-1 in the first two games than the Phillies should. The Braves want to believe they're a contender in the NL East this year, and theres no better way to bolster their confidence than by running over the defending champs in the first two games, holding that vaunted lineup to only one run in 18 innings. The Phillies and their fans have no reason to fret, though. They know they're going to hit this year; there's too much talent there to deny that. The starting pitching has been poor, but the bullpen has pitched admirably. It would have been nice to keep the momentum from last October going, but it's no reason for alarm. 

And just a few quick hits ...

Ouch, Tyler. The Nats begin the season at 0-3, losing all three games to the Marlins, the only team in the division they had a chance to finish above. 

Ken Griffey, Jr., in a Mariners uniform again, is awesome. How could his home run not remind you of the old days? It's good for Griffey, good for the M's, and good for baseball. 

(Photo Credit: AP)

My Long Overdue Post on the Phillies

Let's be real here for a second. I do not have access to players or coaches for interviews. I was not in Philadelphia to see Game 7, or any game for that matter. There is nothing I can tell you specifically about the game that ESPN has not already, or that you probably did not notice for yourself. So, because of that, here are my quick-hit thoughts on the series itself, how it was covered, and the reaction. 

1. The city of Philadelphia does not read this blog. That was a joke. But seriously. In case you missed it, earlier in the week, I posted about how Philadelphia's first championship since the 76ers in 1983 was diminished.  Philly didn't care, and why would they? No matter how it went down, the fact will remain the same: The Philadelphia Phillies beat the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2008 World Series, and they celebrated it like none other. The entire city was out in the streets many hours past the end of the game. They celebrated like they had every right to. But, speaking of Philadelphia ...

2. Philadelphia fans really are that obnoxious. If you watched the post-game coverage, you know exactly what I'm talking about. They booed - about three different times - the man who was presenting them with the World Series trophy. Look, Bud Selig leaves a lot to be desired, but you just won the World Series. Can't you be happy? For once? 

3. According to ESPN, the Rays lost the World Series. My roommate had to point this out to me about 19 times before I finally started believing: ESPN has more than just a Red Sox-Yankees-Cowboys-Sidney Crosby-Duke basketball-USC football bias. It extended to the Rays. Or maybe it was just a bias against the Phillies. Who knows? But I digress.

The fact remains the same that the story ESPN was pushing before, during, and after the series was not a championship for Philadelphia, but a loss for the Rays. 

Before the World Series, you could have watched Baseball Tonight for a good 15 minutes and not realized that the Phillies were even playing in it. It was the Rays' Cinderella season, the Rays' never-give-up attitude, the Rays' triumph over Boston. All the Phillies had done was cruise through a terrible National League.

During the World Series, even when Philly went up 1-0, then 2-1, then 3-1, it was never "The Phillies are getting closer to history." It was always "What do the Rays have to do to get their bats going again?" Forget how good the Phillies pitching was. The worst was leading up to Game 5b. What we were supposed to watch for was not whether Philadelphia would celebrate their first championship in 25 years; no, the most important thing was to watch young phenom David Price work his magic. 

Then, after the game, there was far too little "These Phillies really were terrific" and far too much "The Rays had a great season." That stuff should be saved for a few days. Let Philadelphia soak it all in. 

4. Pitching and defense really does win you championships. Case in point. It was just that nobody thought Philadelphia would have more of both. The key plays: Iwamura mishandles a bloop fly ball that knocks in a Phillies run. Chase Utley is alert in the field and goes home with a ball that saves a run. Feliz hits a ground ball that would normally be an out, but because the Rays were playing in, squirts up the middle to knock in another run. It wasn't shown in the highlight video, but in the 8th, with a man on, Utley and Rollins put together a perfectly executed double play to get the impossibly fast B.J. Upton out. Then, in the 9th, it was Brad Lidge's destructive slider.

Congratulations to the Phillies. Tampa, you will be around a long time. Right now, though, it's all about Philadelphia. 

(Photo Credits: AP)

Phillies' Glory Soured

The entire city of Philadelphia should have celebrated their first championship since 1983 last night. Instead, the sell-out crowd at Citizens Bank Park went away soaked and unsatisfied. Sadly, the rain is only the tip of the iceberg. 

The series, for starters, is not drawing any ratings. The truth is that baseball relies on their ratings coming from the two teams' markets. Nothing against the Philadelphia market; I expect they're holding their end. I have a hard team believing that Tampa is doing the same, though. The Tampa Cinderella story was the main story line promoted by ESPN coming into the game, as well. After so long, though, it got old. 

Second, the umpiring has been absolutely abysmal. I've never seen more wide strike zones in my life. It actually seems like the area of the strike zone is the same; the dimensions are just different. There's been no leniency with high and low, but if it gets within the height, it's going to be called a strike. 

Then, there was the Longoria call. It's one thing if the ump is far away and can't make the call. He was right there, though. If there's one thing this series will give us, it may be an expansion of instant replay.

Third, overall shoddy play. The Phillies have pitched well, but you can't give them all the credit for Longoria/Pena going 0-29. The Phillies are up 3-1 in the series despite having something like three hits with RISP the entire series. 

Fourth, the rain situation. Thank goodness the Rays scored that second run. 

There were so many variables that lead to good choices or bad choices, so I'm going to run through them now, and whether it was a good call or bad call.

A. The game was played to begin with. Bad call. Give a 6-year-old a five minute lesson on how to read a Doppler Radar. He could have told you there was no way this game should have been played. This isn't football. This isn't soccer. The fact that the game was played in that weather was a disservice to Philadelphia fans and to the players themselves, who easily could have been hurt.

B. The game wasn't called around the third, when the intensity really picked up. Bad call. Before it got to give, just end it. Both starters would only go a few innings and would be available on only a few days later in the series. Then, you wouldn't have to deal with the whole "They played their five and were up" nonsense.

C. The game was not called until Tampa tied it. The only good call. Bud Selig said that if it weren't tied, then the game would go to rain delay until the umpires saw fit. I'm talking 24 hour rain delay. Players sleeping in the clubhouse. It would have been an absolute fiasco (more than it already was), and there would have been 100 people in the ballpark to see the end. 

You just have to feel for Philadelphia fans. They've been waiting for this for so long. Their team is stacked, and the World Series is theirs. Odds are, they will still eventually win this, and Philadelphia will go insane. The memories won't be looked upon fondly by any other fans, though. It will be even worse than Super Bowl XL,  which is now known basically for its terrible refereeing. 

Poor Philadelphia.

(Photo Credits: AP)

Looking Back

With so many sports going on at once, how can you keep track of them all? You don't have to, but I will. Every Monday* I will look back and hit briefly upon the five story lines that stuck out from the previous weekend.

* Editor's note: I know it's Tuesday, and there are a few things in here for which I will say "look for it later." Look, I'm a student like you. I get busy. It will come.

1. The Philadelphia Phillies can pitch. Just look at the stat of the week. They've been absolutely abysmal with runners in scoring position, but it just goes to show that baseball can be traced back down to one golden rule: If you have pitching and defense, you can win almost every game. The Phillies have had a tremendous amount of both.

Look Tuesday and Wednesday for my World Series update and my thoughts on the rain situation.

2. Terps' ACC chances: Why not? They, like so many others, control their own destiny. I know they have a brutal schedule coming up: At VT, home for FSU and UNC, and on the road against always tough BC. This is a team that's a bit of a head case, though, and that's why I think they will win the ACC. Let me explain that.

If the Terps win the ACC Atlantic, they will win the ACC championship. In my opinion, UVA is going to fall off. They've done enough to establish that Maryland's loss to them was not a terrible loss by any means, but I think they will start to lose again. The next two contenders for the Coastal will be VT and UNC. If Maryland wins the Atlantic, it will be because they beat both of those teams. Maryland is the type of team that you can just tell says to itself, "Well I beat you once, I can do it again." Just my thoughts.

I'm not sure Maryland will win at VT next Thursday, but I do think they will win out at home. If they do, they will make it to the championship game. The FSU game is the important one.

3. BCS trouble is brewing. The BCS right now is absolutely praying that Penn State does not win out. If they do, there may be a fiasco.

The best case scenario is that Texas wins out, Penn State wins out, and Alabama loses bad to somebody they shouldn't.

After that, it gets scary. If UT, Bama, and PSU all win out, PSU is the third man there and doesn't play in the national championship. 

If Texas loses, for example to Texas Tech this week, assuming that Texas Tech doesn't win out, the only two BCS teams undefeated would be Alabama and PSU. However, if Texas loses in close fashion and beats the snot out of everyone else they play, there's a strong chance Texas plays in the national championship ahead of Penn State anyway.

If Alabama loses, but USC starts beating everyone by 50 again, there's a chance they could move ahead of PSU as well.

Of course, this not to mention the fact that Utah, Ball State, and Tulsa are all undefeated as well.

4. Predict for me right now who will be in the playoffs in the AFC, because you can only choose 6 out of 13 teams that are still very much in the hunt. Plus, there is only one guarantee. (It's the 7-0 team.)

What about Pittsburgh, you say? Let's say they lose at Washington on Monday night, which is certainly very plausible. And let's say the Ravens win at Cleveland this week, which is certainly very plausible. All of a sudden, the Steelers are only a game up on the Ravens, and have yet to play in Baltimore. (Pitt hasn't swept the season series since 2002.)

New England actually looks in the best position out of everyone else. At least they're finding a rhythm. Buffalo just lost to Miami. Nobody in the AFC West can play defense. It's kinda crazy.

Last note here: there are only 7 teams in the conference with a winning record right now. If the playoffs ended today, either the Jets or the Ravens would get in at 4-3 (please don't ask me to do tiebreakers.) That means that the Dolphins, Browns, Colts, Jags, Texans, and Chargers are only one game out with three wins. It's anybody's race.

Except for the Bengals, Chiefs, and Raiders.

5. The NFC BEast is back. Dallas beats a good Tampa team on the road. Philadelphia beats a good Atlanta team, and shows how good their offense can be with Brian Westbrook. The Skins didn't make it look pretty, but got the job done against the Lions. All the Giants did was waltz into Heinz Field and 

thoroughly outplay the Steelers. 

Because they might beat themselves up, the NFC South could still sneak in a wild card team. The NFC East removed all doubt this weekend, though, as to whether they were slipping. 

It Could All Be Over

Tonight, the Phillies and Rays meet for what could be the final game of the 2008 Major League Baseball season. This World Series has been a letdown for many fans - the Rays were America's darling after their magical turnaround and playoff run - but not for me.

It's been tough to watch each and every inning, and I admit that I have not been able to. But what I have seen has been great. Cole Hamels has emerged as one of the best active playoff pitchers. Jimmy Rollins has proven that he is the key to everything that the Phillies do. Ryan Howard and Chase Utley have finally woken up. Even Joe Blanton has elevated his game - he even managed to hit his first career home run.

And, amazing, the Phillies have scored runs. The first three games, they struggled to score. They began the series inept at clutch hitting, but still managed to score runs. Small ball is still alive, even with a team like the Phillies.

The Rays, however, have finally run out of gas. Thier two best hitters - Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria - have gone 0-for-series (0-29 combined). That's right, not one...single..hit. That's not to say they're bad hitters. Far from it. Longoria is young (he's 23 in his first big league season) and Pena is a pure power hitter (.247 average during the season with 166 K's). The Phillies have just adjusted and exposed their weaknesses.

Because of that, the Phillies are 27 outs away from winning the World Series. They are the best team in baseball. And the Rays, who had baseball's storybook season, are right there with them. Next year, they could be a scary team. Let's just hope tonight's game 5 is as exciting as the other games this season.

Rays Should Not Despair

After losing Game 1 at home 3-2 to the Phillies Wednesday night, many Rays fans probably immediately started to worry. It was game 1, and they immediately surrendered the momentum they had. It was a home game, and they had the best home record in the majors. Kazmir gave them a good outing. 

It's not all bad, though. 

The winner of game 1 has won 63 of the 103 World Series that have been decided in the best-of-7 format. That's really not that significant, because there are numbers that go in the Rays' favor, too. Consider that the team with home-field advantage has won 18 of the past 22 meetings. 

Rays fans should also bear in mind that while the Phillies put their ace out on the mound for game 1 (Hamels, who was absolutely brilliant), Tampa's Garza won't come out until game 3. 

One more note: Upton, Pena, and Longoria combined for an 0-12 for Tampa Bay. No, this can't be counter-argued by saying "well Howard was terrible, too." Ryan Howard has been terrible this entire postseason, while those three at the top of the Tampa lineup have been dynamite. 

If Tampa loses game 2, then it's time to worry. But until then, know that most things will only get better. 

Looking Back

With so many sports going on at once, how can you keep track of them all? You don't have to, but I will. Every Monday I will look back and hit briefly upon the five story lines that stuck out from the previous weekend.

1. Maryland proved - again - that it has the talent to win the ACC. Yes, the entire ACC. As we know, though, we won't really have learned anything about the Terps until after this coming week, after another classic trap game. This time it's against NC State, 0-3 in the conference. Please don't lose.

2. The AFC Wild Card race is going to be a good one. The Patriots got a leg up on the competition just a minute ago with a 41-7 thrashing of Denver. The Jets, Ravens, Jags, and Colts all sit right behind them at 3-3, and the Chargers confuse at 3-4. 

3. Meanwhile, the NFC Divisional races look to be the hot thing. In the East, all four teams have shown definite strengths and weaknesses, and any of the four could be there at the end of the year. In the North, the Packers and the Bears stepped forward with huge wins this weekend. In the South, the Bucs and Panthers both look extremely strong, but don't count out the Falcons. In the West, the Rams - yes, the Rams - may be charging, and you can't say with certainty that the Cardinals won't choke. 

4. The Rays earned their trip to the World Series. The odds were stacked against them.

 After letting down from a 7-0 lead in game 5, the Rays lost in game 6, and had absolutely 0 momentum in game 7. But thanks to a pitching gem by Garza, they somehow did it. I've been riding the Phillies bandwagon the entire postseason, but they're going to have to overcome a Rays team with an absolutely unreal amount of spunk.

5. For lack of anything else, have you seen Colt McCoy's stats? This guy is so by far and away the Heisman trophy winner through the halfway point it's not even fair. The numbers: 81% passing, 1894 passing yards, 19:3 TD:INT, 371 yards rushing, 6 TDs

The only one close is Bradford, but he doesn't have the rushing yards, and he doesn't play for the number one team in the nation.  

Good Times in the City of Brotherly Love

If you're a Philadelphia sports fan, it doesn't get much better than this weekend.

All four NFC East teams were playing games they were supposed to win, but only the Eagles got into the win column. The Redskins and Cowboys were stunned by the Rams and Cardinals, and the Giants were shellacked on Monday night at Cleveland. Then, reports came out that Tony Romo will be out for a month with a broken pinkie.

The Phillies last night used a four-run eighth to their advantage. They beat the Dodgers 7-5 to take a 3-1 series lead. It could be all over on Wednesday as Cole Hamels, who has been terrific this postseason, takes the mound to try to get Philadelphia into the World Series.

Even the 76ers won a preseason game at the Raptors!

(I'm skating around the fact the Flyers gave up 4 goals in the third to lose to Montreal, but it can't all be good.)

Looking Back

With so many sports going on at once, how can you keep track of them all? You don't have to, but I will. Every Monday I will look back and hit briefly upon the 5 story lines that stuck out from the previous weekend.

1. It stunk to be a University of Maryland fan this weekend. After being annihilated against an inferior opponent, all Maryland players had to say for themselves was pretty much exactly what they had to say after losing to Middle Tennessee State, along the liens of: "Oops. We weren't ready to play. Trust us, we're still really good, though." 

Combine that with men's soccer giving up 3 goals in 1:23, completing a collapse to Clemson in what coach Sasho Cirovski called one of the most embarrassing moments of his career, and the school's athletics really did us proud.

At least field hockey won.

2. That being said, it might be even worse to be a Cubs fan. Your team absolutely destroys for 162 games this season. You're playing the worst team to make the playoffs this year. 

And then you get outscored 20-6 and get swept.

I mean, I suppose they're used to it. But still, don't you feel for them a little bit? Just a little?

3. Meanwhile, the Phillies continue to be the most overlooked team in baseball after take the series 3-1 against the Brewers. They will have home field advantage in their next series against the Dodgers, and they have to be considered the favorites to win, even after what LA did to the Cubs. I understand Manny is elevating his team's hitting to a whole new level, but Manny doesn't pitch, and the Dodgers won't have enough firepower to overcome the Phillies bats.

4. Hockey begins! The 2008-09 NHL season is officially underway with a couple games in the Czech Republic and Sweden. With the Capitals last year becoming relevant in the NHL, there has been a renewed interest in the sport around the D.C. area. Of course, having the best player in the game certainly helps matters. Listen Wednesday for a hockey preview on the broadcast.

5. Do upsets even exist any more in the NFL? SI.com's Don Banks examines the question in this article. I recommend the read. If you don't have time, a quick look at the standings will tell you all you need to know.

Bye-Bye CC

In perhaps the biggest surprise of this young postseason, the Phillies absolutely shell CC Sabathia, who has been fiercely dominant since coming to the National League midseason. Sabathia gave up a grand slam in the second inning to Shane "The Flying Hawaiian" Victorino en route to being given the boot after 3 2/3, with the bases loaded. 

This sets the Phillies up perfectly for the next game against the Brewers, as they're up 5-1 already, and Milwaukee has to go to their already thin bullpen early and tire some of their better pitchers in it out.

The Phillies are looking more and more like they're going to take this one in 3.