The Pressure is On

By beating the New Orleans Saints on Thursday night, the Chicago Bears put the pressure squarely on the shoulders of the Minnesota Vikings to win today. The Vikes travel to the Valley of the Sun to face the NFC West Champion Cardinals. Excitement and nervousness best describe my emotions heading into this game. I'm excited because if we win, we will be able to clinch the division next week at home (and I will be there). I am nervous because this will be a very tough game and if we lose, it's a whole new ballgame.

Offensively, the key for the Vikings is ball control. We have to pound Adrian and Chester at them and have lengthy drives in order to keep the ball out of the hands of their high powered offense. Their rush D is ranked in the upper half of the NFL, but that may be because teams just try to throw on them. Their D line is solid, but small, so we should have success running the ball. Our wide receiver blocking will be big too, because I hear their linebackers, corners, and safeties are excellent in run support. Tarvaris needs to play like he did in the second half against Detroit. He can't turn the ball over, and he must be confident and composed. He must show the Cardinals that he can take advantage of the single coverage he is sure to see. I am very excited for T-Jack today. For whatever reason, I feel that this time around he will have success and be able to lead us to a huge win. He's had his time to learn from his initial mistakes; now he just needs to go out there and execute.

On defense, the key will be getting pressure on old man Kurt Warner. He has had an MVP-caliber season thus far and he has a multitude of weapons to work with, including Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, and Steve Breasten. Both Fitz and Boldin are big, strong, physical receivers, so it will be very interesting to watch them tangle with our two physical corners in Antoine Winfield and Cedric Griffin. Jared Allen must have another solid game for us to win. Arizona won't even try to run on us because they can't run on anyone. Some say the match up against our D sets up perfectly for Arizona. However, since we know the pass is coming, we will be able to sit on it and put a lot of pressure on Warner. It's never good to be one dimensional. The Cardinals will get their points because they are very good, but if the Purple can force Warner to make a few mistakes, the Vikes will be in good shape. The turnover battle may decide this game.

The big match up today is the Vikings running game vs. the Cardinals passing game. Both are very explosive and whichever is more successful today will be a good indication of who wins. The Vikings need this game much more and the Cardinals might suffer a little hangover after clinching the NFC West title last week. The Cards are 5-1 at home, so it won't be easy. However, combining all of the various factors and the fact that the Vikings really need this game makes me believe they will pull it off. I feel big days for Adrian and Shiancoe. This game will be close and exciting the entire time. My prediction: Vikings 31, Cardinals 27. SKOL.

Wolves

What an extremely frustrating franchise to follow. Good improvement in the effort last night, but they still blew a huge lead down the stretch at home. When will this misery end? Kevin Ollie taking clutch shots? Kevin Love going 2-9 on free throws? Maybe, they could have used Brandon Roy or O.J. Mayo? I'm glad Wittman is finally gone and that McHale is finally out as Vice President of Basketball Operations. However, how can you expect this team to truly turn the corner until the whole operation is blown up? Hopefully for all of us Wolves fans this will happen at the end of the season, but if McHale succeeds I could easily see his good buddy Glen Taylor keeping him around as coach. I personally don't care how much McHale succeeds as coach; he has made so many bad decisions over the course of his tenure in the front office that just from a PR standpoint he needs to go. I don't think there is any way this team can be successful with its current group of players. To succeed in the NBA today, you need at least 2, probably 3 legitimate stars. I don't believe any of the players on this team have star potential, other than Al Jefferson. Mike Miller is at best a third scoring option. Same deal for Kevin Love. To me, the O.J. Mayo trade more than any other recent move will come back to bite the T-Pups in the ass the most. The Roy-Foye deal is looking terrible right now as well, but at least Foye is a guy some thought had star potential. We knew that Mike Miller and Kevin Love probably didn't have star potential, yet we still made the deal. This is not the time to be surrounding Big Al with role players! Mayo is already proving that he is going to be an elite player in this league. Kevin Love is a terrific rebounder and Mike Miller can be a lock down shooter (if he ever decides to shoot the damn ball!), but they are good role players, not possible stars. You are never going to succeed at a high level without at least 2 stars. The Wolves are doing exactly what they did with Kevin Garnett by surrounding Big Al with solid role players. The one deep playoff run we had with Garnett included Sam Cassell and Latrell Spreewell having career years. To pass up on a possible star like O.J. Mayo, something you absolutely need to succeed at a high level, was to me absolute stupidity. This franchise has no plan, no identity, and no high level talent around Big Al. An O.J. Mayo-Al Jefferson tandem would be a nice core to build around, don't ya think?! And then consider this: We just awarded the guy who built this failure of a team with the head coaching position! Am I the only one upset by this decision? The problems start at the top with Glenn Taylor. He is one of the worst owners in pro sports for keeping Kevin McHale around year after year, not to mention Taylor also had a hand in the illegal Joe Smith contract that has destroyed this franchise. Until Taylor gets rid of his good buddy in failure Kevin McHale, this team is going nowhere fast. They had their best chance in years to re-invigorate this fan base and get another legit star by keeping O.J. Mayo. Instead, they set themselves back even more. Great. I'll be at the Lakers-Wolves game on Sunday. I'm sure Kevin Love will have no problem handling Pau Gassol and Andrew Bynum. Maybe I should just start cheering for a team who does things the right way. Unfortunately, my nature prohibits me from doing so. Damn.

SKOL T-Jack

Big props to Tarvaris Jackson for saving a game for us yesterday in the Motor City. I don't care that it was against the Lions; Tarvaris looked the part and was very poised for an entire half of football. It was a big game and T-Jack stepped up huge after Gus had a terrible first half. The question all week will be if Tarvaris should replace Gus, and I have to say I'm not positive yet but I'm leaning towards yes. Why? Because Gus just hasn't been that good lately. In fact, his weekly multitude of interceptions has cost us dearly in a couple games. Nonetheless, the has an 8-3 record as the starter, which is very good. Tarvaris had a good record last year though, and look at what he did in the biggest game of the year against Washington (an awful, awful choke job). This might be the time for Tarvaris though. He's pissed off that he was benched, he's been able to watch Gus Frerotte and his ability to shake off mistakes, and he might finally have the mindset needed to lead this first place team (he's always had the physical tools in my opinion). Bottom line, we'll see about said QB situation, but I'm just happy to get out of Detroit with a win at this point in the season. Green Bay is done after losing to the Texans at home, and if we win two of three we will win the division for sure. We probably need only one of the final three, however. It would be very sweet to see the Bears lose at home to New Orleans on Thursday night and then clinch the NFC North with a victory in the desert on Sunday. Let's do it. Hey playoffs...WE'RE COMIN!!! SKOL.

Random Rumblings and VIKINGS!!

Wild week of sports. Let's get right to it. Vikings preview at the end.

-USC basketball showed they were for real by taking a great #6 Oklahoma team down to the wire in Norman, eventually falling by 1. The Trojans looked terrific from the outset, going up 9-0 in the early going. Unfortunately, my biggest beef with this game was the officiating, specifically the way Oklahoma star Blake Griffin was treated. Basically, he got every call, as if he was already an NBA superstar. Anytime you nicked him, a foul was called. In addition, numerous charging fouls on Griffin were completely ignored or called as blocking fouls on the Trojans. The most critical "no call" came in the final minutes when Griffin absolutely barreled over Keith Wilkinson and put in a layup. If the right call is made just on that one play, the Trojans win the game. The call that got me the most amped, however, was when Leonard Washington absolutely stuffed the s*** out of Griffin. Washington went straight up, and actually jumped so high that he got his wrist on the middle of the ball. Griffin fell down because he got stuffed so hard, and got bailed out with the foul call. Even the announcers, who were drooling over Griffin and the Sooners all game, said the call was horrendous. I really can't say I agree with the love for Blake Griffin nationally. This was the first time he faced a ligit big man in Taj Gibson, and we held him to 6 rebounds (14 below his average). He also is extremely soft in the post, and as I mentioned, gets every frickin call. Normally in college basketball, everyone is treated fairly with regards to officiating. Not the case for the Sooner "star". Regardless, I was happy with the Trojans showing; I just wish they could have pulled off the upset. If they play even close to this level, they should and will win the Pac-10. Surprisingly, it looks like the toughest competition may be ASU, not the bRuins. We'll have to wait about a month to find out.

-Fun being at the Rose Bowl yesterday for the Trojans 28-7 victory over their crosstown rivals UCLA. The game was all about defense for USC, and they showed yet again why they are the best unit in the country. After giving up an early TD after a turnover in their own territory, the Trojans went into lock down mode, surrendering only 7 first downs to the Bruins the entire game. UCLA football has such a long, long way to go to get to USC's level. Rick Neuheisel may have the toughest job in college football because he is at such a huge recruiting disadvantage going up against recruiting master Pete Carroll. The win yesterday clinched a seventh straight Pac-10 title for Carroll and the Trojans, something unprecedented in college football today. Congratulations to Coach Carroll, his entire staff, and the players. Should be a fun Rose Bowl against Penn State and Joe Pa. Hopefully, around January 8 of 2010, we'll be playing in the Rose Bowl (the stadium, not the actual bowl) for something a little better. Fight On.

-North Carolina is so much better than everyone else in college basketball right now. They handled a great Notre Dame team over Thanksgiving and just destroyed a very solid Michigan State team. The Dukies might be the Heels toughest opponent. Those games are going to be ridiculous this year.

-Yet again, we have a team in the BCS title game that doesn't belong there in the Oklahoma Sooners. Anyone in America (except if they're from Norman) can look at the BCS and tell you how unfair it is that the Sooners got to the Big 12 title game over Texas, even though the Longhorns beat Oklahoma by ten on a neutral field. Here's the crazy thing I'm hoping for: Florida to get left out of the title game. It is actually possible Texas could stay ahead of Florida in the BCS rankings, and we could have a Oklahoma-Texas rematch. Why am I hoping for this? Because I don't give a damn about seeing the best title game. I would much prefer huge national outrage against the BCS. Something like this needs to happen if we are ever going to get rid of this archaic system. It will get people up in arms, the BCS would hate it, and we would at least have some hope of finally getting rid of this system.

My question is this: Why should a one-loss Flordia team be taken over a one-loss USC team? Florida lost to Mississippi at home, while the Trojans lost to a solid Oregon State team on the road. And no, it shouldn't be because the SEC is better than the Pac-10 this year. Despite the common perception and the media telling you otherwise, the Pac-10 is a better overall league than the SEC this year. The SEC has 2 solid teams in Alabama and Florida. The Pac-10 has USC, Oregon State, Oregon, and Cal, all of whom have been in the top 25 for much of the season. It may not be as good at the top, but it is much deeper than the SEC. Ultimately, depth is what matters because you have to play more tough games. Before playing Florida, Alabama had faced no one very good. USC had faced Ohio State, Oregon State, Oregon, and Cal, all of whom turned out to be good teams this year. The media love for the SEC has to stop. Even if you disagree with me, you can agree with me on this: a playoff system would put the debate to rest once and for all, and finally, we could all agree that the national champion is the best team in the nation.

-The O.J. Mayo for Kevin Love and Mike Miller is turning out to be a disaster, just as I had anticipated. Mayo is already averaging 21 ppg, albeit for a bad Grizzlies team. The point that I tried to make after the trade was that we gave up a potential superstar in Mayo, and you can't do that when you are trying to build a team. What is the common thread of most championship teams? At least 2, usually 3 stars. Boston last year? 3 star players. What is the common trait of teams like Los Angles, Boston, San Antonio, New Orleans, Houston, Orlando, and Detroit this year? They have 3 legitimate stars. Kevin McHale is doing exactly the same thing with Big Al that he did with KG: he is surrounding him with role players, rather than complimentary stars. Kevin Love might be a solid player in the NBA eventually (he's actually looked very good lately), but he will never be the star that O.J. Mayo is already proving he is. Could you imagine a shooter like Mayo combined with a post presence like Jefferson? That would be the building block to success. Instead, it seems like McHale has no clear plan for the future of this franchise. He is compiling parts, but the problem is that most of them resemble himself as a player rather than Larry Bird. He needs to stop falling in love with people in the draft who clearly don't have good athletic ability, and start keeping the sure things (Brandon Roy, O.J. Mayo). I only needed a few games watching Mayo here at USC to know that he had what it took to be a star in the NBA. He can shoot lights out from anywhere on the floor, but more importantly he has his head in on his shoulders and has the right attitude. He has no shortage of self confidence, and why should he? Unfortunately, the only time we'll see him in Minnesota is when he comes into Minnesota and dominates Randy Foye or Rashad McCants. What a joke this franchise is. It starts up top with Glen Taylor, one of the worst owners in professional sports (that deserves its own post).

-Excited for the Vikings to take the next step towards the playoffs today with a win over the Kiddies in Detroit. After a week of turmoil, the Williams Wall will play, so there are no excuses for anything less than sheer domination. Detroit is so bad and we need to put them and their fans that are still coming to games out of it very early. If I'm Childress I take the ball if we win the toss, and hand it off to Adrian a lot en route to an early score. I can't figure out why AD didn't put up huge numbers against the Lions in the Dome (a scary 12-10 Vikes win). It must have been a good scheme, but there is no way that Adrian will be stopped again by this pathetic team. They can't tackle, they can't fill their run gaps, and their quarterback is Daunte Culpepper . I really want to see Jared Allen light Culpepper up a few times. So far, we have been a bad road team. Today is a good time to start turning that around. The toughest part about today might be the atmosphere at Ford Field. Coming off an emotional win in a crazy building last week, the Vikings may feel like their back at the high school field this week. The challenge will be to come out with the same intensity and assertiveness that they came out with against Chicago. Do that, and there's no way the Lions win. Vikes take the next step this week. My prediction: Vikings 31, Lions 10. Lions go to 0-13. Vikings continue rolling and go to 8-5. SKOL.

Thanks for reading.

Sunday Night Showdown

I am extremely amped for the showdown for first place tonight at the Dome. It's time for the Vikings to step up and win a pivotal game with major playoff implications, something they haven't done in recent years. It is important to remember, however, that this isn't a "win and your in" game like last year against Washington. If the Vikes do win, they will be the clear favorite to win the division and they probably will. They still, however, would have four games left and would have to take care of business. If they lose tonight, the Vikes would be two games out of first because of the tiebreaker with Chicago and would face a steep uphill climb to the playoffs. The actual "win and your in" game could come later, but this is a virtual must-win for the purple anyway. I just wanted to point out the distinction.

I think the key to the game tonight will be special teams. If the Vikings don't give up a huge play on special teams, they will most likely win. In Chicago, the Vikings made two huge special teams gaffes and it cost them the game. It can't happen tonight because in a game like this, one big play could change the outcome. We were clearly the better team in Chicago and we should be again tonight. One concern is that the Bears defense is much healthier than they were in the game at Soldier Field (with the exception of Nathan Vasher). I think they will stack the box against Adrian and blitz Gus a lot. Frerrotte must take care of the football and capitalize on the single coverage he is sure to see. If he can do that early, the lanes will open up for AD. Peterson absolutely kills the Bears (7 TD in 3 career games) and I see the same thing happening tonight. The Bears run defense is very off and on, and lately they have been off (Ryan Grant torched them in Green Bay). I also see Berrian getting out of his slump and catching a TD against his former squad because the Bears pass D is weak. Another thing to watch for is how the Vikings defense responds after the Bears had their way with them in the first meeting. In the second game against Green Bay, the defense responded brilliantly from the first meeting, made the necessary adjustments, and really put the heat on Aaron Rodgers. I think we will see something very similar tonight. Kevin Williams and Jared Allen are unblockable right now and they will pressure Kyle Orton all night. I just can't see Orton being able to pass on us tonight at a loud and raucous Metrodome like he was able to at Soldier Field. Matt Forte is on a hot streak right now, but that should end when he meets the Williams Wall. In a game like this the stars have to shine, and they will for the Purple tonight. Let's go out and get a big W. SKOL.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Turkey Day to everyone out there. Thanksgiving weekend is always a great weekend for sports, so here is what I'm looking forward to this weekend:

-Cowboys and Lions always get the headlines on Thanksgiving Day, but this year the most intriguing game by far is Arizona traveling to Philly. How will Donovan McNabb respond to being benched? The Eagles need a win to keep their playoff hopes alive and the Cardinals are one of the most surprising teams in the NFL this year. I always enjoy watching the NFL on Thanksgiving. Should be good stuff.

-Rivalry games galore in college football this weekend. The USC-Notre Dame game that I will be attending at the Coliseum has lost much of its luster over the past six years of Trojan domination, but it's still always an intriguing game. In addition, there's Alabama-Auburn, Texas-Texas A&M, Florida-Florida State, and Oklahoma-Oklahoma State. The great thing about these rivalry games is that they all have major BCS implications. Texas and Alabama should roll, but Florida and Oklahoma will be in for a challenge. Finally, there's Oregon-Oregon State, the most intriguing Civil War game in years. A win for the Beavers and they're in the Rose Bowl. A loss, and USC is most likely headed there. Most Trojan fans, including myself, want to see the Beavers win so USC can go to the Fiesta or Sugar Bowl and play a Big 12 or SEC team. However, if a few things go the Trojans way this weekend, their hopes of getting to the BCS title game in Miami could dramatically increase. This weekend could do a lot to clear up the BCS picture, or it could create even more of a mess. We'll see how it plays out.

-The USC basketball team is back in action on Friday after a very disappointing weekend in Puerto Rico, where they went 1-2. After these next two home games, the Trojans travel to Norman to face a terrific Oklahoma Sooners team. Before then, they will need someone to step up as a go to guy when Taj Gibson is on the bench. Gibson has been the only consistent thing for the Trojans this season, putting up monster numbers. Daniel Hackett has to be more consistent and prove he can handle the basketball more this year. Dwight Lewis has to shoot more consistently from the field. It's pretty clear that freshman DeMar DeRozan will need some time to get adjusted to the college game. He's not O.J. Mayo. A talent like that only comes around once in a while. DeRozan is two years younger than Mayo and his game isn't nearly as polished. Trojan fans need to be patient with the youngster. I still think DeRozan will be a dynamic talent this season. It just might take a little longer for him to develop than fans originally expected. The Trojans must also play 2 good halves. In both of their losses in Puerto Rico, the Trojans had big leads at the half. They were up 15 on Seton Hall at the half. They must play 40 minutes of good basketball if they hope to live up to expectations this season.

-The showdown for first place in the NFC North is set for Sunday night when the Bears come to the Dome to take on the Vikings. I am sick and tired of losing to teams from Chicago and I hate the Bears, so we better throttle them. In spots like these over the past few years, the Vikings have not been good. Remember when Washington came to the Dome last year with the playoffs on the line? How about the collapse in Arizona a few years ago? Or, remember the must-win game when the Steelers came to town? There have been so many collapses by this team in recent years, which is why my excitement leading up to this game is accompanied by fear. The Vikings SHOULD win this game, but their past history doesn't give me confidence that they will. Still, despite the fear, this year I think they will finally come through. We are playing at home, where the Bears have always struggled to win. Adrian has seven touchdowns against the Bears in three games, and they have shown no signs that they can stop him. Our offense marched up and down the field against Chicago at Soldier Field and if it wasn't for two special teams gaffes, we would have won handily. Our defense can't possibly play as badly as it did at Soldier Field and in the second match up against Green Bay, they showed they are capable of making solid adjustments after a weak first performance. We are a better team than the Bears and we absolutely need this game. Behind Adrian Peterson, we should get it done. Still, I am fearful we won't. My prediction: Vikings 27, Bears 23. SKOL.

Should be a great Thanksgiving weekend full of food and sports. Have fun taking it all in.

Fight On and SKOL.

Thanks for reading.

Vikings-Jaguars Preview

The Vikings must prove they can win on the road today. At this point in the season every game is critical, but today is especially important because we have the Bears next week at the Dome and first place could be at stake. I look for this game to be very similar to last week's grind it out game in Tampa. Whoever can make the one big play down the stretch will come out on top. They definitely won't be able to run much on us, so the key on defense will be to put pressure on David Garrard. The Jaguars identity is their running game, so I like the match up because Garrard doesn't have many weapons to work with and he's struggled at times this year. We haven't seen a patented Vikings defensive touchdown lately, but I sense one today. On offense, we must hand the ball to Adrian as much as possible. It sounds easy and obvious, but last week at Tampa Adrian had under 10 carries in the second half and wasn't on the field for the final two drives of the game. Hand it to him early and often. Apparently, this Jacksonville secondary is beat up and not too good, so look for us to try something deep early to Bernard Berrian, who hasn't scored a TD in the last two games. As I've said before, we have to throw a few deep balls every game just to show that we have it in our play book and to get the defense thinking about something other than Adrian. Gus Frerrotte must avoid mistakes and Childress must have a good coaching day if we hope to win in a tough atmosphere on the road. My prediction: Adrian has a big day, Berrian finds the end zone again, and the defense scores a TD and causes a lot of problems for David Garrard. Vikings 27, Jaguars 17. SKOL.

Seton Hall 63, USC 61

Wow. What did I say was the only way USC could lose to Seton Hall? If they looked ahead to Memphis. Well, I think it's safe to say there was some looking ahead when the Trojans were up by 15 points at halftime. They played as badly as you possibly could in the second half. They couldn't score, play defense, or hold onto the basketball. The Trojans won't win many games when Daniel Hackett goes 0-7, Dwight Lewis goes 4-13, and DeMar DeRozan goes 1-4. On the bright side, Taj Gibson had another monster game with 19 points and 18 boards. The thing that hurts the most about this loss is that the Trojans don't get a shot to play Memphis today. That could really hurt the Trojans strength of schedule at the end of the season, and makes the Oklahoma game in a couple weeks even more important because the Sooners are the only quality team left on the non-conference schedule. Other than Taj's play, the only other good thing about yesterday was that UCLA lost to Michigan. The Trojans must win their final two games of this Puerto Rico tournament: today against Chattanooga and Sunday most likely against Missouri. Gotta bounce back.

USC-Seton Hall Preview

The #20 Trojans face off against Seton Hall in the first round of the Puerto Rico Kick-Off Tournament. Seton Hall was picked to finish 15th out of 16 in the Big East Pre-Season Poll. USC has a huge size advantage as well, especially on the perimeter. Watch to see how Taj Gibson plays after arriving early this morning in Puerto Rico because he had to be here for classes yesterday. The only way USC loses this game is if they look ahead to a possible showdown with Memphis tomorrow. If USC takes care of business and Memphis does the same, it's #20 vs. #13 in Puerto Rico tomorrow. That would sure be a dandy of an early season showdown. Bottom line: beat Seton Hall first, then worry about tomorrow. Fight on.

Alex Stepheson Appeal Denied

North Carolina transfer forward Alex Stepheson's appeal was denied by the NCAA today, so he will red shirt this season and be available as a junior next year. I have to say I'm disappointed and disgusted with the decision from the NCAA. If a guy's dad is ill (and it sure seems like Stepheson's is) and he wants to transfer to be closer to his family, there shouldn't even be debate whether or not he should be eligible. Many might ask how Stepheson could focus on his father while he's playing basketball. However, if basketball is all a guy has to fall back on, it's a difficult situation if he's declared ineligible. In addition, since Stepheson has the potential to play at the next level, basketball might be the only way for him to make enough money to pay his father's medical bills. Absolutely terrible call by the NCAA. Tyler Smith transferred from Iowa to Tennessee last year under very similar circumstances and was declared eligible.

From a USC basketball perspective, it hurts not to have Stepheson, but it's not a back breaker. There is no question he would have helped out Taj Gibson down low a lot, but the Trojans still have much more depth in the post this year. Expect Leonard Washington to begin starting next to Taj, with Keith Wilkinson, Kasey Cunningham, and Mamadou Diarra coming off the bench. Last year, Keith was the only reserve option. Leonard Washington may only be 6'7'' but he is 225 pounds and plays much bigger than his height. He's a very talented player and we've already seen him perform well in the first two games. I still think USC will challenge UCLA and ASU in the Pac-10.

A few thoughts coming out of last night's win over New Mexico State:

-Taj Gibson is going to have a monster year. He has clearly worked on his game and it has paid off in the first two victories for the Trojans. He is an intimidating defensive presence down low and if he can start to finish a little better at the rim and improve his free throw shooting, he will be unstoppable. UCLA has no one to match up with him.

-DeMar DeRozan can stand to be a little more aggressive. He just seemed out of rhythm last night and didn't look for his shot often enough. I like it that he is a very unselfish player and wants to fit into the flow of the offense, but he should look for his own shot a little more. It may take some time for him to get a feel for the offense, but once he does look out.

-The Trojans defense has been outstanding in their first two games. Nearly everyone on the roster is quick, athletic, and can block shots. Even Daniel Hackett had three blocks last night at the guard position. Defense is what has led to three straight Final Four appearances for UCLA. Tim Floyd knows that and the Bruins will have a stifling Trojans D to deal with this year.

-Dwight Lewis, like Taj Gibson, has really improved his game. Last year, he was usually just a one dimensional player, only shooting the ball from the outside. This year, it looks like he's gotten stronger and isn't afraid to take the ball to the basket. Tim Floyd said Lewis worked the hardest in the off-season and it's already showing. Lewis, Gibson, and Hackett are the core of this team and the Trojans will only go as far as those three juniors take them.

-The Trojans must cut down on their turnovers. 20 turnovers last night is far too many. Hackett had six and DeRozan had five. I stressed how important defense is, but just as important is not giving the ball away and giving extra opportunities to the opponent. Hackett will have to handle the ball more this year with the departure of O.J. Mayo, which he is capable of doing. However, he must keep the turnovers to a minimum.

Good luck to the Trojans this weekend in Puerto Rico. A possible rematch on Friday against Memphis will be fun to watch.

Thanks for reading. Fight On.

Thoughts After a Crazy Weekend

I had a great time up north this past weekend watching USC get some revenge on Stanford. Here are my thoughts about that and a whole lot more:

-USC played probably their best second half this season, and definitely their best fourth quarter of the the season. In the first half, it didn't seem like the Trojans had a game plan. They probably scripted the first 15-20 plays, but the script wasn't working and offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian refused to change what he was doing. Sanchez was a little off of his rhythm, yet Sark stuck with the pass first approach. In the second half, we came out with a plan to run it down their throats and impose our will on Stanford. C.J. Gable was absolutely phenomenal. He showed the combination of quickness, agility, and power that he possesses when healthy. Great game for the kid. Gable also had the momentum changing play of the game to close the first half. After Stanford scored with 4:29 remaining in the half to make it 17-10, Gable returned the ensuing kickoff down the sideline for a touchdown, tying the score going into the locker room. I can't emphasize enough how huge that play was for the Trojans. Their defense wasn't playing great, they had nothing going on offense, and Gable gives them a big time lift with the kickoff return TD. It's important to have momentum going into the locker room and the Trojans clearly did. They carried it over into the second half and put the game away. Good win.

-I really want Oregon State to win out so the Trojans can play in a BCS game other than the Rose Bowl. I know it sounds crazy, but there are a number of reasons why. First, we would still share the Pac-10 title, so technically the streak of 6 straight wouldn't end. Second, the Trojans have played in the Rose Bowl 4 out of the past 5 years, and I would love to take a trip to Glendale, New Orleans, or Miami. Most importantly, I want the Trojans to play a Big 12 or SEC team in their bowl game. While Penn State is certainly improved from the Michigan and Illinois squads USC beat up on the past two years, they still are from the Big 10. The Trojans haven't gotten to see how they stack up against a solid Big 12 or SEC team yet, and I am very intrigued to possibly see how they do. Texas, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Florida, and Alabama would all be very exciting match ups. The one downside is that the Rose Bowl would feature Penn State and Oregon State and will probably be the least watched Rose Bowl of all-time. However, a Fiesta Bowl or Sugar Bowl match up with someone like Texas or Alabama is too intriguing to pass up. In summary, go Trojans and Beavers.

-USC basketball got a solid win (78-55) in their season opener over UC Irvine. Congrats to Tim Floyd on winning his first opener with the Trojans. Didn't get to see the game live, but watched the entire thing when I got back and was quite impressed, especially with the Trojans defense. Defense has been the key for UCLA in their Pac-10 dominance and Final Four runs over the past few years, and USC is quickly approaching their level. I really like the Trojans size at the guard position because it causes huge match up problems for the opposing squad. Daniel Hackett is 6'5'', Dwight Lewis is 6'7'', and DeMar DeRozan is 6'7'' as well. All three are quick and very good defenders. Taj Gibson is a tremendous defensive presence down low. He picked up 5 blocks in the opener. If Alex Stepheson is eligible, the Trojans might become the best defensive team in the conference. We should know about Stepheson's eligibility this week. Other than the defense, I was impressed by DeMar DeRozan's unselfishness. 14 points doesn't look like much compared to O.J. Mayo's 32 in last year's opener, but DeRozan played a better overall game. Mayo took 27 shots in last year's opener, while DeRozan went 6-11 from the field on Saturday. Mayo had 8 turnovers, while DeRozan had only 2. The most important thing I saw from him was his willingness to give up the basketball when he didn't have an open look. Sometimes, Mayo would force shots that weren't there, but DeRozan looks like he doesn't care about his personal stats as much as working within the flow of the offense and helping the team win. Mayo had the ball in his hands so often last year that sometimes his teammates would stand around and watch, and the offense would break down. That doesn't seem like it will be the case this year with DeRozan. He also showed a variety of different ways he can score, hitting a couple outside jumpers, and driving to the hole as well. He will definitely get to the foul line more than Mayo because of his aggressiveness driving the basketball to the rim. That being said, he definitely won't be as good of an outside shooter and his game won't be as polished because he is two years younger than O.J. They are two different players, but both will go down as Trojan greats. Leonard Washington had a nice game off the bench for USC, and Dwight Lewis and Taj Gibson led the way (18 and 17 points respectively). Hoping to hear that Stepheson is eligible sometime this week. I'll have my thoughts right here after tomorrow's game at home against New Mexico State.

-Terrible loss for the Vikings Sunday. Didn't see any of it because I was en route back to L.A. from San Fran, but from what I heard I'm glad I didn't. How can you go through two drives at the end of a game when you need a TD to tie and not have Adrian touch the ball once? Are you kidding me? That is just yet another example of flat out terrible coaching by Brad Childress. Get the ball in the hands of your best player! Don't throw the ball four straight times when you still have your timeouts and the two minute warning! Also, Chilly went for it again on 4th and 1 from midfield and missed it for a second straight week. You have to punt the ball at that point in the game, considering the way our defense was playing. If you do go for it, run it up the gut with Adrian! It just shows a childish coaching mentality to not run it just because running it failed last week against Green Bay. Don't put the ball in Gus Frerrotte's hands; put it in Adrian's hands! I heard it was probably pass interference on the play and it wasn't called, but that play call is still inexcusable and the decision to go for it is bad as well. I'm sick and tired of us coming out as a completely different team on the road. We have one road win and it came in very lucky fashion in New Orleans. Until we prove we can win on the road, we will be a mediocre team in the NFC. The game at Jacksonville is pretty much a must-win with the Bears coming to town the following week. I still think the Vikings will win this division, but they have the toughest schedule of the three teams and again, must start playing better on the road.

-How does Randy Wittman still have his job? I was no fan of him coming into the season, but was willing to give him a fair chance with our supposedly new and improved squad. The only thing new and improved from last year so far is our position in the NBA Draft Lottery. After a 1-8 start on top of his god awful career coaching record, I think it's time we pull the trigger on him. It's not just that we're losing, but it's the way we've been losing close games down the stretch that kills me. You can't expect to win every close game with a young team, but this should definitely be a 5-4 or 4-5 team right now. I watched the entire Golden State game last week and was disgusted with Wittman's ability to manage the rotation. Kevin Love was nowhere to be found down the stretch even though he was having a good game, and Rashad McCants was still in the game even though he was jacking up wild shots at will. In addition, Al Jefferson didn't touch the ball in the final 5 minutes of the game. The offense should run through Al Jefferson almost every time, yet at crunch time, Wittman showed no urgency to get him the ball. It's just disastrous right now, and until they prove me differently, I will continue to think that the Wolves are playing for the #1 pick in next year's draft. It's sickening.

Thanks for reading. Fight On.

Big Weekend Coming Up

I'm heading up north with the USC Marching Band this weekend for the USC-Stanford game. It's a big sports weekend in many ways. Here are a few things I'm watching for:

-Saturday is a revenge game for USC. The players and coaches won't admit it publicly, but you know the Trojans would like nothing more than to throttle Stanford after what transpired in the Coliseum last year. Look for the defense to continue their dominance. I think the offense gets back on track this week after a tough game against Cal. My prediction: USC 31, Stanford 3.

-Florida has a huge game against South Carolina this week. The Gators are looking very good right now and most analysts have them in the title game. Really, the only chance USC gets in the title game is if Missouri wins the Big 12 or a two-loss Florida team wins the SEC. This week and their final game at Florida State will both be challenging for the Gators. I still think they will win, but don't count out a Steve Spurrier coached team. He has Florida connections and would like nothing more than to knock them out of the BCS Title game picture. It's definitely the big game in college football to keep your eye on this weekend.

-USC basketball season starts on Saturday! I won't be able to see the game obviously, but hopefully they can get win their first season opener under Tim Floyd. We don't want another Mercer repeat to start the season. Coach Floyd didn't hold a Midnight Madness even this year because he wanted to use the time for extra practice. I've been holding off doing a season preview because the eligibility of North Carolina transfer Alex Stepheson is still unknown. He filed a waiver with the NCAA over a month ago because his family is ill. It is absolutely preposterous that the NCAA hasn't ruled on Stepheson's case yet. How long does it take to determine if a guy's family is ill? It is just the latest showing of ineptitude by the NCAA. If the Trojans do have Stepheson, they will challenge UCLA and ASU for the conference title. Even if they don't have him, the Trojans depth is much improved from last season, with Leonard Washington, Keith Wilkinson, and Mamadou Diarra upfront, along with Donte Smith, Marcus Simmons, and Marcus Johnson in the back court. This is in addition to the three talented starting juniors: Daniel Hackett, Dwight Lewis, and Taj Gibson. Of course, you can't forget about freshman phenom DeMar DeRozan. I am extremely excited to watch him play. He may end up being a better college player than O.J. Mayo. As I've said before, I prefer college basketball to college football, so I'm sure you can imagine I'm very pumped for the season to begin. Expect analysis after each USC game right here. The Trojans start the season ranked #21.

-Another big Vikings game on Sunday, as they travel to Tampa Bay to face the Bucs. The Vikings have always had a tough time winning in Tampa, with their last win there coming in 1997. Look for it to be a defensive battle. I have tremendous respect for Monte Kiffen and his abilities as a defensive coordinator. Look for him to throw everything he has at Adrian Peterson and Gus Frerrotte. I see Peterson having a pretty solid game because he is really starting to heat up, but the game will come down to Gus Frerrotte and if he can avoid mistakes. This Tampa defense could cause Gus some real problems, so he just has to connect on the short passes and not force anything. Berrian didn't have a catch last week, so look for him to bounce back this week. I think they'll try a couple deep shots early to try to take some pressure off of Peterson. Look for the Vikings defense to put a ton of pressure on Bucs QB Jeff Garcia. They did a great job on Rodgers last week. Jared Allen is playing out of his mind right now, even with a separated shoulder. In the end, I see AD being the difference in this game. Both teams have solid defenses and veteran quarterbacks who have short memories after they make a mistake. My prediction: Vikings 17, Bucs 14, in a very hard-fought battle.

Thanks for reading. Fight On!

Twins Off-Season Preview

The long awaited Twins off-season preview is finally here! I'm very excited for the Twins off-season because I feel like a marquee name or two will be coming to Minnesota. New GM Bill Smith has shown he's not afraid to make a big deal to get a well known player (Matt Garza-Delmon Young deal). Even if the Twins didn't touch their roster this off-season, they would most likely still be a contender in the AL Central. However, with a few good moves the Twins will go from a division contender to a World Series contender without a doubt. To me, the Twins have four big issues to address this off-season: third base, shortstop, the bullpen, and the outfield situation. First, I'll list the players I see as definitely being on the Twins roster next season. Then, I'll give my take on how they should address their issues this off-season. Here's the players who I see on the Twins next season:

Catchers (2)
Joe Mauer
Mike Redmond

Infielders (4)
Justin Morneau
Alexi Casilla
Matt Tolbert
Brendan Harris

Outfielders (5)
Denard Span
Carlos Gomez
Delmon Young
Jason Kubel
Michael Cuddyer

Starting Pitchers (5)
Scott Baker
Francisco Liriano
Kevin Slowey
Nick Blackburn
Glenn Perkins

Relief Pitchers (6)
Joe Nathan
Jose Mijares
Matt Guerrier
Jesse Crain
Craig Breslow
Boof Bonser

This leaves room for two more position players and one more pitcher, or vice versa. I chose to include all five outfielders because I'm not sure who the Twins will choose to part with, if any of them. I'll discuss the outfield situation more down below. Here is how I believe they should deal with their off-season issues:

Shortstop/Third Base:
I'm lumping these positions together because the Twins already have people who can play both. They also really only need an upgrade from outside the organization at one of the two positions. This is clearly the most important issue for the Twins to address this off-season. They desperately need a right handed power bat to compliment Mauer, Morneau, and Kubel from the left side. Michael Cuddyer was supposed to be that last year, but he couldn't stay healthy and when he was didn't put up the home run numbers we expected to see out of him. Cuddyer really has had only one productive year (in 2006 when he had 25 + home runs and 100+ RBI). The point is, the Twins can't count on Cuddyer to be the right handed power bat. If the Twins had to choose between upgrading at either shortstop or third, they would most likely choose third. They haven't had a true everyday third baseman since Korey Koskie left in 2005. Since then, we've seen Tony Batista, Nick Punto, Brian Buscher, Mike Lamb, and Brendan Harris play the position. They are dying for an everyday power hitting right handed third baseman. However, shortstop has also been a revolving door position for the Twins. If they can get a solid everyday shortstop with some power, I'm sure they would take it. Third base is just more of a priority because it is known as a position where you want someone with power. Twins third basemen combined to hit 7 HR last year, which ranked 29th in the majors. Twins shortstops hit six HR, ranking 22nd in the majors. The bottom line is that the Twins need a significant upgrade at one of the two positions. The Twins could also choose to upgrade at both positions. Here are some names that are known to be on the Twins radar (along with 2008 stats):

3B Garrett Atkins: .286 avg, 21 HR, 99 RBI (currently on Rockies)

3B Casey Blake: .274 avg, 21 HR, 81 RBI (free agent)

SS J.J. Hardy: .283 avg, 24 HR, 74 RBI (currently on Brewers)

SS Yunel Escobar: .288 avg, 10 HR, 60 RBI (currently on Braves)

3B Adrian Beltre: .266 avg, 25 HR, 77 RBI (currently on Mariners)

3B Kevin Kouzmanoff: .260 avg, 23 HR, 84 RBI (currently on Padres)

SS Orlando Cabrera: .281 avg, 8 HR, 57 RBI (free agent)

SS Rafael Furcal: .357, 5 HR, 16 RBI (in 36 games) (free agent)

SS Edgar Renteria: .270 avg, 10 HR, 55 RBI (free agent)

3B Joe Crede: .248 avg, 17 HR, 55 RBI (free agent)

Of these names, I really like J.J. Hardy. He is only 26 years old and has some serious pop in his bat. His defense isn't spectacular, but it's not bad. He only made $2.65 million last year and won't be a free agent until after the 2010 season. His average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage have improved in each of his three seasons in the big leagues and he has hit 50 HR over the past two seasons. The Brewers have a serious need for starting pitching because C.C. Sabathia and Ben Sheets are both likely to leave via free agency. It would probably take Nick Blackburn or Glen Perkins plus a couple prospects to land Hardy. I would do that trade in a heartbeat. While I like Blackburn and Perkins, neither is as good as Slowey, Baker, or Liriano, and neither has much upside. Most likely, what you saw from them last year is what you're going to get in the future, which isn't bad but can easily be replaced. If the Brewers asked for Slowey, I probably wouldn't do the trade because I think he has significant upside. Obviously, Liriano and Baker are off the table. Hardy would fit the need perfectly for a right handed power bat to complement Mauer and Morneau. He could also play third base if the Twins were to aquire another shortstop. Hardy is a young star in this league who I think should be the Twins top priority to acquire this off-season.

Kevin Kouzmanoff would also make a very solid addition. He's only 27 years old and can definitely provide the pop the Twins need. What's also very intriguing about him is how well he has hit away from Petco Park, which is known to be a pitchers park. Kouzmanoff hit .296 on the road last season, compared to .226 at home. His on base and slugging percentages were also significantly better on the road. Think of what Kouzmanoff could do playing at the hitters friendly Metrodome 81 times a year. Kouzmanoff's defense is known to be pretty solid as well. The Padres definitely need hitting, so this would be a place the Twins could trade an outfielder. Also, if the Padres trade ace pitcher Jake Peavy, they will also be in need of some young pitching, something the Twins could definitely provide. Kouzmanoff's name hasn't been directly linked to the Twins in trade talks yet, but don't be surprised if he's wearing a Twins uniform on Opening Day 2009.

Of the other names I mentioned, I like Adrian Beltre, Yunel Escobar, and Rafael Furcal. Beltre is someone who the Twins tried to acquire at the trade deadline this season, but they found the Mariners asking price too high. He is definitely someone who can hit the ball out of the park with regularity. He also is a gold glove third baseman. The down side to Beltre is that he is a free agent after the season and the Twins will find it hard to come up with the money necessary to sign him long term. Hardy and Kouzmanoff are both younger and reaching their primes, whereas Beltre is getting up there in age and probably on the down side. Also, other than one terrific year with the Dodgers when he hit 48 HR and had well over 100 RBI, Beltre hasn't had any phenomenal statistical seasons. He is certainly a good back up option to Hardy or Kouzmanoff, however. Yunel Escobar is also 26 years old and is an up and coming shortstop who plays outstanding defense. He probably isn't exactly what the Twins are looking for in terms of power, so his acquisition is less likely. It would probably have to be in addition to the acquisition of a power hitter. Escobar does, however, have the potential to hit a lot of home runs. I see the Braves demanding a lot for him though because he is really a young phenom. It will be tough for the Twins to pry him away from Atlanta. I really like Rafael Furcal as well. Obviously, the Twins would have to acquire someone else to fill the power void, but Furcal is a terrific defensive shortstop with a cannon arm who hits for a high average and steals a lot of bases. His speed and glove would fit the Twins style perfectly. A lineup with Furcal, Span, Gomez, and Casilla would create fits for opposing pitchers and catchers trying to keep them off the base paths. Furcal is probably outside the Twins price range and is also up there in age, so I don't think it's likely he'll be coming to Minnesota.

Garrett Atkins is a name that has come up a lot lately surrounding the Twins. The Rockies just dealt star outfielder Matt Holliday, so this is where one of the Twins outfielders (most likely Cuddyer or Young) could be used as trade bait. While Atkins is a talented player, I do not want to see him in Minnesota for several reasons. First, his numbers have gone down in each of the last three seasons. In 2006, Atkins hit .329 with 29 HR and 120 RBI. In 2007, he hit .301 with 25 HR and 111 RBI. And in 2008, he hit .286 with 21 HR and 99 RBI. His OBP has also dropped from .409 in 2006 to .328 in 2008, his slugging percentage went from .556 in '06 to .452 in '08, his walks went from 79 to 40, and his strikeouts went from 76 to 100. All of his statistics suggest a downward trend in Atkins' production, which is not what the Twins want. Second, Atkins has been a much different player away from the friendly dimensions of Coors Field. Since 2007 he has only batted .244 on the road. In 2008, he hit .342 at home and .233 on the road, over an 100 point differential. Coors Field is known to be the best hitters park in baseball. Away from Coors, Atkins has been no more than a mediocre third baseman. Atkins will also be 29 years old next season and will most likely make between 6-7 million dollars in arbitration. He will be a free agent after the 2010 season. For all of these reasons, I do not want to see Garrett Atkins in a Twins uniform. I don't mean to dump on him because he is a talented player who would help the Twins to some degree. However, I don't think he's who the Twins should look to acquire.

Casey Blake and Joe Crede are two interesting options. While they wouldn't be my first choices, I would consider both if the Twins acquired someone like J.J. Hardy. If the Twins got Hardy, they could afford to take a gamble on either Crede or Blake. Blake is a former Twin with a good glove and a pretty powerful bat. He has consistently hit over 20 HR every year. The downside is that he is probably looking for a three year deal and he is already 35. Crede is a less likely option because of injury concerns. I don't think he would want to come to Minnesota and play on artificial turf, considering the back problems he's had recently. However, Crede has killed the Twins and when healthy, can hit a lot of home runs.

Orlando Cabrera and Edgar Renteria aren't players who I think the Twins should consider. Both will probably get more money than they deserve because of good past reputations, but they are on the downside of their careers. I would be satisfied with Renteria as an emergency option at shortstop, but I don't want Cabrera at all. He is known to be a terrible club house guy, something that should steer the Twins away immediately. Also, his production has been mediocre at best the past few seasons. Resigning Nick Punto would be a better option than Cabrera. Speaking of Punto, I think the Twins decision on him should depend on what Punto wants his role to be. If he want to be a starter, he should look elsewhere. However, if he is ok with being a utility guy, then the Twins should resign him because he is terrific defensively and in the clubhouse, and he plays the game very hard.

In summary, I would like the Twins to make a serious run at J.J. Hardy. If they can get him, then I would take a gamble on Casey Blake or Joe Crede at third base. A secondary option would be to acquire Kevin Kouzmanoff from San Diego or Adrian Beltre from Seattle. I see the Twins filling this need through a trade, rather than free agency because of the limited and mediocre options available in the free agent market. In the end, I think they'll end up with Atkins, Hardy, or Kouzmanoff, but it's really anyone's guess.

Bullpen:
With the bad news about Pat Neshek coming out yesterday, the need for the Twins to add bullpen help this off-season just increased dramatically. Before Neshek was ruled out for the season, I didn't think the Twins absolutely had to add bullpen depth from outside their own minor league system. Now, I think it's imperative that they do. We saw last year what one injury can do to a bullpen. Matt Guerrier and Jesse Crain were very over worked, and Guerrier especially wore down at the end of the year. If Guerrier and Crain can return to their normal 6th/7th inning roles, I think both will be much more effective this year. Crain was also coming off of shoulder surgery last year, so he should be stronger this year. I think we will see young lefty Jose Mijares take over the 8th inning setup role. He was outstanding in his short time with the Twins down the stretch last season, compiling a 0.87 ERA in 10 appearances. He has the electric stuff for the 8th inning role. I think Boof Bonser can have success in a long relief role, something he was pretty good at last year after failing again as a starter. He has very good stuff. The key for Bonser is location. If he can locate, he could be a good long relief option to eat up some innings when a starter has a bad day. Of course, it goes without saying that Joe Nathan is one of the best closers in the game. He is phenomenal and is without question the anchor of this bullpen. I don't think the Twins will resign Dennys Reyes because they already have lefties Breslow and Mijares, and the price will probably be too high. Reyes also had trouble with inherited runners last year. Since the Twins already have Breslow and Mijares from the left side, they need to acquire a hard throwing right hander who can provide insurance for Crain and Guerrier, and come in to get a tough right handed hitter out in a clutch situation. It's really a crap shoot to guess who they might acquire, but here are some possible free agent candidates:

Juan Cruz: 4-0, 2.61 ERA, 71 K

Darren Oliver: 7-1, 2.88 ERA, 48 K

Russ Springer: 2-1, 2.32 ERA, 45 K

Brian Shouse: 5-1, 2.81 ERA, 33 K

Joe Beimel: 5-1, 2.02 ERA, 32 K

Of these guys, I really like Juan Cruz, who pitched for Arizona last year. He throws very hard and has electric stuff. He'd be a perfect guy to come in and get a big strikeout in the 7th or 8th inning. Darren Oliver is also intriguing. He had a very good year for the Angels this season, and because he is 38 he would probably only require a one year deal, something that would likely be attractive to the Twins. Springer and Shouse aren't as solid as Oliver, but are also up there in age (40). Beimel at age 32 and Cruz at age 30 would require multi-year deals, but I think Cruz especially would be worthy of the investment. We saw how important a good bullpen was for the World Champion Phillies this season. Any of these guys would be a good option. You could also see the Twins address this issue as part of a trade for a shortstop or third baseman. Huston Street, who was just traded to the Rockies, is a name that has come up as a possibility. I don't see Street in a Twins uniform however, because he is a closer and would probably require the Twins to have to give up a lot more than they would have to for a middle reliever or setup man. If I had to guess, I'd say this issue will be addressed as part of a trade, so it's hard to say who the Twins might end up with. Don't be surprised, however, if the Twins address their bullpen issue in free agency because they do have some extra money to spend this winter. They could also rely on young guys, such as Phillip Humber, Anthony Swarzak, Kevin Mulvey, and Anthony Slama.

Outfield Situation:
Right now, the Twins have a surplus of talented outfielders: Denard Span, Carlos Gomez, Delmon Young, Jason Kubel, and Michael Cuddyer. I believe the Twins will part with one of them before the season because it will just be too hard to find quality playing time for all of them. It doesn't hurt though, as we saw last year, to keep all of them around in case of injury. I think the Twins consider Span, Gomez, and Kubel virtually untouchable, and rightfully so. Span and Gomez are both phenomenal defensively, both cause problems on the base paths, and both have the potential to be very solid hitters. We already saw what Span could do at the plate and we started to see by the end of the season what Gomez was capable of. Kubel is also a key piece to hang on to. He was second on the team in home runs to Justin Morneau and is a great run producer from the left side of the plate. The Twins definitely view him as their future DH. That leaves Young and Cuddyer. If I had to choose one to trade, it would be Michael Cuddyer. He has the biggest contract, is very injury prone, has little upside, and has really only had one productive season. I know it seems like I'm dumping on him, but that's how I feel. While he is a tremendous clubhouse presence, has a great arm in the outfield, and can provide some power when healthy, I believe he is the one outfielder the Twins can most afford to lose. Many want to trade Delmon Young based on one less than impressive season with the Twins. Fans have to remember that he is still only 22 years old and has tremendous upside. He could eventually be a guy who hits 30+ HR and drives in 130 runs. There's a reason he was the number one overall pick when he was drafted. With all this being said, Cuddyer probably doesn't have nearly the value that Young has on the trade market. If the Twins can't get what they want for Cuddyer, then they should put Young on the block. I really don't want to trade Delmon, but he does have some attitude issues, is lackluster in the field, and still is very impatient at the plate. Since Span, Gomez, and Kubel are virtually untouchable, Delmon is the next logical candidate to be traded after Cuddyer. I believe though that the Twins can get a lot for a package centered around Cuddyer, despite his big contract and injury history. His injuries have mostly been fluke injuries and he is still a relatively young player with power potential. It will be very interesting to see how the Twins address this outfield situation during the off-season.

Overall Outlook:
I am very excited to see what the Twins do this off-season because I think they are very close to being a serious World Series contender. After losing to the White Sox in the one game playoff this past season, look for the Twins to come out with payback on their minds in 2009. This is definitely a team that believes it can go far. If the Twins can add two or three more quality pieces to their squad, they should be in very good shape for 2009. Their young starting pitching rotation will be one of the best in baseball next season. Scott Baker has all the qualities of a top of the line pitcher, and Francisco Liriano will hopefully be back to full strength. The Twins lineup scored a lot of runs last season (top 5 in the AL), and with the addition of a power hitting third baseman or shortstop to the mix, they should be in great shape again next season. Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau provide a terrific nucleus, and they are surrounded by a lot of talent with Span, Casilla, Young, Cuddyer, Kubel, and Gomez. The Twins bullpen should have a bounce back 2009. With a combination of young guys from the minors and possibly an acquisition, the bullpen will be strong. Look for Matt Guerrier and Jesse Crain to have bounce back seasons. Of course, the anchor Joe Nathan is a dominating force to close out games. This young team under Ron Gardenhire exceeded everyone's expectations in 2008. They won't have to sneak up on anybody in 2009. The Twins payroll was about $10 million less in 2008 than it was in 2007 and they have the new stadium on the horizon, so they have some money to spend this off-season. I can't wait to see what they do.

WE'RE COMIN!!!!!

Vikings Win!

Great win for the Vikings on Sunday 28-27 over the hated Packers in the Border Battle. Viking-Packer games always seem to come down to a field goal late in the fourth quarter, and thankfully, Mason Crosby was wide right on his 52-yard attempt to win the game. It's one of the great rivalries in sports and Sunday didn't disappoint. What a crazy game. The momentum seemed to be in our corner after we went up 21-10 early in the third. However, in a matter of minutes the momentum was squarely in Green Bay's corner after the pick six and the punt return TD. It really felt like we were going to lose the game down the stretch, especially after Adrian fumbled on the 4th and 1 play. Luckily for us, Adrian was not going to let us lose that game. He touched the ball on every play of that critical game winning drive. Obviously the touchdown run was huge, but the most important run of that drive came when we were backed up against our own goal line and AD cut back and went up the sideline for a huge gain. That run gave us some room to work with and took the pressure off Gus to make a big throw. Adrian simply imposed his will on the Packers late in the game. As Paul Allen said, we said to them, "If you can stop Adrian, you win. If you can't, we win." We rode Adrian and he came up with the money. Jared Allen was another big reason we won the game. Even with a separated shoulder, he completely over matched Chad Clifton and was consistently wrecking havoc on Aaron Rodgers. The sack he had in the end zone for the safety was awesome. We are seeing more and more why we traded so much to get Jared Allen. He is an incredible talent. Great game plan by Lezlie Frazier to put constant pressure on Aaron Rodgers. He was uncomfortable all day because he never had time to throw the ball. Frazier definitely learned his lesson from the opener at Lambeau, when we didn't get any pressure on Rodgers and he carved us up. This time, in large part because of Jared Allen, Rodgers looked like he was constantly scared for his life and we sacked him several times. So, the positives of the game were Adrian, Jared Allen, the entire defense, and Sidney Rice (caught a big red zone TD). What were the negatives? Gus Frerrotte and the special teams. Gus almost single handedly lost us the game with his three INTs, one of which was returned by Nick Collins for a TD. He has more interceptions than touchdown passes. If this team wants to win the NFC North, Gus cannot keep making stupid mistakes and trying to force throws that aren't there. All three interceptions were terrible throws that should have never been made. I can't stress enough how important it is for Gus to cut down on the interceptions. On any other day, his performance loses us the game. Also, the special teams play is getting ridiculous. We have allowed six special teams touchdowns, which ties an NFL record. That is completely unacceptable and has to end. The tackling on the Will Blackman punt return TD was horrific. Earlier in the game, he disrespected our punt coverage team so badly that he fielded a punt two yards deep in his end zone, something I've never seen done. Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, who were calling the game on FOX, couldn't believe the stupidity of that play. Blackman clearly thought he had a chance against our coverage unit no matter where he was on the field. It is imperative that our special teams coverage get better. It's as bad as it gets right now. Sorry to sound negative after such a big win over our arch rival, but Gus and the special teams must improve if we are to win the division. I think it was a huge win for the Vikings, and a lot of positives came out of it, as I discussed above. If we lose that game, I think we are probably done. Since we won it, we are right in the thick of the NFC North race, and if we take care of business, we should win the division. Good to see Brad Childress get his first win against the Packers. I'm sure it's a big monkey off his back. Very glad to see the ugly five game losing streak against the cheese heads come to an end. Next week, it doesn't get any easier as we travel to Tampa for a big road game. Analysis to come in this spot. Big win. SKOL.

Vikings-Packers

Vikes host the hated Packers at the Dome today in what I consider a near must win game for the Purple. A win coupled with a Chicago loss to Tennessee (very likely), and the Vikes would be back in a first place tie in the NFC North. A loss would put them in third place, and would give the Packers the head-to-head tie breaker over Minnesota. A win today will be a lot harder to come by if Jared Allen indeed doesn't play. His impact the last few games has been incredible, and not having him today will make it significantly harder to put pressure on Aaron Rodgers. Look for Leslie Frazier to dial up a lot of blitzes to try to pressure Rodgers. Also, look for the Packers to spread the Vikings out with 5 WR looks and use the hurry up offense. In the game at Lambeau, Rodgers was very good at getting the ball out quickly before the pressure got to him. I think he will have a good day today. As for our offense, the key is Gus not turning the ball over and Adrian taking advantage of a weak Packers run defense. I think AD is really starting to get going and we will ride him today. Also, Gus and Bernard Berrian have developed a nice chemistry, connecting on several deep throws. Apparently, the Packers depth at corner isn't very good, so look for guys like Sidney Rice and Aundre Allison to have several balls thrown their way. This Vikings offense has been clicking lately, scoring 9 TDs in the last two games. The Packers will blitz Frerrotte a lot, but I still see this offense having another good game. The game will come down to who has fewer turnovers. In the Bears game, we out played them, but special teams turnovers lost us the game. Against Houston, we only had one TO. We must protect the ball today. In the end, the home crowd and AD will carry us to a big W. My prediction: Vikings 27, Packers 24.

USC-Cal

Huge Pac-10 showdown in the Coliseum today between the #7 Trojans and the #21 Golden Bears. The Bears and Trojans both have one conference loss apiece, making this a game with Rose Bowl implications. This will be by far USC's toughest test at home this season. I believe the Trojans and Bears are the best two teams in the Pac-10. The Bears defense is tied for most interceptions in the country with 17. However, I believe the biggest strength of Cal's defense is their ability to stop the run. Therefore, I see the Trojans coming out passing today from the get go. USC's ability to score on this Cal defense will be the key to winning this game. Cal's offense isn't bad, but I can't see them scoring much against USC's stout defense. As I have said before, the Trojans have without question the best defense in the country, and they will show why again today. Cal's offensive line is beat up. Therefore, I look for Kyle Moore, Clay Matthews, and Rey Maualuga to have huge games. The Trojans will definitely apply the pressure on Cal quarterback Nate Longshore, who likes to stand in the pocket. My prediction: Trojans 31, Bears 10.

Thoughts on a Sunday Night

Many things to discuss. Here's what my sports mind is thinking right now.

-Vikes needed that win today in a big way. The offense was actually decent after Gus recovered from the early pick. They were riding the kid Adrian Peterson in the fourth quarter. AD always seems to be at his best late in the game when the defense is wearing down. Speaking of defense, ours was fantastic for the most part today. Jared Allen came up with two huge sacks to seal the game, which is why we pay him the big bucks. Great to see Bernard Berrian developing a chemistry with Gus. He's been the explosive threat we need ever since Frerrotte took over as the starter. Also, nice to see Madieu Williams finally out on the field and contributing in a big way with the INT. Gus had his best game of the year by far. We limited huge mistakes aside from the INT, which is why we won today. Huge collision next week in the Dome with the hated Packers. I still think either the Pack or Vikes win this division, so next week is very big indeed. Should be fun. Childress needs to find a way to beat Green Bay. 0-5 just won't cut it.

-What a terrible loss for the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight in Oklahoma City against probably the worst team in the NBA. Didn't get to see the game, but after talking to some people who did and looking at the box score, it is clear that Randy Foye lost us the game. You can't have your point guard going for 2 points on 0-10 shooting. That is just dreadful. I really thought Foye would have a breakout year, but it hasn't started too well. With that being said, there still is time for him to turn it around. The draft day trade of Roy for Foye is starting to look worse by the day, however. Randy has to get it together if this team is to have any success this year. Mike Miller has made only one three pointer in three games so far this year, which is a bit of a concern. He is supposed to be lights out from the outside, yet he seems too willing to pass up shots. Hopefully, a little more time to adjust to the offense and he will be right back to form. Big Al is doing his thing, but like last year, the question about who will step up to help him will be there every single night. I'll have more thoughts on the broader outlook for the season when I get around to it and have some more free time.

-College football really needs some kind of playoff system. Again, I plan to do a long blog on this sometime, but it becomes apparent around this time every year how screwed up the BCS is. All you need to know is that a Big Ten team (Penn State) could have an undefeated season and still not have a chance to play for a national title. If that doesn't strike you as blatantly unfair and wrong, I don't know what's wrong with you. Every other college and professional sport does it, and so should college football. Don't give me this crap about the bowl system not being able to be part of a playoff, because it could definitely be worked in. And also, my opinion isn't based off USC's situation. I've had this view for a long time, well before I came to USC.

-Speaking of college football, what a phenomenal end to the Texas-Texas Tech game last night. Very happy I got to see it live. Michael Crabtree might have vaulted himself into Heisman contention with that amazing catch on the national stage against the number one team in the country. Wow. Just a terrific play by a terrific player. Graham Harrel also out played Colt McCoy in this game, something very few people saw coming. Tech is the real deal, but they have Oklahoma State and Oklahoma the next two weeks. I still think Texas is the favorite in the Big 12 because of their remaining schedule. But as we saw in the final weeks of last season, anything can happen. USC needed that Texas loss. Now we need some more Big 12 and SEC chaos, and hopefully, a Penn State loss at Iowa next week. National Championship seems unlikely, but you never know. 'Bama at LSU is a big one next week, along with Tech hosting Oklahoma State. Get your popcorn ready. Oh yeah, USC won 56-0 in dominating fashion over Washington. Fight On.

-Very excited for the start of college basketball season. Expect a lot of analysis on this blog about the Trojan squad that should contend for the Pac-10 title this season and challenge the hated Bruins. I am giddy to see DeMar Derozan take the floor. Personally, I am more of a college basketball fan than college football because there are more games, the NCAA Tournament is one of the best events in sports, and I just prefer basketball to football. I had a great time watching O.J. Mayo first hand last year, and I'm ready to see what this year's squad can do. Again, expect analysis before and after every game right here.

-Excited for Summer of Stun to begin their off season pursuit of improvement. Much analysis to come on that as well. I'm definitely feeling a big name coming to 'Sota this off-season to try to push the Twins over the hump in the AL Central and make them a true World Series contender. It's always tough for me during baseball off-season, but I'm making it through ok so far. That being said, there's a long way to go. Being in the sun doesn't hurt though. Last year in the Dome next year...We're Comin.

Have a great week. Fight On.

Thanks for reading.

World Series

What a crazy World Series it has been with the suspended game that is scheduled to resume in a couple hours. I read some great stuff yesterday about how the Rays spent their off-day in Delaware because of the bad weather in Philly. Should be an interesting chess match tonight between the managers right from the get go. Who will Charlie Manuel use to pinch hit for Cole Hamels? Will Joe Maddon go to the bullpen before a pitch is even thrown? How early will we see David Price? These are only a few of the questions we should see answered almost immediately when the game resumes. The managing will be analyzed over and over after this one. On paper, I saw the Phillies have an advantage because of better bullpen depth. However, Price, unlike any star Phillies reliever, can go multiple innings. Also, the fact that they are at home gives the Phillies an advantage. Despite the apparent Phillies advantage, I still like the Rays in this one and I will stick with my prediction of Rays in seven. I can't tell you exactly why, but I just have this feeling after Carlos Pena got that clutch hit to tie it on Monday that the Rays will find a way to get this series back to Tampa. If they do, chaos will ensue and everyone will want to see if Charlie Manuel would bring back Cole Hamels on short rest for Game 7. A 3-1 series that looked over could get very interesting, very quick. Should be a good one tonight for die hard baseball fans like myself.

Also, I'm excited to watch at least part of the Wolves opener tonight as well. I'll try to post my reaction as soon as possible after, along with some questions the Wolves must answer this season.

Thanks for reading.

A Weekend in Arizona with the Trojans

I just got back from Tucson, Arizona last night, where I spent the weekend watching the USC-Arizona game on Saturday and hanging out with my sophomore band class. It was a very fun trip for many reasons (the quality of the game itself not being among them). Here are the impressions I came away from the weekend with:

1. Arizona football fans are assholes. I know it's pretty blunt, but I feel it's best to just throw the truth out there. First, when we got to Arizona on Friday night, we bussed into the campus area for a rally at a hotel near the stadium. From the moment we got there, every expletive in the book was yelled at us, people were honking car horns while we were warming up, and one individual tried to walk through the band on the way to the rally while yelling expletives along the way. The real nature of the fans came out on game day, however. When we got into the stadium about 80 minutes before the game, the student section was completely full. About 20 minutes later, Mark Sanchez came onto the field with the offense to warm up. From the moment he took the field, the student section was yelling f*** Mark Sanchez over and over in unison. Classy, huh? When he left the field, the chant simply changed to f*** the Trojans. Even when we were running out the clock on the victory, f*** the Trojans was the call from the student section. I didn't hear a positive Arizona chant all day. For all you knew, it was a USC scrimmage being held at Arizona's stadium. Also, on the way back from the game, without any prompting, an Arizona fan grabbed the mouthpiece off my trumpet and chucked it across the band. In addition, someone's helmet got stolen while we were changing by our buses. Luckily, our security guards caught that guy and gave him what he deserved. If you know me, you know I'm all for cheering loudly for your team and even against the other team at times, but there is a line that shouldn't be crossed, and the U of A fans clearly crossed it.

2. USC's defense is without question the best in the country. When you come into the game outscoring opponents 138-0 in the last 10 quarters, you know you're good. Then, when you hold an Arizona offense that had been averaging 41 points per game over 30 below that average, you know you're really good. The Trojans D made U of A quarterback Willie Tuitama look like a freshman, even though he's a four year starter. The biggest play the D made was in the fourth quarter, when Rey Maualuga stormed through the line to stop the Wildcats on a 4th and 1 from midfield with about 7 minutes left. I've never seen players go crazier in regulation of a Pac-10 regular season game then the Trojan defenders did after receiving the signal that the Wildcats had come up short. They were leaping in the air, sprinting towards the sideline, and hugging each other. They knew the game was on them to win because of the offensive struggles and they came up huge in front of a hostile crowd in Tucson.

3. USC's offense, especially Mark Sanchez needs to be more consistent. For 2 out of the last 3 games now, Sanchez has struggled to find open receivers, has held onto the ball too long, and is relying too much on the big play. On the Trojans first play from scrimmage, Sanchez badly overthrew a wide open Patrick Turner streaking down the middle of the field for what surely would have been an easy touchdown. It set the tone for the game. Sanchez just looked off in his rhythm and timing. He also, I thought, tried to hit the home run play too often, when he could have settled for a short first down gain. One example was on a 3rd and 1 when he could have easily run for the first down, but instead, thought he had an open receiver and tried to force the ball into Stanley Havili (who had a brilliant game, I might add). In that situation, up by a touchdown in the 4th quarter, you have to take the first down. Know the situation, settle down, and don't get too far ahead of yourself. The offensive line also had a terrible game, giving up four sacks. They, however, have played fairly consistently well all year. The Wildcats threw a lot of blitzes at Sanchez, and he just looked at times like he was ill-equipped to handle them, mainly because he held onto the ball too long. If the Trojans hope to win out, they will need more consistent play out of Sanchez and his O-line.

4. Stafon Johnson is a gamer. The block the Trojan running back threw on Wildcats safety Nate Ness to free up Mark Sanchez to throw the touchdown pass to a wide open Stanley Havili was absolutely bone crushing. Ness was coming off the corner, ready to hit Mark Sanchez hard. Johnson picked up the blitz and made Ness never want to try to rush the passer again. He was down for several minutes after the play. Add that hit to the fact that Johnson was the only thing the Trojans could rely on offensively on Saturday (rushing and receiving), and you have to say that he was at least co-player of the game with Stanley Havili. I say, though, that the hit on Ness gives Stafon Johnson the leg up over Havili.

5. Pete Carroll never takes a win for granted. We had the pleasure of sitting directly over the Trojans tunnel where they entered and exited the field, so we had a good view of the players and coaches expressions on their faces. The look of pure youthful joy and relief on the face of Carroll after the game told me all I needed to know about what a victory means to the man in a tough environment in a Pac-10 road game. Even though the performance by the Trojans probably wasn't he desired, Carroll showed with his beaming smile and youthful charisma that every victory is important and you should be thankful each and every time you come out on top. Sometimes, we take that for granted at USC, so it was nice to see that our great coach always keeps it in perspective.

6. The Trojans face a steep uphill climb to the BCS National Championship game in Miami. I could do a whole post on why I hate the BCS (and I will at some point), but things don't look great for USC right now. With Penn State's victory over Ohio State in Columbus, the Nittany Lions look primed to earn a spot in the title game. Basically, the two participants in the game will be chosen from the conference champions of the Big 10, Pac 10, SEC, and Big 12. If Penn State wins out, that leaves the other spot to be chosen from the Pac 10, SEC, and Big 12. Even if the Trojans win out (and they have to in order to have a chance), I can't envision a title game without a Big 12 or SEC team this year. Again that's part of the nature of this screwed up system, but the BCS rewards you for playing in a tough conference, and the SEC and Big 12 are without question the best two conferences in America this year. What USC needs to hope for is a Penn State loss down the stretch. If that happens, we could easily, and probably will see the Trojans in the title game. Right now, the situation is this:

-The SEC still has three teams who could make it: Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. Either Florida or Georgia will play 'Bama for the SEC title most likely. Right now, Alabama is still undefeated, so USC needs them to lose at least one. Will a one-loss team from the SEC edge out the Trojans? That remains to be seen, because it depends who the team is a who their one loss was against. I would venture to say though, that because the SEC is a little weaker then the Big 12, that USC could very well edge out a one loss team from the SEC for a birth in the title game. There are a lot of factors, but it's possible.

-The Big 12 also has three teams who could make the national title game: Texas, Oklahoma, and Texas Tech. I don't think a one-loss Oklahoma State team is truly in the running, though one could make an argument they are. Texas and Texas Tech are still undefeated, but they play at Texas Tech on Saturday. The Trojans should be pulling hard for Texas Tech. Why? Texas is ahead of USC in the rankings and Texas Tech has a much tougher remaining schedule. A victory by Texas Tech on Saturday would make an appearance in the Big 12 title game an uphill climb for Texas, and if you don't even make it to your conference title game, the BCS is unlikely to put you in the national title game. Will a one loss Big 12 team edge out USC? Assuming they are the champion of the conference, the answer is probably yes if the team is Oklahoma or Texas. However, if a one loss Texas Tech team wins the conference, I would guess USC would edge them out because of Tech's extremely weak non-conference schedule.

-Penn State needs to lose, in huge upset fashion. If they do, they will be immediately out of the running to appear in the championship game as a one loss team, just because the Big 10 is weak and they didn't play anybody in their non-conference schedule. A loss by Penn State, I think, would make the odds greater than 50-50 that the Trojans go to Miami. However, I don't see a Penn State loss on the horizon. The Trojans might have to just hope for complete chaos in the Big 12 and SEC.

-Obviously, the last point goes without saying. The Trojans must win out.

Glad to be back home after the big weekend. Looking forward to the start of the NBA season this week. I'll probably do a Wolves preview this week (including why I haven't followed them as much recently, but plan to do so this year), a reaction to the Williams Bros. situation with the Vikes, and when the World Series ends, a wrap up of the MLB season and the long-awaited Twins off-season preview.

Thanks for reading. Fight On.

Rays/Phillies

What a great start to the 2008 World Series. Before it started, I said the Rays would win in seven (I have witnesses). I'm holding to that prediction because I still thought the Phillies would win Game 1 with Hamels on the hill. The Phillies absolutely needed that 3-2 Game 1 victory. For them to have a chance in this series, they must win every game when Hamels is on the mound. Why? Because they are facing a mismatch in every other pitching match up in this series. Shields is terrific at home, so I give him the slight edge over Myers tonight in Game 2. In games 3 and 4, the Rays have a huge advantage, with Garza and Sonnanstine facing off against Moyer and Blanton. The location for games 3 and 4 (in Philly) will off set the advantage slightly, but Tampa still has a significant edge. Hamels was terrific again last night, as he has been the entire post season. If the Phillies end up winning this series, he would be the MVP of the playoffs. What the Phillies need is Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins to get going. Last night Utley stepped up big time for the Phils, but since you know the Rays bats will get going, the Phillies need Howard and Rollins to keep up with them. Both look out of wack right now, especially Howard. He just needs to hit a ball to the opposite field, and that might get him going. They are pitching him hard away, and he is missing the ball by several feet right now. On another note, Brad Lidge has been filthy good this season, and was again last night. I've never seen a pitcher generate so many check swings with a slider, and Lidge did it to Pena and Longoria last night. His slider is so nasty, with tight rotation and a great sinking action to it. He really is a sinker/slider pitcher, but it's the same pitch. It's just filthy. Lidge and that Phillies bullpen will keep them in this series, and may be the deciding factor. We'll see. Great Game 1. Looking forward to Game 2 tonight.

Thanks for reading.

A Letter From Zygi Wilf to Brad Childress

I'm sorry it's taken me a few days to post since the Vikings debacle in Chicago on Sunday. I needed some time to compose myself. However, I figured in lieu of analysis, this letter would serve my purposes nicely. This is what Zygi Wilf should write to Brad Childress before the next game (No, I don't think he will):

Dear Coach Childress,

Effective immediately, you are fired as coach of the Minnesota Vikings. You have until tomorrow at noon to clean out your office and arrange a meeting to say goodbye to your players. I appreciate everything you have done for this franchise (or haven't done). Good luck in the future. Here is why I made this decision:

1. The Vikings have shown no signs of improvement from last season, despite the addition of star caliber players. Although the defense has been pretty good overall, the offense looks anemic and the special teams mistakes are ridiculous. You may have gone 6-10 your first year and 8-8 last year, but if things continue going the way they are, we won't make it to 10-6 this year, and with this team, that's unacceptable. We should have been in the playoffs last year, and with you at the helm, I'm not sure we get there this year. That's why I'm making a change.

2. The offensive play calling has been terrible, to put it nicely. The play calling is the same virtually every series of every game: run, run, pass, punt. The offense did do well against the Bears, but that is the only game this year it looked like it should. When you have Adrian Peterson and Bernard Berrian, how can you ever look anemic? Don't play right into the defense's hands! Don't run it up the middle with Adrian every time when the defense is stacking the line with 8 or 9 men in the box! Get AD the ball in the flat, so he can have some open space to make plays. Take a few shots down field to Berrian every game to keep the defense honest and possibly execute on a big play. Throw the quick slant to Bobby Wade. Basically, play to the strengths of your players, not to the strengths of the defensive game plan of the other team! Do something they might not expect. Your latest example of shoddy play calling came against Chicago. In an otherwise well-called game, you rolled out Gus Frerrotte on a 4th and 2 in Bears territory late in the 4th quarter. That's not the time for trickery! That's the time to give the ball to Adrian (who had been killing them all day) and let him barrel his way to a first down. Know when the time is to be fancy, and when to just stuff it down their throat.

3. You completely failed at the quarterback position. Your first year, you ran Daunte Culpepper out of town before putting in old man Brad Johnson for nearly an entire season. The same year, you drafted Tarvaris Jackson, someone who you though would be the future quarterback of this team. While he looked good at times last year, this year he was supposed to be markedly better, capable of leading this team deep into the playoffs and possibly the Super Bowl. After two games, you were forced to remove Tarvaris as the starting QB because even you had realized that your experiment had failed. He may be good in practice, but when the lights come on, he is inept with his throws and decision making. Why didn't you get another proven quarterback in the off season? How could you go into a season with an unproven Tarvaris Jackson and a washed up veteran Gus Frerrotte? Is that even possible for a team that wants to contend for a Super Bowl? Don't bother answering these questions for me now. It's too late Chilly. I'll have to answer them myself.

4. You couldn't beat the Packers. If there is one thing you have to do as Vikings coach, it's beating the Packers. 0-5 against the Packers is not going to cut it. Even when Brett Favre left, you couldn't manage to beat the Packers on opening night at Lambeau. That loss was pretty much on the shoulders of your favorite quarterback Mr. Jackson and your inept play calling. Sorry Mr. Childress, you won't have another chance to beat the Packers, at least as coach of the Minnesota Vikings. I'm going to find someone who can.

5. Your personality makes me want to puke. You are secretive with the media and fans about players and injuries, I've never seen you crack a smile on the field, and I'm not sure you could motivate a fly. Your teams come out with fire on the road, but at home it seems like the motto is "Let's get the job done" rather than "Let's kick some ass." This team needs a fiery personality, and you certainly don't possess that.

I'm sorry if I seem a little harsh, but this is a proud franchise. The Minnesota Vikings and their fans are dying for a Super Bowl and a coach that can lead them there. Unfortunately, I don't think you are the man to do that. You have under achieved, your play calling is awful, you set us years back at the quarterback position, you can't beat the Packers, and you don't have the right personality for the job. It's been good working with you Brad, but your time here is through. I have to find a coach who can restore the honor and winning tradition to the Minnesota Vikings. You are not the man for the job. Good luck in all of your future endeavors.

Sincerely,

Zygi Wilf

NL Champion Phillies/Bad Joe Torre Decision

Congrats to the Philadelphia Phillies. For the first time since 1993, they are headed to the World Series. They dominated the Los Angles Dodgers in every facet of the game throughout the series. They had a deeper rotation, better bullpen, more timely hitting, and better speed and defense. The better team clearly won. For Dodgers fans, I think the series came down to Joe Torre's decision to pitch Derrek Lowe in game number 5. I think it was an absolutely atrocious decision for a number of reasons. While you may have given yourself a slight edge in the pitching match up for that game (which is slightly diminished because Lowe is on short rest), you have put yourself at a disadvantage the rest of the series. Why? Because in game five your number 2 starter (Billingsly) had to go against their number 1 (Hamels). If the series had gone back to Philly, they would have had their number 2 against the Dodgers number 3. Lowe could have come back to pitch game 7, which I suppose factored into Torre's decision, but the fact is, it hurt the match ups for him in as many games as it helped them. The only pitcher on the Dodgers staff who had a chance to beat Hamels was Lowe. Instead, Torre trusted Billingsly to do it, who is very inconsistent and was coming off a terrible start in game 2. Some may say the Dodgers needed to win game 4, which is true, and they didn't have a good enough fourth starter to do it. Valid point, but if you lose game 4, game 5 is an absolute must-win to extend the season. If you win game 4, game 5 is pivotal to win in order to go back to Philly up 3-2. Joe Torre should have handed the ball to Greg Maddox in game 4. Yes, he had been really bad with the Dodgers in the last month of the season, but he knows how to pitch in the post season. Would it have been a risk? Absolutely, but then at least you can put your best pitcher out there against their best in game 5. Would it have made a difference in the outcome of the series? Probably not, but it did kill any chance the Dodgers had. Congrats again to Philly. Very impressive.

Rays go for the World Series tonight. By guess is that the Sox win with Dice-K tonight, and then go back and lose game 6 in Tampa. That is probably the better way for the Rays to win it anyway. Don't you want to see the Trop go crazy? They might not know what's happening, but at least they'd be screaming their heads off. The Rays winning tonight would be crazy as well, though. You would be able to hear a pin drop at Fenway, and winning 3 straight there would just be downright silly. We'll see what happens.

Thanks for reading.

The State of the Vikings

The first place Minnesota Vikings (Did I just type that?!) head to Chicago this week to face the Bears and seem to be completely out of wack. Everyone is calling for the coaches head, linebackers are going down left and right, and this offense can't find a way to put the ball in the end zone. This team obviously has some big problems, and I think they mostly come down to coaching.

There is absolutely no reason why the Minnesota Vikings should not win this division, hands down. They are the most talented team in the division on both sides of the ball. Yes, even on the offensive side. Jared Allen, Pat Williams, Kevin Williams, Chad Greenway, Ben Leber, Antoine Winfield, Darren Sharper, Adrian Peterson, Chester Taylor, Bernard Berrian, Steve Hutchinson, Matt Birk, and Bryant McKinnie. Anytime you have players like that on both sides of the ball, you should be able to succeed. The defense is playing like a top-5 unit in the NFL, so no blame goes to them. The offense is playing like my Blake Bears high school football team did my senior year when they went winless. Why? Terrible play calling.

Many will say this offense has a mediocre quarterback, which is true. But with the weapons the Vikings have, they should still be able to generate something, which they haven't. Take Adrian Peterson. He hasn't been able to break off his traditional long runs because of 8 and 9 man fronts. How do you combat that? Adrian Peterson is best when he's in the open field making people miss. Get him the ball in the open field! Throw him the ball in the flat and let him make people miss. Use the defense's aggressiveness against them. The Saints do it with Reggie Bush, and it works wonders. Take a page out of their play book. Plus, after you make the defense respect the screen, then maybe some lanes will open up for AD inside. Take Bernard Berrian. He is supposed to be your deep threat. Take 3 or 4 deep shots down the field to him every game! Even if you don't complete any, it at least shows the defense that you have that in your play book. It gives them something to fear. Also, you probably will complete one or at least get a PI call. It will also free up lanes for AD. Basically, what I'm saying is let your players play to their strengths. Get Adrian the ball in the flat, get Berrian the ball deep, and do the same things for your other players like Wade, Shiancoe, and Sidney Rice (if he ever plays). Other teams have to start respecting the fact that we can do things successfully other than handing the ball off to Adrian up the middle. Until Brad Childress starts doing this and not calling run-run-pass every single drive, this offense won't get any better. Oops, did I just give away the game plan for Sunday? Sorry, Brad.