Bleacher Report - Articles by John Meadus

Brett Favre's Career Day Lifts Jets Past Cardinals

John Meadus — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 05:21:18 -0400

Brett Favre has broken just about every NFL passing record you can imagine in his career. But never before did he throw six touchdown passes for the Green Bay Packers, like he did yesterday for the Jets.

The game started out very sloppy, like the Michigan-Wisconsin game on Saturday. Warner fumbled twice on the first drive and three times in the first half, along with two INTs, one of which was returned by Darrelle Revis for a touchdown in the second quarter.

Favre also had a shaky first quarter, making a very bad throw across his body and the field when it looked like he thought he had a free play because he thought the guy was offside.

The second quarter started with a 12-yard TD pass to Coles. That started the air show that would continue for the rest of the game. Three plays later Revis had his pick-six. Favre would connect with Coles two more times in the quarter and after two Jay Feely field goals, the Jets would score 34 points in one quarter.

Now I have been a Jets fan for a little while now, and I can't remember at all a time when the Jets scored 34 points in a half, or a game for that matter, let alone one quarter.

At halftime it was 34-0. But I'm not going to lie—I turned it off because the Mets game was on and I figured that this one was over.

Well, while I was watching the Mets game on TV, I was following the Jets game on my computer because Favre is my fantasy QB.

The third quarter started with Edgerrin James rushing for a touchdown. That's okay; I knew the Jets' D wasn't good enough to shut out a very good Cardinals offense. Then, only about five minutes later I flipped channels to see what was going on during a commercial and the Cardinals were on the two-yard line again.

James ran another one in for a TD and I thought, "There's no way the Jets can blow a 34-point halftime lead, is there?" Not three minutes later, I look at my computer and the Cardinals are again inside the five-yard line. This time Hightower runs one in for a touchdown.

That was about the time I started to think these guys are really going to blow this game. It was now 34-21 going into the fourth quarter.

Thankfully, after that it just turned into the Favre-Warner show with both QBs exchanging TD passes for the rest of the game, Favre with three and Warner with two in the quarter.

The Jets showed that they have the ability to score points, which I knew they would be able to do with a good offense. But the defense showed a lot of weakness in the secondary. Their run defense is really doing well this season, giving up fewer than 50 yards rushing in the game. But the secondary giving up 472 yards in the air is a little much.

The Jets now go into their bye week with a lot to work on and the easy part of the schedule coming up, where they will face the Bengals, Raiders, and Chiefs in the next three weeks. They should win these games and be 5-2 going into the game with the Bills in Buffalo week nine.

P.S. Look I know that it's their history and everything, but those are the ugliest jerseys in the league and I think it might be time to lay those to rest for a while now.

NBA Draft: New Jersey Nets, Looking to Land LeBron, Steal the Show

John Meadus — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:57:32 -0400

Midway through a disappointing season, the Nets traded away one of the best point guards not just of my time, but of All-Time.

New Jersey traded away Jason Kidd to the Mavericks for a first-round pick and young guard Devin Harris. Early today, before the draft, the Nets traded away another one of New Jersey's "Big Three," when they sent Richard Jefferson away to the Bucks for young forward Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons.

I feel like these moves are a clear sign to me as a fan that they are throwing away the next two seasons, in order to clear up cap room to make the big push to bring LeBron James to the team.

There has been a lot of talk about this move for the last year or so, as the Nets have gone nowhere in the East, and the team has gotten older. The next move might just be a Vince Carter trade. But I am not sure whicch team would want a 31-year-old shooting guard, who is due to make a ton of money over the next three seasons.

The LeBron plan was set into motion when the new part owner of the Nets, rap superstar Jay-Z, said publicly that he wants to move the team to Brooklyn, New York and that he wants LeBron James to be a part of the move.

As we speak, the draft is finishing up and I think that the Nets couldn't have had a better one. As I was watching, I knew who was going 1-2-3, but Westbrook was a bit of a surprise at number four. I figured Love would go at five, so I starting the countdown, hoping no one would take Lopez.

No one did, and the 7'1", 258-pound center out of Stanford fell right into the Nets' lap.

I love this pick. This kid brings a mean streak to the Nets, something they haven't really had out of a big man since Derrick Coleman. Their next pick, the 21st pick from the Mavs, was the Pac-10's leading scorer from last year, Cal's Ryan Anderson.

I don't know much about him—but from what I saw, this kid can flat-out shoot the ball, which is something the Nets need.

As I was watching the second round, I noticed the Chris Douglas-Roberts was still out there. So again I sat there and yelled at my TV during every pick, hoping that another outstanding player would fall into the Nets lap.

And wouldn't you know it? After the 39th pick, he was still there. Give the Nets a lot of credit—it didn't take them very long to make the pick, which must mean they were waiting and hoping like I was to get this kid.

I think that getting Lopez 10th was a steal, but getting Douglas-Roberts with the 40th pick was a crime. He was the best player on the best team in the country for the first half of the season, until Rose grew up and took over. Roberts was a first team All-American, and averaged 18 points a game.

All and all, I am now looking forward to watching the Nets over the next two years, just to see these kids grow. I really feel that even if they get rid of Vince, this team might still be still be able to contend in a very weak Eastern Conference. But I am still prepared for a 25-win season next year.

Do I think they will get LeBron? I think its too early to tell. It is still all about the money, and he would be playing in the biggest market in the country. The Cavs would be crazy to let LeBron get away, but it might not be their choice.

I think if James is to go anywhere he might end up playing across the river for the Knicks—granted they clear $100 off the cap in the next two years. It should be fun to see.

On a final note, I know some of you people watching the Draft might be wondering just who the Kings picked with their 12th overall pick. I want to say the Kings got a good player with tons of potential in Jason Thompson from Rider. He averaged 20 points a game in his last two seasons.

I also wanted to say congrats to him as he is representing Burlington County, New Jersey. And to all of you Kings fans who don't know who he is, let me tell you first hand—I have played against Jason and this kid can play.

College World Series: Fresno State's Glass Slipper Fits

John Meadus — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 18:23:54 -0400

In one of the best College World Series I have ever seen, the Fresno State Bulldogs shocked the No. 8 Georgia Bulldogs in the rubber match of the best-of-three series Wednesday night, 6-1.

Fresno State was a four-seed in the Regionals, which is the equivalent of a 13-16 seed in the NCAA Basketball Tournament.

They started out in a very tough Regional in which they had to beat Long Beach State and San Diego, two teams that were nationally ranked, along with a Pac-10 team in Cal.

After facing their first elimination game they advanced to the Super Regional in Tempe, Arizona against the Sun Devils of Arizona State. ASU was a favorite not only to get the College World Series, but to win the National Championship.

After losing their first game, the Bulldogs rallied to win Game Two of the three-game series. Then after the Sun Devils faked a fight before the third game between their two top draft picks, Fresno went on to win their second game while facing elimination to become the lowest seed to ever advance to the CWS.

Their first CWS game was against a national powerhouse in Rice. Rice has always been known for their pitching, but the Bulldogs put up 17 runs on the Owls to win their first game. Their next game featured the No. 2-ranked UNC Tar Heels and their 55 wins. The Dogs beat the Heels in their first meeting 5-3, and they seemed to be in the driver's seat in this double-elimination tournament.

The Tar Heels advanced and now had to beat the red-hot Bulldogs twice to reach the finals. An eighth-inning homerun gave UNC a 4-3 win over the Bulldogs, and everyone thought was that this would be the end to this Cinderella story.

But no, Fresno came back with yet another win while facing elimination. They outscored the Tar Heels 6-1, ending their season, and put themselves just two wins away from winning the National Championship.

The CWS final was set. It was Bulldogs vs Bulldogs. The No. 8 team in the country against the Cinderella story.

In Game One, Fresno threw almost every arm they had left in the pen, and every pitcher who threw had an ERA over 6.00. The whole staff for Fresno threw very well, and they had the lead going into the late innings. Then Fresno put in their closer, who had an ERA below 3.00. Georgia came back on Cinderella, 7-6, and it looked like the clock was about to strike 12:00 in Fresno.

In Game Two, Georgia jumped out to an early five-run lead, and it appeared this miracle run was about to come to an end. Then the Bulldogs put on one of the most impressive hitting displays in CWS history, scoring 19 runs on Georgia and winning by a football score of 19-10, once again winning while facing elimination.

In Game Three, it seemed as though Fresno was meant to win this game. They got a great outing from their starting pitcher, Justin Wilson, who pitched eight very strong innings and allowed only one run.

But the two big time heroes for this Cinderella were their third baseman, Tommy Mendonca, who made some outstanding plays in the field in the series while playing with dislocated fingers, and their right fielder, Steve Detwiler, who drove in all six of their runs with two home runs and a double. This gave Fresno a 6-1 victory to win the National Championship.

Being a college baseball player, I really did enjoy watching the whole tournament play out. I still think that it might be time to think about maybe switching all college baseball to wood bats instead of metal. High-scoring games are great for some people to watch, but really, 19-10? I don't think the Georgia Bulldogs Football team's defense gave up 19 PPG.

All in all, the Fresno State Bulldogs' Cinderella season should go down as one of the biggest upsets in college sports, but saying that it was the greatest of all time is going a little too far. You still have the Villanova Wildcats beating the Georgetown Hoyas in basketball to win the National Championship.

But take nothing away from these guys—facing six elimination games and winning all of them is truly special, and they have reserved their seat in not just College Sports, but American Sports history.

Congrats to all the teams on another great season, and maybe this CWS will convince ESPN to start broadcasting the regular season on TV as well. Maybe.

America's Pastime: College Baseball

John Meadus — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 05:43:22 -0400

It's April. Football season has been over for two months, and won't start up again for another four or five months. Basketball and hockey are both ending their regular seasons and beginning their playoffs.

It is baseball season, but not just for professional baseball! Not just the guys who get paid millions of dollars to sit on the bench with a sore pinky toe. Not just the guys who don't run out ground balls or pop-ups to the infield. I am talking about the kids who may not make it to the next level, but still put out more effort and hustle than the "pros" do. I am talking about college baseball.

Everyone loves college football because of all the big crowds, and the atmosphere in huge stadiums across the country. The same goes for college basketball: guys running up and down the court, diving on the floor for loose balls and taking charges. These are the things that professional games lack these days, which makes some people enjoy college sports more than professional sports.

What is so different about college baseball?

I really don't think college baseball gets the kind of recognition that it deserves. It has all the passion and desire that the professional game has and more. You can just see the desire in players' faces when they play, because for most, this is their last chance to play this game in such a highly competitive way. You can see these kids dive all over the field, not because they're getting paid to, but because they are having fun and playing out of love for the game.

I am a college baseball player, myself, and I believe that there should be more college baseball games on television for people to see. I think that college baseball is always exciting to watch, because even a five-run lead is not safe when hitters are using aluminum bats. While it's true that ESPN shows the College World Series, there are plenty of other games out there during the regular season to watch. For example, take when Florida State plays Florida, or UCLA plays Arizona State.

The College World Series is great, because you can see all the emotion that goes into the game. For the winners and even the losers, all their pent-up emotions come out after the games, and even on the field during play. It's tough to say that about the Majors these days.

I don't think that, watching on TV, you can say that every player gives 100 percent every game. They do play three times as many games as college kids do, but it makes no difference to me. College baseball players always play hard, and when they get to the College World Series and are on TV for once, they play even harder, which makes it great to watch.

I am not advocating putting college baseball games on ESPN in place of MLB games, but when I am going through the channels and I get to ESPN2, I see drag racing on for three hours.

Maybe, instead of televising one of the least popular sports in America, they could show a college baseball game every once in a while.

Mets Woes: Not in a New York State of Mind

John Meadus — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 05:02:09 -0400

Two weeks into the season and who would have thought that the Florida Marlins would be in first place in the National League East.

The Mets are a game under .500 at 5-6 to start the season. There is no real reason to panic, yet. The Mets have been plagued by the injury bug early this season. This is something that Met fans needed not to see this early. This team is very weak when it comes to having any prospects in the Minors and the bench isn't the strongest either.

Jose Reyes was the latest to go down, he's listed at day to day. Luis Castillo is also day to day with a knee problem. But the big injury that could smell real trouble for the Mets is the left hamstring of Pedro Martinez. The Mets starting rotation is very thin as it is right now, and now with Pedro out four-six weeks and El Duque now out indefinitely with a foot problem I think it might be time for the Mets to go out and look for some free agent pitching help.

Their starting pitching hasn't just been the problem early on, the bullpen has had its struggles as well. Aaron Heilman has struggled early on with a 6.23 ERA along with Jorge Sosa. Matt Wise was supposed to come in and strengthen this already stellar bullpen, but Wise has come in and only pitched one inning and has an ERA of 10.80.

There have been some positives for the Mets 11 games into the season. Nelson Figueroa made his first start for New York and pitched very well carrying a perfect game through four and two-thirds innings, getting his first win since 2003.

The other very nice surprise has been the hitting of Angel Pagan. I didn't think that he would be playing this well early in the season. He is hitting .385 with ten RBIs. The other two pleasant surprises have been the acquisitions from the Nationals, Church and Schneider. Church has come in and done what he is supposed to do, hit for average and knock some guys in and get on in front of him. He is hitting .326 with eight RBIs.

Schneider on the other hand was just supposed to come in and be the wall that they needed behind the dish. Everyone knew when he came to the Mets that he was a great defensive catcher, but he is also hitting the ball well to start the season. He is hitting .324 through ten games this year.

It has been a very shaky start to the season for the Amazin' Mets. They have enough experience and leadership to turn it around and win the NL East. They did snap their nine game losing streak to the Phillies and started one of their own. There is no need to panic yet New York Mets fans.

2008 Major League Baseball Predictions: Part 7 of 7

John Meadus — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 09:11:47 -0400

This is the last of my seven-part series of predictions on the upcoming MLB season. In this part of the series, I will give my playoff predictions and award winners for the year.

National League Rookie of the Year: Cincinnati Reds RHP Johnny Cuerto

This guy shows real promise on a below-average team. He will put up good numbers in his first year and will be a cornerstone of the organization for years to come.

American League Rookie of the Year: Boston Red Sox RHP Clay Buchholz

After only pitching in four games last year, Clay looks to improve on last year's no-hitter and help the Red Sox back into the playoffs and possibly the World Series.

National League Manger of the Year: New York Mets Willie Randolph

After last year's epic collapse, the pressure is on Willie to win in New York this year, especially with new addition Johan.

Randolph will help lead the Mets back to a division crown, the playoffs, and a possible World Series appearance.

American League Manager of the Year: Seattle Mariners John McLaren

Sure, the Tigers, Red Sox, and Yankees will have better records, but that is expected. The Mariners will sneak their way into the playoffs behind their pitching and their first-year manager.

National League Cy Young: New York Mets LHP Johan Santana

Santana has shown in the American League that he is worthy of winning Cy Young's.

This year he will prove himself in the National League, especially with at least eight starts against the Marlins and Nationals. He will be a big part of the Mets making their way into the playoffs.

 

American League Cy Young: Seattle Mariners RHP Felix Hernandez

With new starter Erik Bedard now as the ace of the staff, Felix Hernandez will not have all the pressure on him to perform and carry the team.

Without all the stress, the 21-year-old will have a career year. He will help lead the Mariners into the playoffs.

National League MVP: New York Mets 3B DavidWright

For the Mets, the past is past. Look for the line-up to come around and for Wright to be a big RBI man and have a career year in home runs. With plenty of protection in the line-up, Wright will see good pitches and lead the Mets to the playoffs.

 

American League MVP: New York Yankees SS Derek Jeter

Even with all the attention being put on A-Rod, Jeter was still a big reason the Yankees made the playoffs. After being snubbed more than once by not getting the award, this will be the year he finally gets it.

National League Wild Card Round

New York Mets 3, Arizona Diamondbacks 1

The Mets line-up will be too much for the worn-out arms of the D-Backs, and the Mets will advance to the next round.

 

Chicago Cubs 3, Philadelphia Phillies 2

The Cubbies have too much hitting and pitching for the Phillies to handle in the playoffs.

 

American League Wild Card Round

Boston Red Sox 3, Seattle Mariners 0

The Red Sox are just too strong for the young M's to handle this year.

New York Yankees 3, Detroit Tigers 2

The Yankees just have too good a line-up for the Tigers pitchers to deal with, and now with Hughes and Joba in the starting rotation at the end of the year they will be hard to beat.

 

National League Championship Series

New York Mets 4, Chicago Cubs 3

The Mets have the better bullpen in this match-up. Once playoff time comes, having a good bullpen becomes key, and that’s what will get the Mets into the World Series.

 

American League Championship Series

New York Yankees 4, Boston Red Sox 3

In yet another classic between the Sox and Yankees, this one will go down again to a game seven showdown with the Yankees get a clutch hit finally from A-Rod to win the game and the series.

World Series

New York Mets 4, New York Yankees 3

In part two of the “Subway Series,” the Mets will finally get the upper hand on the Yankees. They will use their better bullpen and speed to beat the powerful Yankees in seven games.

World Series MVP—New York Mets SS Jose Reyes

Reyes will provide a much-needed spark to their line-up by getting on base and into scoring position. He will create runs for the Mets and lead them to victory in the World Series Championship.

2008 Major League Baseball Predictions: Part 5 of 7

John Meadus — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 09:38:49 -0500

American League Central

The American League Central looked at the start of last year to be one of the more competitive divisions in baseball.

The White Sox were looking to repeat on their season from the year before, the Twins looked to have a solid pitching staff and looked to be on their way back up, and the Indians had a very strong line-up.

The Tigers had a well-rounded team, and the Royals... well, they were the Royals.

But before the season started the Twins found out they were going to be without their new young stud pitcher Francisco Liriano, the White Sox just completely collapsed and everyone was blaming everyone else, and the Royals were again...the Royals.

It became a two-team race by the All-Star break between the Tigers and Indians. In the end, the Indians had the better pitching staff and bullpen to hold off the Tigers for the division crown.

Will things be the same this year? Not if new Tigers Miguel Cabrera, Dontrelle Willis, and Edgar Renteria have anything to say about it.

Detroit Tigers (92-70)

Aside from the Johan to the Mets trade, the next big trade in the Majors in the offseason was the Tigers adding one of the best hitters in baseball to an already strong line-up. Miguel Cabrera added into this line-up will take the Tigers from being a step below the Red Sox and Yankees in terms of line-ups, to having maybe the best line-up in the Majors.

If you look at, this line-up really has no easy part in the order. It has speed at the top with Granderson, a great bunter and contact hitter in Polanco, and the 3-4-5 is the best combination in the game with Magglio, Sheffield, and Cabrera. Factor in Pudge, Carlos Guillen moving to 1st base, Edgar Renteria coming off a good season, and Jacque Jones and his over 120 hits last year batting ninth and you have an incrediable line-up.

The piching staff also got a boost with the addition of the D-Train. He joins smoke-throwing Justin Verlander, Jeremy Bonderman, Kenny Rogers, and Nate Robertson. All these guys have to do is hold the other team to less then five runs and they have a chance to win.

Their bullpen is also very good with Todd Jones as the closer and Rodney, Grilli, Seay, Byrdak, Miner, and after the All-Star break even the return of Joel Zumaya to the bullpen. I think the battles between the Tigers and the Indians we be the only to watch for out of the Central Division this year.

Cleveland Indians (87-75)

The Indians had a great run last year winning the Division, beating the Evil Empire in the first round of the playoffs, then losing to the eventual Champs the Red Sox. They have found a great 1-2 combo in the starting rotation in C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona.

Their pitching staff was one of the best in the league, led by the two starters at the top and also a surprising year from Paul Byrd and Jake Westbrook. And now add to that a new young gun Aaron Laffey and this staff looks to be on of the best in the league. The Indian bullpen might be up there with the pen in Boston with Borowski closing, Betancourt, new pitcher Kobayashi from Japan, Aaron Fultz moved to the pen, Tom Mastny, and Rafael Perez.

Their line-up has three potential All-Stars in Travis Hafner, Grady Sizemore, and Victor Martinez. After that the line-up shows a bit of weakness with not as not power at the bottom of the order. I think that this team will give a great fight with the Tigers, but in the end the Detroit line-up will just be too powerful for the Tribe.

Chicago White Sox (77-85)

The White Sox were a bit of a dissappointment last season and that trend will continue this year with the Indians and the Tigers at the top of the division. The White Sox are getting older and more injury prone by the day. Their line-up was good three years ago but now Thome is getting older and has lost a little pop in his bat, Dye's numbers will start to go down since that career year he had two years ago, and Konerko can't carry this team by him self.

The White Sox added some new players in Orlando Cabrera and Nick Swisher but they are not going to help them get over the hump. The bright side is that Josh Fields and Carlos Quentin have some upside in the line-up and should mature into good hitters by the end of the year. The pitching staff is too inconsistent with Mark Buehrle at the top and Vazquez, Contreras, Danks, and Floyd.

I don't believe this rotation has enough to handle the Detroit demolition crew. Their bullpen has some good pitchers with Jenks as the closer and Linebrink and Thorton, but Octavio Dotel has been hurt and been with four teams the past couple years. I don't think this team has enough pitching and firepower to hang with the Indians and Tigers this year.

Minnesota Twins (72-90)

The Twins are gone into a rebuilding mode after the trade of franchise pitcher Johan Santana, but the rebuilding process might not take that long. The Twins have the foundation for a strong team that might be ready to compete for the division not this year but maybe next year. Their line-up is very young with only one player over 30 in the starting lineup, Adam Everett (31).

The Twins outfield has two of the best young players in all of baseball in Delmon Young and Carlos Gomez. They have one of the best catchers in Joe Mauer and one of the best 1st basemen in Justin Morneau. The rest of the line-up is a little weak with Brendan Harris, Mike Lamb, Michael Cuddyer, and Jason Kubel.

Their pitching staff is young and has one of the best young starters in the league Francisco Liriano coming back from arm surgery, we will have to see how he does after the injury. Boof Bonser, Scott Baker, and Kevin Slowey will go through their bumps and bruises this year and Livan Hernandez will eat up innings for the bullpen.

The bullpen still has one of the best closers in the game in Joe Nathan, and Juan Rincon, Jesse Crain, Pat Neshek, Matt Guerrier, and Dennys Reyes will provide an average bullpen for the Twins. This team won't be very good this year, but I have to give credit to the GM for what he got for Johan and what he got from the Ray. This team should grow and gain experience and might be ready to make a serious run at the division in two, maybe three years.

Kansas City Royals (69-93)

And now for the report out of Kansas City, the Royals will again finish at the bottom of the division. I don't know how this team can have a top-five draft pick every year for the past 10 years and still not be in the playoff hunt. They do have some very good prospects, but they get thrown into the fire way to quickly. They don't give them any time in the minors to develop, instead they rush them up to the majors before they are ready and they struggle.

Again, the Royals have a good young line-up with Alex Gordon and Billy Butler. The rest of the line-up has its issues with no power and not that much speed. Jose Guillen was a decent pick up but he has always been inconsistent, Mark Teahen has shown flashes of power, and the rest of the infield with Pena Jr., Grudzielanek, and Gload will land them at the bottom of the Central again.

Their pitching staff doesn't have any young prospects or any potential to grow. Gil Meche is overpaid, Brian Bannister never really panned out, neither did Zack Greinke, Kyle Davies looked to be good but had a rough year last year with the Braves, and Luke Hudson really has no upside.

Their bullpen has an unproven closer in Joakin Soria and relievers Gobble, Peralta, Mahay, Yabuta, and Bale. All in all this team has a long, long way to go before it's going to climb out of the basement of the Central Division.

In Part Six of the series, I will examine the American League West Division. The Mariners have upgraded their pitching staff but will it be enough to get them past the Angels.

2008 Major League Baseball Predictions: Part 4 of 7

John Meadus — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 07:24:55 -0500

American League East

The American League has been the most exciting division to watch, just because of the ongoing hatred between the Red Sox and the Yankees.

Both teams have the highest payrolls in the Majors—the Yankess have $100 million more then the Red Sox, but Boston is starting to catch up.

Both teams seem to have to outdo each other when it comes to signing free agents. The Yanks get Bobby Arbeu, the Sox then go out and get J.D. Drew. The Red Sox sign two Japanese pitchers, so the Yanks go out and get one of their own.

With these two teams playing the "anything you can do I can do better" game between them, the door has been opened for a new team to sneak in and maybe surprise the Sox and Yanks.

Boston Red Sox (94-68)

The defending World Champions haven't lost anything off of their Championship team. The only change really is that Curt Schilling will be out for a while. That means that the Sox and going to their two young studs Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz will be at the back end of a very strong rotation. Behind maybe the D-Backs, this may be the strongest staff in the Majors but it's still close. Josh Beckett is a front-runner for the CY Young and Daisuke somewhat lived up to the hype that came with him last year. Wakefield will be there to eat up innings and the two young guns will round out the rotation. There line-up is virtually unchanged from last year. Big Papi and Manny at 3 and 4 in the batting order is as scary a one two combination as any in the league. If Lowell and Pedroia can continue the hot steak they had in the playoffs this could be the most fear line-up in the Majors. The two things that need to happen in this lineup is that Coco needs to go and Jacoby needs to start, and J.D. Drew needs to earn his money and become a productive hitter behind Papi and Manny. The Box bullpen was the best in the league and it will be again if healthy. Papelbon is one of the best in the league at closer and Okajima was one of the best relievers in the game last year. Along with Mike Timlin, Kyle Snyder, Manny Delcarmen, and Julian Tavarez this should be the best pen in the league again. The only reason the Red Sox won't win 100 games is because they have the Yankees and Blue Jays to play in their division.

New York Yankees (91-71)

The A.L. Wildcard will again go through the American League East and again the Yankees won't be able to beat the Red Sox for the division. The Yankees also have the same line-up and mostly same pitching staff as last year. Their pitching staff will be anchored for Chien-Ming Wang coming off a great regular season, but a shaky postseason. Along with the Sox, the Yankees are bring up their two young guns to their rotation, Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes. The very big question mark will be around Andy Pettitte and Mike Mussina. Will Pettitte be able to pitch around all of the Mitchell Report, Rodger Clemens, and HGH talk before, during, and after every game. And will the Moose be able to be affective again after last year showing signs of his age during the year. The Yankees bullpen will be strong again with of the best to ever close, Mariano Rivera, to pitch the 9th. The rest of the bullpen is somewhat of a question mark. What will the Yankees do with Joba Chamberlain? There have bee talks all through the off-season that he will be a starter, then he was back in the pen. Now he's going to start the season setting up for Rivera, then they are sending him down to Triple-A to become a starter again, then they will bring him back up when he's ready to fill him in the rotation. I don't understand that at all. Look I know how un-hitable he is but I believe you groom him into being the successor of Mariano, and you get him as the closer for 12+ years in New York. The line-up will again be one of the most feared in the League. A-Rod looks to have another monster season, but he is predicting for Jeter to win the MVP and Abreu to have a monster season as well. The only real change in the line-up is in the outfield. Johnny Damon moves to Left Field, Melky Cabrera will start in Center, and Matsui will be the DH. Robinson Cano and Jorge Posada should complete a very strong line-up. I don't think they have the pitching to match-up with the Red Sox but they will make the playoffs with new Skipper Joe Girardi.

Toronto Blue Jays (86-76)

Most people don't realize that the Blue Jays finished above .500 in what was the toughest division in the AL. They made some new additions to the line-up and they have a chance to compete with the two powers of the American League. Their strong point will be their starting rotation. Beind two potential aces in Roy Halladay and A.J. Burnett is staff is right up their with the Sox and D-Backs for best in the league. Dustin McGowan, Shaun Marcum, and Jesse Litsch will be the rest of the very strong rotation that will give the monster line-ups of Boston and New York trouble. Their bullpen has also been overlooked. With a healthy B.J. Ryan as the closer and Jeremy Accardo, Jason Frasor, Scott Downs, and Brian Tallet this bullpen will win a lot of games for the Jays. Their line-up is also somewhat overlooked. Frank Thomas is getting older but still has some pop left in his bat. Their outfield with Alex Rios and Vernon Wells is one of the best in the league. New additions on the infield Scott Rolen and David Eckstein will provide a defense boost to this team also with Aaron Hill, Lyle Overbay, and Gregg Zaun catching. Toronto is only I think one more big bat in their line-up from maybe passing the Yankees for the Wildcard, but not yet.

Tampa Bay Rays (71-91)

This will be the second year, 2004, that the Rays will not finish last in the American League East. They have loads of young talent that is almost ready to make an impact in the East. If there is one thing this team over the other teams in the AL East, is that is had lots of speed. Carl Crawford will be an All-Star again in the outfield, and along side him in the outfield will be two other young stars in B.J. Upton and Rocco Baldelli. The infield is fairly young and inexperienced with Evan Longoria and Akinori Iwamura, and with new addition Jason Bartlett at short. Carlos Pena will look to improve on a career year and Dioner Navarro will be a strong backstop for the Rays. Their starting pitching is still one or two years away. Scott Kazmir and Jason Shields are a strong 1-2 at the top of the rotation. Matt Garza was a great pickup from the Twins and along with Edwin Jackson and Andy Sonnanstine this rotation will have it's bumps and bruises along the way. The bullpen is still a work in progress with old Angels closer, Troy Percival, doing the work late in games. Al Reyes, Dan Wheeler, Gary Glover, Scott Dohmann, and Jaul Salas will be the rest of the bullpen. The Rays are still young and have lots of prospects but are still two or threes away from competing with the big boys at the top of the division.

Baltimore Orioles (65-97)

The only good thing about the O's upcoming season is that the Texas Rangers are not in their division. This team is going through a rebuilding time. They have a good amount of young prospects in the minors and it might be time for them to look to move guys like Melvin Mora, Brian Roberts, and Kevin Millar. They have a lot of young arms that still need to develop. Fernando Cabrera has the ability to be an ace but need to find some control. Adam Loewen, Jeremy Guthrie, Garrett Olson, and Troy Patton will gain some experience this year and will start to develop into a formidable pitching staff. This O's staff has the potential if healthy and they all stay together, to be able to compete with the Yankees and Sox after about 2 years. This line-up has some stars with Nick Markakis and a potential All-Star in Adam Jones but it will take some time. The bullpen is a work in progress with no real closer in George Sherrill and a lot of young arms. This will be a rough year for Baltimore fans but there are some signs of things to come for the Orioles.

In Part 5 of this 7 part series I will breakdown the A.L. Central. The Tigers on paper look like the team to beat with there new addition of Miguel Cabrera and the D-Train, but the defending Central Champs, the Indians will have something to stay about that.

2008 Major League Baseball Predictions: Part 3 of 7

John Meadus — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 13:20:48 -0500

National League West

The National League West I think was by far the most competitive and exciting division in baseball last year.

The two teams that made the playoffs, the Rockies and Diamondbacks, weren't even the early season picks to go to the playoffs.

Being a college pitcher, the one thing I love about this division is the depth in pitching.

There is a great balance in this division. Last year the Padres led the National League is just about every pitching category, the Rockies lead in just about ever hitting category, and the Diamondbacks were in in the top six in almost every pitching and some hitting category.

The storylines in this division will be very interesting to watch as well. Can Joe Torre win in the National League? Will the addition of Dan Haren give the D-Backs the top rotation in the league? Can the Rockies repeat the magic of last year? And can the Padres gain just enough offense to win the division?

Arizona Diamondbacks (88-74)

The Diamondbacks made the most overlooked trade in the postseason by trading for ace Dan Haren. Haren's trade got lost in the Johan Santana sweepstakes, but if you look at Haren's career numbers you can see why they got lost. Haren has a career 3.82 ERA with only five more wins then losses.

So what's the big deal with Haren? The big deal is he played for a team with no offense and virtually no bullpen, and every year he has been getting better. The rotation with Haren, Brandon Webb, and a potentially healthy Big Unit is scary. Doug Davis and Micah Owings are above average starters for the back end of a rotation.

Where this team's potential weakness could be is the bullpen. They traded away their All-Star closer and now Brandon Lyon will be the stopper. Lyon is an unproven closer with only 25 career saves, whereas Valverde led the league with 47 last year.

The rest of the bullpen with Pena, Qualls, and Cruz are strong, and can eat up some innings.

The D-Backs' line-up was one of the worst when it came to teams to make the playoffs in MLB history. But now these young players have a year and playoff experience under their belts and can only go out.

Upton, Drew, Young, and Jackson should put up much better numbers this year, and the "Vets"—I guess you can call them on this young team—Byrnes, O-Dog, and Chad Tracy should provide the leadership and numbers to get this team back into the playoffs.

San Diego Padres (86-76)

The Padres looked like the team to beat at the beginning of the season last year. They were going along the first half of the season as they were 49-38 going into the All-Star break. Then some key injuries and the bats quieting down opened up the door for the Diamondbacks and eventually the Rockies to climb in and go to the playoffs.

This year they are being overlooked behind the D-Backs and the Rockies, but I think they have enough to make a run at the D-Backs and the Wild Card.

Their rotation might be a bit underrated. Jake Peavy is one of the best in the game and was the NL starter in the All-Star game last year. Chris Young also had All-Star numbers last season. After that there might be some questions.

Greg Maddox's age might start to become a question—but when hasn't it been in the best couple years.? Randy Wolf should be able to put up average numbers, but the real wild card of this team—and maybe the division—is Mark Prior. If Prior can get healthy and get back to the form that we remember when he first came up with the Cubs, then this rotation might be the best in the league.

Their bullpen is solid, with one of the best closers of all time in Trevor Hoffman. Trevor will have to shake off his last game of the season, when he blew the save to put Colorado in the playoffs.

The Padres' line-up has a good mix of speed and power, with new second basemen Tadahito Iguchi and Khalil Greene. The power should come from Kouzmanoff, Gonzalez, and—if he's healthy—new outfielder Jim Edmonds.

I think that the Padres will leave everything on the field, but they don't have enough talent to keep up with the D-Backs in the West.

Colorado Rockies (85-77)

The Rockies were, I think, the best story of the 2007 season. The way they ended the year—winning 20 some games in a row—was incredible. Then they carried that momentum into the playoffs, sweeping the Phillies and with a great series against the D-Backs.

As unbelieveable as their line-up is, they lack in pitching.

Their bats are some of the best in the NL. Matt Holiday had a MVP type season and was just as deserving as J-Roll. Todd Helton is one of the best pure hitters in the game and Brad Hawpe, Garrett Atkins, and Troy Tulowitzki make this line-up hard to get through top to bottom.

But when they ran into the powerhouse Red Sox in last year's World Series, their one weakness was exposed—their starting pitching. This, I think, will keep Colorado out of the playoffs. I just don't think Francis, Cook, Jimenez, Morales, and Hirsh can get them back there.

Now, they do have a lot of young arms with Jimenez and Morales, I think they are one year away, and maybe another pitcher, from putting the pieces together in the rotation.

The Rockies' bullpen is solid with Corpas closing, and Fuentes, Taylor Buchholz, and Herges setting up.

I think this team will put of a fight and this should be the most exciting races in the most exciting division in baseball, but I think that they are still one front-line starter from being back into the playoffs.

L.A. Dodgers (83-79)

The Dodgers are the best team in the Majors that is going to finish in the bottom half of their division.

If they were in the NL Central they might be considered the favorite, but behind the D-Backs, Padres, and Rockies they aren't getting any attention.

The L.A. line-up has a lot of speed with Pierre and Furcal at the top and some power with Kent, Kemp, Martin, and Loney. Kemp and Loney will be starting their first full season in the starting line-ups so we will see if they will be capable of contributing in the future.

Their rotation is only average compared to the other two top staffs in their division. Penny is a good number-one, and Lowe is a solid number-two starter. Chad Billingsley is still very young and Hiroki Kuroda is unproven as a starter in the MLB.

Their bullpen—with Saito, Broxton, Beimel, and Proctor—might be the best in the West. I think this team may be one more front-line starter and one more big bat in the line-up away from moving up.

This will be the year we find out if Joe Torre can manage a N.L. club. All in all, this team will be in the thick of the Wild Card race, but will fall short of the rest of good teams in the NL.

San Francisco Giants (64-98)

The Giants had a bad record last season, but they finally got rid of all the baggage that the Home Run King Barry Bonds brought with him.

This is definitely a rebuilding year for the Giants. They went out and got Aaron Rowand, but I don't think he will have anywhere close to the year he had last year. They have the potential to have a dominant starting rotation, with all their young arms and overpaid pitcher Barry Zito.

Defensively, this team is very good with Vizquel, Roberts, Rowand, Winn, and Durham, who is moving back to second.

The bullpen in a work in progress, with Brian Wilson as the closer, and Vinnie Chulk, Randy Messenger, and Tyler Walker setting him up.

I think this could be a team that most of the contenders will look to for that added player that could help them make the playoffs. The Giants have the youth, and maybe it's time to start playing them and look towards the future.

I think that the West will be the most competitive Division in the NL, and maybe even the Majors. It will be a very exciting race, and I can't wait for the season to start to watch it unfold.

So now you have seen my picks to make the playoffs out of the NL.

East- New York Mets

Central- Chicago Cubs

West- Arizona Diamondbacks

Wildcard- Philadelphia Phillies

In the last part of the series, Part 7, I will give my predictions on the playoffs and the World Series.

But in the next part of the series, Part 4, I will give my analysis of the AL East. Most people think it will be a two-team race with the Sox and the Yanks—but don't forget about the Blue Jays.

2008 Major League Baseball Predictions: Part 2 of 7

John Meadus — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 15:12:41 -0500

National League Central Division

The Central Division brought one of the biggest surprise teams of the year in Milwaukee. They had the Rookie of the Year at third base in Ryan Braun, as well as good young players and pitchers. But in the end their youth and inexperience caught up to them and they were unable to catch the Cubs at the top of the Division.

Will it be another two team race in the Central, or will the Cardinals climb back to the top? Will the Astros make a push for the Division crown with new shortstop Miguel Tejada?

Chicago Cubs (88-74)

Happy 100 years Cub fans! Yes it has been 100 years since your last World Series title. So many good teams and yet no championship. Could this be the year the Cubbies break the curse of the goat? I think they have the team that could compete for the National League title.

Their pitching was one of the best rotations in the league last year as they were second in the NL in ERA and first in BA against. Carlos Zambrano is one the best pitchers in the game. The rest of the rotation with Ted Lilly, Rich Hill, and Jason Marquis combined for 37 wins last year.

The one weakness of this team was the bullpen. This year Carlos Marmol will relieve Ryan Dempster as the closer. And you can't forget about Kerry Wood. If Wood is healthy he could turn into one of the better relievers in the game.

The Cubs lineup is strong with a lot of power, but not as much speed. Their only real stolen base threat is Ryan Theriot who had 28 last year. Soriano had 19.

But who needs speed when you have Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, and Alfonso Soriano?

The Wildcard in this lineup is going to be Kosuke Fukudome. He is going to be put into a lot of RBI situations in the five or six hole, and if he can deliver he will have more than 100 RBI.

The Cubbies look like the team to beat in the Division, and I think they will win but not without a struggle from Milwaukee, Houston, and St. Louis.

Milwaukee Brewers (85-77)

The Brewers were somewhat of a surprise last year. Most people thought it might take another year for the young talent to mature and gain experience, but it didn't take very long. Now the Brew-Crew are in the heart of the playoff picture to start the season.

The starting rotation will the anchored by All-Star Ben Sheets. Dave Bush, Jeff Suppan, Yovani Gallardo, and Chris Capuano will provide a solid staff. The bullpen has been upgraded from last year with new additions Guillermo Mota, Salomon Torres, Seth McClung, and new closer Eric Gagne.

The key for this team will be whether or not Gagne can be a dominate closer again. If he can, this team will be right in the thick of the race, but I don't think he will and that will be the downfall of the team.

The Brewers lineup has a mix of youth and experience. The experience comes from new catcher Jason Kendall and new center fielder Mike Cameron. Bill Hall will go back to his comfortable spot at third base and the Rookie of the Year, Ryan Braun, will move to left field.

I think this team is going to give the Cubs trouble, but I think they still might be a year away from winning the Division and getting a Wildcard.

Houston Astros (83-79)

The Astros had an off year last year and finished 17 games under .500. The face of the franchise, Craig Biggio, retired in the offseason and with that the Astros went out and got some talent.

They traded for Miguel Tejada right before the Mitchell Report came out. They also added a good young outfielder in Michael Bourn and a proven closer in Jose Valverde.

Their starting rotation is strong at the top with Roy Oswalt, but the rest of the rotation has issues with consistency. Woody Williams and Wandy Rodriguez had rough years, but there is some hope with Brandon Backe able to start the year after being on the DL most of last year.

Their lineup definitely got a jump start with the addition of Miguel Tejada. If Kazuo Matsui can continue to build upon a great postseason, he and Berkman, Lee, and young Hunter Pence will add to a solid lineup.

Their bullpen got a much needed upgrade with Valverde, but also Brocail, Geary, and Oscar Villarreal should add to a solid pen.

I think this team will be right in the thick of the race, but they need to go out and get another front line starter to go with Oswalt if they want to pass the Cubs.

St. Louis Cardinals (79-83)

The Cardinals took a major hit last year during opening night against the Mets when they lost ace pitcher Chris Carpenter for the season. Their season just never really got started and they finished third in the Division. This year, they will again be without Carpenter for at least the first few weeks after having Tommy John Surgery.

Their lineup isn't what it was that past few years when they went to the playoffs and the World Series. Yes, Albert Pujols is one of the best pure hitters in the game, but who is going to protect him in the lineup?

Troy Glaus? He has been injury prone the past few years and has a problem of striking out often. Chris Duncan? Rick Ankiel? Ryan Ludwick? I don't think so.

Their starting rotation is average with Wainwright and Looper at the top both coming off decent seasons. Joel Pineiro and Matt Clement will have to pitch like they did when they first came up to the majors for this team to be successful.

The bullpen might keep them in some games with Ryan Franklin, Russ Springer, Randy Flores, Tyler Johnson, and Jason Isringhausen doing the closing.

I think this will be a bit of a rebuilding year for the Cardinals, but they still get to play the Reds and the Pirates in their Division so their record won't suffer that much.

Cincinnati Reds (71-91)

The Reds had a bad year last year and the way their lineup is shaping up, it could be a rough year in Cincinnati again.

The one thing that the Reds have is starting pitching. They do have two front line starters in Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo, and a young stud pitcher in Homer Bailey. Their bullpen doesn't look to be that bad either with Francisco Cordero as the closer and Weathers and Stanton setting up for him.

The problem with this team is the lineup. They have some young talent in Edwin Encarnacion and Brandon Phillips, but Griffey isn't getting any younger and it seems Dunn strikes out twice a game.

I think these guys will start off the season slow and the trade rumors will start to pour in for one of their pitchers and for Jr. If they're smart they should try to get some young prospects to come in and build for the future.

Pittsburgh Pirates (65-97)

There is not much to say about the Pirates except wait till next year.

Their starting rotation has been up and down the past few years. Gorzelanny, Snell, and Maholm are good young pitchers but might need another year of experience and a bullpen behind them before they climb out of the basement of the NL.

Their lineup has some strong points with Jason Bay and Freddy Sanchez making the All-Star game. Nate McLouth is a good outfielder and Jack Wilson does the job defensively. They need to find a guy to protect Bay in the lineup or Jason won't see any good pitches this year.

The Pirates traded away their closer and now have Matt Capps finishing games. Marte, Grabow, and Meek provide some relief in the pen but not much.

The Pirates need to think about trading some of the older players and getting prospects to rebuild for the next few years.

In Part Three of this seven part series of predictions, I will be breaking down the NL west. Will Joe Torre lead the Dodgers to the playoffs, or will arguably the best starting rotation in the league in Arizona carry them back to the playoffs? And don't forget about Colorado.

2008 Major League Baseball Predictions: Part 1 of 7

John Meadus — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 07:31:55 -0500

This is part one of a seven-part series of the predictions of the upcoming 2008 MLB season.

The first part will be a preview of the National League East.

Last year, the Mets were the front-runner the whole season, until the last month. New York's meltdown will go down in history has the biggest collapse of a team ever.

But still, the Phillies, who won the East last year, are still not getting any respect.

This should be one the toughest divisions in the league this year with good young talent on every team.

If we are talking Fantasy Baseball, in a regular 10-team draft, five out of the 10 first-round picks would be from the NL East (Ramirez, Reyes, Santana, Wright, Rollins).

Three of the best shortstops in the entire league are in the East: Ramirez, Reyes, and Rollins. Three of the best at the hot corner in Wright, Zimmerman, and Jones are also in this loaded division

This will be a great race to watch this year.

New York Mets (100-62)

The Mets look that the team to beat on paper, but they also looked like the team to beat on paper last year.

They made the biggest splash in the offseason by acquiring Johan Santana from the Twins, but in doing so, gave up their best outfield and pitching prospects. They also added Ryan Church and Brian Schneider from the Nationals.

Their pitching rotation, if healthy, should be tops in the league behind ace Johan Santana. Their lineup is strong at the top with Wright, Reyes, Castillo, and Beltran, but it has some questions at the bottom with an aging Alou and Delgado.

Their bullpen could be one of the best in the league with Heilman, Feliciano, Schoeneweis, and Wagner to close.

As long as the Mets stay healthy, they should win the East and be the favorite to play in the Series. Any injuries and this team doesn't have much depth in the minors.

Philadelphia Phillies (88-74)

The Phillies were a bit of a surprise last year, as most had the Mets penciled in to win the East even before the season started last year, and it has happened again this year.

Philadelphia should be playing with a chip on its shoulder after winning the East and not getting any respect this year to repeat.

They have a strong rotation with Cole Hamels at the top, along with Myers and Kendrick. Also a stung lineup with power coming from Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell and speed and contact coming from Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, and Shane Victorino.

Their bullpen was one of the best in the league and should be again. If new closer Brad Lidge can return to his old form before the 600-foot shot Phat Albert hit off of him in the playoffs, this 'pen with Flash Gordon, J.C. Romero, and Ryan Madson should be solid.

They should give the Mets trouble again this year and will look to be in the playoffs as the Wildcard.

Atlanta Braves (85-77)

The Braves finished the year above .500 in the toughest division in the NL and they return a good mix of young talent and experience. They did lose Jones, who has been a cornerstone of that franchise in the outfield since he made his debut in the World Series at 19.

The Braves' pitching has always been at the top of the league ever since Bobby Cox took over as manager. This year's staff , however, isn't the most youthful in the league, with Tim Hudson, John Smoltz, and Tom Glavine leading the way.

Not for anything, but when the Mets announced they were not going to resign Glavine and Maddux was going to be a free agent, there was a part of me that wanted to see arguably the best trio of pitchers in recent history back together again.

Their lineup has some holes, apart from the middle with Teixeira, McCann, and Jones, and they don't really have much in the way of flash in the order with could hurt them in a division with tons of speed.

Their bullpen looked to be the best in the league last year with three potential closers at the end, but due to injuries and trades, the 'pen doesn't look to be as strong. Soriano will be a solid closer, but with Gonzalez having elbow problems and no one else except maybe Yates stepping up, this could be their biggest weakness.

Look for the Braves to give the Mets and Phillies trouble all year but run out of gas at the end.

Florida Marlins (75-87)

The Marlins come into this year with one of the youngest lineups and pitching rotations in the league.

Their lineup has one of the most exciting young players in the league at the top in Hanley Ramirez. Behind him are more potential studs in the majors led by Uggla coming off a down year last year compared to his rookie year.

Cameron Maybin might be an early favorite to win the NL Rookie of the Year with the potential he has.

Their pitching rotation is still a few years away from being a top staff. Led by Scott Olsen and young phenom Andrew Miller, this could be a one-two combo to lead the Marlins into the playoffs in one or two years.

Their bullpen has a lot of questions, as they do not have a proven closer in Kevin Gregg who did have 32 saves last year but had an ERA over 3.50.

This Florida team is two or three years away from competing again for the World Series again.

Washington Nationals (70-92)

The Nationals are going through a rebuilding stage and don't look to make much noise in this division.

They have a young stud at third base in Ryan Zimmerman, and they traded for Mets' prospect Lastings Milledge. After that, Willy Mo Pena has a ton of power but strikes out too much, the same goes for Austin Kearns.

The middle of the infield with Guzman and Belliard should be fun to watch in the field defensively, but not much to watch at the plate. Their starting rotation is led by Shawn Hill and John Patterson. This is a staff whose high win total last year was eight.

The bullpen might be their strength with Cordero closing and Rauch and Ayala setting up.

The Nationals have a good farm system and are a couple years away from challenging for the division crown.

Part two in the series will focus on the Nation League Central. It has now been 100 years since the Chicago Cubs have won a World Series title. Will this be the year they make a run at the Series?

NBA Power Rankings: Midseason Report

John Meadus — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 12:52:45 -0500

We have made it to the NBA All-Star Break, and there have been some surprises so far this year.

The first is the play of the young Portland Trail Blazers. When Greg Oden went down at the beginning of the year no one thought this team would be any good, much less be contending for the playoffs.

Another surprise, but for all the wrong reasons, is the Miami Heat. They have the worst record in the league and look to be a lock for the 1st pick in the draft.

The play of the L.A. Lakers would have to be considered a surprise to most.

Before this season, Kobe wanted a trade for some help or he wanted out. But no one thought the Lakers had anyone who could help Kobe, and they are in the West which meant they had no chance at the playoffs.

Well, at the midway point, the Lakers own the 3rd best record in the West and seem to be a lock for the playoffs thanks to the addition of Pau Gasol.

But now with the injury of Kobe's shooting hand, the Diesel in Phoenix, and Jason Kidd possibly going to Dallas, the Lakers look to be reeling.

Here are my Power Rankings for the first-half of the 2007-2008 NBA season.

No. 1—Boston Celtics (41-9)

The Big Three have lived up to expecations and the bench has also stepped up in the absence of KG, led by Big Baby Glen Davis.

No. 2—New Orleans Hornets (36-15)

The Hornets have been led through the first half MVP Chris Paul, and it looks like this surprise team will make a run in the playoffs.

No. 3—Detroit Pistons (39-13)

Detroit has quietly gone about their business in the shadow of Boston and look to make a run at the Easten Conference title.

No. 4—Phoenix Suns (37-16)

People think the addition of Shaq is a bad move and that he is not a good fit for this offense. I think it's is a good move because he will provide some much needed experience and defense.

No. 5—L.A. Lakers (35-17)

The Lakers looked to be a favorite to win the West with Kobe, Gasol, and Bynum (when he returns). But now with Kobe's finger injury, the road looks to be a little tougher.

No. 6—San Antonio (34-17)

The defending champs have flown under the radar during the first half and aren't looking to make any trades for the playoffs. Their experience and chemistry should carry them deep into the postseason.

No. 7—Dallas Mavericks (35-18)

Everything depends on their ability to get Kidd away from New Jersey. Yes, they are giving up way too much for him, but this is a "win now" team and they need him to compete with the best in the West.

No. 8—Utah Jazz (34-19)

The Jazz shocked a lot of people last year with their run deep into the postseason. They have some good young talent and good experience from last year, but I don't think it's enough to survive in the West this year.

No. 9—Denver Nuggets (32-20)

The Nuggets have 3 All-Stars on their team, A.I., Carmelo, and Camby, but have underachieved and they don't have the depth to go far in the playoffs.

No. 10—Houston Rockets (32-20)

Yao and T-Mac seem to be playing better together and have developed a chemistry over the past few years. Now all they need is to find that final piece to the playoff puzzle in Houston.

No. 11—Golden State Warriors (32-20)

Golden State became only the 2nd team in NBA history to upset a No. 1 seed in the first round of the playoffs, but I don't think they will have that same magic come this postseason.

No. 12—Orlando Magic (33-21)

The Magic at No. 12 have finally broken the streak of Western Conference teams on my list, they are a very good team and are playing in the East, which makes them a favorite.

No. 13—Toronto Raptors (28-23)

The Raptors have the benefit of playing in the East and seeing the Nets, Sixers, and Knicks mulitiple times, but don't look for them to make any kind of run in the East.

No. 14—Portland Trail Blazers (28-24)

Portland has been the surprise of the year in the NBA. They have good young talent, a smart head coach, and Greg Oden next year. Their only problem: they play in the West.

No. 15—Cleveland Cavaliers (29-23)

Cleveland is the only team with a winning record to be outscored by their oponents this year. The Cavs need to find LeBron some help for this team to repeat in the East.

No. 16—Washington Wizards (25-27)

The Wizards could be the surprise team to make a run in the East. They have been playing good basketball, even without their best player, Agent Zero. Look for them to shock some teams when Gilbert comes back.

No. 17—New Jersey Nets (23-30)

The Nets were a pick to make the playoffs and challenge the Celtics in the Atlantic Division with their own Big Three. Now with one of the three on their way out, it's time to look to the future. Still, if the season ended today, they would be the seventh seed in the East.

No. 18—Sacramento Kings (23-28)

The Kings have good, young talent. If they trade Artest for a few prospects, they could be a team to watch in 2009.

No. 19—Chicago Bulls (21-31)

The Bulls need to rebuild. The whole "Kobe being traded to Chicago" thing in the beginning of the year really hurt their chemistry and focus.

No. 20—Philadelphia 76ers (23-30)

Somehow the 76ers are the eighth seed in the East, and would be in the playoffs if the season ended today. They have good pieces and are maybe one or two years away from contending in the East.

No. 21—Atlanta Hawks (21-28)

The Hawks have the talent for the future. All they need is one or two more players to put the Hawks back into the playoffs.

No. 22—Milwaukee Bucks (19-34)

The Bucks have the foundation of a solid team, but they need a good draft pick to make this team a contender in the East.

No. 23—Charlotte Bobcats (19-34)

I think the Bobcats are finally going to sneak into the playoffs this year. They have a good mix of youth and experience, and they play in the East. They are only four games out of the playoffs.

No. 24—Indiana Pacers (21-32)

I think it might be time to let O'Neal go and start over. They need to find a new cornerstone of the organization.

No. 25 L.A.—Clippers (17-33)

The loss of Elton Brand really hurt this team at the beginning of the year. They were a team that could make the playoffs in the West, but now they are hoping for a good draft pick to help Elton next year.

No. 26—Memphis Grizzlies (14-38)

Memphis traded away the face of the franchise in Gasol. They will have to find a new face in this year's draft.

No. 27—Seattle Sonics (13-38)

The Sonics have the makings of a team that could contend in the West, but they are still two or three years away.

No. 28—New York Knicks (15-37)

I don't know what to say about the Knicks. They go out and get Zack Randolf and now they are looking to trade him. They need to clean up and start over in New York.

No. 29—Minnesota Timberwolves (10-41)

The T-Wolves got a long list of players from the Celtics in the KG deal, but they are still one or two more top draft picks away from the bottom of the West.

No. 30—Miami Heat (9-42)

There is nothing else to say about the Heat but: dissapointing. They are only two years removed from an NBA Championship. They need to have a good draft and a good offseason.

Raptors-Nets: New Jersey Heads into All-Star Break Uncertain

John Meadus — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 05:27:18 -0500

Amidst rumors that Devean George has blocked the possible trade of Nets PG Jason Kidd to the Dallas Mavericks, the Nets played their final game of the first half of the season last night in Toronto against the Raptors.

It became very clear that this would be a different team without Kidd handling the ball. Point guard Marcus Williams made his first start as the new floor general of the sinking Nets.

Many wondered if Williams would be able to distribute the ball enough and keep Carter and Jefferson happy. Or would he have trouble at the point controlling the game and handling the pressure?

Well, he did get off to a rocky start. Williams had four turnovers to just five assists. He was 5-8 from the field and 1-3 from behind the arc with 11 points and two rebounds and assists in 31 minutes. It wasn't the start that the Nets were looking for, but I still think that this kid has what it takes to be a solid point guard.

As for the rest of the game, it was the same old story. The Nets lacked defense again, giving up more than 100 points.

Chris Bosh led the Raptors with 27 points and nine rebounds, and Jose Calderon added 22 points and 12 assists in 41 minutes. Other contributors Jamario Moon and Andrea Bargnani added 15 and 14 points respectively.

The Raptors shot over 50 percent from the floor and 85 percent from the free throw line. Toronto also got 25 points off of the bench, led by Jason Kapono with eight.

The Nets, on the other hand, shot only 48 percent from the field and had just three offensive rebounds. Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson led the Nets with 15 points each, and Carter had a team-high seven assists and three rebounds.

They had an amazing 42 points off of the bench, led by veteran Darrell Armstong and Stromile Swift with 12 points each. Armstrong also added six assists and four steals. Sean Williams had a team-high seven rebounds and eight points off of the bench.

The New Jersey Nets go into the All-Star break at 23-30, with seven games under .500. They are tied with the 76ers for third in the Atlantic Division and if the season ended today they would be the seventh seed in the playoffs, playing the Pistons.

That is really saying something about the Eastern Conference.

Nets-Timberwolves: New Jersey Slumps, Al Jefferson Soars

John Meadus — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 02:50:05 -0500

The New Jersey Nets seem to have found new ways to lose games over the course of their recent nine game losing streak. Last night they lost in stunning fashion to the 8-35 Minnesota Timberwolves, 98-95.

The Timberwolves secured a career-high 40 points from the young star Al Jefferson. Jefferson was the main component in the Kevin Garnett trade to the Celtics, and he has certainly demonstrated real progress this season.

Along with his 40 points last night, Jefferson also grabbed 19 rebounds, blocked two shots and was 14-17 from the free throw line—the last two of which sealed victory for the Wolves. Jefferson is having an All-Star caliber season on a rebuilding Minnesota team averaging 21 points and 12 rebounds a game.

If players such as Jefferson continue to develop at this rate, the young Timberwolves team could pose a threat as a post-season spoiler.

Rashad McCants had 16 points and was 4-6 from behind the arch. Sebastian Telfair added 12 points and four assists while Ryan Gomes had nine, including a key three-pointer to give the T-Wolves the lead with under a minute in the game. Corey Brewer and Gerald Green each added eight points off of the bench.

The Nets got the usual 35 from Richard Jefferson and 25 from Vince Carter but managed only 12 points from their bench. Jason Kidd had 11 points but only had four assists along with eight rebounds. Sean Williams did manage to grab 12 rebounds and net eight points, while Josh Boone had eight rebounds and only four points.

Well, at least the Nets didn't make it another 100-point game defensively, but they did give up 98.

Once again they blew a 15-point lead late in the game. They were up 80-65 with 10 minutes to go but managed to give up 33 points! This was a game in which the Nets shot a better field goal percentage and out-rebounded the Wolves but had two more turnovers and gave up nine three-pointers.

The stat that ended up hurting them the most was their free throws. The Nets were 26-39 for 66 percent, while the T-Wolves were 23-26 for 88 percent and iced the game with late free throws from Al Jefferson.

Both teams are in action again tomorrow night, the 29th of January. The Nets will host the Milwaukee Bucks who they beat 97-95 back in December. The Timberwolves will play in Chicago for back-to-back home games against the disappointing Bulls.

New Nets Needed: Time to Rebuild in East Rutherford

John Meadus — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 17:43:48 -0500

The New Jersey Nets just finished losing their 8th straight tonight to the Nuggets 100-85.

Can somebody say meltdown?

The problem with the Nets has never been their ability to but the ball in the basket, but stopping the other team from doing so. In a game in which one of the Nuggets All-Stars, Carmelo Anthony, didn't even play, they still gave up 100 points. This is the 4th consecutive game where the Nets have given up 100 points or more.

Any time Linas Kleiza drops 23 on you, you have a problem.

This Nuggets loss comes after last night's embarrassment against the Golden State Warriors. Monta Ellis? Eliis dropped a career high 39 on the Nets' Swiss cheese defense. The Warriors scored 22 straight points, most by Al Harrington (St. Patrick's High School in New Jersey), coming off of the bench and draining 3's. As I was watching the game, I was watching the Nets leave Harrington wide open to kill them behind the arc and Baron Davis get only his 8th career triple-double.

But the worst part was watching the 3rd quarter, as the Warriors started fouling Josh Boone every time the Nets got the ball. What was that? It was the 3rd quarter! Come on now, that was ridiculous.

So now what to do.

I say its time to start over. The Nets have some good young talent. Josh Boone did score 21 points and grab 17 boards against the Warriors. Sean Williams is averaging about 8 points and over 2 blocks a game. Bostjan Nachbar is averaging 10 points a game, and I think Antoine Wright has the skill set to become a very solid NBA player. When Wright plays at least 25 minutes, he is averaging over 10 points plus he is shooting around 50% from the field.

As much as I like Vince and Jason, I think it might be time for them to find a new home. I was listening to Reggie Miller announce the game on TNT and he made a good point. There was a play where Vince should have taking the ball to the hole and slammed it, but instead he tried to dish it off.

In that very building Vince Carter competed in the Dunk Contest and put his whole arm into the rim on a dunk.

I just think Vince might have lost a step and his scoring average is getting lower every year.

Jason Kidd, on the other hand, I think wants out. I think he has pretty much showed that he does not want to be there anymore. There is just no fire left in this team and the captain of the team should take over and get these guys playing better.

I don't think that Coach Frank is the problem. The Nets just seem to not play with any energy and, in the NBA, it is not the coach's job to get these guys up for every game. That is the job of a college coach, not a coach whose athlete are getting paid millions to perform.

I just don't know if they are going to be able to get any kind of deal for Kidd or Carter that would be worth making considering theirsalaries and how teams just aren't going to want to give up that much. Though trade talk for both of them has been high in the past, their court performance continues to diminish how much New Jersey might be able to get in return for either player.

It's time to rebuild the New Jersey Nets. Obviously, this team isn't going to get the job done.

NHL Power Rankings: Midseason Edition

John Meadus — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 17:07:04 -0500

This has been a very entertaining first half of the NHL season. There was an outdoor NHL hockey game in the United States for the first time ever, and people actually went to it. Now all the league has to do is find a way to put games on a television channel that we can find.

Here are my mid-season rankings and second half outlooks for all 30 teams:

#1 Detroit Red Wings (36-10-4)

With the best record in the league, the Wings look ready to make another run at the Cup behind their two great goaltenders.

#2 San Jose Sharks (26-15-7)

Joe Thornton is having a great season with his 42 helpers and 15 goals; look for the Sharks to make a lot of noise in the playoffs.

#3 Ottawa Senators (30-15-4)

With Heatley out, Alfredsson and Spezza should look to pick up the slack if they want to hold on to their best record in the East and go far in the playoffs.

#4 New Jersey Devils (28-17-3)

After a shaky start to the season, the Devils have turned it around and lead the best division in the NHL. With Brodeur this team always has a chance to go all the way.

#5 Anahiem Ducks (27-18-6)

The defending champs are having a good season and with their defense and Giguere in goal, they will have a chance to repeat.

#6 Dallas Stars (28-19-5)

Ribeiro leads the team in goals, assists, and plus/minus and gets a new contract. But do they have enough to make a deep run in the playoffs?

#7 Pittsburgh Penguins (27-17-4)

What else is there to say? Being in the toughest division in hockey without Sid the Kid—they need Malkin, Malone, and Sykora to steer the ship until Crosby comes back. And then they can make a run for the Cup.

#8 Calgary Flames (25-17-8)

Jarome Iginla is having an MVP-type season and is the captain of the Western All-Star team. But do the Flames have enough depth for the playoffs?

#9 Colorado Avalanche (26-19-4)

With key injuries to Joe Sakic, Ryan Smyth, and now Paul Stastny—the Avs need to get healthy fast if they want to go deep into the playoffs.

#10 Minnesota Wild (27-19-3)

The Wild could be a team to look out for come playoff time with Gaborik looking good so far this season with 51 points.

#11 Philadelphia Flyers (26-16-5)

With 55 points, Mike Richards is headed to Atlanta. But before they can make a run in the playoffs, they need to sure-up their goaltender situation.

#12 Montreal Canadiens (25-15-8)

With Kovalev and Koivu playing well and Huet having a good year with a GAA of 2.31, this could be a team to look out for later in the year.

#13 Vancouver Canucks (25-19-5)

Henrik and Daniel Sedin are having good years and Luongo is having another All-Star year. Look for the Canucks to surprise a team in the playoffs.

#14 Phoenix Coyotes (25-21-2)

Having somewhat of a surprising year, the Coyotes with Doan and Vrbata will look to try to fight for one of those last seeds in the playoffs.

#15 New York Islanders (24-19-6)

DiPietro hasn't really lived up to that 30 year contract he signed with a GAA of 2.54. I don't think the Islanders have enough to last in their division.

#16 New York Rangers (23-21-6)

Somewhat of a disappointment. With the signing of Gomez and Hossa along with Jagr you would think they wouldn't finish the first half of the season at the bottom of their division.

#17 Carolina Hurricanes (24-24-4)

With a .500 record and still leading their division, the Hurricanes along with Staal will likely find their way in and then quickly out of the playoffs.

#18 Columbus Blue Jackets (24-20-6)

After that unbelievable goal by Rick Nash last week, the Jackets could look to contend in the playoffs with help from Zherdev and Hejda.

#19 St. Louis Blues (22-18-6)

Manny Lagace will make his first trip to the All-Star game in his nine years. Using Lagace and Kariya, the Blues could finally do something in the playoffs. Maybe.

#20 Nashville Predators (25-20-4)

The Preds need someone else to step up and help Jason Arnott in order for them to stay with Detroit and Columbus in the Central division.

#21 Boston Bruins (24-19-5)

Sorry Boston you can't have all the fun in the sports world. You get baseball, basketball, and football—you can let someone else have hockey. Thanks.

#22 Chicago Blackhawks (23-22-4)

With young talent in Patrick Kane, the Hawks could look to build on a decent year and look to making a real run next year.

#23 Washington Capitals (22-21-5)

They're going to need more than just the $100 man in Ovechkin if they want to contend in the years to come.

#24 Florida Panthers (22-24-4)

Well at least baseball season is coming soon, maybe that will cheer up the Floridians.

#25 Edmonton Oilers (22-24-5)

I was expecting a little more from the Oilers this season. It's going to be hard for them to rise up from the bottom of the Northwest Division.

#26 Atlanta Thrashers (23-25-3)

At least Kovalchuk doesn't have to travel far for the All-Star game.

#27 Buffalo Sabres (20-21-6)

I would have thought the Sabres would have been better then a game under .500 with their young talent.

#28 Tampa Bay Lightning (20-24-5)

They need to find more depth behind Lecavalier, St. Louis, and Richards if they want to make the playoffs.

#29 Los Angeles Kings (19-29-2)

The future could be bright with young talent led by Anze Kopitar.

#30 Toronto Maple Leafs (19-22-8)

Since firing GM John Ferguson they should be able to get something done. And a lot of teams are looking at Sundin.

NFL Roundup: Tom Brady's Boot, LT's Pout, and Philip Rivers' Choice

John Meadus — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 17:22:35 -0500

With all of the focus being put on "Brady's Boot," Primetime calling out LT about not playing in the big game, and Philip Rivers playing even more hurt then we thought—I have something to say.

First off, about Brady, I know that we have two weeks before the Super Bowl and people need something to talk about.

But come on.

He wouldn't be walking around New York City with the boot on if it were serious; he would be getting treatment and staying off of it. Instead, he's going to clubs in cowboy boots with his girlfriend.

Brady has been on the injury report every game for the past three years, get used to it.

Now, onto Primetime. Deion Sanders called out LaDainian Tomlinson for not playing in the AFC Championship game last Sunday. LT started the game and got two carries and a reception on their first drive and then did not return to the game. LT said after the game, that if he was able to play he would have been out there.

He also said that Michael Turner at 100 percent was better than him at anything less than 100 percent. I agree completely with LT. If he didn't feel that he could go out there and perform to the best of his abilities and felt that he was hurt that bad, then yes, he should have sat out and let Turner play.

Now where does Deion Sanders get off saying these things to LT? Deion—the cornerback who once said that tackling is for linebackers—said that "big-time players must play in big-time games. It must be surgery for him to get a pass on this one."

I have nothing against Primetime, he was a great athlete and is very funny on the NFL network, but I think that this was uncalled for. LT has only missed one game due to injury in his career and has been carrying the load for the Chargers since he came into the league. Deion should take it easy on LT, considering he had more interceptions then tackles in his career.

Don't get me wrong, I do have beef with LT. The way he acted during the game was disappointing. I know that you're hurt and you're bummed that you can't be out there helping your team, but you can't just sit on the bench with your jacket and helmet on the whole game.

Be the leader and the face of the franchise that you are and support your teammates on the sidelines and try to help your team in any way you can. If that means standing on the sidelines and trying to find holes in their defense or even getting water for your teammates—then do it. Don't pout on the bench the whole game LT, you're better than that.

Now, for Philip Rivers and what his teammates call the most courageous performance they have ever seen. Yes, that was a very gutsy performance that Rivers put out there when his team needed him most. No one outside the team knew he had arthroscopic surgery a week before the game. He played the game with basically no ACL at all, and now he's going to have surgery to fix the knee and will go through months of rehabilitation.

But was it smart? No doubt it was courageous, but now you're having the surgery that Carson Palmer and Donovan McNabb had. McNabb hasn't been the same since.

I feel that given the conditions in New England and the fact that he didn't have a great game, he shouldn't have been playing in that game. I know that Billy Volek isn't John Elway, but he did score the winning touchdown to get you into the AFC Championship. I think Volek could have managed that game and done just as well as Rivers did.

I'm taking nothing away from Rivers, but just ask guys like Donovan McNabb and Grant Hill who haven't been the same after this surgery, and then ask whether it was worth it to risk your career for one game.

I know the answer would be yes and that he'd do it again if he had the chance. That's what makes him the leader of this team that he is. But is also the reason you shouldn't be making the decision to play with no ACL. Norv Turner should have played Volek and kept his QB of the future out.

Players are very competitive and want to play no matter what, that's why the coach should have the final say. Norv Turner now puts his star QB at risk of not being at 100 percent for the start of next year's training camp and the season.

That being said, Rivers' performance was one of the most courageous performances I have ever seen. I think it will rank right up there with T.O. playing in the Super Bowl with the Eagles, Jordan playing in the NBA Finals against the Jazz with the flu, and even Kerri Strug winning the gold medal for the U.S. in the Olympics. Now I know that there are many more, but these are the few I've seen live.

Hopefully Rivers' courage doesn't jeopordize his future.

Steroids in the NFL: Why Are We Turning the Other Cheek?

John Meadus — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 17:40:40 -0500

With all the attention paid to Roger Clemens and the Congressional Hearings in baseball it got me thinking, why are we not placing the NFL under the same critical lens?

Since 2002 more than 30 players have tested positive and have been suspended for use of performance enhancing substances.

The most notable player suspended for steroid use last year was San Diego Charger linebacker Shawne Merriman. Merriman is a Pro Bowl-caliber player just three years into the league. He won the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2005 and the Defensive Player of the Year last year.

However, before the 2006 season started Merriman tested positive for steroids and was suspended for the first four games of the year.

Four games? If you test positive for steroids in MLB you get to watch 50 games on your TV and then everyone questions your achievements and your stats for the rest of your career. Merriman sat out his four games then came back to get 63 tackles and 17 sacks in just 12 games on his way to winning the Defensive Player of the Year.

I am not trying to diminish Shawne Merriman's accomplishments and talents—he is one of the best players in the NFL. But why do we not throw him under the bus like we do all of these baseball players? Guys like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens haven't even tested positive for drug use and yet people are ready to ostracize by way of indelible asterisks and seize CY Young Awards.

I am in no way defending Bonds and Clemens—I think they must be held guilty until proven innocent. Anyway, we will have a better idea of the whole picture when Clemens heads to D.C. in a couple weeks.

As much as I don't like to admit it, being a NY Jets fan, Jason Taylor had a point that no one fully considered. The DE of the Miami Dolphins had one of his best years in the NFL and came in 2nd in the voting to Merriman for the DPOY. Taylor came out at a press conference to point out that Merriman should never have won the award because he cheated and used steroids.

But no one paid Taylor any attention. Everyone dismissed his comment as a show of jealousy. Meanwhile, Curt Schilling comes out and says that Clemens's CY Young Awards should be taken away if he is caught using steroids, and everyone eats it up.

So why does everyone turn the other cheek when a football player tests positive? Maybe because Merriman is the only big name player to have been caught so far, or maybe it's because people want to see the hard hits and the speed on the field. But I think it all comes down to one thing: money. Players use steroids to get an edge on other players, coaches look the other way so they win games and keep there jobs, and owners don't breathe a word because these players and coaches put the fans in the stands and that means money.

I think that steroid use might be as bad, if not worse, in the NFL as in MLB. This is a big problem in sports today and no one is paying attention. Plus, it's not just a professional problem anymore...

Steroid-use is now prevalent on college and high school teams, and something needs to be done to keep these drugs away from our young athletes. Hopefully the Congressional Hearings will result in a plan to test players at all levels and make sure that this problem doesn't get any worse.

I don't know why we don't pay any attention to steroids in football while in baseball the issue is a considerable concern. Maybe someone else can offer an answer?