Neuheisel Takes the UCLA Job and Bowl Predections

I am a quiet fan of Pac-10 football, I consider entertaining to watch for the most part and I follow it more than the typical Midwesterner. UCLA made a great hire by selecting Rick Neuheisel as their head coach because he has had success in the college game plus I believe he has something to prove ever since the firing at Washington. He also has a confident swagger that will rival Pete Carolls' at USC making recruiting in the greater Los Angeles area very interesting. He is a proven winner which will draw kids to the Bruins more then every before. I also think the ego factor will add more spice to the USC-UCLA rivalry. Even though Neuhesiel sued the NCCA and won, it should not be a factor but I can bet my bank account he will watch his ass more than ever.

Now on to the Bowl Predictions

I only am doing the January 1st bowl games and the BCS bowls because the other ones are not interesting to the casual fan. I am usually the one who cannot sit through just a regular college football game if I do not have a couple favorites in the game who I can cheer for.

Wisconsin vs. Tennessee- I will take the Badgers in this one because I have watched Tennessee a couple times and nothing they do impresses me. Plus I felt that Wisconsin came on strong in the final weeks furthermore they are getting P.J. Hill back on limited basis which adds even more to their running game. If UW does lose, they should never accepted going to the Outback Bowl being that they are 0-3. UW-23 UT-21

Missouri vs. Arkansas- It does not even matter if Darren Run DMC McFadden is playing in this one because I think that Mizzou is pissed and has something to prove which includes Chase Daniel has a dominating performance he might test the NFL waters. They will take it out on a Razorbacks team who has just got a new coach (snake) so the only thing they have to play for is to make a good first impression on the Snake. Mizzou-35 Ark.-14

Texas Tech vs. Virginia- I am taking the Red Raiders in this one because it seems like Mike Leach being the offensive genius he is, is able to figure out strong defenses such as Oklahoma. I think Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree will have a field day against Virgina. TT-31 UVA-20

Florida vs. Michigan- Sorry they are not going to win one of the Prick (Lloyd Carr). They cannot stop a good spread offense. Remember against the Illini when they won, Juice Williams was in/out of that game. Tim Tebow just needs to not fall under the Heisman curse, I think it will be close for awhile then Florida takes care of them in the fourth. UF-42 UM-28

USC vs. Illinois- Game, set, match. USC is the hottest team in the nation and their defense is quick enough to stop the spread offense of Ron Zook despite the Oregon game this season because in my opinion that was a different USC team. Also playing in the Rose Bowl is like their personal backyard bowl which failed only once thanks to Vince Young. USC big. Trojans-38 Illini-14

Georgia vs. Hawaii- One game that I cannot wait for because I cannot wait for all of the Rainbow Warrior lovers to shut up after they get smoked by the Bulldogs. Knowshon Moreno is a hell of a running back and will be able to keep Hawaii awful defense on the field. I think Georgia too is sick of the hype of this being just like last year and they want to prove it wont happen again. Also once Colt Brennen takes a couple big SEC hits, he will be ready to pack it in hopefully he wont come back for his own good when his Warriors go to the Swamp to open up the 2008 season. UGA-45 Hawaii-24

Oklahoma vs. West Virginia- I think Boomer Sooner is going to roll in this game because they want to wipe away any memories of last year, they are probably the second hottest team in the nation right now, and are playing a team that seems their big players get hurt every other play. Add to that equation that their head coach is gone, they will be lifeless. OU-41 WV-9

Virgina Tech vs. Kansas- The classic match-up of a great offense against a great defense which for the most part results in the defense prevailing. I think Kansas wants to show the world, they are a force after the Mizzou game and in my opinion they are this year Boise State just everyone favorite team. Hate to be a buzzkill but this Hokie defense never quits. VT-27 KU-17

LSU vs. Ohio State- So here is once again the Ohio State Buckeyes playing an SEC team. I think they are in some trouble because the Tigers are healthy and when they were at full strength they wiped out teams. Although in my opinion I expect this game to be close because of Beanie Wells is a pretty solid running back and one of the best they have seen plus the LSU defense has been awful for reasons unknown to me. If that defense does wake up, look out the Buckeyes will be settled with another blowout Also Ohio State wants to prove they can compete with an SEC team and think back to 2002 when OSU pulls off the stunner against Miami, no one though that would ever happen. This one would be as shocking yet still surprising yet again this a backyard bowl for the Tigers which gives them an automatic advantage plus I believe the offense is strong enough to carry them to victory late. LSU-28 OSU-21

Charlie.

Ringing in the New Year in Style

A couple of things to look forward to.....

-The Mike Parulski interview will happen on the 1st of January. He says it will take this blog to a whole new level. If that means I get two more fans out of the deal, I am happy. By the end of it, I am almost betting it has nothing to do with Tosa West, or sports in general.

-College Hoops breakdown, the Non-conference is pretty much done for so I will probably have that in a couple of days too.

- NFL Playoff preview, it should be a doozy

-Read Gilbert Arenas Blog on NBA.com, just pure greatness.

Pats Go Unbeaten, So Important We Needed Three Networks

As you all saw tonight, the Patriots won their 16th straight game this year and become undefeated for the 2007 regular season. I used to enjoy seeing the Patriots win and I chrished everything they stood for about being a "team" back when they knocked off the "Greatest Show on Turf" plus I called that victory too. In addition, I usually disliked the team they played.... The Rams (Favre 6 Ints, I am done talking about it), Eagles (4th and 26th, once again done talking), Panthers (they just put me to sleep). Hopefully I dont add Cowboys after another heartbreaker but I doubt that.

So why do I hate the Pats now? The media, simply put. I hate how ESPN gives the Pats get their own damn ticker and how I cannot watch a SportsCenter just for highlights of games that night without a breakdown by Big Tuna telling me how historic teams compare to the Patriots. THEY HAVEN'T EVEN WON THE SUPER BOWL!!!!! Do this in February and March, and the die hard NFL fan needs something to being intrigued by espicically if he doesn't have the NFL Network since 60 or percent of America does not, more to come on that topic. To sum it up, just like people want their music videos back on MTV, I want my highlights back on ESPN instead of the hype-machine 24/7.

If you are looking for a reason to cheer for the Pats, look no further than the man who feels the fro' is still in style; Mercury Morris and his 72 Dolphins. They are a bunch of babies and should be encourging this team for the way it has played all year. Instead Morris is always yapping about one thing or another. Morris has to lay off the Fro Shine because he was not the best running back on the team, that title belonged to Larry Csonka. Plus the fact that the Phins played the second easiest schedule by any Super Bowl Winner.

Now on to the NFL Network, I am in the minority when it comes to bitching about the NFL Network because at the lovely University of Wisconsin Eau-Claire, they offer both the NFL and Big Ten Network, its wonderful for the main important game I cared about (Packers-Cowboys). I did not put much interest into this one because I thought I would be out and about (didn't happen) and I did not have the NFL Network. Then John Kerry did what every great Democrat does; he whined and finally got his way by broadcasting the game on two count them two major networks! I am guessing CBS decided that it really could not show Deep Impact as their Saturday Night Movie for the 7th year running.

The only good thing that came out of it will be the public outcry to get rid of Bryant Gumbel in the booth. He is just awful and not a play-by-play announcer. I can picture how many times during the short NFL Network season, Cris Collinsworth thought of one or two things: 1). NFL Network better not get 16 games, or I might have to have a noose ready by Decemeber. 2.) Wow, I wish I had that noose right now. I am not that big of fan of Collinsworth either yet I can listen to him during a game.

Seriously for my growing number of fans write this down..... New England will lose Jacksonville. I cannot wait.

Charlie.

Bobby Petrino is a Snake

Today Bobby Petrino decided to resign from the Atlanta Falcons who are looking right now worse than Amy Winehouse. He is now close to taking the head coaching job at Arkansas. This leads me to my title, he is an absolute SNAKE, and a coach I will never had any respect for.

Lets break it down from the beginning, he had basically just started a 10 year deal at Louisiville then hit jackpot with a big season with Brohm and co. Atlanta needs a head coach so they decided to go with Petrino and being the snake that Petrino is he took the job forgoing that 10 year deal worth a ton of money despite how horrible college coaches have faired in the NFL. He gets a 5 year deal from the Falcons with a somewhat promising team with quality quarterback. Then the dog scandal and cue the downward spiral. Now we are arrive at today where he takes the Arkansas job.

The argument about being a worthless team in Atlanta is a foolish because he could draft Brian Brohm whose been in his system plus the head coach and QB usually are closer than the other parts of the team so the fit would be perfect. The other argument about Lou Holtz is another stupid one because they didn't have the outrageous deals that they do now plus he only resigned with one game left which is completely normal.

Would Petrino taking the Arkansas job make Darren McFadden stay? I think it could have an impact yet he could just play the tape of Willis McGahee tearing up his knee. He still has a good NFL career but why should Run DMC stay? Just to win the Heisman, yet why would want that curse? Please leave Darren.

Let me put you in this situation, what if Kragthrope has another poor year at Louisville and they decided that he is not the right man for the job. What are the odds that Petrino comes back to Louisville, I bet pretty good.

Charlie.

Vick Gets Put in the Pound

Look at that picture long and hard because it could be the last time that you see Michael Vick in an Atlanta Falcons uniform or even an NFL uniform. Today Michael Vick was sentenced to 23 months in prison and could get out a couple months earlier due to good behavior. That would mean that Vick would be out of jail in October of 2009.

There were two things that surprised ESPN analysts this morning was one that Vick was in a black and white jumpsuit because even in a case like this he was expected in a suit. The other was that he got 23 months because that is 5 months greater than the max expectancy, I have to believe that Vick's statement was not very good and this judge is a dog owner so that did not help things out either.

I think that the outlook for Vick is not good, I do not think Roger Goodell will allow Michael Vick back into the league. Also Vick will be three years out of the NFL which for any player in any pro sport is very lengthy so who knows if his skills will be polished. If he is allowed back into the NFL, I believe that there will be a team who would rather have Vick instead of their current quarterback situation because I could think of several teams who could use a quarterback like Vick.

Charlie.

I am Back Just like the Pack

I havent been able to write a lot on here because school is basically a bitch plus with football I dont have the time that I wanted to write on this thing. Although I making a vow to write on this at least once a week. During Christmas Break, it should be an every other day thing. Also I am doing my first interview with Tosa West's head soccer coach Mike Parulski. I will also deliver some quick hitters

-Green Bay Packers NFC North Champions, how great does that sound? Hopefully the Lions can help us out so then we are all knotted up with the Cowboys. I am just saying this, I love the fact Tony Romo is from Wisconsin but since he dawns that star "Romo is a homo". I expect that the Packers will play all their games in hollow Lambeau Field. Also give Brett MVP or at least co-MVP with Brady, he deserves it.

-The Brewers have loaded up their bullpen with proven pitchers and I am pumped. People say that Gagne is washed up, injury-prone, blah blah blah. I think the fact that he is in small market and he expected to do well yet not a savior, he will succeed.

-Really how good is MU? Everyone needs to respect them after they out rebounded, outplayed the Wisconsin Badgers in the so-called physical Big Ten. I just say Get Some. Marquette is the truth and I feel confident they are the same level as G'town.

I dont really need Christmas when I had this great of a sports weekend.

Charlie.
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Congrats Brett

One of the most refreshing things that I watched in the last couple of years was on Sunday when Brett Lorenzo Favre set the NFL record for most touchdown passes. He is the absolute man, he is my all time favorite football players because the guy is never hurt and if he does, he does not let you know. He continues to play and if he ran for Governor of Wisconsin, he would kick the shit out of his opponent, no doubt. When Favre retries, I will cry like a kid who got his toys taken away because of everything I listed above.

On a side note the Pack is back baby, watch out.

Charlie.

Trainwreak Saturday

It seems like whenever you would look on the ESPN.com scoreboard, it would be "Upset alert!" and it just kept coming hour by hour.

USC was a team who knew they would be in for a game in Seattle against Washington and if the Husky cornerback comes down with that interception, they might have won this game yet it was a great effort by Tyrone Willingham's bunch, and I bet they will be a force to reckon with in years to come.

Oklahoma as I said in my previous post, they always find a way to fuck it up no matter how good they are. Colorado was 2-9 last year, cmon! There is no way, a team can show that much improvement to knock off the Sooners, coach Dan Hawkins' baby boy was clutch in the comeback victory and Hawkins first staple win with the Buffaloes.

Florida is next up on this train ride to hell. They were at home, and this was suppose to be a revenge game for the Gators as they lost to Auburn last year. Then they come back from a 17-3 deficit and tried to ice the kicker in a bullshit move in my opinion. Note to any other teams that play Florida, see what Auburn has done in the last two years. Now they travel to Death Valley at night against the best defense in the nation, I do not for see good things for the Gators come out of Baton Rogue.

Oregon should not be considered in this mess of teams, they were a yard away from beating the number six team in the nation. Also DeSean Jackson is the truth, he might be the best overall player in the NCCA. That will sit with the Autzen Zoo for a long time yet they can still make some noise in the Pac-10.

Texas looked awful at home, they just got an ass-beating by Kansas State, another team who they lost to severely last year. Colt McCoy was awful with four interceptions and Texas once again falls flat on their faces in a somewhat just typical conference game.

Wisconsin defense should also deserve honorable mention, they looked horrible against Michigan State who is not too bad but it did not look like Bielema's defense of last year. They need to find something because if not they are going to have a long day against Juice Williams and Arrelious Benn, they are a very talented team.

Mr. Met is on Suicide Watch

Seriously look for Mr. Met jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge

I cannot believe the utter collapse by the New York Mets. They completely fell apart at the seams in the month of September and let the Phillies sneak in to take the division. Who do you put the blame on? I personally think that it is the players without any question. They had a very talented team who most thought could be the representative in the National League. You cannot fire Willie Randolph for this collapse, as many want to fire Ned Yost (I have said it in anger many times in the last two weeks). It was not Randolph's fault that they blew 3+ run leads to Washington and Florida , that is pathetic. I am not one of those whose calling for Yost's head either for the exact same reason. New York needs depth on the bench, and need some big time pitching help, I think there is a guy in Minnesota who could solve their problems. Also maybe Philadelphia just got their shit together at the right time, thats what the Cubs did.

Let me not forget to tip my hat to the Phillies, they had a never say die attitude and now will play whoever wins tonight's game between the Padres and the Rockies. I consider them the favorite of the National League, they are by far the hottest team in September (yes better than those guys in Chicago). By far they have one of the toughest lineups to go through with Utley, Rollins, Burrell, Howard, Rowand. Their pitching is not that great yet all the other teams in the NL do not have much either.

Top 5 Games of the Week- Statement Week

Well I am pressed for time as college football has already begun today yet I started on this last night. So I am going to feature five games and later on in the year I will have a Heisman update along with this. Also on Monday, I will have a wrap-up of these games plus any other odd things around college football.

1. South Carolina at LSU- I think this is the best game this week by far. "The ole ball coach" needs to send a message to the entire nation and this would be the game to do it. They go up against a mighty defense although on the offense side QB Matt Flynn will probably be a game time decision. I think LSU comes up big and wins in the late stages of the game 17-14
2. Iowa at Wisconsin- Some people in the nation might not think this game means much but I do. If Iowa wins this game, they could possibly run the tables in the Big Ten since they do not have Michigan or Ohio State to play this year. UW needs to as well make a statement game after two lackluster games in my opinion. Its going to be one of those typical Big Ten grind it out game and UW answers the bell 13-10
3. Georgia at Alabama- This game doesn't excite me as much as the rest of the nation, I guess its because I am not a huge SEC fan plus I do not think Georgia is all that good. This game puts Nick Saban in his first feature game at Bama, and I think UGA is too young to handle the Tide. 31-13
4. Penn State at Michigan- This game has more meaning then meets the eye because Penn State has yet to show what they are really made of due to playing mediocre opponents so far. Then you have Michigan who has been mostly mediocre, Penn St. has to exorcise their demons against the Wolverines (PSU is 1-8 in the last nine). I think Michigan is going to beat them late in the game and the woes continue for the Nittany Lions, 27-21
5. Washington State at USC- No other game really interested me so I picked the one that I would likely watch if able. The Trojans will work this defense of Washington State as UW did in week one and it will get ugly quick. 42-14

Enjoy the day

Charlie.

College Football Frenzy

Being away from the blog for the first three weeks of the college football really put a dent in things yet I will try to talk about as much as possible about everybody and everything.

First off the Big 10 is off to a slow start and I don't really care what anyone else says, I still think its the best overall football being played each week. I am not impressed with Wisconsin, they have not played well in their first three games and it is something that could come back to haunt them playing Iowa this weekend. My favorite Badger though, easily Luke Swan. What can I say about Michigan that has not already been said. I thought this would be a team that could contend for a National Championship and was more than excited to watch Wisconsin play them. Then Appalachian State comes into the Big House and kicks their ass for the most part then Oregon does it again the next week. They salvage a win against a piss-poor Notre Dame team. It will be interesting to see how they finish in the Big 10 and if Lloyd Carr still has a job come January. Don't believe the hype behind Penn State and Ohio State, I think they are both pretty good yet I am not ready to call them great.

The SEC might have the best team in the country in the LSU Tigers. They have an NFL-like defensive line that is creating havoc against any team they play. They sent a true message with the ass-kicking they gave to Virgina Tech, we shall see how they do in the upcoming weeks as SEC play begins. Saban and Spurrier are back to their winning ways and I think they are both going to be forces in the SEC this year. Florida will not be back in the National Championship, they look damn good although I think LSU will beat them... twice.

The Big 12/ACC do not do much for me, kind of like that semi-attractive girl at a party, she looks okay but thats about it. Oklahoma might be in the National Championship the way they are playing yet the Big 12 teams in recent years have found ways to fuck it up late in the season.

I am not afraid to say that I love Big East football. I think that its the most entertaining game to watch that Colt Brennen is not in. West Virgina will come out of the four team dogfight yet they will end up with one lost at least. Noel Devine already has lived up to the outrageous hype he got in high school.

Sounds like it will be a fun one.

Later
Charlie.

The Woodland Report

Well the high school football season is well under way and the Woodland has not really provided any excitement. Nothing too special until New Berlin Eisenhower vs. Pewaukee last friday night.

There was a late hit by the Pewaukee player on the sidelines and as the coach of Ike was trying to give some encouragement to the fallen player, he gets headbutted, then leading him to push the kid down. This punk-ass kid then press charges against the head coach of Ike. WOW, you get hit harder during a football game son. That is just not being a man and being embarrassed you got knocked on your ass by a 30 year old man. Just own up. By the way if you want to see the footage, email me: tritscca@uwec.edu, i shall send it to you.

This week figures to be a good week for football as Brown Deer and Ike go at as well as Cudahy vs. Greendale. Both matchups should be good which have different story lines. For Ike-BD, its two great defenses who haven't done much against great teams. For Cud-G'dale, its the two most explosive passers in the conference going at it, I expect a shootout. I would be upset if either of these games are disappointing. I wish I lived closer to see one of these great matchups but good luck to all teams involved.

My alma matter Tosa West has not looked so hot starting 0-3 in the Woodland with a huge game against Pewaukee tomorrow. If they want to even think about the playoffs, they need this one. I hope for the best yet I know that they are banged up in some key spots. Good luck guys.

I really have nothing else at this time, yet there will be more to come every week.

Later
Charlie.

Baseball Report

We are now only a week and a couple days from the regular season of Major League Baseball being over. I am glad that before I left for college, I was able to make nine Brewer games (7-2 by the way) so lets get it started with my final thoughts on baseball.

Well here we go, the Brewers have t-minus 9 days to get first place and hold on to the division crown. After tonight's embarrassing lost, they are now 1 1/2 games behind the evil Chicago Cubs. Where the hell is the world famous Cub Collapse, isn't suppose to happen right about now? I do not feel like the Brewers have enough to take the Cubs over. It is truly saddening to think this is the first time I will have a pessimistic attitude this season, the Brewers are done. Thats right I have jumped off the wagon, a guy whose been on it all along just sees bad signs left/right (Hudson/Smoltz, next two days, no Sheets) I will have to pain myself to watch the fucking Chubs in the playoffs, I hope they are swept.

One of the biggest surprises of the entire year was the staying power of the Arizona Diamondbacks. No one expected them to have one of the best records in the bigs. Now the Padres are making a late run which makes the excitement that much greater. They will fight like hell but I think the upstart D-Backs will be the wild card. I like both teams and I hope they succeed in the playoffs.

The one thing that is mind-blogging in both East division is how awful the front-runners are right now. The Phillies and the Yankees (ugh) are closing in on the division hunt. The Yanks will get the Wild Card if everything ended today. This Septemember sounds like the typical Red Sox Collapse (this is what should be happening to the Cubs!!!!!), they are just breaking at the seams. The Mets are just f'n it up in every possible way, exhibit A: tonight against the Marlins. I think the Phillies win that division and the Mets are left out of the playoffs. You will see the Red Sox hold on, yet they will be knocked out by whoever they play in the first round.

We shall see what all goes down in the next week, it should be fun.

Charlie.

I am Baaaaacck

I did not really think anyone read this yet I was proven wrong when my friend Sepi told me he missed reading stuff outta my blog so I decided to jump start it again.

The reasons I stop for awhile is because I was making sure that I had a handle on school and football at UW-Eau Claire. For the football season, I will have the top 5 games of the week for college football then the top 3 for the NFL. Then there will be a Packer/Badger wrap-up if I am able to catch enough of the game plus a wrap of the other three/five games.

Likely no more Brewer Weekly, I do not get to watch them enough to give my honest opinion on things yet I have watched the last two nights (Matt Wise? cmon!) I will definitely be in touch with the playoffs.

Also I have no WIAC comments, I play in the league and I refuse to say anything about the conference, I hope that everyone is successful.

Also you will see a weekly H.S. report about my conference yet I am 3 1/2 hours away from it all, I still keep in touch with it.

I have no really big opinion on Floyd Landis, its just a tainted sport in pros. I have a good amount of friends who cycle and it takes a real man to do that shit pure. O.J.- just because he's a former NFL player doesn't make him sports news all the sudden.

HERE WE GO.

Brewers Weekly

Wow what a shitty week this one was. I would like to completely forget that the Brewers played this week. There are not a lot of good things to point out from this week.

Reds (1-3)

Monday's game was an absolute pitcher's duel which was awesome to see Chris Capuano finally starting to pitch like we all know he can. Aaron Harrang for the Reds had a monster performance too, going 10 innings and 10 strikeouts. I would of like to see Johnny Estrada bust his ass a little harder because if anyone else is up, that is not a double play consequently ended the Brewers' chances in the 10th. Then Grant "Ball-Four" blows the game for the Crew which went downhill when he gave up a four-pitch walk to a guy who was bunting for Christ sakes.

Tuesday got better with a great performance by Yovani yet Fransisco Cordero looked very shaky in that game, almost giving up the game-winner to Ken Griffey Jr.

Wednesday was what we have see from Jeff Suppan most of the year-a shitty outing. He gave up five big runs and the Brewers were coming back which brought to 5-3. Then Matt Wise was thrown off entirely after he hit Pedro Lopez in the mouth which then led to two more runs.

Thursday, Dave Bush had an alright outing but he gave up a couple of runs in the 5th then was pulled from the game after the inning. I just do not get why these pitchers cannot go deep into ball games, it is like Ned Yost is worried so much about their pitch count or getting everyone equal time that he does not let these guys pitch deep. It is mind boggling to me. It was good to see the Brewers come back to lead going into the 9th with Mr. Autom.... wait a minute, Cordero blows the game and Jaiver Valentin wins the second game of this series in the 10th inning. At least the Cubs lost as well. Hopefully things would get better in St. Louis.

Cards (1-3)

Friday was a great game to watch because the Brewers were doing everything that they were suppose to. They hit the ball finally to opposite field and were seeing big results out of it. Is Claudio Vargas money or what? He is now 9-2 and the Brewers look to have a different swagger when he is on the mound.

Saturday featured a doubleheader which the Brewers needed at least one of two Manny Parra came up big for the Crew in a spot start and had a nice 6-3 cushion when he left the game despite only having one earned run. Then Coco blows up again in the ninth, allowing three runs to give the Cards the win. Just horrible, they had a six run lead and manage to give up seven runs. When will this club find their killer instinct, its like whenever they have a big lead, it goes to hell minus Friday's game. Then the nightcap features a better pitching Capuano versus Anthony Reyes who has not won since last September and what do the Brewers do. They get two fucking hits off of this ass clown, thats all two hits. Only two hits is horrible and they should be ashamed that they once again screwed Cappy out of a win because he pitched well after a horrendous first inning. They have now lost eleven consecutive games when he is pitching, yikes.

Today's game (Sunday) once again got the Brewers off to a quick start with a 5-o lead but then Yovani who was lights out through 4th inning, gave up four huge runs in the 5th therefore meant that it was another short day for Brewer starters. Then Derrick Turnbow gives up a couple of hits but then gives up an RBI single to tie the game and Carlos Villienueva walks in the winning run plus gives up a three run double to Albert Pujols. Pathetic, that what that is, they had a five run lead and manage to give up nine straight runs without getting any offense going late? Oh wait they had 14 singles, why on Earth Yost, would you not lay down a bunt here or there? Then the next single would get an RBI.

Trade

The Brewers got Scott Linebrink from the San Diego Padres for three pitching prospects, one being Will Ohman who is very good yet the Brewers have a ton of pitching in the minor leagues as it is so I am not worried about losing one of the many great pitchers we have. I think it will really assist the pen which it already has in the two games he has pitched. I want to see the Brewers go after Adam Dunn which I heard is not out of the realm. We would give up Tony Gywnn Jr. and Matt Wise for Dunn which would not be bad at all. Prince needs some better protection in the lineup with his recent struggles.

Now the Chicago Cubs have pulled within a half a game of the Brewers and lets all be glad their July is over. Yet when it comes to August, the Brewers have not had the best results. Hopefully this homestand will be the medicine they need.

Brewers Weekly

4 game set with the DBacks (3-1)

The Brewers came into Monday with a two game winning streak and ready to do some damage against the Arizona DiamondBacks. Chris Young had other ideas going yard in the first at-bat. Corey Hart and Ryan Braun responded with homers then Prince Fielder doubled in a run. The only worry of that game was Dave Bush giving up 3 homers but the fact of the matter was no one was on base which meant he was not walking a lot of batters.

Tuesday night, Claudio Vargas got into trouble early which put the Brewers in a hole in the 1st yet Tony Graffanino bailed the Crew out with a big homerun and the pitching was able to hold for a 3-2 win. I love the fact that Graffy has been hitting so well, he has been able to give some production out of 2nd base where Weeks had been awful.

Wednesday night brought Chris Capuano out of hiding and was able to get a great start out of him. He likely would not have gave up a run if it hadn't been for Kevin Mench falling in right yet made up for it with a 2 run dinger. Then Grant Balfour gave up a big fly to Mark Reynolds which I was able to let go being that it was his first appearance with the club yet I hoped it was not a sign to come. Thursday was pure dominance with Yovani being awesome, plus you know its a great day when Gabe Gross homers.

3 Game Series w/ the Giants (1-2)
Friday brought all of America's attention on the series because Barry Bonds was two homers away from breaking Hank Aaron's record. Barry did not do anything on Friday but the Brewers were not able to stop the Giants offense. Suppan looked good again but was not able to get past the 5th which is starting to get real annoying out of all the Brewers starters. Carlos Villieneuva looked unimpressive again which I guess I could of seen coming because everyone in the MLB hits the skids. Then Balfour was awful once again which added to the Giants lead although it was promising to see Manny Parra in his debut do so well.

Then on Saturday with it being a national broadcast, the Brewers bats fell asleep as Tim Linecum showed why everyone talks about how great he is. I watched most of this game and trust me he is going to be one special pitcher. The score also doesn't reflect the game, Bush was excellent despite the one bad pitch to Pedro Feliz. Chris Spurling then was horrible which I have let off on Spurling lately because he has been pitching well although I did not think it was smart of Ned to throw him into the fire coming off the bereavement list. Once again no noise from Bonds Then Sunday came Barry Zito who the Brewers roughed up earlier on in the year, were able to destroy Zito and come up with a big win. Vargas had an alright start and the pitching staff didnt come with the best stuff which made the bats even more important. Also Barry was kept on the bench in the 9th, thanks once again to Fransico Cordero.

It was an alright week and a decent homestand although I would of like to see the Brewers win another game against the Giants. The Cubs are creeping but I am sure with the Padres recent struggles that we could get the Wild Card.

Charlie.

Proof For What We Already Knew

Sorry for not being timely, I have been working a lot and have not got the opportunity to post. I will be better about it in the upcoming weeks. On to the post....

Honestly, think about watching an NBA game and have you not said to yourself, "Well the fix is in, they are screwing us out of the game." I know I said it a lot in the Eastern Conference Finals of 2003, where the Bucks got robbed by the refs who wanted Allen Iverson in the Finals. You will never change my mind about that one.

Now it was been revealed that Tim Donaghy a thirteen year NBA veteran referee had a serious gambling problem, got in very deep with the mob and bet on games which it is still not known whether he bet on his own games. Although there is plenty proof that shows that he did. The Journal had a Bucks game where they went over in points and Indiana sure as shit cover the spread with more fouls committed by the Bucks and so on. Yet that is not to say that he fixed game 3 of the Western Semi-Finals. He only made 20 calls that night which was the lowest by the three officials plus Nash was awful therefore I believe that game was not fixed. Other games during the season could definitely check out.

What does this mean for the NBA? They lose more fan support which is dwindling as it is. They could not afford something this severe at this point in time. During the Jordan years, it would of been a big deal but Jordan would of found a way to fix it. It will become even worse if more than Donaghy is in on it. Then it becomes a witch-hunt and then a lot of games will be pondered upon.

I honestly could not give you a suggestion for the what the NBA should do. The shit has hit the fan and I really see the NBA having a hard time digging themselves out of this hole. The only way is if they have a McGwire-Sosa type deal where its a huge playoff series possibly where everyone and their mother is intrigued to see what happens next. But one bad call in the game will make a couple wonder... Was it Fixed?

Charlie.

Michael Vick gets Dawged

As you most know already, Michael Vick has been indicted by a federal grand jury on Tuesday in the dogfighting scandal that has swept America in a few short days of this being released. When the national news is getting into it then you know its a huge deal. The reason is simple, Vick is accused of harming a "man's best friend" and when animals become involved, it's hard for people to stay quiet.

Michael Vick was never one of my favorite players ever since the debacle the Packers had in the playoffs that put Vick on the map. He got the Madden deal, he got a fat contract, he already had Nike yet it increased production in shoes. I did not care how much hype this guy got, he was not that good. He was a prototypical college quarterback, able to run the ball from the QB position but cannot throw an accurate pass to save his damn soul. He just was not that good and everyone failed to see that despite the Falcons dragging their heels in the last two years.

Vick was not perfect and not a role model for kids. He had flipped off the fans, had got herpes form some random chick (still love Ron Mexico name though), had a supposed substance in a water bottle, and did not show up to a Congressional meeting for after school programs, some role model eh? Then BOOM! Shit hit the fan when Vick was accused of running a dogfighting program and was considered a heavyweight in dogfighting all the way back in 2000 which would put him in college still, how is he getting all that money? Weird, Va. Tech.

Now just recently Nike decided to put his shoe on hold for the football season and all of the other deals he has have expired although he would be lucky to get a deal from anyone these days. PETA is pressuring the shit out of the NFL to get Vick suspended which Goodell is going to do because its only fair, Pacman was indicted yet never charged which lead to a whole year suspension. This will be the first and only time I am on PETA side.

Seriously Michael Vick, you had all the money in the world, you had a city that supported you for the most part, a lot of inner-city youth in the Deep South looked up to you, and you disappointed everyone to the fullest. You should tell the media that you are taking a year off of football because that's what a man does. Oh I forgot, your brother Marcus tried to get a 15 year old drunk and rape her,

so obviously the Vick family does not know how to act like men

Charlie.

Larry Harris' Hot Seat Just Got Warmer

According to report on Espn.com, the Chinese National Team is blocking Yi from playing with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Yi tell the national team to stop worrying about your playing time and the smaller Asian population. Trust me you will have fans no matter where you go because of your China background. Also you are going to the playing time you deserve, and if its just because you see the Bucks going nowhere then come out and say it. The Bucks can just swing a deal for Yi right now because his value is plummeting as we speak.

I don't blame Yi I blame---Larry Harris. What made you think that you could bring Yi to Milwaukee when he said over and over again that he did not want to play for the Bucks. You couldn't pull the trigger to trade him to Golden State which would of been ideal since Brenden Wright is a good player with a tremendous upside and Mickeal Pietrus who will give you better minutes than Bobby Simmons. That was a great deal and would give the Bucks some much needed help. Then he loses another one of our international players to a team in Barcelona. What is this soccer? That's not suppose to happen in the NBA. Larry Harris is an idiot and Herb Kohl needs to sell this team because they are going nowhere quick. The Bucks and their fans need fresh blood in the management department. This team reminds of the Brewers of the 90's they had some talent but just couldn't put it together.

Charlie.

Brewers Weekly

Sorry about the delay guys, I have been busy with work and have not got to opportunity to blog. Anyways here is the weekly wrap up for the Brewers.

All-Star Festivities
It was great to see Prince Fielder in the Home Run Derby and not go off like Carlos Lee did a couple of years back which lead to his second half of the year being like crap. So at least he was in and I am positive this will not be his last one. Then came to the All-Star Game which had a couple good moments but nothing special. The Brewers players did nothing note-worthy but I could care less because having 4 of the Brew Crew players brought me joy.

Weekend Series with the Rockies
Then it was back to baseball Friday night where we all hoped that Chris Capuano could rite his ship and have a spectacular second half. Wrong, he struggled with walks yet again and gave up a couple of homers as well and Carlos Villineuva looked horrible for the first time in awhile giving up 5 runs as well. Cappy just needs a dominating performance to get it all back together Saturday was looking very bad when Ben Sheets went down with an injury early in the game and the Brewers only managing a Corey Hart homer in the 6th as their only hit. Yet once again Yovani came up and had a huge game, he isn't starting because....? Then Yost wisely put in Graffy instead of Weeks with Jenkins on 3rd in the 10th and he got the game-winner. Sunday, as Brewers fan we hoped that the 40 Million Dollar Man, Jeff Suppan would put together a great start to give him a jump start on the second half. Granted he didn't figure in the decision, he still had a great game going deep into the game and pitching very well for the Brewers that afternoon. Jenkins and Mench gave the Brewers what they needed late in the game to win the game and the series over the Rockies.

Now the Cubs are hot at 9-3 (counting Monday) in July and are nipping at the Brewers' heels at 3.5 back yet I am not ready to push the panic button with Sheets on the DL. Yovani is going to give you what you need out of a starter and if Bush can keep pitching the way he is add Soup to that equation, we can win games without Ben Sheets, it has been done before.

Mo Back In Milwaukee, Mo Problems?

I know, I know cheesy Biggie Smalls line as my title bu I felt obliged to use it because it is worthy.

I think Larry Harris' ass is so warm from the hot seat that if Mo Williams struggles this year Harris will be gone. I can almost guarantee that, unless the Dairy Queen has a love affair with him as well.

Mo Williams is not the type of point guard I like, I would rather have a guy who is dishing 10 passes a game and maybe scoring 7 points yet its not needed for him to score because there are others around to do that. I do not want to rely on the guy who brings up the ball as my first/second scoring opition because I am scared he will just stop and pop a la Mr. Dom James from the Marquette Golden Eagles.

The only thing I like about Mo is he is money in the last two minutes of a ball game. He needs to keep that up because the Bucks need all the clutch shooting they can get. I just would rather had try to get a solid point guard such as Jason Williams or Mike Bibby instead of Mo Williams. Although I am glad my other favorite team the Heat didnt pick him up. I hope he can become more pass first yet I highly doubt that.

I do not feel very confident in the Bucks this year, they waste their draft pick on a guy who probably will go back to his native land or go to another team. I think Yi (which is a whole other topic) is a good player and could add alot for the Bucks so hopefully he can come to the Bucks.

Charlie.

Gary Sheffield: Driver of the Wambulance

Doesn't it seem like every two weeks Gary Sheffield is running his mouth about something that is wrong in baseball. He talked about how Hispanics "listen and do what they are told" , bashes Bobby Abreu (that one is deserving until his recent tear), and now this.

He has now accused Joe Torre of "calling out" the black players during team meetings, and other things of that nature. Also he referred to Derek Jeter not "being all black" Gary, shut up and quit your bitching. You are obviously doing this for attention to keep his name on the front page of sports websites and newspapers. I cannot stand Shef, he got pissed in Milwaukee when Moliter and Yount got all the attention and poor old Shef was not getting what he thought he deserved. Boo hoo, those guys can run laps around you Shef with all their accolades, not a problem.

I thought that Barry Bonds had a big ego but Sheffield one exceeds Baroid, he is somebody who I cannot stand. I think he has a sweet batting stance but that's about it. Its funny because I think he expected way more of a reaction then he got,

if I am the Yanks i hit Shef with the first pitch.

Charlie.

Coming to America

Lets all welcome Mr. David Beckham to the United States.

Some are probably saying that "we could give two shits about soccer and why is ESPN and other networks pounding coverage down our throats! " Well I am here to tell you today that you are wrong if you think soccer does not take much to do and I encourage you to watch a couple games with or without Beckham playing because they are damn good athletes.

I think it might be the hardest sport played, it takes somebody who can ran almost the entire field which equals to about the size of a football one for 90 minutes straight. People in football and basketball get breaks after every quarter of time, these guys only get one break. Also it takes somebody with amazing foot skills furthermore some strength is needed to be the best at the sport.

There is a part of me that hopes that Beckham will make people want to watch soccer again in the United States just like Pele did with the New York Cosmos back in the 70's. If he can light that fire, my biggest hope is that some of the greats will come over and play for the US. Which then will draw the appeal far greater than the players in MLS. There are doubters that say "Becks is washed up" I think the man still can nail a free kick better than anyone in the world and is still a great passer. I believe the Galaxy will be successful with him on it and he will end up doing very well in the US not only in soccer but marketing the sport to the rest of watching.

Good luck Becks.

Charlie.

The Rest of the MLB at the Break

As I continue to get older, I think that Major League Baseball is my favorite pro sport to watch. There are a couple things that I foresee happening in each division and I will give you my winners and who might choke down the stretch. I am not going to add trade rumors in here because they are going to change in the next couple weeks.

NL East: The Mets have hit the skids recently and have not been looking like they are living up to all the money Omar Minyana (sp) put into this team. I think that the Mets will have a big August (after getting swept by the Crew :) and will pull away from the Braves. Atlanta will not be able to capture the Wild Card and I do not think they cannot even think about moving Andruw Jones with the first half he had. Phillies might be able to give them a run but will need some help in the entire pitching staff before they can even be mentioned.

NL Central: I will come out in the first sentence, Brewers Win! It will not be easy though, the Cubs will nip at their heels and they might even nab the Wild Card eventhough it will be a long shot. I am just trying to keep our Cubs fans interested! The Cards will fall off and will not be a threat. The Pirates will need some pitching help and some big boppers to become a threat.

NL West: This is by far the best division in the NL yet it will belong to the Padres with a strong push by the Dodgers who will capture the Wild Card. The D-Backs and Rockies are not out of the question to make some noise but they will need to grow up very quick under a ton of pressure. Also Barry Bonds will hit 756 at home after visiting Milwaukee where he sits out every game to wait to break in San Fran.

AL East: This will be the Red Sox division no doubt about it. If Schilling is out for the year or for most of the second half, they will find somebody to fill that void. The Yankees will battle but they will continue to not become closer than 5 back. They should fight for the Wild Card but they will come up short there as well. The rest of the division... ho hum.

AL Central: What a great race this will be. Everyone including myself is pulling for the Cleveland Indians to take this division which I think they will because they have a great starting lineup and their pitching staff is led by arguably the Cy Young of the AL. Also their pen has been solid which the Tigers have been awful since Joel Zumaya injury. The Tigers will capture the wild card.

AL West: The Angels take this division and they are going to be the best team in the AL by the end of the season. I could see Seattle making a run at the Wild Card but I think the Tigers are way too good, they will pull that one away. Don't expect Oakland to make their typical run, they do not have some of the things they use to.

So now I will give you my predictions and I promised to be as unbiased as possible

NL 1- San Diego Padres vs. NL 4- Los Angeles Dodgers SD in 4
NL 2- New York Mets vs. NL 3-Milwaukee Brewers MIL in 5

San Diego vs. Milwaukee SD in 6

AL 1- Los Angeles Angels vs. NL 4- Detroit Tigers LAA in 5
AL 2- Boston Red Sox vs. NL 3 Cleveland Indians BOS in 4

Los Angeles vs. Boston BOS in 7

San Diego vs. Boston SD in 6- The Padres will win it because of the amazing pitcher they have and that is what matters in the playoffs.

Brewers at the Break

Wow, what a year it has already been for the Milwaukee Brewers. Came into the season with rather high expectations for the first time in years and they lived up to it with a huge start. Then came a large slump that they stayed in for most of May. But if I had to sum up the first half of the Brewer season, it would be a feel-good rollercoaster. It has sometimes felt like I was going to be sick with disappointed a la Justin Verlander's no hitter then it felt like I was going to collapse in a coma of joy such as the huge 5-4 win against the Cubs early on in the season.

Things that need to happen for the Brewers to be a playoff team

• Get rid of either Kevin Mench or Gabe Gross, preferably Gross but there is no need for both of them on this squad. They have a lot outfielders as it is without Bill Hall and Geoff Jenkins can hit lefties, he is never given the chance.
• Consistent pitching please. I think that is one of the most important things for the second half of the season is that the starting pitchers keep the consistency. Jeff Suppan was great in the beginning of the year but has since dragged his heels with a 5.00 ERA making everyone think how much Melvin wasted his 40 million yet lets not forget Soup had a huge second half last year, so lets wait and see. Where is Cappy? That man is looking like he is a classic "lighting in a jar" Brewer. Only comes up big in one year. Dave Bush has really got his shit together in the last couple of weeks which is making me very happy. Claudio Vargas has given the Brewers some great starts but needs to go way deeper in games. If it doesn't happen in the next couple weeks, then Vovani is the easy answer to our problems.
• Ben Sheets and Coco continue to lead this staff- Both of them have been very bright spots to the Crew and they need to have a great second half to really put a stamp on things. Showing teams, "if you meet us in the playoffs, you got to see Sheets once maybe twice" and "if you trail, then expect Coco in the 9th, tell the heart of the order to bring it."
• Don't Rely on the Longball: Too many of the Brewers are trying to make a difference by hitting the big homers when I would rather see Prince Fielder hit a double then Jenks driving him in with another double then pushed to third then a sac fly brings him. Those 2 runs are much refreshing for me then seeing a two run homer.
• Ryan Braun Bounce Back from your First Slump: It will happen as much as I like to think it will not, the guy I called "The Messiah" from day one and wish everyone at Tosa West a happy "Ryan Braun Day" the day he was called up will hit the skids. When it does happens, hopefully he will just come back better than ever, then that's really scary.
• Take Advantage Anytime the Cubs Lose- Enough said.

You will see what I like to call "Brewer Weekly" which means that I will wrap up whatever is going on with the Brewers that week. For example on this Sunday night or early Monday, I will talk about the All-Star festivities and the Rockies Series.

Charlie.

Welcome All

Hello everyone who probably does not read this blog but I hope that in the next coming years that most will read this. I started over because I think that my other one wasn't that great and I am going to try very hard to keep my grammar skills to a "college level". You will see a lot of sports being talked about and many random things being discussed. I just ask that you be respectful in what you say and if not, well do not read it then.

Please enjoy and I am going to start plugging away on many topics in different sports.

Charlie