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As Mets Lose Control. Cubs Clinch Division [David Stefanini]
2007-09-29 19:56:00
We all know how miserable this season has turned out for the New York Mets . However, the Chicago Cubs have clinched their division and are looking towards the playoffs. Here is ESPN.com with more:"They lost on the field, fought in the dugout, fell out of contention before the season's midpoint. Then, the Chicago Cubs did something that defied their long history of failure and disappointment.Somehow, they pulled together and won the division.Chicago's two biggest offseason investments took them the final step toward the playoffs on Friday night. Alfonso Soriano hit another leadoff homer, Carlos Zambrano kept his cool and the Cubs clinched the NL Central with a 6-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds."Hopefully we can have a few more little parties like this," said Lou Piniella, who enjoyed a champagne shower in his first season as the Cubs manager. "They're fun."http://img68.imageshack.us/my.php?im age=amerlegendslogo5wj.gif
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Pigskin Pick'em - NFL Week 4 Picks [EdMcGon]
2007-09-28 13:41:00
As Shakespeare might have said: "Cry bacon! And let slip the pigs of war!"Ok, I took a few liberties with that, but here are my picks (in red) anyway:Houston Texans at Atlanta Falcons: The Matt Schaub Bowl, otherwise known as Schaub returns to Atlanta to show the Falcons why they were horrendously stupid for trading him and keeping Mike "Dog-fryer" Vick.New York Jets at Buffalo Bills: Welcome to the NFL, Trent Edwards.Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns: Take the Brownies to pull an upset in a surprisingly close game.St. Louis Rams at Dallas Cowboys: No Steven Jackson. No Orlando Pace. No win for the Lambs.Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions: With Brian Griese in for Rex Grossman, the Bears look like a much better team. Griese's flaw has always been choking in the clutch, but the Bears should be able to get far enough ahead of the Lions to avoid that possibility.Oakland Raiders at Miami Dolphins: Thanks for the victory guaranty, Joey Porter! I was worried the Raiders might take this ga...
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A Consoling Quote for Met Fans [J. Mark English]
2007-09-28 06:14:00
Senator Jim Bunning, who played for the 1964 Phillies team that watched a 6.5 game lead evaporate in their 12 games, once said that he would not wish that kind of pain they felt on anyone. Not on any team, nor fans, nor city.It reminds me of what A. Bartlett Giamatti once said about baseball when he was the MLB commissioner in the 1980's:"It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone."Sadly, the Mets are facing the stark reality of leaving those who bleed orange and blue with a fall to be forgotten as the cold begins to sink in. Have mercy on us please, oh baseball lords :-(.http://img68.imageshack.us/my.php?ima ge=amerlegendslogo5wj.gif
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Photos: ...Phillies in Jubilation as they Share NL East Lead [J. Mark Engli
2007-09-28 06:12:00
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More About: Photos , East , Philadelphia Phillies , Share , Atlanta Braves

Photos: Mets Sulk as they Lose the Division Lead... [J. Mark English]
2007-09-28 06:10:00
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Pigskin Pick'em - NFL Week 3 Results [EdMcGon]
2007-09-27 12:45:00
Sorry this is late folks. But the winner for week 3 is (followed by the rest of us losers):Robert A. George - 12bl - 10David Stefanini - 8Bill Barker - 8Dave O'Leary - 8FunkyPundit - 8J. Mark English - 7EdMcGon - 7SoloD - 7And the year to date standings (with weeks won in parentheses):David Stefanini(1) - 28J. Mark English(1) - 24EdMcGon - 24Robert A. George(1) - 23Bill Barker - 21Dave O'Leary - 16bl - 10FunkyPundit - 8Mike - 8SoloD - 7Rigel - 5I will have this week's picks up either tonight or tomorrow, so hurry back and play!http://img68.imageshack.us/my.php?im age=amerlegendslogo5wj.gif
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Video: Are the 2007 Mets the 1964 Phillies? [J. Mark English]
2007-09-27 05:00:00
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As I Pull My Hair Out... [J. Mark English]
2007-09-27 03:19:00
...I have a wild solution to the wild card.But first... I've been wanting to spew vomit all over the place for the last few weeks. I mean how much more can I take as a sports fan?Notre Dame (not my alma mater, but since I am Irish Catholic I claim the right to root for them)...is 0-4. The for worst start in 120 years. Ugh.The New York Giants - They made a nice little come back against the 'Skins, but the first two weeks, the defense gave up 80 points in two games. The first them their defense has been so futile since the early 1970's.And then there are the New York Mets . Ah, my Mets. This is a team that just a few weeks ago were in position to wrap up the NL East with ease. Tonight, after giving up a five run lead to the Nats, with the Phillies leading the Braves, the Mets might not even make the playoffs!!So yea, it has not been a cheery time to be a sports fan. I've been almost avoiding the blog in the hopes that all this bad luck with my teams might just turn around....
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Video: Oklahoma State Coach Goes Off [David Stefanini]
2007-09-26 05:35:00
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Ranking the Top 5: NFL Week 3 [David Stefanini]
2007-09-25 00:56:00
Well it has been a very long time since I have written for this blog. I'm sorry for that, but school has taken control of my life and won't give me any free time. With that out of the way here is how I see the NFL after Week 3.1 - New England Patriots: There isn't even a team in the NFL that I can honestly say has a chance of beating them. They are far superior in every aspect, and they are playing undermanned right now. I think they'll finish the regular season at 15-1. They'll lose a game, maybe 2, because of Brady having an off day. But come playoff time he doesn't have bad games, they will walk away with the Super Bowl Ring again this year.2 - Indianapolis Colts: A very distant 2nd place. They are the Super Bowl champs and are once again a force to be reckoned with. They seem to have figured out how to stop the run, and their offense is led by Peyton Manning. They will make it to the AFC Championship with a record of 14-2, but lose to the Pats.3 - Dallas Cowboys: This team...
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PSU Loses First Of Season [A.J. Cordi]
2007-09-23 03:10:00
As I predicted, Penn State lost their first game to Michigan . The score was 14-9 and Penn State didn't score a single touchdown. But predictions aside, this game truly showed the areas that Penn State needs to improve on - mainly their offense.They held Michigan to just 14 points, which is very impressive against any ranked college team. But in the end, Anthony Morelli needs to complete more than half his passes, the receivers need to work harder on getting open and ready for the pass, and Austin Scott needs to stop fumbling. Needless to say, the offense needs work!But overall, the team is in good shape. The defense stepped up and did all they could do. This game was their first real challenge of the season, and I believe that there will be better things to come from here on out.For an article on the game, click here.For the box score, click here.http://img68.imageshack.us/my.php?im age=amerlegendslogo5wj.gif
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AL Cy Young Award: Beckett or Sabathia? And Let's Not Forget Santana. [Addi
2007-09-22 20:19:00
The final stats aren't in quite yet. But we do have a pretty good sense of who might win the AL Cy Young award (the NL Cy Young is a no-brainer in Jake Peavy of SD). The two obvious candidates seem to be Beckett and Sabathia. In Boston, it seems to be a slam-dunk for Beckett. I'm not so sure. Here are their lines:W L GS CG IP H ER HR BB SO ERA *lgERA *ERA+ WHIP20 6 29 1 194.7 179 68 15 40 188 3.14 4.54 145 1.12518 7 33 4 234.0 230 83 19 36 205 3.19 4.41 138 1.137You can probably tell who is who. But just glancing at these stats, they are for all intents and purposes identical. Similar wins and losses. Similar Strikeouts. Similar ERA. Similar WHIP. There's one BIG difference though. One pitcher has thrown 234 innings and the other has thrown only 194 innings. That's 4 extra starts. And that's an average of 7.1 and 6.7 innings per start respectively. If you didn't know already, Beckett's line is the one on top and Sabathia's is the one below. It'...
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Bloggers React to Mets Decline, Phillies Rise [J. Mark English]
2007-09-21 15:35:00
Wow, where did that win come from? It wasn?t a brand new Phillie that provided the spark as I thought, but it was another amazing finish. Jayson Werth?s 3-run blast into the upper deck of left field to bring the Phils within one run was certainly reminiscent of the Russell Branyan shot. More impressive though was the Phillies bullpen which salvaged Kyle Lohse?s pitiful two inning performance as Durbin, Davis, Condrey, Romero (W), Gordon, and Myers (S) combined for seven scoreless. The Phillies now have 47th come-from-behind wins. That is the most in the majors and with 83 wins overall, that means the Phils come-from-behind in more than half their games (57%). Elsewhere in the National League, the Marlins held off a Met rally to escape with a win in ten innings. As fans were walking out of RFK last night, the concourses erupted when we found out the Fish had tied it in the ninth. I expect there to be even more fans at the stadium this weekend - you can?t beat $5 tickets. Unfortunat...
More About: Florida Marlins , English , Bloggers , New York Mets , Philadelphia Phillies

And as a Mets Fan this is How I Feel... [J. Mark English]
2007-09-21 15:33:00
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Once Again, Need I Say More? [J. Mark English]
2007-09-21 15:31:00
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Pigskin Pick'em - NFL Week 3 Picks
2007-09-20 19:52:00
Feel free to add your picks to the comments (rules below). My picks are in red:Arizona Cardinals at Baltimore Ravens: This one is not as obvious as it appears on paper. Regardless, the Ravens should still win a squeaker.San Diego Chargers at Green Bay Packers: I predict a painful day for Lord Favre.Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans: If WR Andre Johnson was playing, the Texans might have a chance. Without him, take the Colts.Minnesota Vikings at Kansas City Chiefs: If there's a more boring matchup this weekend, I don't see it.Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots: I don't need the video to know who's going to win this one.Miami Dolphins at New York Jets: If Mangini is half the coach he's supposed to be, the Jets should win.Detroit Lions at Philadelphia Eagles: When Donovan McNabb made his comment about how hard it is for black quarterbacks, I doubt he had the Lions in mind, but he'll definitely be thrown (and throwing) to them this week.San Francisco 49ers at Pittsburgh Stee...
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The AL East: Does It Even Matter? [Addison Quale]
2007-09-20 18:02:00
First off, props to the Yankees for coming back--almost all the way--from being 14.5 games back in late May. I never doubted the fact that this team was good and knew that the Sox lead wasn't ever that safe. But, does the victor of the AL East really mean anything? Call it a case of sour grapes or what have you, but the Sox are in the playoffs. They have a 1.5 game lead on the Yankees and a 7 game lead on the Tigers with about 9 games to go. It's pretty much a sure thing. And does it really matter that much what regular season record a team ends up with as it heads into the post-season? I can recall two teams in recent memory which limped into the post-season. One was the 2000 Yankees who stumbled to an 87-74 record losing a string of games in their last week. I think we can all remember how that juggernaut of a team bowled through the playoffs to its third consecutive WS title. Then there is 2006, last year. The Cardinals were all set for the playoffs--that is until an big losing...
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Need I Say More? [J. Mark English]
2007-09-19 17:27:00
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Pigskin Pick'em - NFL Week 2 Results
2007-09-18 12:36:00
The final results for week 2 are:J. Mark English - 12Robert A. George - 11EdMcGon - 9David Stefanini - 9Dave O'Leary - 8Bill Barker - 7Rigel - 5Congrats Mark!For our year-to-date results (with weeks won in parentheses):David Stefanini(1) - 20J. Mark English(1) - 17EdMcGon - 17Bill Barker - 13Robert A. George - 11Dave O'Leary - 8Mike - 8Rigel - 5I will post the week 3 picks later this week, so stay tuned! http://img68.imageshack.us/my.php?image=a merlegendslogo5wj.gif
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The Best Rivalry in Sports; And Give Props to Jorge Posada [Addison Quale]
2007-09-16 07:39:00
Did you see last night?s game between the Sox and Yanks? I?m sorry, but this has got to be the best rivalry in sports hands down. Just when we can?t imagine any more drama between these two teams, it just keeps getting better. First of all, Friday night was pretty much a disaster for Boston. Ahead 6 runs late in the game, and they can?t hold it? It?s pathetic. And as I heard one sports writer say, ?Just as the Angels are in the Yankees? heads, the Yankees are in the Sox heads.? The Yankees KNOW they can beat the Sox. And not only that, A-Rod knows he can beat Papelbon?the biggest defensive weapon the Sox have, who has been terrorizing AL hitters for the last month. So Friday?s game was huge.And then last night?s game featured the 2 winningest pitchers in the AL in Wang and Beckett. The stakes were high for that matchup and considering the Sox were still intent on breaking up the Yankees ten year stranglehold on the AL East. The game was deadlocked at 1-1 for most of the game. That i...
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Satire: Two Cartoons via the New York Post [J. Mark English]
2007-09-14 23:33:00
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Did O.J. Simpson Break into a Casino? [J. Mark English]
2007-09-14 15:06:00
Police seem to think he may have been dumb enough to do so. Maybe this will finally get him behind bars. Here is more from NBC:NBC5 has learned that Las Vegas police are questioning O.J. Simpson Friday morning in connection with a burglary.The Las Vegas NBC affiliate confirmed that Simpson is accused of breaking into a room at the Palace Station Casino sometime Thursday.Police confirmed that they are questioning Simpson and several other people.No other details were available early Friday.A statement is expected to be issued by police later Friday.Simpson's book, "If I Did It," hits store shelves Friday amid much controversy.http://img68.imageshack.us/my .php?image=amerlegendslogo5wj.gif
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NFL Discilpines Belichick and the Patriots [J. Mark English]
2007-09-14 03:58:00
The happy go lucky days in the NFL of Commissioner Paul Tagliabue has been replaced by the disciplinary age of Commissioner Roger Goodell.Goodell and the NFL have come down hard on the New England Patriots . Here is the latest from CBS:The NFL has fined New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick and the team a total of $750,000 for videotaping an opponent's signals. The team also has been told to forfeit draft choices.The Pats were caught videotaping the New York Jets' defensive signals during last Sunday's 38-14 win at the Meadowlands.CBS 2 HD has learned Belichick was hit with a $500,000 fine by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. The team will have to hand over $250,000.The Patriots will also have to forfeit at least one draft pick in 2008, but that will depend on how they finish this season. If they make the playoffs, they will lose a first-round pick. If they don't make the postseason, they will give up their second-and third-round picks. Belichick will not be suspended.Thats n...
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NBA: Greg Oden to Miss the 2007-2008 Season [J. Mark English]
2007-09-13 23:52:00
Well, this is never good. You gotta feel bad for Portland.This is from the NBA:An exploratory arthroscopic surgery performed on Greg Oden today revealed cartilage damage to the Portland Trail Blazers rookie?s right knee. Oden is likely to miss the 2007-08 NBA season. "Greg had an arthroscopy and a micro fracture surgery today," said team physician Dr. Don Roberts, who performed the surgery. "He was found to have articular cartilage damage in his right knee. The area of injury was not large and we were able to treat it with micro fracture, which stimulates the growth of cartilage. There are things about this that are positive for Greg. First of all he is young. The area where the damage was is small and the rest of his knee looked normal. All those are good signs for a complete recovery from micro fracture surgery." Oden is expected to be on crutches for up to eight weeks. Recovery time from micro fracture surgery varies from person to person, but generally takes between six an...
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Pigskin Pick'em - NFL Week 2 Picks [EdMcGon]
2007-09-13 13:59:00
Time for our week 2 NFL game picks! My picks below are in red:Houston Texans at Carolina Panthers: This is what is typically referred to as a "no-brainer".Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns: Is this "no-brainer" week?Atlanta Falcons at Jacksonville Jaguars: While the Jags aren't great, the Falcons still have Joey Harrington, who makes David Garrard look good by comparison.Green Bay Packers at New York Giants: The Giants new motto: "Is there a doctor in the house?"Buffalo Bills at Pittsburgh Steelers: Expect the Bills to give the Steelers a tough time this week, but the Steelers should squeak by them.San Francisco 49ers at St. Louis Rams: The Rams REALLY miss Orlando Pace, otherwise they might win this one. Regardless, it should be close.New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Expect the Saints to put a smackdown on the Bucs. After losing to the Colts last week, this should be a monster bounce-back for the Saints.Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans: The AFC South teams al...
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7 / 11 is Heaven for the New York Mets [J. Mark English]
2007-09-13 04:14:00
A few weeks ago after the Mets lost four straight to the Phillies, I said that it was time for them to "stand their ground" and prevent further "free fall". Of course those quotes came from Tom Petty's repertoire. Not only did they "stand their ground" but they went to down to Atlanta with a "Damn the Torpedo's" full speed ahead attitude.Over the past two weeks they have begun to run away with the division. They have won 10 of 12 games including 5 of 6 from the Atlanta Braves. They tied the season series against the Braves. They have built their lead against the Phillies to 7, and now have a magic number of only 11. The countdown can begin towards a second division championship in a row.Soon, once the division has been clinched, the Mets can turn their attention to doing what they could not do last year. Advance beyond the NLCS, and win a World Series for the first time since 1986http://img68.imageshack.us/my.php?ima ge=amerlegendslogo5wj.gif
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RAGGED Sports Break [Robert A. George]
2007-09-13 03:56:00
This is from Guest Blogger, Robert A. George , of Ragged Thots:1) Golden Dome in black and white. Those Notre Dame boosters who thought they were so Weis three years ago look fit to be Ty-ed right about now. Pat Forde nails ND perfectly.2) Who'd a thunk it? Baseball isn't the only sport that uses the wonders of modern technology to, uh, "gain a competitive advantage" (AKA "cheat"). So does the NFL!! So, if the Patriots weren't stealing signs, they might have only scored 24 points on the Jets!Don't laugh, the Jets did beat the Pats up in Foxboro late last year -- admittedly, Randy Moss wasn't there.It also appears that this isn't the first time the Patriots pulled this, given that Green Bay's GM claims they pulled something similar last year. Which causes more than a few people to wonder whether Bill Belichik is a true "genius" -- or just another boob tube junkie like the rest of us.Rather than dunning New England a few draft picks, how about just sending Tom Brady to the Jets?...
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Breasts, Exercise, and Bras [J. Mark English]
2007-09-13 03:34:00
Guys, do I have your attention? Actually its really the girls who should be paying attention now. The following story is based on research that was actually performed...by scientists...wow, they must have been really bored. Anyway, this is from Women 's Health News :Researcher Dr. Joanna Scurr from Portsmouth University conducted a study on women and found that during exercise a woman's breasts move in three directions, including forwards and back, whereas bras are designed only to stop up and down movement.Dr. Scurr says an estimated 60 per cent of women suffer breast pain when doing even a gentle form of exercise, and others are embarrassed by the bouncing caused when running.As a rule bras are designed to stop the bounce but according to the researchers breasts also move side-to-side and in and out.Biomechanical data of 70 women of varying breast sizes was studied and Dr. Scurr says a "smart fabric" is needed that can provide custom-made support for each woman which would conta...
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CameraGate? SpyGate? Patriot Games? [J. Mark English]
2007-09-13 03:28:00
Call it what you want, but the New England Patriot s being caught cheating is bizarre. Bill Simmons, the Sports Guy, has more:For the past 24 hours, since Camera Gate was exposed, I've been trying to think of a good excuse for Bill Belichick and the Patriots. There has to be a good excuse, right? So why couldn't I think of one? How could I save them from America's scorn? How could I remove those three asterisks from the Super Bowl titles? Even when I channeled my inner O.J. and decided, "If Belichick did cheat in the Jets game, it's only because he loved the Jets too much," it didn't quite work.The truth is, there's probably no saving the Pats. Everyone outside New England was searching for a legitimate reason to hate them for the past four years, and now they have an excellent one. Spying on opponent's signals is just plain seedy. It's one step above playing footsie with someone in an airport men's room. It's a disgrace. It's embarrassing. Even though everyone probably ch...
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Good News: Everett Moving Arms and Legs [David Stefanini]
2007-09-12 14:47:00
One day after all of us heard how Kevin Everett is still in serious condition and how the likelyhood of him making a full recovery was slim, doctors are reporting today for the first time since the hit; Everett is moving his arm and legs. Kevin Everett might walk again after all.The doctor who performed the spinal surgery on Everett told Buffalo TV station WIVB on Tuesday that Everett has voluntary movement of his arms and legs and as a result he is optimistic that Everett will walk again.Dr. Andrew Cappuccino told WIVB that Everett's sedation levels were lowered on Tuesday, allowing him to respond to verbal commands. WIVB also reported that Everett's latest MRI shows only a small amount of swelling on his spinal cord.http://img68.imageshack.us/my.php?im age=amerlegendslogo5wj.gif
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