Sox Win, Yanks Lose

I apologize for the delay of this post. I was going to write this entry yesterday, but since I make enough from this site a week to only buy a meal at McDonalds (no way I could even super size it) I have to do the 9-5 gig. That being said...lets move on to some baseball news (might be the last of MLB news you'll hear in a while).


The Red Sox are your 2007 World Series Champions by performing a 4-0 sweep over the seemingly unbeatable Rockies. Before entering this series I wasn't going to touch any predictions with a 10 foot poll. How would you predict this? The Rockies have won 20 out of their last 21 games (correct me if I'm wrong..it might be 21 out of 22) and swept both the Phillies and the Diamondabacks coming into the World Series. The Red Sox are Red Hot winning 3 straight against a good Indians team after being down 3-1. While I'm surprised that the Red Sox swept, I'm not really surprised that they won big.


The bats of the Sox had been absolutely dominant prior to the series and there was no way that the Rockies hitters would have been able to stack up against them. Matt Holliday wasn't performing amazingly (although he did hit a few homers). The Rockies pitching had been phenominal in the playoffs, but it hadn't been phenominal during the season. Red Sox pitching had been consistently good however. The only exception for the Rockies pitching was Francis who had been good throughout the season. However, he's facing off against Beckett and even though the Rockies had beaten him during the season there was no way they were going to beat him during the playoffs. Lets not forget the 2nd part of the 1-2 punch with Papelbon who just can't blow a save if he tried. They needed to hope for wins off of Schilling, Dice-K (their best bet in my opinion) and Lester and they couldn't even pull off one.


I forgot to mention that at the beginning of hte year I made a bet with my friend that if the Mets won the World Series he'd have to give me $100 and if the Sox won I'd have to give him $100 (another reason I have to do the 9-5 gig!)


Lets move on to the Yanks. I smell a late 80s slide coming. Their team is on the brink of falling apart (it already has to a certain extent). Steinbrenner (both of them) don't realize how important of an asset Torre was to the Yankees. He was the glue holding everything together and now that he's gone, the Yankees are slowly coming apart. Money bags A-Rod opted out of his rockstar quality contract because he's uncertain of the direction the team is heading in (especially whether or not the players are staying). When a player says that you know other players are leaving (he's just obviously not allowed to say anything). A-Rod leaving is enough to damage the Yankees but it's not going to stop there. There is a high probabily that he will go to an AL team (most likely the Tigers) that is a playoff contender and you know that unless he pulls a Griffey, his bat is not going to be stopped.


Then you got the rest of the team. Between Pettite, Rivera, and Posada I guarantee at least one of them leaves. For the Yanks sake they better pray that it is Pettite. While a big part of the team, he can easily be replaced with another great pitcher. Rivera did slump a little last season, but he is still a solid closer and he plays the role as the unofficial coach of the Yanks. The Yanks need Rivera on their team. Lastly, Posada is arguably the best catcher in the league and is irreplacable. I don't think the Yankees would want to start Molina and whoever they would aquire wouldn't stack up to Jorge.


I didn't even mention Girardi, but that won't really make a difference. He's a great coach who will do what he can, but the team won't be as good. Yes I'm sure Cashman will aquire some great big named players, but the team chemistry will be off. The players won't look up to Girardi like they did Torre. The players won't have A-Rod, the probable AL MVP, and they are likely to lose even more players. The Red Sox on the other hand are a solid team who will be solid next year. They really built a great team and will easily win the division. Now the Yankees would have to pray for a wildcard because thats the only thing they'd get and between the Indians and Tigers it won't look probable. This is true especially if A-Rod goes to the Tigers. Think about that team. A-Rod, Ordonez, Polanco, Granderson.....holy shit.

Then again...the Yankees always find a way to pull it off so we'll see what happens.

New Album Releases

There were some good album releases last week. Here are some of them along with their average score and some individual scores.

Scale:
A- to A+: Universally Acclaimed

B- to B+: Overall positive reviews

C- to C+: Mixed reviews

D- to D+: Overall negative reveiws

F- to F+: Horrible


1. Ben Lee-Ripe
Average Score: B-

Scores:
All Music Guide: B
Spin: C
Uncut: A-
Q Magazine: C+
Amazon.com: B


2. Melissa Ethridge-The Awakening
Average Score: B-

Scores:
All Music Guide: B
Rolling Stone: B
Entertainment Weekly: B-
Los Angeles Times: D+
Boston Globe: B


3. Babyface-Playlist
Average Score: B

Scores:
All Music Guide: B
PopMatters: C+
Billboard: B
Entertainment Weekly: B+
Los Angeles Times: A


4. Neil Young-Chrome Dreams II
Avearge Score: B+

Scores:
Rolling Stone: C+
Pitchfork: C+
PopMatters: C+
Billboard: B
Entertainment Weekly: A-


5. Babyshambles-Shotter's Nation
Average Score: B

Scores:
Rolling Stone: C+
Pitchfork: D+
PopMatters: B
Billboard: C+
Blender: B


6. Coheed and Cambria-Good Apollo,I'm Burning Star IV, Volume Two: No World for Tomorrow
Average Score: B

Scores:
All Music Guide: B
Rolling Stone: B
The Onion: B-
Blender: B
Spin: D+


7. Serj Takian-Elect the Dead (Lead singer of System of a Down)
Average Score: B

Scores:
All Music Guide: A-
Rolling Stone: C
Billboard: A-
The Onion: B-
Blender: A-


8. Carrie Underwood-Carnival Ride
Average Score: B-

Scores:
All Music Guide: A-
Entertainment Weekly: A-
Slant Magazine: D+
The New York Times: B
Hartford Courant: D+


9. Ween-La Cucaracha
Average Score: B+

Scores:
All Music Guide: A-
Pitchfork: B-
PopMatters: B
Billboard: A-
The Onion: A+


10. R.E.M.-R.E.M. Live
Average Score: B-

Scores:
All Music Guide: C+
Pitchfork: C+
Billboard: B
New Musical Express: B
Entertainment Weekly: C

NFL Power Rankings-Week 8

The Patriots and Colts continue to remain a dominate team while the Rams and Dolphins are..well...the Rams and Dolphins. Here are the power rankings going into week 8.


1. New England Patriots
Move from Week 7: 0
Why?-This isn't even fair anymore. They were leading by the half 42-7 agains the Dolphins with Brady throwing for 5 touchdown passes. This team is having all sorts of fun.


2. Indianapolis Colts
Move from Week 7: 0
Why?-They won a big game last night against the Jags. This game was a completely different than last year's faceoff due to the return of Barry Sanders and it showed. I'm very excited about their game against the Patriots.


3. Dallas Cowboys
Move from Week 7: 0
Why?-The game against the Vikings was a lot tougher than people realize, but the Cowboys were able to control Peterson enough to win the game. Tony Romo is still looking like an easy Pro-Bowl candidate and the Cowboys are still looking like the kings of the NFC.


4. Green Bay Packers
Move from Week 7: +2
Why?-The only reason they moved up during their bye week because there were a lot of losses. The Packers look like the real deal, but they face road trips against the Chiefs and Broncos. If they win those expect them to coast to the playoffs.


5. New York Giants
Move from Week 7: +3
Why?-After struggeling in the first two games in the season, this team has been looking great in their last 5. The defense is one of the best in the leagues right now and Eli isn't looking so horrible. Brandon Jacobs is also proving himself fit for the roll of the "go to guy" in terms of running the ball. They should have an easy game next Sunday against the Dolphins in London.


6. Jacksonville Jaguars
Move from Week 7: -2
Why?-Can't really move this team too far down yet. Their loss last night came to a dominating Colts team and they had to take out a very good Garrard in the beginning of the game due to an injury and replace him a not-so-good Gray. If Garrard is expected to miss a fe games it can really hurt this team.


7. Pittsburgh Steelers
Move from Week 7: -3
Why?-I really expected this team to dominate against the Broncos, but they lost on a last second field goal. A game in Cincinnati will be tougher than people anticipate for this Steelers team.


8. Tennessee Titans
Move from Week 7: +1
Why?-They almost blew a 25 point lead against the Titans, but managed to hang on to the win with a last second field goal kick (this seems to be a theme this year). This team is pulling off wins without Vince Young and should pull to a 5-2 record when they face the Raiders next week.


9. Washington Redskins
Move from Week 7: +2
Why?-A blotched PAT by the Cards was the difference between a win and an OT decision for this game. The Skins like to keep it close, but they manage to pull off the win which is the most important thing.


10. San Diego Chargers
Move from Week 7: +2
Why?-Another team moving up during their bye week due to other teams' losses. This team is red hot right now and that is dangerous for everybody else. They'll be extra confident with the new addition of Chris Chambers.


11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Move from Week 7: -4
Why?-They lost to a streaky Lions team where Garcia put up some good numbers, but had two crucial fumbles. This team can't afford to lose games like these.


12. Baltimore Ravens
Move from Week 7: -2
Why?-The Bills might be rejuvinated under Edwards leadership, but that is no excuse for the Ravens to lose to them. However, this team has been overrated the entire year. Their defense is excellent usually, but they have zero offense.


13. Carolina Panthers
Move from Week 7: 0
Why?-A loss by the Bucs has moved this team into first place on their own during their bye week. I'm curious to see if this team can keep it up with the elderly Testaverde and the anything but good David Carr in the QB role.


14. Detroit Lions
Move from Week 7: +1
Why?-They might streaky, but they are only trailing a very good Packers team by one game in the division. The Packers face a semi-tough road schedule coming up and the Lions face a not-so-good Bears team next week which means this team be on top in the NFC North.


15. Seattle Seahawks
Move from Week 7: -1
Why?-They had a field day against a horrible Rams team on Sunday. The only reason I'm not moving this team up is because Alexander is still continuing to struggle. His needs to break out of his slump in order for this team to have any shot of a good season.


16. Kansas City Chiefs
Move from Week 7: +1
Why?-Slowly, but surely this team is climbing up in the rankings. Expect this team to continue to climb as long as LJ keeps having good games.


17. Arizona Cardinals
Move from Week 7: -1
Why?-If you looked at the stats and not the score of Sunday's game against the Skins you would say that this team dominated. Well that wasn't the case. A botched PAT, a failed two point conversion, and a 55 yard field goal miss could all be the reasons this team doesn't make the playoffs.


18. Cleveland Browns
Move from Week 7: 0
Why?-I'm definitely routing for this team to destroy the Rams next week. They have the potential to be above .500 for the first time since god knows when.


19. Denver Broncos
Move from Week 7: +1
Why?-An impressive win over a very good Steelers team. At 3-3 this team doesn't look so out of the runnings anymore.


20. New Orleans Saints
Move from Week 7: +5
Why?-These are the games the Saints need to win and they're pulling it off (although barely). Next week against a struggeling 49ers team is just what this team needs to get back on track.


21. Chicago Bears
Move from Week 7: +3
Why?-This spot was a 3-way toss up for me between the Bears and the next two teams in the rankings. The win over the Eagles was the deciding factor though. A 21-yard pass to Hester set up the game winning touchdown. This team is starting to get it, give the ball to Hester and everything will be ok!


22. Houston Texans
Move from Week 7: -3
Why?-I'll give them credit for pulling off a great comeback against the Titans, but they couldn't hold onto it so here they are. This team doesn't deserve to move down 3 spots for their loss, but last week was a crazy week so I had no choice.


23. Buffalo Bills
Move from Week 7: +4
Why?-Edwards is having some start. Since taking over Losman as QB he is 2-1 with a last second loss against the Cowboys. Lets see if this guy can keep it up.


24. Philadelphia Eagles
Move from Week 7: -3
Why?-Everyone (including all the "experts") keep saying how tight the NFC East is going to be with EVERY team. Apparently they don't realize that the Eagles are in this division. They are 2-4 this season with an ugly win over the Jets and one good win over the Lions. With the way the Cowboys, Giants, and Redskins are playing this team has absolutely no shot.


25. Minnesota Vikings
Move from Week 7: -3
Why?-Just like the Texans, it is unfair to move this team down 3 spots after Sunday's loss to a very good Cowboys team, but I couldn't put them any higher than this right now. As long as Peterson stays healthy I expect this team to move back up.


26. Cincinnati Bengals
Move from Week 7: +1
Why?-I'll give them a pity move up after a win against the Jets although they really don't deserve it that much. I see some rankings that moved this team as high as five spots after their win against the Jets. I can't do it. Somebody had to win the game and it was just the better of two horrible teams.


27. Oakland Raiders
Move from Week 7: -4
Why?-Ah Oakland. After being first in the division two weeks ago they are now dead last with two straight losses. Still a better team than last year, but not good enough to be playoff contenders.


28. Atlanta Falcons
Move from Week 7: +1
Why?-In my opinion they look the best out of the bottom 5 teams. Looking their best still means losing to a 1-4 Saints team.


29. San Francscio 49ers
Move from Week 7: -3
Why?-Remember how this team started 2-0? That's all a memory now after losing 4 straight and having arguably the worst offense in the league. They need to give the ball to Frank Gore constantly in order for this team to have any shot of winning more games.


30. New York Jets
Move from Week 7: 0
Why?-They needed to beat a struggeling Bengals team in order to gain some confidence back, but they couldn't do it. When Pennington has a great game (great for him anyway) and the team can't beat a 1-4 Bengals you know you're season is done for.


31. Miami Dolphins
Move from Week 7: 0
Why?-Just how bad are they? Look at the first half of Sunday's game against the Patriots. They were losing 42-7 by the half. Now Brown is out for the season and this could spell an 0-16 record for this team.


32. St. Louis Rams
Move from Week 7: 0
Why?-I have San Diego and Seattle's defense for my fantasy team and since San Diego was on a bye I used Seattle's defense. I probably would have used them anyway considering they were playing the Rams. Well I'm glad I did use them because they gave me almost as many points as Brady did (yeah I had a dominant week). I really want them to play the Dolphins so I can personally witness the worst football game in history.

New Album Releases

Here are last week new releases and their reviews.

Scale
A- through A+ = Universally acclaimed

B- through B+ = Overall positive reviews

C- through C+ = Mixed reviews

D- through D+ = Overall negative reviews

F- through F+ = Horrible


1. Vic Chesnutt-North Star Deserter
Average Score: B+

Scores:
All Music Guide: A-
Pitchfork: B+
PopMatters: A
Spin: A-
Uncut: C+


2. Jens Lekman-Night Falls Over Kortedala
Average Score: A-

Scores:
All Music Guide: A
Pitchfork: A
PopMatters: A-
The Onion: B+
Blender: A-


3. Band of Horses-Cease to Begin
Average Score: B+

Scores:
All Music Guide: A-
Rolling Stone: B
Pitchfork: B+
PopMatters: A-
Billboard: C+


4. Jimmy Eat World-Chase This Light
Average Score: B-

Scores:
All Music Guide: C+
Rolling Stone: C+
Billboard: A-
The Onion: B-
Blender: B


5. She Wants Revenge-This is Forever
Average Score: C

Scores:
All Music Guide: C+
The Onion: B+
Blender: D+
Sputnikmusic: D+
Urb: F


6. Kid Rock-Rock N Roll Jesus
Average Score: B

Scores:
All Music Guide: C
Rolling Stone: A-
Billboard: A-
Blender: B
NOW Magazine: C+


7. Underworld-Oblivion With Bells
Average Score: B-

Scores:
All Music Guide: C+
PopMatters: C
Billboard: A-
The Onion: C+
Blender: C+


8. John Fogerty-Revival
Average Score: A-

Scores:
All Music Guide: A
Rolling Stone: B
Billboard: A-
Uncut: A-
Entertainment Weekly: A-


9. Thrice-The Alchemy Index Vols. I and II: Fire and Water
Average Score: B-

Scores:
Rolling Stone: C+
Billboard: B
The Onion: B-
Blender: D+
Alternative Pres: A-


10. Patti Scialfa-Play It As It Lays
Average Score: B

Scores:
All Music Guide: A
Rolling Stone: B
Billboard: A-
The Onion: C
Blender: B

Torre Did the Right Thing

Let me start this off by saying I'm a huge Mets fan and I despise the Yankees. That being said, it was absolutely completely 100% unfair how the Yankees treated Joe Torre. In my opinion what they did was worse than firing him.

Joe Torre has been the Yankees manager for an amazingly long 12 years (this is very long considering how quick Steinbrenner is to make changes within the organization). In those 12 years Torre has recorded 4 World Series titles and has reached the playoffs in each and every year (even after a horrendous start to this season). Now the main argument against Torre is that he's managing the Yankees and they are expected to win the World Series every year. Bullshit. Complete and utter bullshit. I don't care how much money you spend on an organization, there is no guarantee that they will win.

Let's look how the Yanks spend their money. First there is Jason Giambi who almost makes $24M a year and who spent all of 2007 with injuries and the steroid scandal hanging over his head. Making even more is the elderly Roger Clemens who was supposed to act as some sort of hero for the, at the time, struggeling Yanks. Roger Clemens was one of the best pitchers in the history of the game, but that has faded and there was nothing Torre could do about him as well as the Giambi situation. Rivera too is getting up there in years and it has shown this season. Yes he performed above average compared to other closers, but he was subpar compared to his previous seasons. This is what you spend your money on and this is what you get. It has nothing to do with Torre's management skills.


Lets look at Torre's offer. A 30% pay decrease which equals $5M and then bonuses based on how well they do in the playoffs (if they make it). To any manager in the leauge thats a pretty great salary, but to Torre it is a huge slap in the face. Torre does not have to prove himself to the Yankees organization after his great 12 years. The pay decrease is bad enough, but the performance based salary was over the top for a guy who has lead this team to the playoffs every year.

I'm also angry about how the Yankees went about handeling the situation (administration not the players). Although it's not unlike Steinbrenner to behave this way, he should have not said Torre's job depends on the series against the Indians. That was just wrong. Then to make the guy wait as long as they did was just ridiculous. Show the man some respect.

This offer was obviously intended for Torre to turn down and I'm glad he did. Taking that offer would show signs of weakness to the players who respect him so much. If they wanted Torre out of there they should have just fired him. End of story. I'm curious to see if they'll implement the "performance based" salary to Mattingly or whoever takes over the Yanks next.

We might see the Yanks of the late 80s all over again. That is how big of an impact losing Torre could be. Posada and Rivera have grown through the league with Torre and who says they'll stay. A-Rod is going to go wherever there is money (although I feel the Yanks will pay enough to keep him). Pettite I expect to leave and Clemens will drive his rascal wheelchair scooter wherever the money is alongside A-Rod.

Whoever replaces Torre is going to have an extremely tough year. He'll be under intense pressure from the higher ups to win a world series. He'll also have a tough time of earning the same kind of respect that Torre has rightfully earned. Good luck Yanks, you'll need it next year.

By the way, have Torre come to the Mets and bring Posada. We'd love to have you.

Week 7 Power Rankings

The Patriots dominated the Cowboys and remain undefeated while the Rams and Dolphins have yet to record a win. Here are the rankings going into week 7.


1. New England Patriots
Move from Week 6: 0
Why?-Do you even have to ask why? Their 5-0 record was put to the test against the 5-0 Cowboys and ended up scoring 48 points. This is not only the best team in the NFL right now, it is one of the best teams of the NFL in years.


2. Indianapolis Colts
Move from Week 6: 0
Why?-Its hard to be in the shadow of the Patriots, but it shouldn't take away from another great season this team is having. They'll face a challenge against the Jags next week.


3. Dallas Cowboys
Move from Week 6: 0
Why?-I refuse to move this team down right now. Yeah they lost last week, but to the Patriots and they actually had a lead in the 3rd quarter at one point. They are still the dominant team in the NFC.


4. Pittsburgh Steelers
Move from Week 6: 0
Why?-Has anyone noticed how great Willie Parker is doing this season? His run average per game is ranked number 4 in the NFL.


5. Jacksonville Jaguars
Move from Week 6: +2
Why?-After a questionable performance in game 1, their defense has been spectacular in the 4 games that have followed. If they beat the Colts next week they'll be a definite playoff team (no shit right?).


6. Green Bay Packers
Move from Week 6: -1
Why?-They escaped with a win against a good Redskins team making them second to only Dallas out of NFC teams. It will be interesting to see if the team can keep finding a way to win for the rest of the season.


7. Tampa Bay Buccaneeers
Move from Week 6: +7
Why?-This team has really impressed me. They were 4-12 last year, lost their star RB and still managed to pull of a win against a tough Titans team. Here is your sleeper team folks.


8. New York Giants
Move from Week 6: +2
Why?-They beat up on the Falcons which was expected and now have 49ers to face at home and the Dolphins away before the bye. This practically almost a lock for a 6-2 record before the bye(I'm a Giants fan and am worried I just jinxed it). Lets see whether they can actually take advantage of a potential 6-2 record or screw everything up like last year (2-6 after the bye).


9. Tennessee Titans
Move from Week 6: -3
Why?-This could be the last time you see this team ranked in the top 10. Vince Young is injured (Madden curse strikes again!) meaning Kerry Collins will be the QB for now. He might have done well last week, but I can't see him performing nearly as well as Vince.


10. Baltimore Ravens
Move from Week 6: +1
Why?-A lot of people have them ranked higher, but their wins have all been pretty sloppy. The defense looks great however. I expect this team to get crushed against a good Steelers team next week.


11. Washington Redskins
Move from Week 6: -3
Why?-People look at their 3-2 record and say it is better than expected of this team, but honestly they are really close to a 5-0 start. They lead at the half against the Packers and Giants and couldn't hold on for the win.


12. San Diego Chargers
Move from Week 6: +1
Why?-It looks like the Chargers we all know are back. In my opinion, this team is too good to revert to the horrendous performance they displayed their first 4 games of the season.


13. Carolina Panthers
Move from Week 6: +6
Why?-I was expecting to move this team even further down in the rankings after last week, but Testaverde played really well and surprisingly carried this team to a win. If he plays 3 weeks in a row well then I'll be convinced.


14. Seattle Seahawks
Move from Week 6: -5
Why?-There are always one or two bipolar teams in the NFL every season and this looks like one of them this year. After looking like easy division winners they get destroyed by the Steelers (although they are a really tough team) and lose to a winless Saints.


15. Detroit Lions
Move from Week 6: +2
Why?-Other teams not performing well made this team move up in the rankings while they were on a bye. They face a big challenge against the Bucs next week. To me, that is the biggest game of their season.


16. Arizona Cardinals
Move from Week 6: -4
Why?-All is not lost for this team yet although they need to figure out their QB situation quick or their playoff hopes will be shattered.


17. Kansas City Chiefs
Move from Week 6: +5
Why?-I had them going 9-7 at the beginning of the season and everyone laughed at me after their first two games. Then they picked it up and started to perform well. Then they started sucking again. Now LJ is showing signs of life and this team is looking better. This is your other bipolar team ladies and gentlemen.


18. Cleveland Browns
Move from Week 6: +2
Why?-A rare move to the teens in the rankings for this team. Derek Anderson has rejuvinated this entire organization. They have an easy game after the bye against the Dolphins so this team can very well be above .500 for the first time in god knows when.


19. Houston Texans
Move from Week 6: -4
Why?-After a promising start, this team looks like their old selves. I've said this before, but they really really need Andre Johnson.


20. Denver Broncos
Move from Week 6: -4
Why?-It is slightly unfair to move a team down 4 spots when they are on a bye, but I honestly couldn't put this team above the higher ranked teams. They are 2-3 and facing a really tough schedule.


21. Philadelphia Eagles
Move from Week 6: +3
Why?-I'm not convinced yet that this team is back on track. They had one good win and another mediocre win against a horrific Jets. The Eagles offense should not have only scored 16 points against the Jets. If they beat up on the Bears defense like everyone else than maybe I'll move them up to the teens.


22. Minnesota Vikings
Move from Week 6: +5
Why?-Finally the offense has arrived! Adrian Peterson has been having a great year, but last week's performnace against the Bears was ridiculously good. If he can keep it up the Vikings could be looking at a 8-8 season.


23. Oakland Raiders
Move from Week 6: -2
Why?-They lost last week, but it was against a recently very good Chargers team. A big game next week against the bipolar Chiefs.


24. Chicago Bears
Move from Week 6: -6
Why?-Hester is a very exciting player to watch. The rest of the team isn't. The once unpenetrable Bears defense is pretty easy to score points against now. Honestly if this team has any shot of being playoff contenders they need to give Hester the ball as much as possible.


25. New Orleans Saints
Move from Week 6: +5
Why?-Huge win against the Seahawks (to state the obvious). Upcoming games against the Falcons and 49ers are just what this team needs to get back on track.


26. San Francisco 49ers
Move from Week 6: -3
Why?-Even though they were on a bye week, the Eagles and the Saints wins caused this team to move down in the rankings. I feel like the Giants defense will have a field day against a struggeling (thats an understatement) 49ers offense.


27. Buffalo Bills
Move from Week 6: -2
Why?-Losman might be healthy enough to come back next week, but the Bills need to stick with Edwards. Under his leadership the team is 1-1 with a last second lost against the Cowboys. They need to test the waters with this guy and see where he can take them.


28. Cincinnati Bengals
Move from Week 6: -2
Why?-It's all over folks. Rarely do I give up on a team who is supposed to be good, but I am. They needed to beat the Chiefs to save their season and they couldn't. Sure they might win next week against the Jets, but the next game is against the Steelers so they are looking at a 2-5 record for a best case scenario. Plus who says that they will even beat the Jets they way the Bengals are playing.


29. Atlanta Falcons
Move from Week 6: -1
Why?-They started off the first quarter well against the Giants (especially in terms of rushing), but they failed to score any more points after they scored 10 in the first. I really don't expect this team to win more than 3 games this season.


30. New York Jets
Move from Week 6: -1
Why?-This team is so bad it's painful. Chad Pennington couldn't QB if his life depended on it and the team is following suit. In order for any chance for this team to get some dignity back they need to beat the Bengals next week.


31. Miami Dolphins
Move from Week 6: 0
Why?-Everyone likes to put this team last in the rankings and the Rams at 31, but they play the Bills in 4 weeks at home and I see this being the first win that either them or the Rams record.


32. St. Louis Rams
Move from Week 6: 0
Why?-Who is this team going to beat this season? Look at their schedule and I honestly only see them winning one game, home against the Falcons, 7 weeks from now which means this team will be 1-11 at that point. Yes they are playing the Saints and the 49ers, but they are away and the Saints are starting to show signs of life and the 49ers are still a better team than the Rams.

New Album Releases

Last weeks new albums include the highly anticipated Radiohead release "In Rainbows"

Scale
A- through A+ = Universally acclaimed

B- through B+ = Overall positive reviews

C- through C+ = Mixed reviews

D- through D+ = Overall negative reviews

F- through F+ = Horrible


1. The Cult-Born Into This
Average Score: B-

Scores:
All Music Guide: B
Spin: C+
NOW Magazine: C+
Past Magazine: C
The Phoenix: C


2. Ian Brown-The World is Yours
Average Score: C+

Scores:
Uncut: C+
New Musical Express: C+
Mojo: C+
The Guardian: C+
Drowned in Sound: C+


3. Dashboard Confessional-The Shade of Poison Trees
Average Score: B

Scores:
All Music Guide: B
Rolling Stone: C+
The Onion: A-
Blender: C+
Now Magazine: C+


4. Matt Pond PA-Last Light
Average Score: C+

Scores:
All Music Guide: A-
Pitchfork: D+
PopMatters: C
Spin: C
Prefix Magazine: C


5. Vanessa Carlton-Heroes & Thieves
Average Score: B+

Scores:
All Music Guide: B
Billboard: A-
Blender: B
Entertainment Weekly: B+
Slant Magazine: B


6. Magik Markers-Boss
Average Score: A-

Scores:
All Music Guide: A-
Pitchfork: B+
Spin: C+
Uncut: A-
Dusted Magazine: A-


7. LeAnn Rimes-Family
Average Score: B+

Scores:
All Music Guide: A-
Rolling Stone: B
Billboard: A-
The Guardian: C+
The New York Times: A-


8. Jennifer Lopez-Brave
Average Score: C

Scores:
All Music Guide: C+
Rolling Stone: C
Billboard: A-
NOW Magazine: D+
Entertainment Weekly: C


9. Beirut-The Flying Club Cup
Average Score: A-

Scores:
Rolling Stone: C
Pitchfork: A-
Billboard: B
The Onion: A-
Blender: B


10. Radiohead-In Rainbows
Average Score: A-

Scores:
Rolling Stone: A
Billboard: A-
The Guardian: A+
Slant Magazine: B
Dusted Magazine: D+

Jango.com, Free Custom Radio Station

A fellow blogger by the name of Keith, click here for his site, invited me to beta test a new program called Jango. How this works is you select an artist you want to hear and the program automatically creates a radio station that has most if not all songs by that artist. What you can do then is add artists to the same radio station and edit the station name to make it more compatibale with the content you have stored.

This site is really cool. I currently created a bunch of stations (90s, alternative, classic rock, and rap) and you get to hear a wide of songs from the artists you select for your station (not just the hits). If you're too lazy to download music to your iTunes this could easily solve your problem.

Some features of the program:

1. You can select whether you want to hear a wide variety from the artist, hit songs, or somewhere in between. I personally always choose the wide variety, but some peole fall into the "greatest hits" category which means they might be more likely to choose the "hit songs" selection. If you're a fan of just hit songs by a certain band or artist this gives you the opportunity to discover other songs by them as well.

2. You have the ability to rename any station you want. I know I mentioned this already, but this allows you to basically create your own personal little satellite radio for your computer and have it only play songs that you want to hear. Its like having free XM or Sirius radio for your computer except better.

3. When you search for an artist to add it also lists a bunch of artists that are in the same category. The cool thing about this is that you might see a band that you've never heard of and end up listening to some of their music because it falls in the same category as the band you like. Who doesn't want to know about more good music that is out there?

4. Rating system. If you dislike a song that appears on your station, give it a low rating and it won't play nearly as often. The same goes for the opposite. If you love a song, give it a high rating and you'll hear it more often. Pretty good filtration system.

5. The one thing I'm not a huge fan of is that Jango will play (although very little) some of their recommendatiosn on your station. The thing I like about Jango is that you basically get to customize your own personal radio and this feature takes a way from that a little. However, the more artists you add to a station the less often they play recommendations so you can easily prevent this feature from occurring.

This is still in beta form so I'm sure there are some kinks to be worked out, but this has potential to be a HUGE site and I think it deserves that kind of attention. I'm actually able to invite three individuals to test the program so if you're interested comment here or shoot me an e-mail. Not to sound like John Reese, but this is not an affiliate program. I DO NOT get paid to invite people. I am just very excited about the potential of this program and want as many music lovers as possible to experience Jango.

If you're already a tester of the program let me know what you think of it.

NFL Power Ranking Week 6

Patriots, Colts, and Cowboys (barely) remain undefeated while the Saints, Dolphins, and Rams have yet to win a game. Here are the rankings going into week 6.


1. New England Patriots
Move from Week 4: 0
Why?-The Patriots had their worst week last week..and by worst week I mean they only won by 17 against the Browns. They face a challenge against Dallas away next week. If they can pull off a win, a 16-0 season won't seem so improbable.


2. Indianapolis Colts
Move from Week 4: 0
Why?-Even without Harrison and Addai this team proved how good they were against a decent Tampa Bay team. Another 5-0 start to the season. Another Super Bowl? Doesn't seem unlikely.


3. Dallas Cowboys
Move from Week 4: 0
Why?-The Cowboys barely won against a horrific Bills team. Tony Romo had a career worse 5 interceptions, but the Cowboys managed to pull off the win with a last second field goal. Was it too soon to say Romo was a top 3 quarterback? Absolutely not. It's one bad game. I wouldn't be too worried about it if you're a Cowboys fan.


4. Pittsburgh Steelers
Move from Week 4: +1
Why?-The game against the Seahawks should have been close, but the Steelers have proven to us that their 3-1 start to the season wasn't a fluke. They are looking like one hell of a team.


5. Green Bay Packers
Move from Week 4: -1
Why?-Are the Packers getting set back down to reality or are the Bears starting to get their act together? A little bit of both in my opinion. This team wasn't goign to be a 13-3 or 14-2 team. It just wasn't and isn't going to happen. Are they a playoff team though? Absolutely.


6. Tennessee Titans
Move from Week 4: 0
Why?-They kept it close against the Falcons, but hey a win is a win and the Titans are even further proving to the world that their surge at the end of last season was no fluke.


7. Jacksonville Jaguars
Move from Week 4: +1
Why?-I said in the beginning of the season that this team was going to fluctuate a lot in the power rankings, but so far they've been consistently good. Has anyone realized Garrard has not thrown an interception yet this season?


8. Washington Redskins
Move from Week 4: +8
Why?-This team has really earned this spot. After the Lions scored 34 points in one quarter against the Bears defense, the Redskins just held them to 3, while scoring 34 points themselves. Why are they this good? I have no idea.


9. Seattle Seahawks
Move from Week 4: -2
Why?-They might have gotten destroyed by the Steelers, but they are still a good team. Getting a new lead blocker might help Shaun Alexander obtain the yardage the Seahawks offense needs.


10. New York Giants
Move from Week 4: +5
Why?-A huge comeback over the Jets. Eli Manning is being questioned again after having an awful game last week, but the defense has been showing signs of life. Their easy schedule makes them look like probable playoff contenders.


11. Baltimore Ravens
Move from Week 4: +2
Why?-A sloppy win, but a win nonetheless. Their lack of an offensive line might put this team in some trouble.


12. Arizona Cardinals
Move from Week 4: -1
Why?-Having Matt Leinart out and replaced with Kurt Warner could spell trouble for this team after Matt's solid performance so far.


13. San Diego Chargers
Move from Week 4: +6
Why?-Wow. When it looked like this team was done they bounce back by DOMINATING the Broncos. This confidence might be just what the team needs to get back on track.


14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Move from Week 4: -4
Why?-This team did not look as good against the Colts as they have been the other 4 games of the season. They need a replacement RB fast or all their playoff hopes will be flushed down the drain.


15. Houston Texans
Move from Week 4: +2
Why?-Talk about relying on your special teams. FG kicker Kris Brown nailed 5 FGs including 3 from over 50 years to beat the Dolphins. The scary thing though is that it came down to a FG kick against the Dolphins.


16. Denver Broncos
Move from Week 4: -7
Why?-Oh boy. The Broncos are looking worse and worse. Their upcoming schedule isn't looking promising either. They needed to go into the bye week with at least a 3-2 record and couldn't pull it off.


17. Detroit Lions
Move from Week 4: -5
Why?-After a spectacular comeback against the Bears, the Lions are looking like their old selves after being crushed against the Redskins.


18. Chicago Bears
Move from Week 4: +5
Why?-Give them credit for coming back and defeating an undefeated Packers team. However don't give them credit for much else. Their defense is looking all but impressive and their offense is still a mess. Maybe the win will give them some sort of spark though.


19. Carolina Panthers
Move from Week 4: -5
Why?-Delhomme is now out for the season so the Panthers have to rely on David Carr as their QB. Lets keep in mind that he's not 100% healthy right now and also keep in mind how he performed when he was on the Texans. A once promising season is now looking like its at end after only 5 games.


20. Cleveland Browns
Move from Week 4: +1
Why?-The Browns unexpectedly cut the Patriots lead to 10 points during one portion of the game. They were the only team to give the Patriots an actual scare. That has to count for something right?


21. Oakland Raiders
Move from Week 4: +1
Why?-The Raiders are actually in first place in the AFC West due to a bye week. Yes you read right. Thats not saying the conference is any good considering they only have a 2-2 record. Upcoming conference games should be a true indicator of whether this team has a legitimate shot of being a .500 or better team.


22. Kansas City Chiefs
Move from Week 4: -2
Why?-From horrible to "hey maybe not so bad" to "oh i guess they are bad after all". LJ, what the hell are you doing??


23. San Francisco 49ers
Move from Week 4: -5
Why?-Horrible offense. Ravens won by kicking all field goals against them. Please.


24. Philadelphia Eagles
Move from Week 4: 0
Why?-This is the week for the Eagles to prove themselves. McNabb needs to get back on track otherwise this team is doomed for a last place finish.


25. Buffalo Bills
Move from Week 4: +4
Why?-They should have beaten the Cowboys last week and they almost did, but almost and should have doesn't count unfortunately. The difference between the Bills and a good team is that a good team would have taken advantage of Romo's 5 interception day, but the Bills couldn't hold on to it. On the positive side of things, Edwards is looking a lot better than Losman and the defense had arguably their best game against the league's best offense.


26. Cincinnati Bengals
Move from Week 4: 0
Why?-For the Bengals sake, hopefully a bye week has given this team time to cool off and get some of their team chemistry back. History has shown this team to do well after the bye.


27. Minnesota Vikings
Move from Week 4: -2
Why?-This team is all but hopeless especially with their offense.

28. Atlanta Falcons
Move from Week 4: +2
Why?-They surprisingly kept it close agains the Titans. While this team only has 1 win, they are still doing better than I expected.


29. New York Jets
Move from Week 4: -1
Why?-This team had a chance for an upset against the Giants, but instead interceptions cost this team the game. How was this team a playoff team last year??


30. New Orleans Saints
Move from Week 4: -3
Why?-Before the game, I thought this team was going to pull it off agains the Panthers. They did keep it close, but they couldn't pull off the win even with the Panthers using David Carr. This team was supposed to be a Super Bowl team. Oh boy.


31. Miami Dolphins
Move from Week 4: 0
Why?-So close to getting their first win, but this team is going to have to wait another week..or two..or three. Trent Green is out which might not be a horrible thing for the Dolphins.


32. St. Louis Rams
Move from Week 4: 0
Why?-0-16 this season? Probably not, but I'd have them doing it over the Dolphins and Saints. Bulger's gone which means all is pretty much lost for this team.

New Album Releases

For those of you new to this blog, every week I'll list 10 new album releases from the week before along with an average score based on about 15 reviews or so. The scale is listed below.

Scale
A- through A+ = Universally acclaimed

B- through B+ = Overall positive reviews

C- through C+ = Mixed reviews

D- through D+ = Overall negative reviews

F- through F+ = Horrible


1. Magnolia Electric Co.-Sojourner
Average Score: A-

Scores:
All Music Guide: A
Pitchfork: B+
Spin: C+
Uncut: A-
Mojo: A-


2. Akron/Family-Love is Simple
Average Score: A-

Scores:
Pitchfork: B+
PopMatters: A-
NOW Magazine: A-
cokemachineglow: B-
Stylus Magazine: A-


3. Stars-In Our Bedroom After the War
Average Score: B

Scores:
All Music Guide: C+
Rolling Stone: C+
Pitchfork: B
PopMatters: A-
The Onion: B-


4. Mum-Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy
Average Score: B-

Scores:
All Music Guide: A-
Pitchfork: C
Uncut: C+
New Musical Express: A-
Stylus Magazine: C


5. Joni Mitchell-Shine
Average Score: A-

Scores:
All Music Guide: A-
Rolling Stone: C+
PopMatters: A-
Billboard: A-
Uncut: C+


6. Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band-Magic
Average Score: B

Scores:
All Music Guide: C+
Rolling Stone: A+
Pitchfork: B-
PopMatters: A-
Billboard: A-


7. Black Lips-Good Bad Not Evil
Average Score: B+

Scores:
All Music Guide: A-
Spin: C+
Uncut: C+
Now Magazine: A-
New Musical Express: A-


8. Siouxsie-Mantaray
Average Score: B

Scores:
All Music Guide: B
Rolling Stone: B
Pitchfork: B
Uncut: C+
Mojo: C+


9. The Weakterthans-Reunion Tour
Average Score: A-

Scores:
PopMatters: C+
The Onion: B+
Spin: A-
Now Magazine: A-
Alternative Press: A


10. Annie Lennox-Songs of Mass Destruction
Average Score: B-

Scores:
All Music Guide: A-
Rolling Stone: B
PopMatters: C+
Blender: B
Entertainment Weekly: B+

Radiohead Says F You to the Music Industry

As many of you know (and I'm sure all Radiohead fans already know this), Radiohead is allowing the fans to decide the price they are willing to pay for digitally downloading their music. This is either a brilliant marketing strategy or Radiohead causing a lot of chaos within the music industry. I think it is more of the latter than anything else. Fans can go to Radiohead's website and select to download their music. The price field is left blank and says "It's up to you" and "No, really. Its up to you".


This raises the question of who decides what should be a fair price for music? Should it be the record industries who handle most of the pricing now and are the most aware of the incurring costs? Should it be the actual fans who purchase the music? How about the artists themselves? It is their masterpiece so whose right is it to say they shouldn't be the pricers of it. Painters sell their own work at galleries under their pricing structure most of the time. How are artists in the field of music different? This raises another question too. Once a band strikes it big, do they actually need a label in order to make money? Bands like U2 can create a CD without a label and it'll go platinum, guaranteed.


I personally think this whole thing will die down after a month or so. It'll create a buzz when it is released and people will have an interest in monitoring how successful it does, but the hype will end and nobody will really care anymore. In answering the question of "Who should price music?", the industry will continue to be the deciders of how music is priced. However in an age where obtaining free music is as easy as clicking a button, the industry is going to have to offer some incentives besides an album filled with music in order for people to actually go out and buy an album. Bonus features such as interviews with the band or concert footage is a start and it is being done a lot, but there will need to be more (especially at 20 bucks a pop).


How will the album do? There will be a hard copy released in stores. It will obviously not sell as much as you would expect from Radiohead because of the digital downloading, but will still sell a decent amount. A lot of people will pay $.01 for the downloadable version because they have the power to do it and others will pay a decent amount for it (over $20) because of the message Radiohead is sending and how they are going about doing it. Either way, I'm just hoping the music is as good as their past five albums were.

NFL Power Rankings Week 5

Here are the power rakings going into week 5.


1. New England Patriots
Move from Week 3: 0
Why?-Is there really a reason to ask why for this? They are by far the most dominant team in the NFL. The true test will be when they face off against the Cowboys and Colts.


2. Indianopolis Colts
Move from Week 3: 0
Why?-Again, until they lose they'll be in the top 2 for the rankings. After two close calls against the Titans and Texans, the Colts proved how good of a team they are by demolishing the Broncos. Expect them to keep it up all year.


3. Dalls Cowboys
Move from Week 3: 0
Why?-Still the dominant team in the NFC. They destroyed the Rams and their offense has been absolutely astonishing this season. Romo is further proving himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the league.


4. Green Bay Packers
Move from Week 3: +3
Why?-Their 4-0 record makes them deserve this spot. It isn't just their record though. Brett Favre is having an unexpectedly awesome season and the whole team is following suit.


5. Pittsburgh Steelers
Move from Week 3: -1
Why?-I wouldn't worry too much about their loss to a decent Cardinals team. The Steelers are still looking like a contender for this year.


6. Tennesse Titans
Move from Week 3: -1
Why?-Lets see if this team can keep it up after the bye week. Vince Young is handeling the pressure of not having any elite receivers.


7. Seattle Seahwaks
Move from Week 3: +2
Why?-The Seahawks are looking like their old selves from two years ago. Shaun Alexander is playing well, but needs to get more rushing yardage in the first half of games.


8. Jacksonville Jaguars
Move from Week 3: 0
Why?-This team has been looking really good. They have been known however to struggle after the bye, so lets see if they can hold up their good performance.


9. Denver Broncos
Move from Week 3: +1
Why?-They suffered a big loss last week, but it was against the Colts away. They are looking kind of shaky this whole season though and need to turn it around quickly.


10. Tampa Buccanneers
Move from Week 3: +4
Why?-This team right now looks like the sleeper team in the NFL, but suffered a huge loss when it was announced Cadillac Williams is injured and will be out for the rest of the season (the same goes for Luke Petitgout). If this team can win next week without these players they'll be fine for the rest of the season.


11. Arizona Cardionals
Move from Week 3: +12
Why?-A huge move in the power rankings, but this team deserves it. They upset an undefeated Steelers and are looking great overall.


12. Detroit Lions
Move from Week 3: +10
Why?-Another huge move in the power rankings. The Lions broke an NFL record last week when they scored 34 points in the 4th quarter against the Bears. Let me repeat that. A team scored 34 points in one quarter against what is supposed to be the best defense in the NFL.


13. Baltimore Ravens
Move from Week 3: -7
Why?-People expect this team to be good because of last year's performance, but they've been struggeling. They had a surprising loss to the Browns last week. Maybe they aren't the elite team people thought they were.


14. Carolina Panthers
Move from Week 3: -2
Why?-I didn't move them that far down after last week's loss because I haven't given up on this team yet. The QB situation isn't ideal, but I can't see this team going below .500


15. New York Giants
Move from Week 3: +5
Why?-People aren't really giving the Giants the credit they deserve. They are 2-2, but their two loses were to the Packers and Cowboys, both undefeated teams. They dominated the Eagles last week (even though the Eagles didn't have their offense). The defense finally showed some light with 12 sacks on McNabb. If the defense does half of what they did last week expect this team to be on the rise, especially with the return of Brandon Jacobs.


16. Washington Redskins
Move from Week 3: +3
Why?-They are a surprising 2-1 this season and they were very close to being 3-0 except that the Giants made a terrific comeback. I don't expect this team to be a playoff contender, but until they prove me wrong they'll remain in this spot.


17. Houston Texans
Move from Week 3: -6
Why?-They were looking great all year until a horrendous loss to the lowly Falcons. This team is in desperate need of Andre Johnson.


18. San Francisco 49ers
Move from Week 3: -1
Why?-They somehow manage to be 2-2 with the worst offense in the NFL. Maybe Dilfer can rejuvinate this team.


19. San Diego Chargers
Move from Week 3: -6
Why?-This team is one more loss away from being in the bottom 10. They didn't utilize LT when they had the lead over the Chiefs and it cost them the lead and the win. Don't expect Norv Turner to be around much longer.


20. Kansas City Chiefs
Move from Week 3: +6
Why?-They are looking like an ok team after a horrific start. LJ finally had a 100 yard rushing game. Maybe the team will keep up.


21. Cleveland Browns
Move from Week 3: +6
Why?-They are supposed to be a bottom 3 team, but they aren't playing like it. They are a surprising 2-2 with an offense that is a hundred times better than last season.


22. Oakland Raiders
Move from Week 3: +6
Why?-Culpepper is rejuvinating this team, but I guess anyone can do that after you have Aaron Brooks as your quarterback.


23. Chicago Bears
Move from Week 3: -8
Why?-The Bears never had an offense to brag about, but Rex has been especially bad this season. It was smart to sit him out. The most surprising thing about this team is that their so-called "unstoppable" defense gave up an NFL record 34 points against the Lions last week! No defense, no offense. What's left? Is Robbie Gould going to have to start to learn to kick 70 yard field goals?


24. Philadelphia Eagles
Move from Week 3: -8
Why?-I was wrong. McNabb did not return to his old self after a great game two weeks ago. Without his offense he looks absoultely lost.


25. Minnesota Vikings
Move from Week 3: -1
Why?-The offense looked a little better against a good Packers defense, but this team still has a long way to go.


26. Cincinnati Bengals
Move from Week 3: -8
Why?-Their surprisingly bad 1-3 record is not the only reason why this team is ranked this low. Their own player said the team was just plain bad. I've never heard that! If you doubt your own team you won't win. Plain and simple. Marvin Lewis is starting to lose it too-"If you don't want to be on this team, don't show up". This team is falling apart.


27. New Orleans Saints
Move from Week 3: -2
Why?-This team has one more game to convince me that they are still the same team from last year or I'm giving up. Good luck with that without Deuce.


28. New York Jets
Move from Week 3: -7
Why?-They lost to a lowly Bills team (barely but they still lost). Mangini went from a hero last year to a zero (yeah that was corny, but zero sounded better than loser).


29. Buffalo Bills
Move from Week 3: +2
Why?-The revomal of JP Losman might have been the spark they needed. They picked up their first win against the Jets. If Edwards can make the Bills come close to the outstanding Cowboys expect this team to recover from their horrific start.


30. Atlanta Falcons
Move from Week 3: +2
Why?-They won their first game last week agaisnt the Texans, but again without Michael Vick don't expect them to win much more than that.


31. Miami Dolphins
Move from Week 3: -2
Why?-A loss to the Raiders last week moves this team even futher down in the rakings. They have yet to have a win this season.


32. St. Louis Rams
Move from Week 3: -2
Why?-People claimed this team was going to breakout this season. That their offense was nothing short of spectacular. I didn't believe, but I still predicted they'd go 7-9. This team is such a wreck though it is ridiculous.

MLB Playoff Predictions

What a wild ending to the NL. The Mets had the biggest upset in the history of baseball and lost the division. The Rockies had an incredible September and took the wildcard over a one game playoff against the Padres. Here are my predictions for the playoffs.


AL

Round 1
Indians vs. Yankees
Prediction: Indians in 5
Why?: The playoffs are a whole different ballgame. The fact that the Indians will be on a three man rotation is a huge factor considering that they have Sabathia, Carmona, and Byrd. The Yankees will keep it close, but the Indians will take the series.

Red Sox vs. Angels
Prediction: Red Sox in 4
Why?: The home field advantage in this series is HUGE. Red Sox fans are one of the most dynamic and passionate (and also violent) fans in baseball. This plays a much bigger role in the playoffs than one might expect. The Red Sox are also an overall better team with potential CY Young winnner Josh Beckett in their rotation and veterans such as Ortiz and Ramirez. Lets not forget Okajima and Papelbon (arguably the league's best closer). The Red Sox are too good of a team to lose this series.


ALCS
Red Sox vs. Indians
Prediciton: Indians in 7
Why?: Most people have the Yankees or the Sox going to the World Series due to their reputations. This makes it easy to overlook at the Indians, but the lack of recent playoff experience shouldn't count this team out. The power bats of Hafner, Sizemore, and Martinez might not match up to Ramirez and Ortiz, but they won't have to. Sabathia and Carmona will hold this team in check. The Sox will beat up on Byrd, but thats as far as it will go. The Indians will win it in game 7 at Fenway Park (which I know people will think is unlikely, but it will happen).


NL

Round 1
Phillies vs. Rockies
Prediction: Phillies in 4
Why?: The Rockies are riding a wave of success that stems as far as the beginning of September, but so are the Phillies. The Phillies were all, but out of it until the collape of the Mets. While people can argue that the Phillies are only it because of the collapse, all the NL teams struggled to make the playoffs. The Phillies are a better team overall than the Rockies. Matt Holliday might be the best hitter in the NL, but he can't alone help the Rockies especially when stacked up to Howard, Rollins, and Utley. Both teams don't have good pitching, but the Phillies have Cole Hamels who is a huge advantage. The Rockies will get their bubble burst in the first round.


Diamondbacks vs. Cubs
Prediction: Diamondbacks in 5
Why?: This is a toss up to me. The only reason I'm giving this to the Diamondbacks is because they have home field advantage. We all know what happened the last time the Cubs were in the playoffs and that'll definitely be in the back of their minds (along with the fans), but the Diamondbacks will edge them.


Round 2
Diamondbacks vs. Phillies
Prediction: Phillies in 6
Why?: The Phillies will carry their hot streak against the Diamondbacks. The Phillies are dominant in terms of hitting with Howard, Utley, Rollins, and Rowand. Webb and Hamels match up pretty nicely, but the Phillies bats will prevail.


World Series
Phillies vs. Indians
Prediction: Indians in 7
Why?: It'll come down to game 7, but again the pitching of the Indians will be too much for the power bats of Phillies to handle. As said, the Phillies will keep it close, but the Indians will win their first World Series since 1948.

MLB Award Predictions

Even though the season isn't technically over (Rockies and Padres still have one game decider for the playoffs), I'm going to list my predictions for MVP, CY Young, and Rookie of the Year.


AL MVP-Alex Rodriguez
Reason-This is pretty obvious. The MVP is going to come from a playoff team and there is no batter that comes close to A-Rod's stats. He has a league high 54 Home Runs and a league high 156 RBIs all while batting a very good .314. Without this guy there is no way the Yanks would be in the playoffs.
Possible Upset-Josh Beckett
ReasonThere really is no possible upset for this, but if there was it wouldn't be coming from a batter. Josh Beckett, the only 20 game winner in the MLB (unless Peavy wins tonight), could be a possible upset (although I highly doubt it). The Red Sox only won the division by 2 games so without Beckett's 20 wins there is a chance that these Sox would be a wildcard team instead.


NL MVP-Jimmy Rollins
Reason-David Wright would be winning this if the Mets made it to the playoffs, but now that they're out it is all Jimmy Rollins. At first glance his stats might not seem impressive, but take a closer look. He's hit for a good .294 while smacking 30 homers, 20 triples, 38 doubles, and stealing 41 bags. He is only the fourth player in the history of baseball to have 20 or more in these 4 categories. Not only that, the Phillies last month surge couldn't have possible happened without the bat of Rollins.
Possible Upset-Matt Holliday
Reason-I personally think he deserves it over Jimmy Rollins especially if the Rockies make the playoffs. He has an NL best .340 Batting Average, a 2nd NL best 135 RBIs (only one behind Ryan Howard), and is 4th in the NL in Home Runs with 36. Lets not fail to mention his 50 doubles and 214! hits. If the Rockies make the playoffs don't be surprised if he wins.


AL CY Young-Josh Beckett
Reason-Until September I wouldn't have picked him for the CY Young, but Josh Beckett has proven himself worthy of this honor. He is currently the only 20 game winner (depending on Peavy's performance tonight) with a fantastic 20-7 record. His ERA of .327 ranks 6th in the AL. He is also ranked 7th in the AL with 194 strikeouts. If Haren didn't have as big of a collapse as he did I would have to give the CY to him, but Beckett has proven himself the entire season.
Possible Upset-C.C. Sabathia
Reason-There are a few good candidates for the upset (Bedard, Haren, Lackey..just to name a few), but Sabathia has the edge on all of them. His 19-7 record is just one win shy of Beckett's record. He also is ranked 5th in the AL with a 3.21 ERA and is also 5th in the AL with 209 strikeouts. He actually is quite even with Beckett, but the 20 wins that Beckett put up could be the deciding factor.


NL CY Young-Jake Peavy
Reason-Pretty obvious pick. He is number one by far in the NL with a 2.36 ERA, has the best record with 19-6, and is number in strikeouts with 234. He's number one in EVERYTHING. It is absoultely impossible for him to lose even if he blows it today against the Rockies.
Possible Upset-Brad Penny
Reason-Not even a possibility, but he is, in my opinion, the next best candidate. He finsihed the season with an outstanding record of 16-4 and is number 3 in the NL with a 3.03 ERA. Again, he's not going to be picked, but he is the second best choice (you can make a case for Harang or Webb, but I don't agree).


AL Rookie of the Year-Hideki Okajima
Reason-He might have slowed down near the end of the season, but a 2.22 ERA in 69 innings pitches is still pretty remarkable. Lets not forget his K/BB ratio of
3.71 which is absoultely ridiculous. He has given 0 unearned runs as well which should be taken into account as well.
Possible Upset-Dustin Pedroia
Reasion-Not really an upset. He's actually a great option for Rookie of the Year. His .317 batting average and .380 OBP are quite impressive for anybody let alone a rookie. Besides David Ortiz, he is establishing himself as the best hitter on the Sox.

NL Rookie of the Year-Ryan Braun
Reasion-I don't care what anyone says, he HANDS DOWN deserves the award. He was the quickest in the history of the Brewers to hit 30 Home Runs. In just 451 at bats he hit 34 Home Runs and 97 RBIs while also batting .324. Imagine another 125 at bats under his belt (which would be what he would have had if he played a full season). He would have ended up with about 44 Home Runs, 124 RBIs, and 20SBs. Add that with his .324 batting average and those are MVP numbers right there. People have been shouting Tulowitzki for this award, but Braun stacks up dominantly against him.
Possible Upset-Troy Tulowitzki
Reason-The only reason that Tulowitzki could win this award is defense. Braun had a horrific 26 errors for the season (Tulowitzki only had 11). Other than that, his numbers are quite impressive as a rookie, but just don't compare to Braun's. He hit for .287 this season, 24 home runs, and 98 RBIs. Great numbers for anybody (not just a rookie), but it just doesn't compare to Braun (Pence would be the possible upset by the way if it wasn't for his injury).