Renoir77

I already blogged about Bret's four fumblings.  Well, how about another one, say the post is called "Bret's Five Fumblings" or "Bret's Four Fumblings (Take Two)".  Much ado aside, sometimes I wonder about sports.  Red Sox trade Manny, and Bret goes to the Buccanneers...no? Oh, he must be going to the Vikings...nope?  Huh, well did he choose oh, I don't know, let's see...

He wouldn't choose an awful franchise like the Dolphins.  Other obvious no-no's, the Rams, the Bengals, the Jets---- what?  He went to who...THE JETS?  OMG! 

Why would he make such a stupid move?  Everybody knows he gives them 3 more wins at best, probably more like two more.  But he went with a team that went 4-12 last year.  So, he can give them 4 wins, and they'll be 8-8,  WHEEE!  I mean, that's not good enough for the wild card, let alone division champion.

Not that I bet, but people who are in this business for money, only said Favre gives the Jets two more wins.  One gambling company predicted 6-10 pre-Favre, and 8-8 post-Favre.

Wow, all because the guy couldn't take the chip off his shoulder.  He probably could have buried the hatchet, and maybe be starting for a much better ballclub, the Green Bay Packers.  But, he didn't like how they treated him, the legend, the hero, and he made sure they knew it.  Well nobody got much out the fight except maybe the tabloids, or the Sportscasters.   Whaaaa!  You can still hear the Favre baby crying.

"I want more", "Mine, mine, mine", "You're gonna get it"

Ugh, that's all just... I don't know.

I WAS a Bret Favre fan.  I'm not sure if I still am...

So, here we go again.  The BCS system wants to lead us to believe that they make the best choices every year, and the Bowl Games are the way to go.  All that, and we still get horrible matchups like Hawaii-Georgia, USC-Illinois, and LSU-Ohio State.

And the BCS is here to stay, at least until 2010, and until the Big Ten guys retire.  Heck, if I was in the Big Ten, I'd oppose a playoff system.  The bowls give me the look like I'm great (overrated Ohio State) and get to go to the BCS, leaving out other more worthy teams, say Georgia or possibly USC.

Somethings gonna have to change.  Let me say this loud and clear.  Ohio State is OVERRATED.  Has no one learned their lesson?  Ohio State has gotten blown out in the last two years, by much better SEC teams like Florida and LSU.

And this year, everybody will see USC beat them, just showing that the Buckeyes are good-- but not that good.  If I was a Buckeye, I'd admit to the sportswriters that, hey, we're not that good.

And some people want Ohio State ranked above Georgia?  WHattt?  Oh, well that's because Ohio State has most of its starters coming back.  Translation:  Ohio State this year=Ohio State last year=Overrated NCAAF=Awful BCS Championship.

So somethings gotta change.  And maybe it's the playoff system, maybe not.  Will we live to see a better system?  I sure hope so, but I don't see it coming anytime soon.

Bret Favre has undoubtably become the opposite of the demi-God he was when he left the NFL.  Since claiming at his retirement that he just "didn't have the fire" anymore to keep practicing  --- I mean, come on, that's a bunch of BS, everybody goes through weeks where you don't feel like playing  (but he had just come off almost going to the SuperBowl) --- he has been waffling to the disgust of real sports fans, and the glee of bored talk-show hosts.  So here's the 4 mistakes Favre made...

Bret Favre's Four Fumblings--

1.  Retiring impulsively--- It's legitimate for Favre to retire---kid me not--- but his decision was so soon after the Super Bowl and the NFC championship, where he almost went to the Super Bowl no less, it was obvious it was just a quick "all right, I'll retire now" kind of move.  The minute he said he just lost the spark for playing (after being on the verge of a Super Bowl?!), I knew he had made a impulsive, hair-brained move.

2. Telling everybody his early thoughts--  So, Favre stayed retired for two months before he starting leaking things to the press, how I might want to come back.  Don't do that Bret.  It just created havoc for the NFL and the Packers, and a lot of disrespect for Favre.  If you're having second thoughts, don't tell everybody else and don't make every sports broadcaster just another stupid talk-show host.

3. Make up your mind-- Alright, Favre tells everybody.  But what's the point if it's not for real.  He held the Packers hostage as they flew down every week to hear his new thoughts, and he was in chaos with the Packers.  If he had just stayed quiet, and then thought about it before alerting the Packers, he might still be able to start for the Green Bay Packers.  Now, he might be traded to NFC nemesis Minnesota Vikings.  Or, in a sick turn of events, might play backup to Aaron Rodgers?

4. Don't blame everybody else-- Now that he's delayed so long, he might expect to get traded.  Don't open your mouth, Bret, to lament how the Packers moved on.  I don't blame them.  Although I'd love to have Bret Favre as my starting QB, you've gotta finally make a decision and stick with it.  I'll give that one to Green Bay, they made a final decision, and Favre was still waffling.

And finally, please don't take the money, Bret...

Tampa Bay has got to be glad they aren't facing the Angels right now.

LA has ravaged the AL East, taking 2 of 3 from Baltimore, sweeping the Red Sox, and taking the first game from New York.  Tampa Bay can just sit back and play their sup-par teams, as the Angels hammer away all the AL East runner-ups.

LA looks like a World Series ball club right now.  Not only have they moved for a big power hitter--Mark Teixera-- they've combined great starting pitching with red-hot bats that are just melting the opposition.  Nobody's looked good against them.  Yankees with Xavier Nady and Pudge couldn't touch the Halos.  The now-Mannyless Red Sox were helpless---- AT HOME!  Fenway's no good, Camden Yards has nothing for it, and Yankee Stadium is just another field for the hard charging Angels.  Sporting the best MLB road record, they don't need home field advantage to do their dirty work.

So, who do you match them up with right now in the National League?.  The Mets?  Nope, they haven't done anything incredible.  Phillies?  Naw, just don't have the powerhitting quite as good as the Angels.  The Dodgers or Diamondbacks?  Just kidding, they'd roll them over. 

I think the best matchup... at least right now... might be against Chicago Cubbies.  They blew open Milwaukee, and they're pitching and bats are both hot.

Still, I think  this Angels club could play the NL All-Stars, and embarrass everybody (especially Dan "The Ugly" Uggla)

Well, here go looking into that Crystal Ball for those World Series predictions.  I know, I know-- it's just starting August, TIm.... Who do you think you are to start predicting the October Classic?

Well, cause that's what we do as the mavericks looking into this Crystal Ball.

Let's start with a little wrapup of the big boy in each division.  Crossouts mean virtually no chance.

                                                                                                                     AMERICAN LEAGUE

AL EAST

New York  Yankees

Boston Red Sox (Wild Card)

Tampa Bay Rays

Toronto Blue Jays

Baltimore Orioles

Boston just ain't the club it was last year.  Their starting pitching is giving them fits, and the hitters are in slumps.  Their still pretty good, but not the dominating club they were last year.  NY is rolling along  smoothly, though the first two dropped games to Baltimore show they still have a lot of work to do.  And Tampa Bay, are they for real?  As the weeks roll along, they seem to look like a first place team.  But... they're young, and I don't think they'll handle the pressure well.  (OK, OK,  post all you want, and send me all the emails you want after TB wins it all, but personally I don't think it can be done.  Sorry!

AL CENTRAL

Minnesota Twins

Chicago White Sox

Detroit Tigers

Cleveland Indians

Kansas City Royals

Minnesota is surging; Chicago's looking a little sick and Detroit's rolling along, but for the Tiger's it will be too little too late.  Chicago, Boston, and Tampa Bay are going to be the big contenders for the Wild Card spot.  Too bad their weren't more playoff spots...

AL WEST

Los Angeles Angels

Texas Rangers

Oakland Athletics

Seattle Mariners

Angels in first,  DUH!  Mark Teixera makes them almost a lock for October.  Everybody else here is bye, bye.

                                                                                                           NATIONAL LEAGUE

NL EAST

Florida Marlins

Philidelphia Phillies

New York Mets

Atlanta Braves

Washington Nationals

I know, I can hear the WE HATE YOU!  WE HATE YOU, TIM!  YOU'RE WRONGGGGGG!   Ok, but that's why it's the Maverick ball, not the Hedge Your Guesses ball.  I'm looking at road wins, and those wins over Chicago look pretty good for Florida.  The Mets surged, but they fell apart last year-- why not now?  And Philidelphia's series with St. Louis this week will show us if they've got what it takes.

NL CENTRAL

Chicago Cubs

Milwaukee Brewers (Wild Card)

St. Louis Cardinals

Pittsburgh Pirates

Houston Astros

Cincinnati Reds

Chicago made short work of the Brewer's top two pitchers at Miller Field!  St. Louis is crossed out because they're four losses to Milwaukee make them definite no-no's.  Pittsburgh will probably finish lower than predicted here, just because they gave away their good players to the Yankees.

NL WEST

Los Angeles Dodgers

Arizona Diamondbacks

Colorado Rockies

San Francisco Giants

San Diego Padres

I struck out the NL West, because they're such an embarrassment to baseball.  I mean, can't you're division winner be at least 5 games over .500.  I move to ban these guys from baseball.  That said, I think Arizona's going to falter, and if the Dodger's can hit they should win the division.  But go throw these guys in a hat and pick out a winner.  No NL WEST winner is going to go anywhere come October.

Alright, that being said,  here's the ALDS,NLDS,ALCS,NLCS, and World Series predictions.

Los Angeles Angels beat Boston Red Sox 3-1

                                                                                              Los Angeles Angels beat New York Yankees 4-3                

New York Yankees beat Minnesota Twins 3-2

                                                                                                                                                                                             Angels beats Brewers  4-1

Chicago Cubs beat Florida Marlins 3-2

                                                                                              Milwaukee Brewers beat Chicago Cubs 4-3

Milwaukee Brewers beat Los Angeles Dodgers 3-1

OK, now none of this is set in stone.  Virtually all of these predictions will be wrong in some part or another.  But that crystal ball is a little fuzzy...

So weigh in with your opinions below.  And write all the hate mail you want...