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 Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Beat The Blogger Picks
Posted by Tuff Stuff
The Blogger allowed plenty of contestants in the mix with a sub-par 5 of 10 effort but when the smoke cleared, it was Steve Emerick, Tim Beckham and John W. rose above all others. Both entries picked
8 of 10 picks including their doublers to take the top spot this week,
Congrats to both of them and good luck to the rest of you this week.
This week's picks are posted below.
For those unfamiliar with the Beat the Blogger contest,
the idea is simple. The Blogger posts 10 matchups each week and then
selects his choices fo r the winners of those matchups. Contestants
enter the Beat the Blogger contest by clicking on the "Comment" section below the post with the matchups and then select their own 10 winners. You can also designate one of your picks as a "Doubler"
and you will receive an extra point if you're correct so don't forget
to designate your "Doubler" pick and increase your chances of winning.
If you Beat The Blogger's total and post the high score for the week, you win. The regular weekly prize is an authentic signed 8-by-10 color photo of stars such as LaDainian Tomlinson, Drew Brees, Marshall Faulk, Santonio Holmes, Gale Sayers, Catfish Hunter
and many more. From time to time, the Blogger will sweeten the pot for
the weekly contest and that's where the Chipper Jones jersey comes into
play. If we can get more than 300 entries this week, the weekly winner will receive the Jones jersey so we need everybody to spread the word about the contest so we can reach our goal.
This week's Matchups (Blogger's picks in parenthesis)
Saturday Aug. 1
MLB
Detroit at Cleveland (Detroit)
Washington at Pittsburgh (Washington)
Colorado at Cincinnati (Colorado)
Arizona at NY Mets (Arizona)
Houston at St. Louis (St. Louis, Doubler)
Sunday Aug. 2
Boston at Baltimore (Boston)
Kansas City at Tampa Bay (Tampa Bay
NY Yankees at Chicago WS (NY Yankees)
Toronto at Oakland (Toronto)
Milwaukee at San Diego (Milwaukee)
Wednesday, July 29, 2009 8:41:53 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00) 
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Not So Deep Thoughts: Favre's last stand
Posted by Tuff Stuff
I heard today's news that Brett Favre had decided against yet another comeback attempt and I got to tell you, I was a little sad about it. Although the Favre saga had become tiresome and bordered on comical as of late, I think I'm going to miss it if indeed this is it for old No. 4.
It took some time, but I had resigned myself to the fact that the man that led my Packers to the promise land was now going to be trying to do likewise for the hated Vikings. We had a good run and all good things must come to an end eventually, right? I was even resigned to the fact that if healthy, Favre would likely be making TD connections to guys named Berrian and Harvin instead of the familar Driver and Jennings hookups we Packer fans had been accustomed to. I had somehow managed to convince myself that I would actually root for him to do well in Minnesota (the two games vs. the Packers not withstanding) and went so far that I tried to help convince Favre-hating Vikings fans that they'd enjoy having old No. 4 in the home locker room. But this latest 180-degree reversal has really made it hard for me to stay in Favre's corner.
Throughout the last few years, I've watched a legend transform into a spoiled, selfish brat and I bit my tongue and  tempered my anger the whole time. With other sports primadonnas of this magnitude, players tend to get a little older, a little wiser and the subsequent maturation process helps them grow out of such actions. But not Favre, unorthodox until the end, he instead pulled a "Benjamin Buttons" on us and went the other way.
And speaking of movies, watching this latest Favre drama unfold left me in need of an intermission. I feel like I was watching a classic film which was followed up by a sub-par sequel. Like I was sucked back into giving the Three-quel a chance after it was applauded by the critics only to have the star get killed off in the first scene.
Hearing of Favre's latest decision to squelch another comeback before it officially ever got started was like seeing an old best friend for the first time in many years only to find out you now dislike the person he had become. His new persona makes you question if you really ever knew that friend very well in the first place. This ending definitely wasn't our undeniable hero, a man who's staying power and level of excellence was the very fabric of his being. This was just the latest and perhaps the final stain on the once-unblemished career of a living legend.
Sure the media, millions of unwavering and seemingly uneducated fans placed Favre on a do-know-wrong pedastal that he would inevitably tumble from. But even the haters out there would've hoped for a better ending to this movie because as much as you may love him or hate him, Brett Favre was something different, something special.
In time, we'll all forget the drama that followed him like the unrelenting pass rushers that chased him from sideline to sideline. In time, we'll forget how he turned his back on a fanbase and a franchise that helped define him. And in time, we'll remember him as the gun-slinging, risk-taking champion that he had become. Unfortunately after this latest and perhaps final flop, this classic masterpiece won't be remembered as such for quite some time. That script is still in development.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009 2:16:43 AM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Beat The Blogger Results/Matchups
Posted by Tuff Stuff
The Blogger allowed plenty of contestants in the mix with a sub-par 5 of 10 effort but when the smoke cleared, it was Steve Emerick, Tim Beckham and John W. rose above all others. Both entries picked 8 of 10 picks including their doublers to take the top spot this week, Congrats to both of them and good luck to the rest of you this week. This week's picks are posted below.
For those unfamiliar with the Beat the Blogger contest,
the idea is simple. The Blogger posts 10 matchups each week and then
selects his choices for the winners of those matchups. Contestants
enter the Beat the Blogger contest by clicking on the "Comment" section below the post with the matchups and then select their own 10 winners. You can also designate one of your picks as a "Doubler"
and you will receive an extra point if you're correct so don't forget
to designate your "Doubler" pick and increase your chances of winning.
If you Beat The Blogger's total and post the high score for the week, you win. The regular weekly prize is an authentic signed 8-by-10 color photo of stars such as LaDainian Tomlinson, Drew Brees, Marshall Faulk, Santonio Holmes, Gale Sayers, Catfish Hunter
and many more. From time to time, the Blogger will sweeten the pot for
the weekly contest and that's where the Chipper Jones jersey comes into
play. If we can get more than 300 entries this week, the weekly winner will receive the Jones jersey so we need everybody to spread the word about the contest so we can reach our goal.
This week's Matchups
Saturday Aug. 1
MLB
Detroit at Cleveland
Washington at Pittsburgh
Colorado at Cincinnati
Arizona at NY Mets
Houston at St. Louis
Sunday Aug. 2
Boston at Baltimore
Kansas City at Tampa Bay
NY Yankees at Chicago WS
Toronto at Oakland
Milwaukee at San Diego
Tuesday, July 28, 2009 12:11:40 AM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, July 27, 2009
Beat The Blogger Results
Posted by Tuff Stuff
Should be plenty of contenders for this week's prize as the Blogger managed to hit on just 50% of his picks last week. The winning picks are posted below and this week's winner will be announced later tonight or first thing Tuesday a.m. so check back to see if you're a winner. This week's games will be posted on Tusday p.m. so make sure you get your selections posted by the start of the first game Saturday and as always, good luck.
For those unfamiliar with the Beat the Blogger contest,
the idea is simple. The Blogger posts 10 matchups each week and then
selects his choices for the winners of those matchups. Contestants
enter the Beat the Blogger contest by clicking on the "Comment" section below the post with the matchups and then select their own 10 winners. You can also designate one of your picks as a "Doubler"
and you will receive an extra point if you're correct so don't forget
to designate your "Doubler" pick and increase your chances of winning.
If you Beat The Blogger's total and post the high score for the week, you win. The regular weekly prize is an authentic signed 8-by-10 color photo of stars such as LaDainian Tomlinson, Drew Brees, Marshall Faulk, Santonio Holmes, Gale Sayers, Catfish Hunter
and many more. From time to time, the Blogger will sweeten the pot for
the weekly contest and that's where the Chipper Jones jersey comes into
play. If we can get more than 300 entries this week, the weekly winner will receive the Jones jersey so we need everybody to spread the word about the contest so we can reach our goal.
This week's Matchups (last week's winners in parenthesis)
Saturday July 25
MLB
Chicago White Sox at Detroit (Detroit)
Tampa Bay at Toronto (Tampa)
Atlanta at Milwaukee (Milwaukee)
Florida at LA Dodgers (LA Dodgers)
Cincinnati at Chicago Cubs (Chicago)
Sunday July 26
Baltimore at Boston (Baltimore)
San Diego at Washington (Washington)
Cleveland at Seattle (Cleveland)
Pittsburgh at Arizona (Arizona)
Minnesota at LA Angels (Minnesota)
Monday, July 27, 2009 8:15:38 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Beat The Blogger Matchups
Posted by Tuff Stuff
The Blogger improved to post 7 of 10 picks but it wasn't enough to deny Ray Maye
a trip to the winner's circle. Maye posted a perfect card and connected
on the doubler to win the week and take home the prize. For the rest of
us, it's time to start studying up for this week's games. This week's matchups are posted below so make sure you get your picks posted before the start of the first game on Saturday to be eligible to win. Thanks for
playing and spread the word.
For those unfamiliar with the Beat the Blogger contest,
the idea is simple. The Blogger posts 10 matchups each week and then
selects his choices for the winners of those matchups. Contestants
enter the Beat the Blogger contest by clicking on the "Comment" section below the post with the matchups and then select their own 10 winners. You can also designate one of your picks as a "Doubler"
and you will receive an extra point if you're correct so don't forget
to designate your "Doubler" pick and increase your chances of winning.
If you Beat The Blogger's total and post the high score for the week, you win. The regular weekly prize is an authentic signed 8-by-10 color photo of stars such as LaDainian Tomlinson, Drew Brees, Marshall Faulk, Santonio Holmes, Gale Sayers, Catfish Hunter
and many more. From time to time, the Blogger will sweeten the pot for
the weekly contest and that's where the Chipper Jones jersey comes into
play. If we can get more than 300 entries this week, the weekly winner will receive the Jones jersey so we need everybody to spread the word about the contest so we can reach our goal.
This week's Matchups (with Blogger picks in parenthesis)
Saturday July 25
MLB
Chicago White Sox at Detroit (Detroit)
Tampa Bay at Toronto (Toronto)
Atlanta at Milwaukee (Atlanta)
Florida at LA Dodgers (LA Dodgers)
Cincinnati at Chicago Cubs (Chicago)
Sunday July 26
Baltimore at Boston (Boston)
San Diego at Washington (San Diego) (doubler)
Cleveland at Seattle (Seattle)
Pittsburgh at Arizona (Arizona)
Minnesota at LA Angels (Angels)
Wednesday, July 22, 2009 1:55:13 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Not So Deep Thoughts: Crystal Ball Time
Posted by Tuff Stuff
Over the past few months, I've unveiled some fearless predictions in
this column. Some have come to fruition, others not so much. But the
great thing about having a blog is that you can write almost anything
you want and still have a space to write some more the next day. With
that said, I decided to toss out a few more predictions with the new
approach being, we'll revisit the predictions in the future and see
exactly how things played out.
MLB
With the Trade Deadline just 10 days away, expect a flurry of activity
as teams try and find that one/two pieces to the puzzle that will put
them over the top. The biggest name available is Roy Halladay.
While every team would love to acquire a top-of-the-rotation, innings
hound ace like Halladay, only a few teams have the necessary resources
to actually make the deal. My Brewers are one such team with several
strong minor league gems in their system, but according to Milwaukee GM
Doug Melvin, the Brewers aren't willing to part with SS of the future Alcides Escobar or 3B Matt Gamel,
the two players the Blue Jays apparently covet. One possible deal that
hasn't gotten much attention is Gamel and former All-Star shortstop J.J. Hardy in exchange for Halladay.
If the Blue Jays view Hardy as the hard-hitting defensive wizard he was
last year the deal would make a lot of sense for both sides. Toronto
would get a new, young left side of its infield and the Brewers would
get an ace who could consistently take them deep into
ballgames and allow young pitcher Yovani Gallardo to return to
his role as the team's No. 2 starter because he has yet to display the
consistency needed from a staff ace. I was leaning toward Halladay
going to Philadelphia but the Phils are rolling and should have plenty
of in-house talent to win the East. The slumping Hardy is slowly falling
out of favor in Milwaukee and Escobar being the heir at short for the
Brewers, I think Melvin rolls the dice one more time and pulls the
trigger on the Halladay deal, calls up Escobar and hopes he can make a
smooth transition to the bigs.
While I admit I'm a Brewers fan and would love to see Halladay come to
Milwaukee, I'm not sure he would be enough to get the Crew into the
postseason but the window of opportunity is wide open right now so why
not take another shot. Besides, throughout Hardy's minor league career
he was known as a defensive-minded shortstop that would have to learn
how to hit major league pitching. He appeared to do that in 2007 and last season
when he hit 24 HRs, knocked in 74 and batted .283, but perhaps this
year's .226 average with 61 strikeouts is a better indication of what
to expect from him?
Other players that will be relocated before the trade deadline will be Matt Holliday, Victor Martinez, Freddy Sanchez and left-handed reliever Scott Downs.
NFL
Former Pro Bowl QB Michael Vick has finished paying his 23-month sentence for dogfighting charges but the next question is how will commisioner Roger Goodell
handle his possible reinstatement. My prediction is that Goodell will
come down with an iron fist and stays true to his past. He's been tough
on players convicted before and let's not forget Vick straight up lied
to his face before the trial when Goodell asked him point blank, "Did
you do what they are accusing you of?" My guess is Roger hasn't
fogetten that day and will make Vick pay a little more before he gets to
take the field again. Prediction: Vick remains suspended for the first
eight games of the season then signs with a playoff-contending team who
needs an established veteran to make their postseason push, perhaps
Carolina.
Let me hear what you think about these predictions and feel free to
post some of your own. Then we'll check back and see who's crystal ball
works and who's is cracked.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009 3:31:33 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Beat The Blogger Results
Posted by Tuff Stuff
The Blogger improved to post 7 of 10 picks but it wasn't enough to deny Ray Maye a trip to the winner's circle. Maye posted a perfect card and connected on the doubler to win the week and take home the prize. For the rest of us, it's time to start studying up for this week's games. This week's matchups will be posted on Wednesday. Contestants make sure you get your picks in before the start of the week's first game t be eligible to win. Thanks for
playing and spread the word.
Last week's winners are posted below so check them with your answers to see if you Beat The Blogger.
For those unfamiliar with the Beat the Blogger contest,
the idea is simple. The Blogger posts 10 matchups each week and then
selects his choices for the winners of those matchups. Contestants
enter the Beat the Blogger contest by clicking on the "Comment" section below the post with the matchups and then select their own 10 winners. You can also designate one of your picks as a "Doubler"
and you will receive an extra point if you're correct so don't forget
to designate your "Doubler" pick and increase your chances of winning.
If you Beat The Blogger's total and post the high score for the week, you win. The regular weekly prize is an authentic signed 8-by-10 color photo of stars such as LaDainian Tomlinson, Drew Brees, Marshall Faulk, Santonio Holmes, Gale Sayers, Catfish Hunter
and many more. From time to time, the Blogger will sweeten the pot for
the weekly contest and that's where the Chipper Jones jersey comes into
play. If we can get more than 300 entries this week, the weekly winner will receive the Jones jersey so we need everybody to spread the word about the contest so we can reach our goal.
Last week's Matchups (Winning picks in parenthesis)
Saturday July 18
MLB
NY Mets at Atlanta (NY Mets)
LA Angels at Oakland (Angels)
Tampa at Kansas City (Tampa)
Philadelphia at Florida (Postponed by Rain)
Chicago Cubs at Washington (Chicago)
Sunday July 19
Boston at Toronto (Toronto)
Milwaukee at Cincinnati (Cincinnati)
Arizona at St. Louis (St. Louis)
British Open
Tiger Woods or the Field (Field)
Winning Score: -6 or higher or -7 or lower (-6 or higher)
Tuesday, July 21, 2009 2:24:48 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, July 20, 2009
Beat the Blogger Results
Posted by Tuff Stuff
The Blogger improved to post 7 of 10 picks but it likely won't be enough
to hold onto the lead. The final totals still have to be tallied so please check back Tuesday a.m. to see if you Beat The blogger's total and see how you fared against the rest of the competition. Thanks for playing and spread the word.
Last week's winners are posted below so check them with your answers to see if you Beat The Blogger.
For those unfamiliar with the Beat the Blogger contest,
the idea is simple. The Blogger posts 10 matchups each week and then
selects his choices for the winners of those matchups. Contestants
enter the Beat the Blogger contest by clicking on the "Comment" section below the post with the matchups and then select their own 10 winners. You can also designate one of your picks as a "Doubler"
and you will receive an extra point if you're correct so don't forget
to designate your "Doubler" pick and increase your chances of winning.
If you Beat The Blogger's total and post the high score for the week, you win. The regular weekly prize is an authentic signed 8-by-10 color photo of stars such as LaDainian Tomlinson, Drew Brees, Marshall Faulk, Santonio Holmes, Gale Sayers, Catfish Hunter
and many more. From time to time, the Blogger will sweeten the pot for
the weekly contest and that's where the Chipper Jones jersey comes into
play. If we can get more than 300 entries this week, the weekly winner will receive the Jones jersey so we need everybody to spread the word about the contest so we can reach our goal.
Last week's Matchups (Winning picks in parenthesis)
Saturday July 18
MLB
NY Mets at Atlanta (NY Mets)
LA Angels at Oakland (Angels)
Tampa at Kansas City (Tampa)
Philadelphia at Florida (Postponed by Rain)
Chicago Cubs at Washington (Chicago)
Sunday July 19
Boston at Toronto (Toronto)
Milwaukee at Cincinnati (Cincinnati)
Arizona at St. Louis (St. Louis)
British Open
Tiger Woods or the Field (Field)
Winning Score: -6 or higher or -7 or lower (-6 or higher)
Monday, July 20, 2009 4:05:02 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, July 16, 2009
Beat The Blogger Picks
Posted by Tuff Stuff
The Blogger improved to post 7 of 10 picks but it wasn't enough
to hold onto the lead, as a Beat The Blogger record seven contestants
connected on 8 of 10 picks to tie for the top spot. Gary Truman, Joann K, Jeff Barton, Dennis Juntunen, Ronald Borczyk, DeMarie and Yale M. Brown will all be receiving a prize for their efforts. It was the second straight week Joann K has won so a special congratulations goes out to her. Thanks for playing and spread the word.
This week's matchups are posted below so be sure to make your picks.
For those unfamiliar with the Beat the Blogger contest,
the idea is simple. The Blogger posts 10 matchups each week and then
selects his choices for the winners of those matchups. Contestants
enter the Beat the Blogger contest by clicking on the "Comment" section below the post with the matchups and then select their own 10 winners. You can also designate one of your picks as a "Doubler"
and you will receive an extra point if you're correct so don't forget
to designate your "Doubler" pick and increase your chances of winning.
If you Beat The Blogger's total and post the high score for the week, you win. The regular weekly prize is an authentic signed 8-by-10 color photo of stars such as LaDainian Tomlinson, Drew Brees, Marshall Faulk, Santonio Holmes, Gale Sayers, Catfish Hunter
and many more. From time to time, the Blogger will sweeten the pot for
the weekly contest and that's where the Chipper Jones jersey comes into
play. If we can get more than 300 entries this week, the weekly winner will receive the Jones jersey so we need everybody to spread the word about the contest so we can reach our goal.
This week's Matchups (Blogger's picks in parenthesis)
Saturday July 18
MLB
NY Mets at Atlanta (NY Mets)
LA Angels at Oakland (Angels)
Tampa at Kansas City (Tampa)
Philadelphia at Florida (Florida)
Chicago Cubs at Washington (Chicago)
Sunday July 19
Boston at Toronto (Boston)
Milwaukee at Cincinnati (Milwaukee)
Arizona at St. Louis (St. Louis)
British Open
Tiger Woods or the Field (Field, Doubler)
Winning Score: -6 or higher or -7 or lower (-7 or lower)
Thursday, July 16, 2009 2:12:42 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Not So Deep Thoughts: Close call for Upper Deck, but the right one
Posted by Tuff Stuff
In February, inside its 2009 Upper Deck Series One Baseball product, Upper Deck released a nine-card insert set entitled:
“Historic Firsts Predictors.” The sports card company made nine bold
predictions and stated that if any of them came true during the course
of 2009 that it would “do something big.” One of those cards said the National league would break its 12-year drought and win the game.
Well, something big nearly happened. Upper Deck was ready to put into motion a special nationwide promotion that would have yielded a free baseball card pack to fans across the country (one per
customer, while supplies last), provided the National League won last night's 80th MLB All-Star Game. Unfortunately for collectors nationwide, the trend continued and the National League All-Stars came up short once again, falling 4-3, in a well-played, but unspectacular Mid-Summer Classic.
For the Upper Deck crew, things couldn't have turned out any better. The company received some free publicity for the promotion, the game was competitive, and ultimately because of the outcome, they didn't spend a nickel and come out looking like the heroes in their efforts to make good on their original promise.
While the promise could've cost Upper Deck six figures if the senior circuit would've prevailed, the end result was priceless. They say in baseball that sometimes the best deals are the ones that were never made. In an apples-oranges kinda way, the same rule applies here. Hopefully the other manufacturers will apply this same model to events in the future with the only difference being that they're forced to come through and fufill the promotion so collectors can win as well. Kudos to Upper Deck for stepping up and taking a chance in the first place. Now, if they really want to come out smelling like a rose, they'll take half the packs they had earmarked to distribute and give them away anyway. Just a thought.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009 2:53:34 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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