THE WEEK IN SPORTS
There is almost too much to talk about this week as the World Series continues, Football is getting good, and now we even have NBA action. I am going to take a look at the World Series and then talk a little about tonights Monday night game and then take a preview of the NBA West.
Odds supplied by Betus
959 New York Yankees A.J. Burnett – R +1½ -155 +140
960 Philadelphia Phillies Cliff Lee – L -1½ +135 -160
I am not surprised by this World Series at all. the Yankees have looked dominant all year. This series and last night was no exception. CC Sabathia, despite being put in a hole by Alex Rodriguez before even taking the mound, pitched 6 2/3 innings, and Rodriguez doubled home the eventual winning run off Brad Lidge with two out in the ninth as the Yanks scored a 7-4 win over the Philadelphia Phillies before 46,145 fans last night.
The Yanks, with A.J. Burnett on the mound, try to wrap up the Series tonight against lefty Cliff Lee
“We’re down, but we’re still breathing,” said Phillies manager Charlie Manuel, whose team trails the Yanks 3-1 in the best-of-seven
series.
Lidge, the Phillies’ failed in-season closer, had two out and none on in the ninth when Johnny Damon hit the 10th pitch of his at-bat softly into left for a single. With the shift on for batter Mark Teixeira, Damon stole second and then sprinted to an unprotected third base.
“Play like that, it’s either the catcher or the pitcher’s responsibility,” Phils manager Charlie Manuel said. “It’s the first time that ever happened to us.”
Third baseman Pedro Feliz took the throw at second base.
“That was instinct,” Girardi said. “If he’s going, he’d better be sure with the hitters we had due up.”
Said Damon: “I knew the throw drug Pedro off to the second-base side, I was hoping I still had some of my legs from my Kansas City days.”
The fact that Damon was on third took away Lidge’s slider, and after Lidge hit Teixeira with a pitch, Rodriguez ripped an 0-1 fastball into the corner, scoring the winner.
“Did he lose his focus? I don’t know, he was ahead of Damon 1-2, he started off fine,” Manuel said of Lidge.
For Rodriguez, it was his 15th RBI of the post-season, tying Bernie Williams and Scott Brosius, a club post-season record.
Mariano Rivera did his part, closing out the bottom of the frame by retiring three straight for his fifth save of the playoffs, securing a two-game lead for the Yankees in the best-of-seven series.
C.C. Sabathia made the start for the New York and lasted six and two-thirds innings before getting chased by Chase Utley’s homerun. Damaso Marte finished the seventh but Joba Chamberlain couldn’t escape the eighth without giving up the tying solo shot to Pedro Feliz. Despite the mistake, Chamberlain still got the win for being on record when Rodriguez started the rally.
Rodriguez, who was 0 for 8 in the series before he hit a two-run homer in Game 3 on Saturday, was plunked by Phillies starter Joe Blanton in the first inning which earned a warning to both benches. It was the third time the Rodriguez was hit by a Philadelphia pitcher in four games.
I hope the series doesn’t end tonight, but it is inevitable the Yankees are going to win it in the end.
Odds supplied by betus
233 Atlanta Falcons +11 -110 +450
234 New Orleans Saints -11 -110 -600
The last time the Atlanta Falcons came to New Orleans to play in a Monday Night Football game, an electric crowd of 70,003 nearly blew the roof off the Louisiana Superdome as the Saints beat up the Falcons, 23-3.
The date was Sept. 25, 2006. The game marked the Saints’ return to the Superdome after a one-year hiatus brought about by Hurricane Katrina. The game and victory gave a devastated city and region renewed hope.
Fast-forward three years, and the Falcons are back in the Big Easy for another marquee Monday Night Football game.The Saints have started the season 6-0 for the first time since 1991 and sit atop most experts’ lists as the favorite to win the NFC Championship and advance to the Super Bowl.Coming off a thrilling 46-34 come-from-behind win at Miami last week, and the Saints look fantastic this year.
The NBA is back . I am going to preview the West first and in my opinion it is going to be the Lakers again.
Unless they have injuries or Artest ruins the chemistry, it’s hard to see anyone beating them. I’m predicting a Celtics – Lakers final. I realize that’s not going too far out on the limb and, Orlando orCleveland could beat out Boston in the East. In the West, San Antonio has a legitimate chance. Portland is a dark horse.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS
Of course the big news in the off season was losing Trevor Ariza and gaining Ron Artest – who I believe truly will make the club better. The one thing about Artest is that he is consistently an intense and aggressive player – or at least a lot more so than Lamar Odom. Probably the biggest advantage to Artest is that if there is an injury to Gasol or Bynum or Odom, they won’t have to worry about it. The Lakers have, without a doubt, the four best big men in the league.
If they have a problem, it’s at guard – especially at the point. Derek Fisher is 35 years old and he isn’t a star anyway. Of course, with Bryant, the point guard position is not as important as it is on most teams. They are similar to the Chicago Bulls era when Jordan ran the show. Even so, LA is very thin at guard. Needless to say, if Bryant goes down for any reason, they won’t be the same team.
The Lakers won a huge 65 games last year – winning the title in five over Orlando. The next best was 54 wins (Denver, Portland and San Antonio). It’s very hard to see how anyone can keep up with LA in the west.
SAN ANTONIO SPURS
This is a team that is on the edge of being too old. With only 54 wins last season, this is realistically, their last chance to be great. Duncan has won four titles and remains a class act. If he (and the rest of the big names on the team) remain healthy, they have an outside chance at beating the Lakers in the West.
The two big hopes are that 1) Ginobili will overcome last season’s injury and won’t repeat it and 2) the additions of Jefferson and McDyess will give them enough other weapons that team will have a hard time figuring out who to defend. If the pieces fall into place, this will be a very tough team to beat.
PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS
The Blazers have a lot of youth and a lot going for them. Four of their best players are 25 years of age or younger. That’s why I consider them a dark horse. It’s hard to predict how much they will mature and grow as a team. But, even without Martel Webster (missed last season) and without Oden for a big chunk of the year, they still won 54 games and tied for the division title.
Roy and Aldridge are likely to be stars for years. Oden is nowhere near worth the #1 pick. However, as long as he plays solid defense and pounds the boards, he’s worth quite a bit. The addition of Andre Miller should help the young guys a lot. He’s extremely consistent and remains one of the better PGs in the NBA.
The players just need to recognize who has what responsibilities and grow into them. In another two years, this could be the best team in the NBA.
BEST OF THE REST IN THE WEST
The same group of five that were bunched last season – Houston, Dallas, Denver, Utah and New Orleans. They all have strengths, but their weaknesses mean they will be fighting each other for the one remaining first round home court advantage in the playoffs.
