(The following viewpoints express those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the entire Heckling Santa editorial board)
I LOVE THE NEW MLB PLAYOFF STRUCTURE!
Is it really a new structure, though, when only one additional game is created? Technically, no, but the advantages it affords division winners is palpable.
Monday, March 5, 2012
The Phillies Win The World Series (And 29 Other Baseball Predictions)
March is here, possibly the most wonderful time of year. The snow has melted, the birds are coming home and the sun is actually up when I am. And then of course the sports. There is no better month for sports. Hockey and Basketball seasons are just starting to get interesting; there is excessive reporting on the NFL draft. And then of course the Big East and Friends tournament, otherwise known as March Madness.
But what truly makes March special is of course the start of Baseball, and since only sex and free t-shirts are better than gambling I’ve decided to take this time and compile a listing of everything that will happen over the course of the long season. So sit back and relax, you now have seven months off to devote your time to do anything else because you’ll already know how the season will end. I recommend starting War and Peace.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Things that infuriated me: Week of Feb. 26
Compared to the idiocy of the Daytona 500 and the NBA All-Star game/weekend, this was a relatively quiet week for me in terms of infuriating things. And then Bud Selig's slowly melting face had to go and ruin things.
Led off by the thing that's undoubtedly going to harm the Phillies' title hopes in some way, here are a couple things that really ground my gears this week.
1. The new MLB playoff structure.
Led off by the thing that's undoubtedly going to harm the Phillies' title hopes in some way, here are a couple things that really ground my gears this week.
1. The new MLB playoff structure.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Bud Selig and the MLB Playoffs: A Tragicomedy
Forgive me for believing, if only for a moment, that the incredible end to baseball's regular season last year might have stayed whatever idiocy Bud Selig had cooked up for the future.
Unfortunately, not even perhaps the greatest final month of baseball in the history of the sport could stop the inexorable march toward a second wild card team.
Remember the Rays' incredible come-from-behind win against the Yankees in the season's last game? The Orioles celebrating their victory over the Red Sox as though they'd just won the pennant? In 2012, it won't matter.
How about the Phillies sweeping the Braves in Atlanta in the season's final series to dash a hated rival's playoff hopes? In 2012, you'd be forgiven for not tuning in.
Unfortunately, not even perhaps the greatest final month of baseball in the history of the sport could stop the inexorable march toward a second wild card team.
Remember the Rays' incredible come-from-behind win against the Yankees in the season's last game? The Orioles celebrating their victory over the Red Sox as though they'd just won the pennant? In 2012, it won't matter.
How about the Phillies sweeping the Braves in Atlanta in the season's final series to dash a hated rival's playoff hopes? In 2012, you'd be forgiven for not tuning in.
Seriously, Eagles, WTF?
Am I the only one that's seriously confused by the Eagles right now?
Here's a team that got way over-hyped, had some fatal and obvious flaws (Juan Castillo and Casey Matthews, among others) lead to a disappointing 8-8 season, and missed the playoffs. They fired nobody of consequence, let go (so far) of zero notable players, and have generally been running around like chickens with their heads cut off. If there's a plan in place here that goes beyond shouting "Mulligan!" I can't figure out what it is.
Let's recap the offseason so far:
Here's a team that got way over-hyped, had some fatal and obvious flaws (Juan Castillo and Casey Matthews, among others) lead to a disappointing 8-8 season, and missed the playoffs. They fired nobody of consequence, let go (so far) of zero notable players, and have generally been running around like chickens with their heads cut off. If there's a plan in place here that goes beyond shouting "Mulligan!" I can't figure out what it is.
Let's recap the offseason so far:
Friday, March 2, 2012
The REAL All-Star Fix
It seems within the last week, every writer on this site has put forth their all-star game fixes except for me. Well, the time has come:
CANCEL THEM ALL!
Historically from what I understand, the all-star game, particularly in baseball, was a big deal. It was a chance to see the best players in the league on TV and ............STOP! I think I may have just figured out the problem. This is more a guess than a well researched opinion, but I think the lost allure in all-star games might have something to do with television. Put yourselves back in time 20 or 30 years ago (or many more). You couldn't turn on your TV and watch sports center 30 times a day to see superstars, or have multiple nationally televised games on every night. Further, there was no internet with blog posts and newspaper articles and streaming video. If you wanted to see the best players in the world, your best shot may have been the all-star game. Again, I could betotally wrong on this one, but I think the overall lack of exposure in the day caused the all-star game to be a much more anticipated spectacle. Today, we all see Albert Pujols and Dwight Howard, and Evgeni Malkin, and Tom Brady practically everyday. Why tune in too watch them play in a meaningless exhibition game. Yes, I hear the screams now: "THE MLB ALL-STAR GAME IS MEANINGFUL!"
CANCEL THEM ALL!
Historically from what I understand, the all-star game, particularly in baseball, was a big deal. It was a chance to see the best players in the league on TV and ............STOP! I think I may have just figured out the problem. This is more a guess than a well researched opinion, but I think the lost allure in all-star games might have something to do with television. Put yourselves back in time 20 or 30 years ago (or many more). You couldn't turn on your TV and watch sports center 30 times a day to see superstars, or have multiple nationally televised games on every night. Further, there was no internet with blog posts and newspaper articles and streaming video. If you wanted to see the best players in the world, your best shot may have been the all-star game. Again, I could betotally wrong on this one, but I think the overall lack of exposure in the day caused the all-star game to be a much more anticipated spectacle. Today, we all see Albert Pujols and Dwight Howard, and Evgeni Malkin, and Tom Brady practically everyday. Why tune in too watch them play in a meaningless exhibition game. Yes, I hear the screams now: "THE MLB ALL-STAR GAME IS MEANINGFUL!"
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Why Obama is Talking to Bill Simmons
An aid sprinted down the twisting corridors of the West Wing frantically in search of the President of the United States. In his hand were the results that would decide the country’s immediate future. After scurrying around assorted staff members and ass kissers he finally found him in the Oval Office.
“Mr. President, the results just came in and it doesn’t look good.”
President Obama was staring out onto the Rose Garden in deep contemplation. He nodded slowly still staring out into the distance. “The Mormon got ‘em both huh?”
“Yes sir. Mr. Romney won both Michigan and Arizona by a comfortable margin.” Again the President nodded, looking like he knew all along how this whole dance would play out.
“Convene a meeting of my cabinet; it looks like I’m going to have to start campaigning.”
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