Monday Musings – 10/23: The Cardinals stink but at least ASU & UofA have hope…

I’m scrapping the Four Downs format for this week as there’s just TOO much randomness to discuss in the world of sports. It’s a Quick Hitters-type of column…but I’ll call it Monday Musings.

Remember, if this column isn’t enough of me, check out The Daily Blender, weekdays from 1-3pm on 1580AM, 99.3FM, online at 1580thefanatic.com, or via the 1580 The Fanatic app!

-What an astonishingly pathetic effort by the Cardinals on Sunday…but…I’ve got good news for all of you Arizona Cardinals’ fans. After the 33-0 loss in London to the Rams, it’s apparent that your team will be bad enough to finish among the top-10 worst records in the league. Worse record = higher draft pick = better chance to select a franchise QB.

Cardinals Rams Football

Continue reading “Monday Musings – 10/23: The Cardinals stink but at least ASU & UofA have hope…” →

Friday, 10/20 Quick Hitters: Thank you Cubs + Football Thoughts & Best Bets

Thank you Chicago Cubs for an entertaining second half of baseball…but unfortunately you were seriously outclassed by the Dodgers. Your pitching was abysmal in the NLCS, especially the bullpen, which outside of Wade Davis (who is a free agent and should be re-signed) needs to be completely overhauled.

Thank you Jake Arrieta and John Lackey for your contributions as Cubs and I wish you the best in your next chapters (Arrieta on a new team and Lackey likely retirement).

Thank you Cubs management for putting together a hell of a team…but please fix the bullpen and add a true leadoff hitter while the window to win championships still exists.

And to the Dodgers and their fans – good luck in the World Series. I’d be very, very surprised if you lost.

Screen Shot 2017-10-19 at 10.53.08 PM.png

Oh yeah – let’s go Astros (to at least beat the Yankees)!

Now that I’ve said my piece, let’s talk some football…

Continue reading “Friday, 10/20 Quick Hitters: Thank you Cubs + Football Thoughts & Best Bets” →

Four Downs – October 16th: The best regular season football weekend in Arizona…EVER?

This was an absolutely incredible football weekend for the Cardinals, Sun Devils, and Wildcats. Offhand I can’t remember a more successful two days for our Arizona teams in recent memory. For me personally, as awesome as UofA’s win was on Saturday, watching my favorite NFL player, Aaron Rodgers go down with a broken collarbone on Sunday and my beloved Cubbies losing two in LA was almost as crushing.

While I’ll do my best to wrap up these last few exhilarating days in this column, I hope you’ll tune in to The Daily Blender, weekdays from 1-3pm (this week 12-3pm) on 1580 The Fanatic. The show starts today (Monday) and I’m looking forward to fun sports talk BY THE FANS, FOR THE FANS with fellow hosts Jeffry O’Brien & Charles Wulf.

22519655_1702372563140560_8881487179439311203_n

Continue reading “Four Downs – October 16th: The best regular season football weekend in Arizona…EVER?” →

Friday, 10/13 Quick Hitters: GO CUBS GO, Weekend Football Thoughts + Best Bets

The Cubs-Nationals nearly five hour 9 inning marathon was beyond belief on Thursday night. I’m writing this column minutes after running around my house, as an ecstatic Cubs fan, nearly deciding to break open a bottle of champagne for my favorite team advancing to their third straight National League Championship Series!

In what will go down as one of the most thrilling, compelling, and wacky games of all-time in baseball’s postseason, Cubs manager Joe Maddon nearly used his entire available bullpen and asked his closer, Wade Davis, to somehow record 7 outs. Errors, Passed Balls, Pickoffs, Catcher’s Interference…it was a truly bizarre game in all facets.

The Cubs Curse? It’s gone. No more goats, fan interference, ground ball mishaps, etc… This is a new era of Cubs baseball…and “Holy Cow” I’m glad I’m around to enjoy it!

I think the Dodgers will beat my lifelong favorite team in 5 games to advance to the World Series…with the Astros taking care of the Yankees in 6 games to win the American League. (P.S. How did the Indians choke away that series by losing three straight? They were clearly the best team in baseball after the All-Star break.)

Either way, for a team that was two games under .500 at the All-Star Break to advance again to the NLCS…hallelujah! #FlyTheW

Screen Shot 2017-10-12 at 9.59.00 PM.png

Continue reading “Friday, 10/13 Quick Hitters: GO CUBS GO, Weekend Football Thoughts + Best Bets” →

Four Downs – October 9th: The Savior of Arizona Wildcats Football Present and Future?

FIRST DOWN: Khalil Tate – a performance for the ages!

Two weeks ago I wrote that Arizona football was a dying brand under Rich Rodriguez. And when Saturday’s game in Boulder kicked off I thought no differently. Nor did most Arizona football fans.

But when starting QB Brandon Dawkins, who I maintained shouldn’t be playing in the first place, was injured on a flagrant late hit on the opening drive, Arizona’s season immediately changed.

True sophomore Khalil Tate, whose redshirt was burned midway through last season, put on a performance no Arizona football fan will soon forget. More importantly, Arizona won its first Pac-12 road game in nearly two years, 45-42, over Colorado and improved their 2017 record to 3-2.

Tate rushed 14 times for 327 yards and 4 touchdowns…and completed 11 of 12 passes for 142 yards and a TD. The rushing yards were the most in NCAA HISTORY by a quarterback. Think about that for a second…there has never been a performance on the ground better by a college QB. Staggering!

Screen Shot 2017-10-08 at 12.13.43 AM.png

Continue reading “Four Downs – October 9th: The Savior of Arizona Wildcats Football Present and Future?” →

Friday, 10/6 Quick Hitters: Can the D-Backs take down the Dodgers? + Best Bets

The Arizona Diamondbacks’ 11-8 Wild Card game victory over the Colorado Rockies was honestly one of the craziest baseball games I can remember in recent memory. Outside of last year’s World Series Game 7, no postseason game comes to mind that reminds me of Wednesday night’s insanity. Four triples, including one by Archie Bradley, a relief pitcher (!!)…a 6-0 lead that almost evaporated…and 8-5 8th inning lead that nearly vanished…drama in nearly every inning. As I said on Twitter at the time, the fans got their money’s worth, alright!

archie_bradley-size-custom-crop-1086x0

So do the D-Backs really have a chance to beat the Dodgers?

Continue reading “Friday, 10/6 Quick Hitters: Can the D-Backs take down the Dodgers? + Best Bets” →

Four Downs – October 2nd: The Cardinals In Big Trouble? + MLB Playoff Predictions

The Los Angeles Chargers…my “lock of the year”…can’t even sell out a 28,000 seat stadium! And the worst part is that there were more Eagles fans than Chargers fans at the game. Needless to say I’m not picking them for a long time…nor am I making anymore “lock of the year” picks anytime soon. Move back to San Diego, please…what an embarrassment all around!

FIRST DOWN: The Cardinals are pretty much toast this season…can we all please acknowledge that?

Screen Shot 2017-10-01 at 4.58.29 PM.png

Continue reading “Four Downs – October 2nd: The Cardinals In Big Trouble? + MLB Playoff Predictions” →