Just the Beginning

The previous method for college football to decide the national championship game was terrible. The committee often times took the number 1 and 2 teams in the country. Makes sense right? Wrong. Sometimes the number 3-5 teams were not much different than the number 2 team in the country. Then when the BCS game would finally occur, it would often times be a blow out. For two straight years Alabama dominated the game, and I would stop watching by half time. It's not like the commercials were there to entertain me like the Super Bowl. 

2014-2015 marks the first year of the College Football Playoffs. Now a committee of 13 people make their own national rankings, and at the end of the year, they pick four teams to make the playoffs. Well now we have a similar problem we had in the past. Hopefully the playoffs get rid of the blow out games we've seen in the past, but how does the committee decide who gets the 3rd and 4th seed. Alabama and Oregon have just been dominating college football however they do have one lose on the season. Florida State got ranked third, which can be justified by their weak play but undefeated record. That left one spot for three teams. TCU, Baylor and Ohio State have all been playing great football and made the decision difficult for the committee. Going into Sunday, TCU was ranked 3rd and was coming off a 55-3 win over Iowa State. TCU did everything they could to lock up a top four spot. Baylor wasn't looking as good. Going into Sunday, Baylor was ranked 6th coming off a 38-27 win over 11th ranked Kansas State. Lastly, Ohio State was ranked 5th going into Sunday. Ohio State was coming off a 59-0 win against 17th ranked Wisconsin.

According to ESPN:
Points Per Game Differential
- TCU +26.5
- Baylor +24.6
- Ohio State 24

Strength of Record
- TCU 4th
- Baylor 6th
- Ohio State 7th

Game Control
- Baylor 5th
- TCU 6th
- Ohio State 11th

Before the College Football Playoff committee announced the final rankings, I made my own top 6.
1. Alabama
2. Oregon
3. TCU
4. Ohio State
5. Florida State
6. Baylor

Alabama and Oregon don't need explanation. TCU was ranked 3rd and played well enough to keep it. They battled a lot of good teams throughout the season.

Ohio State lost a potential Heisman winner, Braxton Miller before the season started and lost their 2nd string QB, JT Barrett against Michigan before the Big Ten Championship. Ohio State was ranked 5th and starting their 3rd string QB in the Big Ten Championship against a solid Wisconsin football team. Ohio State walked out with a huge 59-0 win and deserved a spot in the playoffs.

The only argument I have a hard time justifying is putting Florida State at number 5 and missing the playoffs. How do you tell the reigning champion and their Heisman QB, that their undefeated season was not good enough to make the playoffs? In all honesty they have not played well at all. If college football wants close and exciting games, TCU may be the team they should have picked.

Actual college football playoff rankings,
1. Alabama
2. Oregon
3. Florida State
4. Ohio State
5. Baylor
6. TCU

The playoffs are a great idea but there are still some flaws. I think the playoffs need to expand to top 6 or top 8 teams and/or the process for the playoff teams need to be changed. I don't see any reason why TCU lost a playoff spot and fell to 6.

Side Note
I don't understand why the two games that decide who plays in the National Championship are the Rose Bowl and the Sugar Bowl. These two bowls were very popular and made a lot of money. I don't understand why the NCAA didn't take two less popular bowls, like the TaxSlayer bowl and GoDaddy Bowl, and make them the play in games for the National Championship. It would have left the Rose bowl and Sugar Bowl to draw a lot of attention (and money) to other teams while the playoff bowls would be hyped already because of the teams in them and what they are playing for.

Torii Hunter Returns!

Long time Twin and fan favorite Torii Hunter has returned to the Minnesota Twins.

But why?

Let me start off with this: it isn't for production.

Torii Hunter makes absolutely no sense from a production standpoint for the Twins. They do not need an additional outfielder, especially one that it at the end of his career. With many bright prospects in the outfield for the Twins (Buxton, Rosario, Hicks, Arcia) the Twins are looking for a veteran to lead these young outfielders and to guide them along. The only thing I can make sense of this signing from a production standpoint is that Hunter provides a proven bat from the right side.

This signing goes deeper than production. Hunter has been the face of the franchise in the past and it doesn't appear that he's lost any of his popularity. Hunter gives desperate Twins fans a reason to make the trip out to Target Field. He is the type of player that the MLB needs more of; his personality on and off the field demonstrate everything that is good about the sport. Not too many athletes would give up their chance to play for a championship and return to a team that brought them to fame and give the fans a last hooray.

It will be interesting to see how this works out. I am guessing that his main role will be a DH and then relieving outfielders on their days off, but things can change quick. With Hunter showing some signs of his former self last year at the plate (.286 BA, 17 HR, 86 RBI) he could definatly emerge one last time and be the top hitter on the Twins if Joe Mauer continues being Joe Mauer and if Dozier and Arcia regress.

Overall, this is a fun acquisition for the Twins. It is a sign that the front office actually cares about the fanbase and not just solely on winning. Now if the Twins would go out and sign a big name starter (Scherzer or Price) and not some Nolasco part 2, I would be a very happy Twins fan.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

As if the Holidays, college finals, work, weather and traveling home were not enough to handle in December, the sporting world has a lot to offer. 

With the NFL regular season coming to an end, many teams will be fighting for a playoff spot in the next four weeks. The NFC has some incredible battles in every division.

• The NFC East could be decided on Dec. 14th when the Cowboys visit the Eagles.
• The NFC West has three potential playoff teams, but the crucial matchup will come on Sunday night football between the Cardinals and Seahawks on December 21st. 
• The Lions could make an attempt to steal the NFC North from the Packers if they win their last four games, including their final game at Lambeau Field.
• The NFC South is so bad that any team could still take the division at 8-8. Keep an eye on this.

The AFC is just as exciting. 

• The Patriots are trying to lock up the number 1 seed in the playoffs, but they need to worry about beating the Dolphins and Bills to win the division first. 
• The Broncos are in a similar position as the Patriots. The AFC West is giving Peyton Manning a run for his money. 
• The AFC North is the closest division in the NFL. The Bengals lead the division at 8-3-1, but every other team is 7-5 and ready to take over. Also keep an eye on Johnny Manziel. 
• The Colts appear to have won the AFC South, but they have one more game against JJ Watt's Texans, who look to complicate things. 

While NFL teams are fighting for playoff spots, there is a chance you could be fighting for a championship this week. Fantasy Football playoffs have just begun and its crunch time. The last 13 weeks and the offseason have all led up to this moment. Make sure to read up on your team and don't tinker too much. I wish everyone the best of (Andrew) Luck in the playoffs. I'll keep everyone updated on my rough path from the 6th seed to being crowned champion. 

The NBA gave fans a great start to December with the Cavaliers at the Knicks. Everyone was anticipating a fun match between LeBron and Carmelo, but it was Kyrie Irving's 37 point performance that helped the Cavaliers win. Maybe this will be the game that starts the Cavaliers on a much anticipated win streak. 

Let's not forget who the real MVP in the NBA is. Kevin Durant returned from a six week injury vacation. He dropped 27 points in his first game of the season, but it wasn't enough to help the struggling OKC Thunder get the win. 

Speaking of struggling teams, the Philadelphia 76ers will not go winless this season. The 76ers traveled to frozen tundra in Minnesota and left with their first win. Thaddeus Young had 6 rebounds and 16 points for the Timberwolves in his first game against his former team. 

The NHL has been just as exciting to watch as the other two sports. Martin Brodeur returned to the crease for the first time this season. The only difference is he is wearing blue and not red. Brodeur looked pretty good for a 42 year old who hasn't played since April. Unfortunately his debut was spoiled by a loss. 

The Ottawa Senators had their retirement ceremony for the great Daniel Alfredsson. More on that can be found here Alfie Heads Home and Heads Out.

Minnesota also got some exciting news when Gary Bettman said the NHL will deliver on their promise of having an outdoor game in Minnesota. 

Minnesota just hosted the 2014 MLB All-Star game and have been awarded the 2018 Super Bowl and the 2019 NCAA Mens Basketball final four. The only thing the State of Hockey needed was a Winter Classic. 

December didn't forget about baseball. While this is the least exciting sport to watch in the middle of the winter, considering there are no games, MLB free agency is something else. Here is a list of playes who have signed major deals: 

• Giancarlo Stanton
• Hanley Rameriez 
• Pablo Sandoval 
• Nelson Cruz 
• Torii Hunter
• Yasmany Thomas

While the fielders/hitters were the first to find new homes, it looks like December will be the month of the pitchers. Jon Lester was expected to return to Boston after spending a few months in Oakland, but it appears the Dodgers, Cubs, and Giants aren't going to make it an easy decision. As teams run out of options, expect Max Scherzer and James Shield to sign shortly after Lester does.

December truly is the most wonderful time of the year. Happy Holidays and enjoy everything the world of sports has to offer!

Alfie Heads Home and Heads Out

Daniel Alfredsson was, is and always will be an Ottawa Senator. Disregard his year in Detroit, I would consider that a chase for the cup. It's a similar thing to what Ray Bourque did with Colorado in the 1990's. Ever since his rookie of the year campaign in 1995-1996 Alfredsson was the face of the franchise. Leading the team not only on the ice but off it as well. Being team captain and promoting Senators hockey. If there ever was a member of the NHL that was so highly regarded it is Alfie. He lead the team to 15 playoff appearances total and 11 straight  for a stretch. He was also a key member of the CASH Line that included Jason Spezza and that all star Dany Heatley.

 

The only thing missing from Alfie's career is a Cup. The very reason he spent his last season in Detroit, on a Red Wings team that was plagued with injuries and still manage to scrape out a playoff birth. While his career comes to an end, his legacy as a Senator will live on, He retired tonight in a Senators jersey, Skated warm ups and dropped the ceremonial puck. Daniel Alfredsson lived breathed and worked in a Ottawa jersey for 18 seasons and 1 day. The very jersey that will hang in the Canadian Tire Centre someday. NHL fan's everywhere should appreciate this guy as a player and as a fine representative of what athletes should be. Oh and don't forget he's a wicked mustache grower:

Thanks Daniel for everything you've done, you will be missed!

Boo Birds Accompany Wild Win

Ask yourself the last time you saw it; fans booing. The last time you were at a game yourself maybe? Heck I boo every bad call a ref makes if I can. Brad Shepherd of NCHC is probably my favorite target, I'm not even going to try to deny it. But when was the last time you saw or heard someone boo the players. I'll never forget booing The Iowa Hawekeyes in the metrodome in 2004 as a youngster, That was probably the first time I booed anyone or any select team. But not so often is it that you boo your own team, better yet when your team is winning?

Wednesday night at home brought just the scenario, with a 2-0 lead the Wild went on a five minute power play and came out the same way they went in. With a 2-0 lead. Not often does a five minute power play go without any score, think about it, five minutes to dominate the pace of play, five minutes of puck control, five minutes of sheer and utter disappoint in this case. Yep, the Wild held the lead through the power play, but managed to squander momentum, fail to get the puck deep and pretty much suck the life out of Andrew Brunette's system. Granted there hasn't been much life to begin with, to put it bluntly its been dismal. Their power play is working merely 9.0 percent of the time, and sits at 29th in the league, it's just not what it could be.

No, with a star studded team, these numbers should improve, need to improve and frankly, Minnesota deserves better as a state. "The state of Hockey," not the state of a struggling power play. The fans deserve the right to boo, I give them that. But what I can't understand is the timing. The Wild had a lead, and better yet, won the game, beating a strong Montreal team. But it wasn't enough to stop the fans from voicing their concerns.

As it is, the 14-9-1 Wild take the ice again Friday December, 5th against the 16-6-5 Anaheim Ducks, Look for a change in the power play, possibly a switch up in the lines may come. I have a feeling that Mike Yeo and Andrew Brunette will do just that. Look for the Wild to try to get the puck deep and hope for more control and chances on the power play. And if not for Brunette's sake but for the whole teams, hope for another strong win to keep the fans at bay.

Going Out in Style

One of the most underrated parts of sports is retiring with the team you began your career with. I think it is a great move for the player, the organization and the fans. It's not very common that a player spends their entire career with one team, so when a team loses a great player, the fans hope it's not goodbye forever.

Torii Hunter just agreed to a one year contract with the Minnesota Twins. Hunter spent his first 11 years in Minnesota before he left for the Los Angeles Angels. After five years in LA, Hunter took his talents to Detroit hoping to finally win a World Series ring. Unfortunately two years in Detroit wasn't enough for the ring, but at age 39, Hunter appears to be nearing the end. 

I grew up watching Torii Hunter make ridiculous catches in center field. He was a prime piece of the early to mid 2000 Twins: Johan Santana, Brad Radke, Jacque Jones, Corey Koskie, Michael Cuddyer, Justin Morneau, and Joe Mauer. The team was so exciting to watch. Hunter was easily a fan favorite. His first game as a LA Angel was played in Minnesota, where he was greeted with a standing ovation. 

I was furious when I saw Hunter signed with Detroit because I thought that was where he was going to retire. I think one of the most classy things in sports is to retire with the team that made you. It wouldn't make sense to have Brett Favre retire an Atlanta Falcon, but I'm interested to see if Peyton Manning signs with the Indianapolis Colts before he announces his retirement. Some people I have talk to don't like the one day contracts. I'm not a huge fan myself but I understand that sometimes it makes sense to do a one day deal rather than a one year deal. Hideki Matsui, Jim Thome, Champ Bailey, and Fred Taylor are some examples of one day contracts in sports. 

I like what the Twins and Hunter did. Hopefully the scenario works better than when the Twins brought back Jacque Jones, who spent his final time with the Twins in the minors. Torii Hunter has still managed to produce in the field and in the batters box. Unfortunately I don't see this being the year Torii Hunter wins a World Series, but he is still going out in style.  

4th and Inches

"I hate fantasy football, and it's the only thing I really loved."

- Pete Eckhart, The League

Early August, all I could think about was the beginning of a new fantasy football season. I went to Target and pick up my draft guide magazine. I read through every page, so I could create my dream team. I went through the depth charts of each team and see which running backs I need to handcuff. I looked at injuries such as Rob Gronkowski. I read some of Matthew Berry's draft advice. I looked over average draft position and mark down when I need to pick my guys. I then began the mock drafts. I did at least five mock drafts because there was always one guy that picked the Jaguars D/ST in the first round. After about three weeks of serious preparation, draft day was finally here.

I drafted Calvin Johnson in the 1st round because he constantly puts up big numbers, and you can count on him to play every week. He got hurt week four and doesn't put up numbers again until week ten. This was the theme of my whole draft but I had no idea what I was going to deal with all year.

The only good thing that came out of the draft was my eighth pick, Jeremy Maclin, but it wasn't enough.

I started the season 3-1. I made a video for my fantasy league that had me wearing my Calvin Johnson jersey on and the song "All I do is Win" was playing in the back round. I will tell you there is such things as a jinx. This was it.

My team fell quickly and I knew I had to make moves. I traded away AJ Green and Andrew Luck to get Eddie Lacy, Cam Newton, and Andre Johnson. I later traded Lacy, Dwayne Allen, and DeSean Jackson for Tom Brady, Joique Bell and Michael Crabtree. I thought I put together the best team I have ever had.

I was wrong. I had the names that would sell out a stadium, but all I care about were wins. I just couldn't figure out where I went wrong. I had the players but they didn't perform. 

I had tried to recreate the team I had when I won it all in 2011. Focus on having strong wide receivers, and good quarterback with a compliment of average running backs. However, there is no possible way to know the perfect fantasy lineup strategy. Every year is different. 

Many people can relate to me when I say this, missing the playoffs sucks. All the time spent on the draft, studying the waiver wire, evaluating everyone's team, making blockbuster trades, and setting a lineup every Sunday morning, spent for nothing. I poured my heart and soul into this season and for what? I get so into the silly game because it's suppose to be fun. I get more stressed and nervous than I get excited. I put myself through an emotional roller coaster, so I can be crowned the champion of my league. Is that really worth it? The pain of losing is not fun to live with. For the second straight year, I'm watching my friends battle for the championship. I have told myself multiple times this year that I am done with fantasy football, but I know I'm not. I just can't stand the feeling in my stomach of coming up short, for coming up 4th and inches.